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n0tamused · 2 days ago

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Hello, can I ask you about Wuwa men with a reader similar to Acheron from HSR? I mean also suffering from such a blessing, loss of taste, colors and memory 🥹

A/n: Sorry for the small wait! I do hope you enjoy this mixed bag of everything lol, I was a bit around the place and yapping. I haven't been able to play WuWa since this summer due to storage problems so these were written with the knowledge I have from the older versions lol.

Contents: Jiyan/Aalto/Xiangli Yao/Mortefi/Calcharo x GN!Reader(separate) that is like Acheron, fluff, comfort, a bit of angst, not proof-read, some of these are shorter than the others as I wasn't feeling particularly motivated for them all equally, sorry

Ko-fi

Jiyan

-It does not take too long for the General of the Midnight Rangers to catch on to your odd persona, “odd” is not the word he’d use, but with the lack of a proper terminology to describe his feeling with the initial encounter he has not much choice but to use it

-He is wary of you, but not unkind, as he usually is with newcomers that seemingly do not visibly come in blazing and wishing to oppose him and all he stands for

-There is a sense of understanding about him when it comes to you, he can practically sense the emptiness that surrounds you and that deep look in your eyes tells him that there is much more to you, something both dangerous and intriguing. Some time may pass before it becomes a routine of sorts to converse with you on a regular basis, and when it also becomes a habit for you despite your fading memory.

-Jiyan never held your weak memory against you, it was one of the things that pointed to something else that he wished to uncover through your blossoming relationship. Even if that thing stood alone as a characteristic of your, he was already enraptured by you, he wanted to help you where he could

-In private and with intimate relationships, Jiyan can be a man of fewer words than when he is on the battlefield with so many eyes on him. Being General means being a performer to a certain extent as well, but with you he can just leave that stage and be himself

-With someone who has lost the sense of taste and the eye for color he tends to hold onto some thread of hope that you’ll be cured of it, be it by his hand or someone else’s. He watches your movements and your mannerisms for any sign of improvement and gets rather excited if he ever spots some, even if it may not be a really big deal to you or anyone else.

-Jiyan doesn’t share the same condition as you, but he understands the feeling of losing something and someone. He knows what it feels like to be adrift without a clear direction. So, he might silently mourn the fact that you can no longer enjoy the small things like colors, tastes, or memories, because he’s had his own form of loss and he felt the pain on his own skin. What he can do is try and dull any pain you might feel, or distract you from it, although he genuinely hopes you are not in pain at all.

-While you may forget past conversations or dates, forgetting such things for Jiyan is a scarce event. He holds every memory close to him, especially if he finds himself far away from you, on distant battlefields where he can only hope you haven’t forgotten about him. But there is also a poetic way to his thinking when it comes to this - if you do, in fact, forget him, he can always start again. He’d never tire, and he’d keep doing it all as long as you’d let him.

-He does leave notes for you around the house that can be quite detailed depending on the context, hoping to help you with the daily routine even while he is away from you.

-Though your memories are gone or fading and your senses have all but dulled, Jiyan would help you rediscover joy in small, often overlooked things. While you can't taste food anymore, he might make it a habit to cook you a meal, hoping that somehow you can still feel the texture or the warmth of the food, and there’s of course the health aspect to it too. And while you can't see colors, he might describe the world in such detail that you feel as though you're experiencing it through his eyes. He also helps you with your outfits if you ask him to! He may not be some fashionista but he can be of good help. In winter he does tend to mother you a bit, telling you to always dress warmly even if you may not feel as cold.

-If he ever came to see you use your “blessing” in combat, he’d be shocked, then in cautious awe. If anyone understands that great power comes with a great cost - it is him.

-You may hold power to move mountains, but Jiyan would always be there to jump in first and protect you.

Aalto

-Aalto would have come to know you through all the various branches of information he perches on, he knew you before had met you in person, but that does not erase his unending curiosity and skepticism

-He is tactical yet unassuming in his approach to you, stepping carefully to see where you stand with him. He is quick to adjust if need be, as in the end, the last thing he needs to happen is you marking him as your enemy and possibly wiping the floor with him

-As mentioned, he does approach you with a certain curiosity, he is guarded and cautious. He has heard and read so much about you but to him this concept of being “blessed” in such a way by an entity unheard of in the whole world is strange at best. There was so much yet so little, at times he was unsure what to think

-Aalto is a whimsical fellow, as we all know, but that is a part of his own public persona. No one would really suspect such a guy of any ulterior motive, and it is a character that has bought him a way into so many places

-It comes as a bit of a surprise to him when he meets you next time and you don’t seem to remember him or parts of your prior conversation. He is questioning whether this is done on purpose to send him a signal you are not interested, but soon he does realize that it is really something serious and not done of your own violation

-Aalto is used to navigating difficult situations with tactical precision, and he prides himself on his ability to control and influence outcomes. However, when faced with someone like you- someone whose condition is so profound and deeply entrenched- he might feel a sense of helplessness. His usual methods of fixing things or controlling situations wouldn’t work on you. He might even feel frustrated by his inability to do anything tangible to heal or help you reclaim you’ve already lost

-But with that being said, Aalto would definitely try and help you in the later stages of your relationship to look for some cure, or at least something to lessen this curse. Even at the start he may point to some cures you can try out. It is not an easy thing to live with and it certainly is not comfortable either. He may not completely understand it, even with the abundance of information he has, it is still unknown territory, but that doesn’t stop him from trying. He never appears too stoic however, and likes to keep a lighthearted tone around you in hopes that at least his jokes and laid back demeanor can keep you calm and entertained, even if for a while, even if you’ll forget eventually

-Aalto would want to bring you “back to life” in some way, but his methods might be a bit unconventional and rather bold when it comes to it. Rather than using gentle persuasion like Jiyan, Aalto might try pushing you more directly, testing your limits, teasing, and seeing how far he can go to provoke a reaction. He may put salt instead of sugar in your food and hope you notice and scold him for it.

-This could come across as both intense and a bit intrusive at times, like a water that’s just about to burst with a boil, but it’s never done out of malice. He’d never do something that would cause you harm. He’d just want to know if there’s any spark left in you, any piece of yourself that could be awakened, and if there’s even a small sand-sized spark, he is more than willing to put all his efforts out to make it shine brighter

-While initially, Aalto might be driven by curiosity and perhaps a need for control, over time he might develop a deeper, more nuanced understanding of your condition. He would begin to realize that there’s no quick fix, no immediate solution or cure for you, and that the journey to healing is one that requires time and patience. This does make him soften, in a rather sad way in which he has to eventually accept this no matter how much he wants to keep fighting for you

-But he is more than willing to be patient, holding that hope at the back of his mind instead of making it his very sole goal. He understands that watching him jump from place to place can also be exhausting for you to see.

-In terms of your memory loss Aalto would take lots of pictures, although sadly not many would include him due to his work, but there would be his handwriting on the back of printed pictures and silly doodles as well, some also done by Encore who has grown quite fond of you

-He leaves flowers for you. After a time he also bought you a plastic potted plant, just so you can have something that lasts, as the last time he bought you a real potted plant it didn’t really live long

-He jokes about it, but he never took it to heart lol he is chill

Mortefi

-It is a bit of a lucky strike of fate that brought you two to meet, considering Mortefi doesn’t exactly go out of his way to meet new people. It would probably be Baizhi or some other that brings you to the Academy, and that is when he’d first get a sense of something different, that void that followed you like a shadow

-It is unclear to him whether this is something he is imagining or if it was something real, but as it is not exactly his field of research, he does not pursue his twinge of intrigue from there

-That is until Baizhi brings it up in conversation at a later date, something about this anomaly in your being, something that went beyond simple ailment of health. It puzzled her. And that conversation with Baizhi did leave a lasting taste in his mouth for days to come, even if Baizhi did not reveal anything confidential to him or anything concrete.

-When he meets you eye to eye he does question you a little bit about what you’re doing at the Academy again, and a conversion flows from there on out as you wait for Baizhi to come and check on you again. He wasn’t the warmest of people to converse with, but he was cordial and didn’t leave you alone in the middle of the Academy. He could tell from your mannerisms and from what you told him in the conversation that you didn’t exactly.. know what’s going on, and by that he also figured out your memory wasn’t the strongest. You made mention of getting a message from Baizhi that very morning, a reminder for you to come in, and he may have snuck a peak at your phone and saw there was more than one reminder before that one. It was a brief glance

-After your checkup, he does coincidentally meet you in the halls again and asks you about it, seemingly a little more softer but still blunt and hardy on the outside

-Mortefi wouldn’t be the type to offer overly emotional comfort. His understanding of loss or suffering would be intellectual rather than empathetic. He has lost a lot in his life as well, but he has always been forced to suppress his feelings, which led to outbursts somewhere later down the line. However, his form of sympathy wouldn’t be wholly detached but rather perceptive. He would sense that your condition is more than just a physical or psychological issue- it’s a fundamental disconnect from the world and your own spirit

- He might not express his sympathy outwardly, but there would be moments when his cold demeanor falters, and he would quietly acknowledge the sadness of your condition, even if he doesn’t directly verbalize it. He grows fond of you, and he takes a while to realize it too. He doesn’t want to believe it at first either - it is simply not logical to him, it doesn’t make sense, and intimate relationships always came hard to him anyway

-Mortefi would offer to make something for you that would help you with remembering things, he would even try to craft a special pair of glasses that would allow you to see colors, a special candy that would allow you to taste certain things..etc. He would try whatever his imagination would bring up, and it wouldn’t be rare to catch him staying up at night, trying to realize this idea into reality

-The loss of memory might fascinate Mortefi the most. He would be intrigued by how a person can live without the things that form their identity. If you think about it, everyone is just a well of memories which form not only their person, but their approach to the world around them. That includes Mortefi as well. If you don’t remember your past, it could mean you’re an empty vessel- a blank slate and therefore easily impressionable, in some way or another. He sees this as risky, so Mortefi may become rather easily irritated, or even anxious in some way, if you stop responding to his messages or if he hasn’t seen you in some time.

-Could be that you just forgot to text him… but that doesn’t stop him from worrying

-He may get a little irritated at you forgetting certain things or being late to appointments and such, but he understands this isn't done by your own choosing, so his anger is redirected at things that actually deserve his anger

Xiangli Yao

-Sweet Xiangli Yao, although when he meets you, and you're no more than another stranger to him, he still feels a sense of empathy for you. However threatening and dark that sense of emptiness that surrounds you is, it is just that which draws him in. Could he make it disappear?

-Xiangli Yao’s first reaction would be one of deep empathy. He is someone who feels others' pain deeply and would immediately recognize the gravity of your suffering. The loss of your senses and memory would weigh heavily on him.

-Of course, at the start he does not know all the details of you situation, he is quite hopeful and eager to help in whatever way he can, so when he finds out this was put upon you by a power higher even than of the sentinel, it is safe to say he feels a bit hopeless. His mind comes at a stop, like rusted cogwheels that he desperately tries to get moving again. Creaks and squeaks are all he gets in return for a while

- His first instinct would be to reach out to you, not just to understand your condition but also to offer support, even if he doesn't know how to fix things right away

-Unlike other people who might approach your condition with curiosity or detachment to satisfy their own curiosity, Xiangli Yao would actively search for ways to help you heal or regain some semblance of the things you've lost. He would likely spend time learning about your condition, asking you about how you feel or what you remember, even if your memory doesn’t work the same way. His compassionate nature would drive him to research ways to restore or help you find balance in a world without your senses and memories

-Given his ability to read people and understand emotions on a deeper level, and with him being made of a rather soft and nurturing nature, Xiangli Yao would be sensitive to how you’re feeling. He’d be able to pick up small cues and mannerisms you may display, reading you like an open book

-Even if you don't express your emotions outwardly due to your condition, he would be able to sense the subtle cues - whether it’s the way you carry yourself or even your tone of voice when you speak. This is even more amplified the more time you spend together with each other. In either case, Xiangli Yao would adapt his approach accordingly, offering emotional support without pushing you to confront anything you're not ready for

-Xiangli Yao's sense of duty and his protective nature would kick in when he realizes the extent of your condition. He would be willing to make sacrifices to help you - whether it’s giving up his time, his resources, or even putting himself in danger to find a cure for you. You may be able to protect yourself, but if he can avoid putting you in a situation where you're forced to do so, he'd do just that. He'd rather be the one fighting than let you fight

-His deep belief in looking out for others, especially those who are vulnerable or hurting, would mean that he would go to great lengths to make sure you’re taken care of, even if it means putting his own needs aside

-Xiangli Yao’s care for you is gentle and affectionate in subtle yet really warm ways, but he would respect your boundaries. He wouldn’t overwhelm you with his affections, but he would express his care in small, meaningful gestures like sending you sweet messages through the little robot he makes for you, and in the same manner he’d send you voice messages too. Similarly to Jiyan he might take to a habit of leaving notes around the house and little treats as well. Even if you can’t taste them, he hopes you’ve enjoyed the little game of hunt for them

-If you'd allow him, he'd hold your hand as you walk around as he tells you about streets you've passed through before if you've forgotten. He'd quietly remind you of the names of others if you need the help and he'd never put you in a situation that would be embarrassing for you, that's the last thing he wants you to feel, especially since this curse is not something you would've wished for if it was up to you. Sure, it gives you great power, but at what cost..? Is it really worth it?

Calcharo

-When first learning of your suffering, he might simply nod, his face calm but with a subtle furrow in his brow. He wouldn’t rush to comfort you or find out more immediately, but instead, he would want to assess whether your condition is something that can be cured or if it's just part of who you are now, or if it something that threatens his work. His mind would be working quickly, formulating potential ways to help, but he would remain quiet, choosing his words carefully

-Despite his stoic nature, Calcharo would feel a strong sense of responsibility toward you, especially if he perceives you as vulnerable. He might not openly show his concern, but he would take steps to ensure that you are protected and taken care of

-Calcharo's emotional distance doesn't mean he’s cold or indifferent to your suffering. He’s simply more reserved and slow to let his guard down. However, as he sees your struggle, a quiet protectiveness would begin to form. He is not emotionless, he’s just buried his hard deep into his duty and deeper still

- He would keep his distance in terms of expressing emotions, but he would become more protective of you, watching your movements, ensuring that you don’t push yourself too far, and subtly stepping in when you need help. He does have eyes and ears everywhere, and may give some of them the task of keeping an eye out for you if he is in a situation where he can’t lend you his supports, due to his missions and duty

-While he may understand quite early on that the power you possess may go over the limit of his own imagination, he would step in to take over instead, telling you to go and wait for him elsewhere. He is rather gruff yet coldly calm in his command to you, he does not play around with work, and especially when it comes to you

-Seeing as he has a..demon of his own, he would come to compare your two conditions over time and correlate them as well, growing a greater understanding of you even if the two conditions don’t equal one another. He can only use his own knowledge to try and understand your experience, and that is the only way he knows

-As mentioned, Calcharo is quite stumped emotionally, he has a hard time expressing himself, so vocally you shouldn’t expect much from him, but if you need any work done, he is your guy

-If he doesn’t know how to do xyz, he most definitely knows another guy that does! Must be magic/j. That being said,his love language is definitely acts of service

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gabessquishytum · 2 days ago

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So I just thought about a Dreamling Avatar The Last Airbender AU. Dream was born in a highranking fire nation family (maybe even the royal family) and lived a fairly normal if secluded life, and of course he's been trained to perfection when it comes to firebending. Only, on his 16th birthday it turns out he's also the Avatar.

Dream is not a fan of that. He already feels useless despite his status in the fire nation and now he's the one who's supposed to bring the world balance? He can't even balance his own feelings. Even the greatest Avatars could never bring peace to the world for more than a few years (at best a few decades) in a row, how is he supposed to do that? But he knows he has no choice and so he goes on his journey to learn the other elements. And while he learns the elements to perfection as well, his journey just proves what he already knew: He's a mess and unfit to bring balance to anyone.

As he learned air bending, he fell in love with his teacher - the nun Nada. Unfortunately, while she loved him back, she decided to remain a nun and to follow her duties to her people rather than running away with Dream. Dream was so upset about it that he unintentionally burned her and left the temple in shame, not even checking if she was okay in his haste to get away. He's still ashamed of what he did back then and hasn't visited an air temple since.

He promised himself that the same would not happen again - and yet, as he went to the water tribe to study his next element, he fell head over heels in love again. This time with the daughter of the chief, Calliope. Their relationship started so well, too - both of them understood each other, knowing what it was like to grow up protected and secluded, as well as with many (annoying) siblings. They even discover a shared love for creating ice sculptures, sometimes spending their entire time together just one-upping each other in who can make the prettiest one of all. Dream is so certain of his love that he even carves a betrothel necklace for Calliope, who gladly accepts it. However, seeing this, her father and sisters give her a stern talking to, warning her that she shouldn't go through with it, maybe even having heared what Dream did to poor Nada and fearing that he might do the same to her. Calliope is disappointed by her family's lack of support, and even considers just running away with Dream anyway. But in the end, her loyalty will always be to her family and her tribe and so she hands the necklace back to Dream.

Dream, utterly heartbroken, done with this world, and continuing simply because he knows he has to (and what else is there to do, anyway?), goes to the earth kingdom to learn his final element. He's so tired of his heartache. In an effort to prevent the inevitable, he decides to look for a teacher who's all alone. A man. With no daughters or sisters or cousins or whoever else to fall in love with. Someone who will teach Dream to bend earth as quickly as possible so he can finally be done with this, go back home, and wait for the world to (hopefully never) call for his help.

Luckily, he stumbles across Hob. Hob is an amazing earth bender, if not a formally trained one, and he spends his life wandering all across the world on his own. He uses his bending for banditry to get by and otherwise just wants to see the world. He doesn't really have a goal, though originally he just wanted to get as far away as possible from the woman (Eleanor) who broke his heart. It's really a miracle Dream found him at all.

Despite earth not being his naturally opposing element, it's the one Dream struggles the most with. He supposes it's because of the needed mindset. Earthbenders are known to be proud, and Dream feels he has no reason to be. To bend earth you have to face the element, and while Dream doesn't exactly run away, it's less in a I'm standing my grounds against it way and more in a I don't care if I get smothered to death by this boulder way. Hob knows that this is not a good attitude to have while bending earth (or any other element, he suspects), so he forced Dream to take a break from learning the elements and tries to teach him how to enjoy life instead. He manages to fascinate Dream with all his stories, to get him to look at the world (if not yet humanity) with awe, and Dream even opens up about some of his trauma, trusting that Hob will be there for him.

And one day, as Dream watches his earth bending master train, shirtless and sweating, his hair in a messy bun, Dream realizes he's in love. And he's scared. This is not good. He's done this before, twice even, and this is going to be a catastrophy. Damn it, he chose Hob specifically to prevent this! Why can't he ever be normal?

He spirals so hard that he accidentily enters the Avatar state for the first time in his life. He feels endless power flowing through him, uncontrolled, and he has only one throught: He can't hurt Hob. He needs to get away.

In his condition, this thought is all he needs to basically catapult himself away, flying through the air at an incredible speed, looking for somewhere to hide. He lands on top of a mountain, at the entrance of a cave and collapses. By the time he wakes up again, and remembers what happened, he decides it's not worth it to get up again. He's only gonna hurt someone or get hurt himself anyway. And so he remains, lying on the entry to that cave, not even properly shielded against wind or rain, just staying in the fetal position for days. And that's how Hob finds him.

This is such a great idea, and I love the way you've described each of Dream’s experiences in his training!!! I could really visualise each one. I am also going to link the art you made for it here, because it's magnificent and I am low-key obsessed with Earthbender Hob!!!!

I love the idea of Hob laboriously climbing the mountain in search of Dream, utterly relieved to finally find him. He scoops Dream up and hugs him so tight, and Dream is so exhausted and emotionally drained he just sinks into it and whimpers. He's ashamed of himself for being so weak. But Hob doesn't see it as weakness, not at all. He's just so incredibly, deeply relieved. He promises Dream that everything will be okay. He also tells Dream that he loves him. He has absolutely no idea if Dream loves him back (Hob is not the most observant Earthbender in the world). He just wants Dream to know that he IS loved. He'll gladly carry Dream down the mountain and take care of him until he feels better. Hob thought that he'd be happy to be alone for the rest of his life, but it's not true - he wants to be with Dream. As friends or allies or something more, whatever he can get. He wants to be with his forever.

It's a miracle that Dream doesn't go into the Avatar state all over again. Fortunately he's too drained and tired to do anything but wrap his arms around Hob’s shoulders. He has no idea what the future might hold, but the knowledge that he can have Hob forever... that makes it all a little easier to deal with. He suddenly feels quite willing to save the world. Because suddenly, the world really does feel worth saving.

#the sandman #dreamling #avatar the last airbender au

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sweetiesicheng · 2 days ago

Text

joshua - translator

word count : 908

happy birthday to lovely joshua ~

"excuse me?" you look up and see a guy standing in front of you. "hi, i'm joshua. i'll be your translator for this interview," he greets, holding his hand out to you.

"oh, hi. nice to meet you," you say and shake his hand. "will you be sitting next to me?" you ask.

he nods, "yea. with how the camera is, i won't be seen on tv," he mentions. "if you need any explanations, just let me know. i'm sure you've seen most of the questions already."

"actually, i haven't seen any of them yet. i know the usual questions though, so i should be fine," you say to him.

"you sure you don't want a peek?" he offers, holding out a stack of papers that he has in one hand.

"well...one peek wouldn't hurt," you reply, making both of you laugh.

joshua hands you some papers from the stack. the papers are filled with interview questions with the english translation sitting beneath each question.

"i doubt we'll have enough time to go through all of these. it’s just the ones that some of the staff wrote," joshua says to you. "oh, i marked these out," he mentions, "these are about you. these are about your concert. the ones at the bottom are kind of obscure questions."

you look over the questions for a bit and hand the papers back to joshua.

"thanks," you say to him.

"yea, no problem. i'll be going now. i'll see you out there," he says with a smile.

"okay, see ya," you reply.

joshua leaves the room. you look over the schedule while your manager checks over some things with the stage crew. one of your stylists fixes your makeup while another one fixes your performance outfit since one of the appliqués got loose from a different performance.

eventually, the show starts and you wait for your cue. when it's your turn, you walk on stage, waving to the audience before greeting the host.

you go through simple introductions and listen to the host talk about you and your new song that you're promoting. you can't understand most of what the host is saying, but while the host is talking, joshua comes out and sits next to you.

the interview goes smoothly since joshua translates everything for you, and the host is a really nice person. the studio audience seems to love you, which makes you feel happy knowing that you have fans in another country.

after the interview, you change into another outfit and get ready to perform your new song as well as one of your songs from your last mini album.

you have a ton of fun performing with your crew and end your appearance on a high note. the host says a few more things before another break happens.

"excuse me, these are from the crew," joshua says, appearing in the hallway when you go further backstage. he holds a gift bag with the show's logo on it.

"oh thank you!" you immediately reply as joshua hands the bag to you, "this is so sweet of everyone." you peek in the bag and see a few items. "please give everyone my gratitude. everyone here is so nice, and i'm really glad that you were my translator today."

joshua smiles at you, "glad i could help. i'm trying to work my way up, so maybe i'll see you at another recording.”

"i'll just ask if there's a joshua at all of my shoots while i'm here then," you say to him, leaving the two of you laughing.

"well, if you need a translator for anything else. i could probably find time," he suddenly offers.

"actually?"

"wait, are you being serious now?"

"you're the one that just offered to be my translator!" you laugh. "okay, you're coming with me! let's see if my manager agrees," you say and grab his arm.

—

"i'm confused."

you and joshua sit on the couch in his apartment. you have takeout containers on the table and a notebook in your hands with all of your notes for learning new words. both your handwriting and joshua's handwriting are littered all over the pages, and it makes you surprised how you can still read everything.

"you say that a lot when i teach you," joshua says to you. you lightly smack his arm. "okay, ow."

"you're too buff for that to hurt," you say to him. you circle the word you're having trouble on with a pen. "how am i saying it wrong?" you ask.

"you're saying this word instead of that," joshua says, pointing to two words on the page. "actually, it sounds like you're in between these two sounds. i guess you kind of have an accent if anything."

you groan, laying your head on his lap. "i give up learning. my brain is too fried with all of the languages i've been using lately."

"hey, you're supposed to have this interview all on your own, remember?" joshua says, moving your notebook onto the table.

"it's your fault for having to be on that music video shoot."

"i'm sorry that i got a better job?"

"that doesn't sound sincere."

joshua leans in and kisses you. "i'm sorry that i can't accompany my very smart and talented girlfriend to her recording at a music show while her boyfriend is working on a music video set."

"you owe me more kisses."

he chuckles, "you got it."

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janecuppa · 1 day ago

Text

Hello ladies and gents!

What you all have been waiting for has arrived! THE TEA.

I just have a few things I want to say first to bring understanding and clarification. I'm not a lawyer. I'm not going to try to sway you one way or another. I'm just going to lay it all out and let you decide. I feel what I share should be able to speak for itself. I may share some opinions and conclusions I've come to, but that is all. Opinions are not facts. It's just what I personally think.

I will admit the tea was served to me with a clear bias, so I will also have to pass it on with a bias.

I don't believe in trying to influence what you think and believe. Trying to coerce you into what I think, because it really doesn't matter. I think it should speak for itself. Those who influence and try to control what you think do so because they want to brainwash you into their way of thinking. I don't think that's right. Autonomy is so important to me. You should have your own freedom in that. So just take it in. Think it over. Decide for yourself.

Use some critical thinking.

Because I will say, when people get a little loud, defensive and aggressive and try to manipulate you and convince you of something, there is a reason. They're usually feeling threatened and insecure. And want to distract you and lead you away from what they don't want you to see. They will flow through different gears. Aggression and defensive to sometimes dismissive. Truth doesn't require such aggressive defending. Truths speak for themselves. Lies don't. Lies need weaving and defending.

So whenever someone has got defensive with me, I pause and bring a more critical eye to the situation. Why? Why are you defensive? What are you trying to deflect? Or if they get dismissive and almost seem to try to make you feel like an idiot for even considering it. "Don't be ridiculous. Why would you even give that a thought?". Theres something off there.

And every single time I've experienced that, I later realized it was because I was getting a little too close to comfort to seeing a truth. Many people can't handle the shame of being found out. So they try to intimidate. They get loud, defensive, or they'll try a different gear and attempt to dismiss it. So, just keep that in mind. If something is being talked about and causes a commotion, there is a reason why.

I keep in mind that people see and interact with the world with their own lense. People who bluster and bully, that says more about them. That reflects on them. It has nothing to do with me. It doesn't intimidate me. Go ahead. I'm not going to volly back. It's not worth it to me. I rather watch snow melt.

So go ahead, try to bully me. Riot and whoever else. You'll just be fighting with yourself. I didn't even bother reading what riot was posting because I really didn't care. I just immediately blocked her so I would stop being tagged and included with the infantile behavior. Do what you have to in order to cope. If it's throwing all the heinous words, threats and whatever else at me, go hard and have fun. And if some of the "NV stans" are paid like some think, then you go earn that coin! Put money in the bank! We all have bills to pay. I get it 🤣. But that still supports my point. If you're on a payroll, you're being told to go be loud and distractive for a reason.

Now. I went in search for answers. I'm snoopy and I want to understand. I ask questions. This entire thing has been bizarre and I think many could see that. It wasn't convincing. I knew there would be cracks and leaks if you searched hard enough. There's people out there that can't help themselves, regardless of administration and NDAs. There are many people around them. Some more consistently and some in passing. I knew there had to be a hotel worker, a sound guy, a friend of a friend, a waitress or something like that out there that would have seen or heard something. Some people can't help themselves if they think something is juicy. They'll tell their spouse, best friends, and maybe their parents. So I went in search for these people. I was determined and I did finally make some connections with seemingly valuable information. The one in particular proved themselves out when they told me that Henry and Natalie would have a public appearance soon. A few days later was the Enola Holmes premiere. The others had plausible stories that I wasn't seeing be talked about. I took it in under consideration, and that's where those stories still are filed. "Consideration and speculation." This is gossip. It's heresay. You have to remember that. It's not the gospel truth and should not be taken that way. Although I will say, personally speaking, that I'm lending it more weight based on the aggression I faced when I first started posting. Something in there is ruffling feathers and there is a reason.

I'll repeat. I'm not the only one who knows this stuff. If they were willing to tell me, they were willing to tell others. It has also been discussed in group chats. I myself have shared with selected people. This information is out there. I'm just the one who decided they were bored, realized they were sitting with all this gossip, and decided to put on the kettle. I knew what I was doing. I don't plan on outting my connections and sources. I don't think I could anyway if I wanted. They were careful. Thank you for your patience. I felt like I was back in university, sifting through textbooks and notebooks while I wrote an essay. That is what took time, trying to go back through conversations to make sure I had it right.

Now the fun begins! Remember, this is all alleged, gossip and heresay and not the gospel truth. I'm just repeating what all I've managed to find. Also, keep in mind I've been snooping and filing everything away for years. There is a lot to recall. I have had many many hours of conversations about this shit show. So even with all I share, I feel like you still will only get a summary. I feel like this could be written into a novel. Keep truck loads of salt nearby.

I've had multiple sources over the years. Some long term. Some have come and gone. I'm not going to keep mentioning them, but my making these multiple connections has enabled me to get all this gossip. It pays to be stubborn and snoopy.

This is probably going to come across as a story and in a way they are. It's gossip. It's multiple stories I've heard about them. I'm going to try to relay it how it was relayed to me.

Let's start from the beginning.

Henry was still under management with Dany. Dany liked to utilize PR relationships. They're common in Hollywood. They're a good way to generate traffic online and in the media with a celebrities name. People want to know the hottest gossip. Who is dating who. It helps keep their name being mentioned and relevant. In this type of business, they want to be relevant.

They wanted him to look like he upped his game from past girlfriends. They wanted to give him the look that he had a hot shot, big-time girlfriend in the industry. She wanted to take her career in a different direction, and she was only too happy to play along. She had been selected by Dany, and he agreed. There was a contract between them. It was originally only to last under a year. It was to be a business transaction.

Hollywood is all smoke and mirrors. They sell you what they want you to believe. It's a production. Even "real life" stuff. It's a business.

It's a cesspool if you ask me.

Social media is important to officials in Hollywood. Social media is another business tool to them. So they got her verified and a following to help her business, as stipulated in their contract. He was obligated to do that for her. It is also why he had to keep naming her publicly. It was in one of his contracts. He had to promote her. People thought it weird he kept naming her by her full name if she was a girlfriend, and I agree. It's fucking weird to do that for a girlfriend. But she wasn't his true girlfriend. She was a business associate and in my opinion, he told us that by calling her a "Partner". That was not a lie. She was a business partner. They were linked by a business contract.

They tried improving her image. They wanted her to be taken seriously. Her image reflected on him. The entire point was so he could have an elevated image. She was given a lot of guidance on how to act and portray herself. They put in a lot of effort. It was a complete scrub down and then rejuvenation.

She was terminated from Legendary. I was told because she was caught stealing their property. I was told it was a script. Which to me makes sense, because if you take that script to a competitor it can cause lots of problems and money lost. She also had a reputation as a bully in the workplace. She caused problems and was not easy to work with. Her ex coworkers have talked about her behavior online before. I've seen allegations on Reddit and IG from former coworkers against her.

Henry and her were in contract during this time. In short, the contract said he had to help her career. Her getting herself fired became his problem. He had already been in talks with Vertigo at this point for a possible producing partnership. He had been able to get her a sham title, articles and some contracted work. So she had worked for Vertigo but not as what they say. She hasn't had a permanent job since Legendary. But he did this to try to cover what happened and to help her become desirable to hire

Natalie also made many threats against Henry. She was not happy with the result of their contract. He was fulfilling his obligations, but she was not happy with the results. She expected more. She kept saying she would not leave until she was satisfied. She threatened that she would lie and tell stories against him.

This is after the era of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. Amber Heard managed to be successful in ruining Johnny Depps life for a number of years with some lies. Obviously the two situations are slightly different but the core factors are the same. Lies managed to really cause upheaval in a man's life.

I can only speculate how Henry felt when he realized what he had to work with. He clearly took the threats seriously.

They renewed their contract many times. So there is a paper trail.

He tried to find a middle ground. But she couldn't be controlled. She stepped on so many peoples toes. She was so rude to people around them. He tried to keep conflicts to a minimum but she became too much. Staff members had enough, and they left. He tried to keep conflict to a minimum, but he couldn't manage. That's sad because staff members had to face bullying and abuse. In trying to appease her so she wouldn't go spread lies to the press and online, he couldn't also manage to keep a safe work environment. It's very sad and unfortunate. They were just working to get further in life like everyone else and shouldn't have had to be subjected to that. That's my opinion.

There has also been much conflict in regards to his families dislike of her. They don't hide that they don't like her and they don't invite her around. They don't include her, and there is always a distinct separation between them and her. There have been quite a few fights over this. I've heard she's embarrassed about the fact they don't hide it. TW3 premiere family pictures were to passify her.

They have so many reasons to not like her.

I mean it when I say she is unable to emotionally regulate herself. Each of my sources has had something to say about her behavior. It's a common theme.

She snaps. She loses control. She's impulsive. They've said it's like she loses her reason to her rage.

She screams. She yells. She throws things.

She has got physical in these episodes.

There is one such story I was told. There was witnesses. She must not have cared or she didn't think it through.

She was making demands of Henry. He was trying to explain what she wanted wouldn't work, she got angry, slapped him clear across his face, and then shoved him. They were separated. He went to get his gym gear immediately and left for the gym. She was escorted out. I was told there was a threat of getting the authorities involved that never amounted to anything. I'll talk more on this closer to the end. It's mostly opinion.

She has thrown things at him. She has yelled at and belittled him. She's gotten physical. And not just with him. Others have been involved in these episodes of hers.

His family was appalled, and everyone knew it. They wanted her gone, but there was a contract, and he was afraid she would follow through on her threats and he would have to deal with that disaster. My opinion, is he wanted to try to make it all work and he could get to the otherside. Help her career, keep her happy and he won't have to deal with his reputation being lied on and trying to fix it. I can guess he didn't want to live what Johnny Depp did. Johnny Depp was able to get his life back but for a big chunk of years his life was ruined.

She has also been unpleasant to his family and there's been fights over it. Word gets around. People know. You also just have to look at them and know not all is well there. But I have had people ask how he could let that happen and he hasn't just allowed it. There were big fights about her behavior towards them. With others around. A common theme is she doesn't mind fighting with an audience. My opinion and speculation is that perhaps she does that as a way to embarrass and manipulate him. To possibly try to exert dominance over him. Maybe she thought she had a higher chance of getting her way if she did it with an audience. But people talk, they gossip, and you have people like me who keep their nose to the ground, sniffing out stories like this that aren't really talked about. If you search hard enough, you will find a chink in the armor.

There's also been very long stretches of time he hasn't been physically available to her. She told her friends and family it was just normal long-distance relationship stuff. She's told her friends and family that it's a real relationship. He knows that. His business associates know that. My opinion is I don't think she could live with the shame of them knowing it was just supposed to be a business transaction. My opinion is she wanted them to believe she managed to bag Henry Cavill for herself. If my source is to be believed, she told them she slipped into his DMs, he took notice and responded positively.

But I was told it was because there was nothing coming up to promote during those stretches and he was off living his life and she was home living hers. I do know she had access to his Florida house at one point. Dany helped her with that. Dany had a lot of power and access to Henrys life. He allowed it. My opinion is he was naive and put too much trust in her. I know he changed all the codes, passwords and locks to everything in that house as a result.

I've already spoke on the Fuck Off post. It was a result of Natalie running to Dany upset at the backlash she was receiving. She was upset and felt it was getting in the way of what she wanted to achieve from this business deal. I suppose Dany felt the post was needed and concocted that post. My opinion is she tried to make it sound like he was some white knight protecting his damsel in distress lady love, and it came across disingenuous. Because it was. He hadn't been made a part of that plan. He was not happy, people knew, and Dany and him had a meeting over it. I don't know what was said in that meeting. I did ask lol. But I do know he was not happy with Dany, and it did play a part in her no longer being his manager. As I said, he had too much trust in her. Social media is a business tool, and his business associates have access to it. He had it so she could do with it what she felt was needed. He had given her that authorization.

Their contract had come to an end when filming in Turkey came around. Everything was supposed to have ended by then.

She suddenly showed up in Turkey using the last of her money while bringing her sick dog. She called crying to Henry about how she had no money and still hadn't managed to find a permanent job. She could no longer stay where she was, and to top it off, Meat was very sick, and she could not afford his vet care. I was told Henry had told her she could come and stay for a short visit and he would help her with Meats vet care. At that point, he didn't say anything about helping her with a job or finding a new home. It was, for now you can stay and I'll help with your dog. She was destitute at that point. This is the point where things went completely nuclear.

She caused many problems during the filming of this movie. She caused disturbances and scenes on set. There was a huge production hold up. She came on set and caused a huge scene with Henry. She was the perpetrator, the aggressor. Henry was taken aside by Jerry Bruckheimer himself and was given heck from him. That something like that could not occur again. They had a schedule they had to keep, too. They could not afford a hold-up like that again if it could be helped. So he needed to control her. She ended up being banned from Guy Ritchies films. This is just speculation on my part, but I do believe Alan Ritchson even alludes to the production holdup that resulted from her meltdown in an interview. I also speculate Guy Ritchie went out on a limb for Henry in that interview, where he made sure people understood Henry was a gentleman. It was his films these disturbances happened. He witnessed the meltdown from Natalie aimed at Henry. He knew and heard the aggression lobbied at him. My opinion is he wanted to say his piece and defend Henry from any possible rumors that stemmed from that. I also believe Henry wasn't expecting it. You can see in the interview from his reaction. He went to bat for Henry of his on volition.

She was not even allowed anywhere near the filming sets in Tenerife. She had been served a legal notice about it.

The thing with Natalie is. Everyone knows and has talked about how fame hungry she is. She wants to be a celebrity. It is why she entered the contract to begin with and kept making threats so she could get her way and force him to help her make her way in stardom. In my opinion, she was ruthless. Scare Henry into compliance so she could ride his coat tails. But the thing is, she did succeed in a way. People did know of her association with him. She was publicly known as his girlfriend, just like she wanted. That means throughout the years of her association with Henry, she has been caught with her ass out, almost literally. There's been a few dalliances with different men. Can it be classified as cheating? Henry and her definitely had a weird thing going on. I wouldn't call it romantic. Their relationship was built on fear and was very toxic. But she has been seen out with men. Henry does know about it. He is not ignorant to it. Those around him know about it. That's how I know, but I've also seen some of the rumors through the years myself apart from my connections. Even after posting on here, I've had a few anons ask about the different stories of her out partying and being seen with men. If there's no romantic relationship between her and Henry and it's just the most toxic business relationship known to man EVER, then she can do that. She can have fun with men. But don't be mad if you get what you want, which is seen and recognized. People know who you are. And those people don't have NDAs to protect you. They can go to their friends and say, "I saw Henrys girlfriend drinking and grinding up on some guy who definitely was not Henry". You can't be mad if that gets out and paints you in a bad light. Exactly that happened, and people know about it. She's a party girl and that didn't stop during her association with him. She's been seen out.

Let's not be naive. They have slept together. Everyone is adults. Let's not be children about it. But...

What is embarrassing is what is being said about it.

He told people around him that he could not remember ever going unprotected and that it was only ever a moment of weakness. This is just what he apparently told people and what leaked out from that. I have seen it discussed very briefly in a few private chats, but it is also something my sources shared too. That is what he was saying. He couldn't remember ever going unprotected, and he is embarrassed at the mishap if that's the case.

She told him she was pregnant and he didn't believe her. I asked why he didn't believe her, and all I was told was he thought it was another manipulation story she was using to try to get more out of him. He figured he had always been careful as a rule, so he would be in the clear. She had been poised to tell the tabloids for money. She still hadn't managed to find a job in the industry, which at this point you have to ask why, she had very little money and she was pregnant. He was ignoring her. So she was going to sell the story. He got in contact with her and realized she was telling the truth. He gave her money to hush her up. They discussed the situation. They came to the decision they were going to co parent. At this point, he did believe he could have been the father. He had slept with her recently enough it was possible. I was told that meticulous planning went into this pregnancy situation. She wanted it to be used for clout. They did influence the timeline. People have caught on to that. They did want to throw people off. It was all part of the plan. They had a very tight schedule for everything. It was meticulous. And there had been a birth announcement originally planned.

He again went to help her with a career. He went back to trying to promote her. She now had a baby she had to help look after. She didn't even have to threaten his career this time lol. I was told he wanted the baby to be looked after and provided for by both. He didn't hide that from those around him. It was all very carefully put together and planned out. It was all very intentionally done. Even the things that throw people off, it was intentional.

South Korea was all about Natalie. I'm sure everyone knows what is said about them is known. They do know about the stories going around. They're not ignorant. They polished everything to help Natalie's image based on past criticism. She was pregnant then. And her weight loss? A result from wicked morning sickness. She had awful morning sickness at the beginning of her pregnancy. I remember being told she wouldn't eat because it made her sickness so much worse. I was told she was even harder to deal with then. It wasn't ozempic like people speculated. She was already pregnant then. SK was all about promoting her and a bit about their PR relationship to help bring attention. It was part of the plan.

They both got reprimanded for their performance in SK. There was some ignorance that landed them both in hot water. Her for her appearance and him for 'allowing' it and their PDA. They both were told they wouldn't be welcome anytime soon. Which is funny considering her IG post. It's like she didn't want that found out, so she told the public the opposite of what happened. That's my opinion and speculation. I was only told they both got in trouble, why, and what was said.

It is why the London premiere was very different. They both were reeling from the trouble. And she was told there would be no PDA and she got mad. She caused a scene beforehand. I also can only speculate but I do think she wanted people to begin to talk about a pregnancy then. Her choice of outfit, and the way she was posing and making sure the coat was pulled back. She knew it would emphasize the baby bump forming. That's my opinion. She wanted the rumor mill to start flowing then. Again, my opinion.

NYC. Guy Ritchie didn't want her around. She caused so many problems during MOUW and she was completely barred from the filming in Spain. I was told Jerry B also had a hand in that decision. So she would be unable to debut on the red carpet so they had to get creative. They arranged paparazzi to come. I was told they wanted it to look like they were being followed around and like they both were a big deal. It was staged. All of it. All part of the big plan.

The red carpet premiere in NYC. The choice to have no significant others for the actors was deliberate. To be fair and look uniform. Even the interview was pre-planned. He used it as an opportunity to promote her. That was the plan.

The Father's Day post was also part of the plan. It was all promotion. It was the plan. He would make the post, and then she would piggyback off it.

When I say it was meticulous, it was very meticulous. They also had to do things when he was around and had the time. Even if he wasn't filming, he had films he knew that were upcoming that would need work. He had meetings and trainings. He would still have to travel. So things had to be done when he could do it, such as pictures. Such as public sightings. All of their public sightings were part of it. The dinners. Everything. It was like they were trying to run a tight ship and work around a schedule, in my opinion. So keep that in mind when you wonder about timelines.

Everything went to shit when the baby was born. And there is a baby. Regardless of what some may try to push lol.

She would show up when he was at work and bring her baby. She was never invited. I was told in true Natalie fashion, it was disruptive. But people took notice of the baby. Rumors started. That they both heard. Rumors that the baby didn't really resemble him. She stopped showing up. But the damage had been done. His family had also been urging him to be smart and not just take her on her word, especially based on past occurrences with her. There had been quite a few discussions about that from the beginning.

This is where my information gets spotty, and you have to puzzle it together.

He did contest paternity, and I do know that the judge had to get involved. She was told that if she refused, the judge would then rule it was because she would know the answer to the paternity test and that would be the end of it. She was caught between a rock and a hard place.

Now this is where things get quiet.

But this is the reason why nothing further has been mentioned on the pregnancy or baby, regardless of him saying in that interview more would be coming. In that point of time a lot more had been planned to come.

They have been fighting it out in court.

He has since given her a legal correspondence that she had to leave his house and be gone by the time he returned home from work out of the country. She had also been told to leave him alone while he is at work.

She had been living at his residence but I was told seperate from him. They didn't get along, and I was told that was done so there would be minimum conflict and fighting between the two. He allowed her to stay since she had been pregnant and then had the baby there with no steady income of her own. I was told he felt it was his responsibility to help her get back on her feet.

He didn't buy that house for Natalie or because they were together. I asked lol. There was no commitment between them. My opinion is they only occasionally rolled in the hay together, and she ended up getting pregnant around one of the times. I was told he told people he bought the house for his family. He meant his parents, siblings and nephews and nieces to congregate. As well as preparing for the next stage of his life. He did tell people he wanted to settle down within the next few years, and have a family home in place for when he met someone and began that stage, it had nothing to do with Natalie. I double checked.

Natalie is gone. He sent that correspondence and I was told he wouldn't help her with paperwork anymore that would allow her to stay in the UK. She had to leave.

I was told he has no plans right now to ever talk about the baby.

I don't know the results of that paternity case. I asked lol. I was told gag order and I've seen speculation of the case being sealed.

In my opinion, no one will know the paternity for a long time. But based on puzzle pieces, of people that worked with him saying it didn't look like him and her subsequent disappearance whereas before she had no problem being around. The silence when they told the public more was coming. The fact he asked her to leave and she was told to leave him alone. I feel one can read between the lines. The way they act is apparent there are secrets.

My opinion is that the baby should be left alone. It did nothing to anyone. It's here because Natalie wanted it here. I also can't say gender. I know people think it's a female. But the baby was always referred to as her baby or the baby when spoken of in my conversations. Natalie is a single mother. Let her deal with that. It can't be easy.

So while everything in regards to the baby has suddenly quieted down. I personally would hedge my bets on him not being the father based on other factors surrounding.

My opinion is we will never see that baby. She suddenly disappeared after those rumors around his work environment made their rounds. She hasn't proudly shown off her baby online even with the face hidden. She has completely retreated, which is not her usual way of doing things.

This wasn't because of privacy. Their plan feel apart and they didn't complete it.

That is the main course. The rest is just opinions and what I consider minor factors.

She has not had a steady job since her termination from Legendary. I mentioned earlier she got paid for her appearances with Henry and yall went weird with that one. I was not implying she was an escort or he was paying her for sex. Fucking hell everyone lol.

She was being compensated for her time. It was part of the job. There is nothing wrong with that. Plus, she needed the money. It was considered work for her, and so she should get paid.

I can't sit here and tell you she beat Henry. I only know of the one occurrence where she slapped him. If it's happened more times, it was behind closed doors with no witnesses. But she has tried to shove him and has thrown things at him on multiple occasions.

I've asked and never received a clear answer. But why no consequences for her acting violently. I don't know. I can only speculate. Maybe they felt it wouldn't go anywhere. Henry isn't exactly a small man. He's tall and broad. Maybe he felt he wouldn't be believed. Or because of his stature, he felt he could handle it. Again, I dont know. This is just speculation I've made about it.

My opinion is that it is so incredibly sad. No one should have to sit through that. I don't care if you're six foot whatever and 220 LBS of muscle. If someone is acting violently against you, you should be able to to say something. We have a long way to go in order for men being able and comfortable to speak up.

It's very easy to ask why you didn't just leave. You have to live through something similar yourself to understand. Abuse and toxic situations like this do something very weird to our brains. You can look it up. If it's happened long enough, the structure of our brains change. Different areas go in over drive and areas fire off that normally wouldn't. It changes our behavior. We go into some sort of survival mode.

People have noticed, myself included, that he has changed over the recent years. He looked like shit for one, and like he's been drained of life and left a husk. You can tell just by looking at him something is not right. His attitude also changed. He seemed more irritable. He didn't seem like himself any longer. Something was changing in him.

Maybe this was why.

I can't say for certain. Just based off some gossip I was told and piecing other parts together that would possibly explain things. I also had to do some amateur research on brains, abuse and the effects. I went in lol. When I say I wanted to understand, I really meant it. That means taking the time to research and try to put it together.

Again, I can't say for sure this is true. Only they can officially clarify and verify. These conclusions are my own based off my own snooping, digging, analyzing and researching. Take that in how you want.

I believe these two were a business transaction gone horribly wrong. I believe they had a very toxic situation. I believe it was very stupid. I also believe she was the main problem. She threatened him to make him help her climb the stardom ladder. She used and abused him.

He tried much too hard to appease her because he had feared her. In doing that, he allowed an unsafe work environment to crop up. He also did a huge disservice towards himself. In showing her that he would bend to her, taught her it would work. It created a vicious cycle. Of course, she is going to continue to use a weapon she knows works.

He was stomped all over.

They're both not innocent or saints. He allowed a lot of things to occur that never should have.

But I also think it's possible he was subject to things no one ever should be as well.

She must have put too much faith in the NDAs. If you treat people badly enough. And inspire enough dislike, I think you'll be hardpressed to stop their betrayal. Fear does not inspire loyalty.

These are my opinions and conclusions I have drawn. You're free to make your own. I just want to share what I have learned, which this is still a condensed summary but this is the main bulk of it.

I wanted a clearer picture of what was happening. It took time and effort, but I believe I succeeded. But you're free to disagree with me. I won't convince you otherwise if you do. I've already shared what I think and believe. That's enough for me.

Now, let's brace ourselves. We got a taste already of what to expect.

#lets start a fire #henry cavill #natalie viscuso #gossip #spilling tea #drama #crazy town

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something-tofightfor · 22 hours ago

Text

A Wonderful, Awful Idea / 2

Pairing: Pero Tovar x Female Reader (Modern AU)

Word Count: 9,299

Summary: The first event's over, and Pero still wants to spend time with you - that's good, right?

Surprisingly, it's him that takes initiative to tell you a little more about himself - and what he wants.

But during the second event, it's you that can't keep your mouth shut, even though you know it's probably best to do so.

Rating: M: language.

Author's Note:

My last writing post of 2024, and it's Pero Tovar. I never would have guessed this would be the case even a few weeks ago.

Thank you so much for your interest in the first part, and in this story in general. I've loved seeing your comments and reading your responses to it. It's been a lot of fun to write, and I've desperately needed the distraction, so it's helped.

Part 3 is well underway, so look for it early in the new year.

The title comes from Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Thank you for reading!

*dividers by @/strangergraphics

Part 1

The four of you chose a diner a few minutes from the venue, and that time, Lin slid onto the bench next to her husband, forcing you and Pero to sit beside each other.

You knew exactly what she was doing, and while part of you appreciated her pushing the two of you to remain close, you were also worried that it was too much, too fast for Pero. We’ll see.

After you’d placed your orders, the conversation turned back to the event you’d just left, and the men’s impressions of the client - including that she’d taken a liking to Pero. You stayed quiet for that, listening to the two of them talk, and you had to admit that the way they approached discussing work impressed you.

They were clinical in their assessment of her and her team, and you weren’t surprised to hear that they were pleased with the lengths she’d gone to to ensure her safety. “She had a stalker last year,” William informed you as he took a bite of one of the appetizers that had been delivered. “Her team upped protection then. They caught him, but who knows if there’s anyone else just waiting.”

“I wouldn’t know how to deal with that.” You reached for your water cup, taking a drink before you continued. “Especially if I had to do as much as she does around strangers? Yuck.”

“You wouldn’t have to look far for protection, though.” Lin winked at you, gesturing at Pero and William. “Two built in bodyguards right here at this table.”

“I couldn’t afford these two.” You laughed, looking over at Pero and catching his eye. “Hell, I probably couldn’t even swing the budget for one of them, so -”

“You think we would charge you?” Pero narrowed his eyes and shook his head. “No. Never.” You watched as his expression changed - eyes darkening, the set of his lips turning into a smirk. “That would be a job I took because I wanted to.”

That stunned you; you’d gone from him speaking ten words to you over the course of your association to him offering to protect you if necessary - for nothing. He wasn’t lying when he said he was interested. But him saying this in front Lin and William is … “Luckily for all of us, I’m never going to be in that position. But it’s good to know I’ve got somewhere to turn.”

“You could pay Tovar in food.” William took a large bite and then gestured at his friend with two fingers. “For just about anything, honestly.”

“It is true.” Pero grinned, nodding his head. “We do not tell clients this, but…” He looked over at you, raising an eyebrow. “I would not turn it down.”

You’d never seen him smile so broadly before, and the sight of it left you speechless. I want to see that more. It made him look younger; the smile showing off fully rounded cheeks and a deep dimple that you hadn’t known existed. But now I do. Now I’m going to dream about it.

“Alright, I’ve got a triple jalapeño burger and seasoned fries for…” The moment was interrupted when your waitress came back, but you were almost thankful. You’d been staring at the man next to you, and even though you were certain Lin had filled William in on the situation between you and Pero, you didn’t want to make things awkward - for anyone.

As dishes were handed out, you focused on your food, taking a few deep breaths to steady yourself. It’s fine. It’s going to be fine. But a few seconds later, when Pero reached over and laid a hand on your knee, cautiously squeezing it, you weren’t so certain that that was the truth.

As the four of you headed to the front counter to pay after the meal, you were wondering if you should ask to get a ride home from the Garins, since they had to drive past your house to get to theirs. It makes sense. “Would -”

“Oh, look. Mistletoe!” Lin pointed up, and the rest of you followed the motion, raising your gaze to the sprig of faux greenery hanging just above the cashier’s counter. Shit. “C’mere, William.” She giggled as she grabbed the lapels of his coat, tugging him closer for a brief kiss. You looked away and met Pero’s eyes, not surprised to see actual fear in them, but before you could say anything, Lin spoke again. “Your turn! It’s tradition.”

“No.” Pero shook his head, stepping back. “I will not be following this tradition.” It hurt more than it should have, and you tried to keep the fact that his words hit you hard from showing by biting the inside of your cheek. You stepped back, too, looking away from Pero and at the front windows of the diner - but not before you saw him wince.

“We’ll wait outside.” Lin stepped between the two of you, linking her arm through yours. “Come with me.”

“I have to pay, I -”

“No, you don’t.” She gestured to the two men. “One of them will get it.” William waved you off and you let her pull you through the glass doors and onto the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. Once the door shut behind her, she unwound her arm and then hugged you tightly. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t think he’d react like that, it was just a joke.”

“It’s fine.” You mumbled the words, blinking back tears. “Things were going well, but I didn’t think … I didn’t expect him to want to kiss me, but him just saying no like that was a surprise.” It hadn’t even been the denial itself; it was Pero’s tone along with the look in his eyes that upset you the most. “It’ll be fine. We’ve only got two events left, and the next one will be so loud we won’t have to talk, I’ll just…”

“Do you want us to take you home?” She backed away, giving you a sympathetic smile. “It’s on the way, and I feel like this is my fault, so -”

“Yes. Please. That would be a relief. And I’m sure he wants to go home right away.” You’d been looking forward to a few more minutes with Pero, and an opportunity to thank him for the night. But that’s changed now. “Lin, I -”

The door opened then, William coming out first with a cheerful expression on his face and Pero behind him, the scowl back in place. Fuck. “Ready to go home, Lin Mae?”

“We’re going to take -”

“I will take her home.” You looked back at Pero, watching as he steadied himself with a deep breath, his full attention on you. “Unless you do not want me to.” The fear in his eyes was gone, replaced with a weariness that you almost liked less. Oh, Pero.

“You can take me home, Pero.” Pausing, you nodded. “Please.”

The four of you separated in the parking lot, Lin hugging you and whispering that you needed to call her when you got a chance before she got into their car.

It was silent between you and Pero while he busied himself with getting the heat and defroster going, but it wasn’t as uncomfortable a silence as you thought it would be. Say something. Speak up. “Is that how most of your jobs go?” You held your hands out, enjoying the way the warm air felt on your skin. “Where you leave as soon as it’s over? Or -”

“No.” He didn’t look at you when he spoke, concentrating on the rearview mirror as he backed up. “Usually we are the only security. This is a very different assignment than usual.” You looked over, watching as the light from another car’s headlights passed over his face. “This time, we will only step in if it is necessary.” He glanced over at you. “I hope it is not.”

He didn’t say anything after that, and so you fell into silence too, staring out the window and at the decorated houses as you passed them. You wondered how the night would have ended without the mistletoe incident - if you and Pero would have hugged goodbye over the center console, or if he would have offered to walk you to the door. He held my hand multiple times tonight, so I don’t see why not.

When he parked in your driveway, he didn’t turn the car off, but he did put both hands back onto the wheel, his fingers curled around it tightly. I guess that answers part of my question. “Thank you, Pero, for -”

“I did not want to kiss you under the mistletoe.” He stared straight ahead as he spoke, hands in place. “But that does not mean that … I do not want to kiss you.” Wait, what? Your mouth opened, but you didn’t speak. Instead you just stared at him in disbelief. “Please understand.” He turned his head toward you, Pero wetting his lips before he continued. “That should not be the first … it is not how I imagined kissing you for the first time, in front of Lin and William and the entire fucking diner staff in a room that smelled like old coffee and burned toast.”

That finally broke you out of your stupor, and you laughed, reaching up with both hands to cover your eyes. “Oh, Pero.” You kept laughing, the upset you’d felt since he’d said no disappearing and replaced with something that felt strangely like hope. He’s thought about kissing me. He wants to. “I do understand. I just thought …” Dropping your hands back onto your thighs, you exhaled. “I thought you didn’t want to at all.”

“Of course I do.” He reached over, putting his hand on top of yours. “Even more now than yesterday.” Pero said your name, the sound of it barely loud enough for you to hear. “I am fucking this up. I -”

“You’re not.” You flipped your hand over, taking his. “Not at all. Fucking this up would have been not talking about it or lying to me about it. You just … it was a misunderstanding.” Tell him. Tell him the truth. “I want you to kiss me, Pero. That’s why I reacted the way I did. I’d rather it didn’t happen for the first time in public, too, but to tell you the truth, I wouldn’t have been mad if you’d done it in the diner.”

“I am not romantic. I’m not like William. I don’t … I don’t know how to be like him, saying sweet things or being nice to people all the time, or picking the right moment to -”

“Don’t do that.” Shaking your head, you lifted your joined hands, gesturing to them with your free one. “This is a good start. Earlier, when we were sitting and you casually touched me? That’s good, too. I’d tell you if it wasn’t, or if I didn’t like something you were doing.” You sighed. “It takes time to learn about someone, you’re not just going to know everything after one date.”

“That is a good point.” He was still holding your hand, but he’d pulled them over to his side of the car, letting them rest against his thigh. “Maybe I should take your advice more.”

“You should.” You squeezed his hand. “Definitely.” Under other circumstances, you would have invited him in, asking if he wanted to have a drink or sit and talk. But tonight’s been a lot already. “So the concert next week?” He agreed, humming as he nodded. “Are we just watching again?”

“We will be at the meet and greet.” He sighed. “And then during the show, we’re going to be in the crowd. So will Lin and William.” You groaned, head dropping. “Why is that your reaction?”

“I’m a fan of her acting. But the music is … not my thing.” Wrinkling your nose, you rolled your eyes as he smiled. “I’ll suck it up, though. It’s just one show.”

“And you’ll be with me.” I sure will. Pero cleared his throat. “We have an assignment out of town for two days, so if you don’t hear from me until right before the concert, that is why.” You nodded, even as you felt disappointment growing in your chest. “Let me walk you to your door.”

It meant the night was ending, but you figured it was for the best. You could only handle so much in one night, and figured Pero felt the same. “Sure, but it’s still cold out. You don’t have to.”

“I want to.” He let go of your hand and turned the car off before he unbuckled his seatbelt. Pero followed you the short distance up your driveway, and you were surprised - and relieved - to feel his hand against your back the entire way. When you reached for your keys, he stopped you, his hand moving from your back to your elbow. “Wait.”

You turned your head to look at him, and watched as Pero shifted nervously from foot to foot. There’s something else. He’s too... “Pero, if this is out of line, please tell me, but …” You closed your eyes and tipped your head back, releasing your breath. “When’s the last time you dated someone? Like … gotten to know them, or… have you ever dated anyone before? ”

“I have gone on dates, yes.” He frowned, his head shaking back and forth. “But dating? Long term? Never. Not really. It is easier for me to know people for a short time, and …” He shrugged. “Setting expectations is important.”

After the misunderstanding you’d had earlier, it was a risk to continue the conversation, but you knew that you only had one shot - and didn’t want to waste it. “Are … would you like to keep this short term? Are we going to hang out these three times and then just … go back to how it was? Or…” Crossing your arms protectively over your belly, you looked down and then back up at him through your lashes. “I assume when you say a short time you mean just for sex, and that’s alright, but I don’t … that isn’t all I’d want with you.” You paused, thinking. “Or at least right now, after one date, that isn’t…”

You trailed off when he moved closer, his hands going to your arms and resting against your biceps. “It has already been hard enough for me to keep you at a distance since we first met. Why would I make things easy now?” That made you laugh, and before you realized what you were doing, you’d leaned in and wound your arms around Pero’s body, turning your head to press your cheek against him. Oh, shit. I shouldn’t have done that.

It took a few seconds for him to respond, but Pero eventually put his arms around you, too, his touch comforting. You liked the way it felt to be held by him, and closed your eyes as you inhaled deeply, letting the scent of him fill you - cologne and clean sweat and the winter air, along with a lingering hint of the diner’s interior.

He was breathing steadily, too, and for a few seconds, you focused on the way his chest rose and fell, one of Pero’s hands moving up and down your back, his skin whispering off of the thick material of your coat.

It would have been the perfect moment to pull back slightly and tilt your head to kiss him, and if you hadn’t just had a conversation about it, you would have done it. He said he wants to kiss me. He knows I want to kiss him. It needs to be him that chooses. The last thing you wanted to do was spook Pero, and so you pulled away with some reluctance, a smile on your face when you met his eyes again.

Deciding to press your luck, you raised one hand and cupped his cheek with your palm. “Thank you for a good night, Pero Tovar.” He nodded, his eyes widening and his lips parting at your touch. “Please be safe while you’re out of town. You can call or text if you want, or -”

You watched as his lower lip trembled, the look in his eyes going from surprised to steely as he stared at you. What’s that look for? “Fuck it.”

He kissed you then, lips settling against yours and then pressing, his forward motion catching you by surprise. You didn’t pull back, though, instead keeping your hand in place on his cheek and using the other to pull him closer, fingers twisting into his coat. Your heartbeat raced, but before you could truly begin to enjoy the kiss, he broke it, sucking in a quiet breath as he pressed his forehead to yours. “Pero.”

“If you say my name like that again, I will have to kiss you again. And if I kiss you again, it would be hard to stop.”

“I’d be alright with that.” You huffed out a laugh, keeping your eyes closed. “I’m glad you did that. I’m glad you -”

“May I do it again?” You nodded instead of speaking, happy that he was going against his better judgement and letting his emotion win out. The second kiss was slower than the first - and gentler, too, Pero taking the time to slot his lips against yours, catching your lower one between them. Your hand slid back, moving from his skin and into his hair, the strands soft between your fingers.

You couldn’t believe it was happening - that Pero was kissing you on your front porch, that his hands had moved from your arms to your hips, that he was letting you pull on his curls with one hand in the same moment that his lips parted enough that he could flick his tongue out between them and against yours.

“Enough.” He backed away, though you felt his mouth move as he spoke. “Enough for tonight.” You understood the significance of him saying that - especially so soon after he’d admitted that typically his nights out with women ended in sex. “Go inside where it is warm.” He put more space between you, but didn’t let you go, and you left your hands where they were, too. “You’re welcome, but it should be me thanking you for tonight.”

“We should do it again sometime.” You winked, heart still slamming against your ribs. “That sound good?”

“It does.” His smile widened, and Pero’s eyes dropped down to your lips again briefly. “And we should.” He removed his hands and stuck them in his pockets, taking another small step backward. “I will call you soon.”

Agreeing, you turned away from him and reached for your keys again, pulling them from your bag and unlocking the door. He was still there when you stepped through it and turned around to say goodbye, and the sight of that was almost enough to push you back out the door and into his arms. No. It might freak him out.

“Goodnight, Pero.” You bit your lip, one hand gripping the door frame. “Drive safe.”

You felt like you were a teenager again - not wanting to be the one to end the night or finish the conversation, but when Pero nodded and closed his eyes, murmuring that he would, you knew things were coming to an end. He gave you a final look and a nod before he turned his back to you, heading for the car.

You stood in the doorway until you heard his car start and then finally closed it, stepping all the way into your house. His headlights flashed in the front window and you heard a single toot from his horn, and that’s what made you react.

One hand rose to cover your mouth as your eyes widened, and when you backed up enough that you hit the wall, you actually squealed, your eyes squeezed shut. “He fucking kissed me.” You’d wanted it, but hadn’t expected it, especially after the back and forth between you throughout the night. But he did. Lowering your hands, you stepped away from the wall and took a deep, steadying breath. And I’m going to enjoy doing it again.

You only heard from him a few times over the following few days, and the messages were short because he was busy.

But Pero was the one that sent the first text, and that was another good sign.

And even though you knew she expected to hear from you when it came to what had happened with you and Pero, you didn’t spill everything when you spoke to Lin. You didn’t think he would appreciate it, first of all, and you also didn’t want to talk up what had happened until you knew whether or not it was going to continue in a positive direction. I can’t set myself up for that disappointment.

As the date of the concert got closer, you did let yourself focus on the night, and what you hoped would come from it. You tried to keep your expectations low, but the memory of Pero’s touch - and his kiss - and the way he’d smiled in the diner didn’t make it entirely possible.

You spent a little more time on yourself when you got ready that night, putting on a new pair of boots with your jeans and adding an extra spritz of perfume before you put on your jacket. It would be dark for the majority of the time you were together, but you still wanted to look nice for the meet and greet portion - and for Pero to pick you up.

It was silly, and you knew it, especially since he’d made his interest known. But in the time that you’d had to yourself since the fundraiser, you’d thought about what Pero had said - and what he hadn’t said.

You had no way of knowing if your assumptions were correct, but you thought that he likely hadn’t had a lot of experience with people trying to impress him, or with wanting to be impressed by the women he dated. You wanted to be different. You wanted him to know that you were making an effort for him, and that it wasn’t because it was expected - it was because you wanted to.

By the time he pulled into your driveway, you’d psyched yourself out.

It was stupid, and you knew it; it was just Pero, just going to a concert so that he could work … but that didn’t matter. Get it together.

It seemed that he’d taken your advice from the previous week and waited inside the car for you. When you slid in next to him, you were barely settled before he spoke, Pero’s voice even. “Hi. I am early, but -”

“You’re right on time.” Smiling at him, you gave him a onceover and sucked in a breath at the sight of a bruise on his cheek, the skin there purpled and beginning to turn green at the edges. “What happened?”

“Work.” He waved a hand in your direction. “Someone put up a fight but I handled it.” Cautiously, your hand moving as slowly as possible to give him a chance to ask you to stop, you let your fingers trail over the skin just beside his injury. “You do not need to worry about me.”

“I know. But that doesn’t mean I won’t.” You bit the inside of your lip and sighed. “It looks like it hurt.”

“You would…worry about me?” He sounded genuinely shocked, but you nodded again, replacing your fingertips with the pad of your thumb. “I think I like that.”

“Good.” I’m going to kiss that bruise tonight. You made the promise to yourself as you withdrew your hand. “It’s nice to be able to dress down a little for this, hmm?”

“Yes but on Christmas Eve, we won’t be able to.” He wrinkled his nose and put the car into reverse. “Will that be a problem for you?”

“Nope.” You leaned back in the seat and took a deep breath. “I already know what I’m wearing.” That made him chuckle, and the sound finally broke through the last of your nerves. Things are alright. It’s not weird after the kiss. He didn’t pull away when I touched him. “Do you?”

“No.” He groaned. “Clothes. Something with too many buttons, I’m sure.” You laughed at his words, picturing Pero standing in front of his closet and scowling at the assortment in front of him.

“Whatever it is, I’m sure you’ll look handsome.” He scoffed, but when you looked over, you saw a faint pink tinge to his cheeks. I made him blush. “We can talk about something else, it’s fine.” You pressed your lips together to keep a broad smile from spreading across your face. “Do you know how many people are at this meet and greet tonight?”

“About a hundred.” He switched lanes and then eased onto his freeway. “I’ll have the final number when we get there.” It was a lot more than you’d expected, and even though you knew more people would make it difficult to keep an eye on every one of them, the increased number would also make it simpler for William and Pero to blend in.

“It’s going to take her a long time to meet a hundred people.” He agreed, keeping his eyes on the road. “What can you tell me about her? Just -”

“She is … forward.” He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “She treated William and I like she knew us even though we’d only met a few minutes earlier.” You figured that she’d had practice throughout her career, so it didn’t surprise you. “You will get to meet her tonight, just to make it look real.” You hadn’t planned for that, but it made sense. “They will explain everything when we get there.”

He fell silent, but when he reached over with one hand a few seconds later, yours was waiting. And when his fingers slid between yours, you didn’t waste a moment in tightening your grip.

The organization of the meet and greet made perfect sense to you once you were in the building and briefed.

Everyone was gathering in one of the venue’s rentable spaces, which had been decorated festively to reflect the season. Round tables were placed throughout the room, each with a number sticking out of a Christmas-themed centerpiece and various holiday props scattered across each table’s surface - and more piled up on a longer table against the far wall.

Their client would meet each table individually and in order, speaking with people and taking photos or signing autographs. Her personal security would be spread throughout the room and at tables themselves, with one person remaining by her side as she moved from table to table.

There was plenty of food and drink to enjoy while you waited, and a playlist that included some of her music - along with that of other artists in her genre - was audible through the speakers. You and Pero were at table 11, and William and Lin were stationed at 3, which meant that you could see them, but weren’t close.

You knew that Pero would treat the event like any other job, but you also knew that you’d need to sell the idea that you two were there because you wanted to be, and so after settling into place, you’d asked him to go and get you something to eat. While he was gone, you observed the others in the room.

It was obvious that most of them were fans of the artist’s, and had either paid good money for the experience or were lucky enough to have won the opportunity. It felt sort of wrong to be among them, but since you weren’t actively taking up someone else’s spot, the feeling passed quickly. And it disappeared entirely when Pero returned with two plates of food balanced atop each other and two drinks carried with his other hand. “Impressive, Mr. Tovar.” He ducked his head, but you caught the brief smile on his lips. “Will you be able to eat, or do you have to -”

“There is always time for food.” He stared at you, dark eyes bright. “And if I’m going to work all night, I need to eat.” You do.

It only took a few minutes for you to finish most of it, and to your surprise, Pero wanted to talk while you ate. It wasn’t anything in depth, but it was still conversation, and it felt nice to have him speaking to you in the same way you’d seen - and heard - him speak to William and Lin throughout the years.

He was more relaxed than you’d ever seen him, which made his shift back into business mode much more noticeable. You didn’t mind, though, when he moved to your side of the table and stood next to you, leaning his elbows on the brightly patterned tablecloth. It was so that he had a clearer line of sight, and you knew it, but that didn’t change the fact that it meant he was so close that he was nearly touching you.

“Am I allowed to speak to you? Or do you need to focus?”

“Please.” He looked over at you, giving you a lopsided smile. “I can do two things at once.”

You took that as an invitation and reached toward the center of the table, picking up one of the Santa hats there.

“You should put a hat on.” Running your fingers over the fur trim, you nodded. “Get into the spirit.”

“I will if you will.” He took the hat from you and put it on his head, pulling it into place. “How’s it look?” The truth was that it looked ridiculous - but that didn’t mean you didn’t like it.

“You’re the most handsome Santa I’ve ever seen.” Reaching over, you adjusted the pom-pom at the tip, folding it over so that it hung just right. “Let me take a picture.” You pulled out your phone and snapped a few, barely holding back your laugh at his frown - and then widening your eyes in surprise as it switched into a broad smile that was directed at you. “Perfect.”

“Are you finished?” He cocked his head to the side. “Because it is your turn.” You hoped he picked out something good for you, and when Pero reached forward, you held your breath. There was no reason to, though, because he chose a headband that had a shiny tinsel tree atop it, complete with tiny, glittery beads in place of ornaments scattered throughout the branches.

“Pero, it -” You took it from him and settled it in place, keeping your eyes on him. “There. How’s that?”

“I would have chosen a mistletoe.” He smiled again, reaching for his phone. “But there was not one on either of the tables. I checked the other one when I was getting food.” Oh. Really? You… You were speechless as he started to take pictures, capturing a few before setting his phone back down on the table. Should I ask to take one with him?

You didn’t need to, because an event photographer stepped up then, raising his camera and telling you to smile. Without even thinking about it, you leaned against Pero, tipping your head in his direction. When he put his arm around you, settling it across your shoulders, you breathed out a sigh of relief. Good thing we practiced.

Even when the photographer stepped away, he kept his arm around you though he moved it so that he could tighten his fingers against your side. “Do you want to keep them on?” He pointed at his hat with another finger. “At least until we go out into the crowd?”

“You don’t have to.” You licked your lips, giving yourself a few seconds to think. “But I think it looks good on you.” He was going to reply but didn’t get a chance to. A loud cheer and some clapping signaled the singer’s presence in the room, and once again, playful Pero was gone, replaced with a man that was laser focused on the task at hand.

She wasted no time, greeting the crowd and thanking everyone for coming before immediately moving to table 1 and interacting with the people there.

The conversion in the room stayed at a lower level than you expected, but everyone was respectful. They stayed at their tables for the most part, with the exception being people at the higher numbered ones leaving to go and get snacks and drinks while they waited their turn.

She was pretty in person, her long dark hair cascading over her shoulders as she spoke with each individual. You noticed that she was personable, but didn’t get too close to anyone until it was time to take photos. “I don’t blame her.” You pointed across the room. “She’s taking good pictures, but she’s not really letting anyone crowd her space.

“She was told not to.” He leaned closer, dropping his voice - and his hand. “By us and her own team. It’s important she meet people and be herself, but her safety…” He hummed. “It is not worth the risk.”

You didn’t say anything in return, instead watching as she made her way to Lin and William’s table. It was more of the same, both of them being polite to her, followed by her taking a few minutes to have an actual conversation with them before she took photos and moved on.

“We’ll be on the lower level for the show.” He cleared his throat, picking up his cup to take a drink. “We get to watch from the mixing booth, because it is elevated.”

“Yeah?” He nodded, his eyes following her as she moved to a new table. “So you have a better view of everyone?”

“Yes. I need to watch the crowd.” He gestured around you. “All of these people times a hundred.” That made you laugh, and when you reached over, settling your hand on his forearm, you were pleased to find that Pero didn’t shy away from your touch.

“Are we going to talk about it, Pero?” He turned his head to look at you, and even though his face was impassive, you saw the slight widening of his eyes as they met yours. “The kiss, or the things you said, or -”

“Yes.” He wet his lips. “If you want to, we can.” Of course I want to. “When?”

“I’d say now, but we’re about to have company.” You squeezed his arm and then sighed, pulling your hand away “She’s only got a few tables left, and I don’t want to get interrupted in the middle of that conversation.”

“You’re right.” Pero nodded, taking another drink. “Not a good thing to get stopped while talking about.” Not at all. “What will you say to her?”

“I have no idea.” You reached for your cup, too, spinning it on the tabletop. “Maybe I’ll just tell her I liked her last movie. Or that I’m excited to see the next one.” You looked down at your hands and then back over at him. “You?”

“I was hoping you’d lead the conversation.” He smiled at you, shrugging his shoulders. “That way I don’t have to.” That made you laugh, and when you lowered your chin to catch your breath, you were still smiling.

“Typical. We’ve been out two times and I’m already picking up your slack.” He snorted at that, but when he leaned in, putting his mouth close to your ear to speak, neither of you were laughing.

“There are other times where you will never have to worry about that.” He paused and then leaned in even closer, his lips brushing against your ear when they moved. “And that is a promise.” You backed away from him, turning to look into his eyes and finding that his pupils were enlarged, Pero’s lips parted as he waited for you to reply.

How do I even respond to that? What do I say? “Pero, I -”

“Well hello, you two.” You were interrupted by the appearance of Pero’s client at your table, the woman’s voice high and bright. “Nice to meet you, I’m Christina.” She stuck her hand out, and you reached for it, greeting her and telling her your name, too. “And I already know you.” She winked at Pero, leaning closer and putting her palm flat on the table. “It’s good to see you again, Tovar.”

You thought back to the conversation in the diner - to William and Pero’s assessment of Christina and then jumped to him saying she was forward. I didn’t think he meant flirty, though. “Yes. You too.” He cleared his throat. “Are you having fun?” Oh, shit I was supposed to…

“You were fantastic in End of the Night, Christina.” Cutting in, you tried to draw her attention back to you. “I loved your character’s arc, and -”

“We had a lot of fun making it.” She nodded once at you and then looked back over at Pero. “I’m trying to get this one to come work for me on the next shoot.” She looked back at you and lifted a brow. “You can never be too careful with security, and he’s supposed to be one of the best.” What? “Maybe you can convince him to help me out.” She bit her lip and then reached over, moving to put her hand atop Pero’s. “Hmm?”

He pulled his hand back at the last second, sliding it off the table and lowering it to his side. Interesting. “Christina, I’m not sure I have that kind of -”

“I like my job.” He cleared his throat and then reached over, sliding his hand along your lower back until it settled in place on your hip. “I’m not interested in a new one.” She looked shocked for a few seconds but recovered, straightening up and putting both hands on her hips.

“There’s still time.” She nodded. “Now how about we take some pictures?” She gestured for you and Pero to move toward her - so you did, reaching over to push him forward with one hand. “Tovar and me first.” Part of you was irritated with how obvious she was being, but another part of you was intrigued. Because she’s going for it. She’s probably not used to people turning her down, and … “Smile!” She stood next to him, tilting her head in and toward his shoulder.

You watched as he stood stiffly next to her, his arms hanging by his sides as she put one of her hands on his back, between his shoulders. And you bit back a laugh when she moved even closer, asking him to take a funny picture and then mirroring his scowl as she faced the camera again, one hand rising so that she could touch the pom pom on the point of his hat.

As soon as the photographer lowered the camera, Pero stepped away and waved you forward. You didn’t really want the photo with her, but Christina moved into place, putting one hand on her hip and actually posing. Fuck it. You posed, too, getting closer than Pero had but still not touching her, and when the images were snapped, you backed off. I’m ready to be done with this. “How about the three of us?” She turned to look between you, her eyes glinting in the glow of the Christmas lights. “We can pretend to kiss his cheeks or something, if that’s alright with him.”

You knew it then - that instead of pretending, she was likely going to actually kiss him. You wondered if it would cause rumors. You wondered if Pero would get angry when it happened. I wonder if I should warn him. But it wasn’t your place to step in, and if Christina wanted to flirt with him in the open, letting it play out was the only thing you could do, because it had to be him that chose how to react.

“Sure.” You reached out, touching his arm. “But only if you actually smile in this one, Pero.” He grumbled out his agreement but moved into place between you, and that time, you didn’t wait to put your arm around his waist, turning your head toward him and tilting it to get the best angle.

You didn’t worry about what Christina was doing, and when the photographer began to count down, you leaned in closer, letting your eyes droop partially shut. It was hard for you to keep from actually kissing him in the picture - especially since the cheek you’d chosen was the one with the bruise, but you managed. You also caught the way he swore under his breath in Spanish, Pero staying in place but stiffening. “You actually… why did you…”

“I thought we’d both…” Christina groaned, leaning forward so that she could look past him and at you. “Thought you’d take the opportunity to -”

“Nah. Not for a picture.” You grinned, holding her gaze. “I’ll just actually do it later.” Her mouth dropped open, and you heard Pero disguise a surprised snort with a cough. I said what I said. “It was nice meeting you, Christina.” Her surprise turned into a smile, and to her credit, she leaned forward, still watching you, but with her eyes slightly narrowed.

“I’ll give you this one.” Standing back up, she switched her attention to Pero. “She’s good.”

“She’s the best.” He cleared his throat. “You should go to the next table. There are more people to meet.” She wanted to say something - you could see it in her face. But Christina didn’t speak again before she moved on, leaving you and Pero standing beside each other next to the table again.

You wondered if you’d overstepped. You had no right to make a claim like the one you’d made, and though it had felt good in the moment, you weren’t sure if it was the right thing to have done. He’ll tell me. “Pero, I -”

He turned, so that he could once again keep his eyes on the woman as she continued to make her way through the tables, but Pero also reached over, taking your hand again and squeezing. “I think we have something else to talk about later.”

For most of the concert, you and Pero stood next to each other and didn’t speak. You weren’t in the mixing booth; there was a space beside it that was separated from the rest of the crowd, and that’s where the two of you ended up. He’d handed you a pair of earplugs before the music started, and you’d watched as he slipped a single one into his ear, too. He must have the earpiece in again.

It was strange to stand beside him without talking, but as time passed and the music played, you got more comfortable. He touched you often, though, his arm brushing against yours, or his hand resting on your back, and those moments gave you the courage to touch him in return. When he put his hands on the railing in front of you, you covered one with your own, letting it linger for a few seconds as you turned your head enough to give him a smile. And when he leaned forward, eyeing the crowd, you rested your hand on his upper back, moving it in a slow circle.

They were simple things - things that wouldn’t be out of the ordinary to occur between two friends - but with Pero, they were significant escalations in the behavior between the two of you. Because a week and a half ago, we didn’t even speak. It was especially encouraging because of his reaction to Christina attempting to touch his hand. Even though you didn’t know whether or not he’d pulled away because she was a client or because he just wasn’t interested, you didn’t think it mattered much.

He left you briefly to head into the crowd, Pero giving your hand a squeeze before hopping over the low railing and then heading down the two stairs into the general admission area. You immediately looked away from the stage and followed him instead, heart rate elevated.

You had no idea what he’d seen, but it must have been something that also caught the attention of Christina’s team, because as he moved through the crowd, he was joined by one of the men you’d seen in the briefing room. They beelined it through the sea of bodies and approached a man that was by himself - and had his phone out and pointed at the stage, a hood covering the back of his head.

They spoke to him for a few seconds and then the trio moved toward the edge of the crowd, leaving the floor area and going out of sight as they stepped out and into the aisleway. You frowned, staring for a few seconds longer at where they’d been before turning your attention back to the stage - and to the woman on it.

She was a good performer, and even if her music wasn’t what you typically listened to, you had to admit that it was the truth. You could understand why so many people were fans, and were happy that she was able to utilize multiple talents in her career. As she finished one song and started to talk to the crowd, the lights came up a little and let you see more of the people in it.

There were just as many men as there were women, and you knew - without a doubt - that many of them would jump at the chance to interact with her in the way she’d tried to with Pero earlier. But he didn’t take the bait. And she said she’s been trying to get him to agree to work for her, so he knew she was interested in …

Your fingers curled around the railing as you closed your eyes, taking a deep breath. It wasn’t a surprise to you that she was interested in Pero, even on just a physical level. He was an attractive man, and his demeanor only made him more alluring. She’d likely only seen the professional side of him, but there was no doubt in your mind that even if she’d only seen moments of his actual personality coming through, it was enough. Because it was enough for me.

You felt a presence at your back, and were stunned when you felt an arm wrap around you, the scent of Pero’s cologne filling your nose. Is he seriously… wow. He didn’t speak, but when you turned so that you could look at him, he gave you a single nod - and a brief twitch of his lips. He wouldn’t have come back if things were bad.

Settling back into place, you leaned against him, content to watch the rest of the show that way - unless he needed go to back into the crowd.

When the music ended, he moved his arm and you reached up, taking your earplugs out and slipping them into your pocket. As you turned to face him, you heard Pero speaking and realized that he was likely updating William about what had happened during the show.

“Come on.” He held a hand out when he was done, waiting for you to take it. “Gotta go and debrief and then we can leave.” You followed him backstage, and when you made it to the room you’d first entered earlier that afternoon, he let go of your hand and pointed. “There’s coffee over there. Will you make me a cup while I talk to them? The same way I ordered it before is fine.”

You knew it was to keep you busy, but you didn’t mind and agreed. It only took you a few seconds to fill his cup, and by the time you’d moved to the smaller table where the sugar and creamer was, Lin had joined you. “Tell me all about it. We saw her take the pictures with -”

“She wants him to work for her.” You stirred his drink, staring down at it. “She was flirting, and then she actually kissed his cheek.” Lin’s gasp made you pause. “I know, right? I’m sure it’s a great picture, but it was …” Putting the lid onto his cup, you fully faced your friend. “She made it very clear that she’s interested in him. And she’d probably pay really well, so it would be stupid for him to -”

“What was his reaction? He didn’t seem…” She frowned, thinking. “He didn’t seem too excited. And what did you say? You were right there. You must have said something.”

“She played it off like she expected me to kiss his other cheek.” You bit your lip. “I didn’t. And when she asked why, I just said I’d actually kiss him later.” Lin’s eyes widened - and so did her smile, before one hand rose to cover it. “I don’t know where it came from. I just … I’ve waited so long for him to actually…” You closed your eyes. “I couldn’t help myself.”

“And you shouldn’t.” She reached over, the look in her eyes kind. “It was a genuine reaction, and he’ll know that. He’ll appreciate that.” You hoped she was right, and as the two of you looked over at where Pero and William were talking to Christina’s team, you sighed. “He told William he kissed you. He said it just happened, and he hopes that it didn’t ruin anything.”

“It didn’t.” You touched her shoulder. “And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I wanted to keep it between us for now, because it was just a kiss. That’s all it might ever be, Lin. I just didn’t want to get too excited.”

“I understand.” She smiled at you. “I’ll always listen if you want to talk, but you don’t have to tell me anything.” She gestured over at a set of couches in the middle of the room. “We should sit, they might be a -” You heard William calling her name, and both of you looked over in time to see him waving her over. “OK, nevermind. I guess we’re going over there.”

Pero was still talking to the other security guards when you got to where they were all standing, and their voices were low enough that you couldn’t make much out. I hope everything’s alright. “As soon as Tovar finishes, we can head out.” His attention shifted to you. “I don’t want to leave you here, because it might be a second before he’s done.”

“It’s alright.” You waved a hand at them. “I can sit and wait. You don’t have to stick around.” William looked like he wanted to argue, but Lin didn’t let him, grabbing his arm and launching into conversation about how hungry she was, and how they could stop and pick something up to eat at home. When she met your gaze, you mouthed a thank you at her, Lin’s only answer a wink followed by a sideways glance at where Pero stood. Got it.

When they headed for the door, you took Pero’s coffee and sat down on one of the chairs, pulling out your phone. You didn’t expect to hear a woman saying your name moments later, and you expected to see Christina even less when you looked up. Shit. She’d changed out of her show clothes into a pair of sweatpants and an oversized sweatshirt, and had removed all of her makeup and put her hair up and into a high ponytail. She looks like a regular person.

“Oh. Hi. I wasn’t… it was a great show. You -”

“I wanted to apologize.” She sat across from you, putting her hands into her lap. “To you and to Tovar. It was … inappropriate. I shouldn’t have kissed him without his permission, even if it was only on the cheek. And I shouldn’t have … you’re clearly here together, and I knew it. But I still…”

“We aren’t together, though.” You smiled, shrugging your shoulders. “We came here together, yeah, and we were at the fundraiser together and are coming to the Christmas Eve party together, too, but we aren’t…” You paused, wondering why you were being honest with her. “Pero and I are just friends. I was as much out of line with what I said as you were.”

“I’m not sure about that.” She smiled at you, looking past where you sat and at where Pero and the others were. “I was serious about wanting him to work for me, though. I feel safer knowing he’s around.” She laughed. “And my guys are already good, so that’s saying a lot.” You understood completely; there was just something about Pero that put you at ease, and you imagined that in her position, feeling that way would be a comfort. “I think they’re done. I should go and talk to my team before we leave. I hear they pulled someone out of the crowd?”

“Yeah. Middle of the set, but he didn’t fight or anything, he just went with one of your guys and Tovar. I didn’t see anything else.” She nodded and moved to stand, but before she could, you felt Pero behind you again, followed by the brush of his fingers against your shoulder as he gripped the back of the chair.

“I see you found someone to talk to.” You looked up, finding Pero’s eyes on you. “I’m sorry it took so long.” Waving the apology off, you reached forward and picked up the cup, handing it to him. Once he was holding it, you watched as he looked from you to Christina, Pero’s chest rising and falling as he took a few breaths. “Everything is good. The man we spoke to tonight was just …” He frowned, narrowing his eyes. “He was not dangerous, just behaving a little oddly.”

“That’s good to know.” She smiled up at him and then stood. “Tovar, I’m sorry about earlier. I’ve already apologized to your friend here, but …” She tapped her lips with one finger. “I wanted to do the same to you.” Pero’s lips parted, but he didn’t speak. “I should have asked before I kissed you, especially in front of someone else.” Christina’s smile widened. “I’m sorry. I hope that I didn’t fuck anything up for the rest of the time we’re working together, or …” She pressed her lips together. “Or for more potential to work together in the future.”

So she still wants him to work for her, and she wants him to know it. “Thank you.” Pero cleared his throat. “Everything is fine.” He moved his hand from the back of the chair to your shoulder, his thumb sweeping slowly over the outside of it. “But like I said, I am more than happy with my current job.” Christina blinked a few times but only nodded in reply, her eyes moving to your face and then back to Pero’s before she excused herself. “Are you ready to go? I’m done.”

You were and told him as much, standing and then turning to face him. “Is everything alright? That guy -”

“We’ll talk about it.” He pressed his lips together. “My house is closer than yours. And it is not too late, so I thought …” Pero looked down and then back up at you. “Maybe we could order a pizza before I take you home?”

Your stomach rumbled at the suggestion, and even though you didn’t know what to expect from actual private time with Pero, you wanted to find out. “I can order it on my phone while you drive. Sounds perfect.”

#pero tovar #pero tovar x reader #pero tovar x female reader #pedro pascal #pedro pascal character #pero x female reader #the great wall #the great wall fic #pero tovar au #the great wall au #pero tovar masterlist #pedro pascal masterlist #christmas story #pero tovar is grumpy #it's fake dating but is it really fake?

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aishangotome · 3 days ago

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[Ring Schwartz] I Can't Return to a Time Before You Part 2

(Now...what should I talk about with Ring?)

(...Huh?)

While I was thinking about what to say, Ring had gone on ahead.

Kate: Ring! Wait for me!

Ring: !?!? Why are you so far behind...?

I hurriedly chased after Ring, and he quickly turned back. We ended up side-by-side again, halfway between the distance that had opened up.

Kate: Our strides are different, so I seem to fall behind. I'll be careful.

Ring: No, I should have adjusted to yours. ...My bad.

Ring: A-anyway, hold onto my arm.

Kate: Thank you.

Ring: Actually...I was hoping you would hold my arm when we met up.

Kate: Is that what the sudden warm-up exercise was about?

Ring: Yeah. ...If it meant leaving you behind, I should have just had you grab my arm sooner.

Ring: I'm not acting like a lover at all. Even though Dari ordered me to...

Kate: We're both failing at acting like lovers, so don't worry about it.

Kate: Is there anything else you wanted to say but couldn't?

Ring: Yes. About your...clothes.

Ring: "Your outfit today is really nice. It suits you, little Robin."

Ring: "Where did you find that bracelet? I want to get a matching one."

Kate: Huh...?

Ring: "The design of your collar is playful and nice. It really shows your personality. And..."...

Kate: Um...are those your own words, Ring?

Ring had started complimenting me so fluently, it was like his previous awkwardness was a lie. I couldn't help but interrupt.

Ring: ...Y-you're sharp. As expected of a member of Crown...I can't let my guard down.

(It's not that I'm sharp, it's more like Ring is being too unnatural...)

Ring: Actually...Nica taught me some compliments so I could act more like a lover.

Kate: Oh, I see...! I'm happy you prepared beforehand. But...

Ring: "But?"

Kate: I want to hear your own words, Ring.

Kate: Would you really compliment your lover with someone else's words?

Ring: I-I wouldn't do that...I think.

Ring: A-anyway, I'll think of some compliments now, so wait for me.

Kate: ...If you can't think of anything, you don't have to force yourself to compliment me, okay?

Ring: No, I really do think your clothes are nice... uh, well...

He earnestly took my opinion to heart and tried to respond. It was impossible to dislike him...

(You can do it...!)

I silently cheered Ring on in my heart.

Ring: Your clothes today are...fluttery and fluffy... and I think they're c-cute.

Ring: Like the purple Hardenbergia flower...the calm color is...reassuring to look at.

The compliments he squeezed out after taking his time were halting.

But they struck me much harder than any borrowed words could.

Kate: I never would have thought to compare the color of my clothes to a Hardenbergia flower! I'm happy.

Ring: ...! I-is that so... That's good.

Kate: You're quite knowledgeable about flowers, Ring?

Ring: Ah, yes... I should be more knowledgeable about them than other things.

Kate: There are a few flower beds along the way to the Scala Theater.

Kate: If you'd like, could you tell me what kind of flowers are planted there?

Ring: ...If it's something I can answer.

From then on, Ring taught me about the flowers blooming along the way...

Perhaps thanks to that, by the time we arrived at Piccadilly, Ring's nervousness had lessened considerably.

Ring: ...It's almost showtime. We arrived at just the right time.

Kate: Yes, we did! The Scala Theater is just up ahead. Let's go.

(...He's still a bit awkward, but I feel like we can at least talk more naturally than this morning.)

Ring is wary of me and sometimes says alarming things...

But he's an honest person who can't lie and listens sincerely to what I have to say.

That's probably why I can interact with him naturally without feeling tense.

(I'm looking forward to seeing the play too. I wonder how Ring will react?)

(...Huh?)

Ring: ...Wh-why did you suddenly stop?

Kate: E-excuse me. There's something I want to check... Come with me, Ring!

I pulled Ring's arm and headed towards an alley in the opposite direction of the Scala Theater.

Ring: ...What business do you have in an alley like this?

Kate: Lately, there have been child abduction cases, and I saw someone who looked like the suspect who's on the run...

Kate: Ah... That's him!

I lowered my voice and pointed to the man lurking in the shadows of the alley.

Kate: It might be a case of mistaken identity, so I want to talk to him discreetly, but––

It was right in the middle of explaining the situation to Ring.

Perhaps she wandered in by mistake, but a little girl came into the alley... And at that moment, the man moved.

(Oh...!)

The man crept up to the girl and pressed a cloth he was holding to her mouth. It seemed like he made her smell some kind of chemical.

He expertly stuffed the limp girl into a bag and tried to leave.

Kate: Ring, let's go after him!

Ring: ...No, we need to get Dari's judgment before we pursue him.

Kate: What...? But, a kidnapping is happening right in front of us!? We have to help her now!

Ring: I've been ordered to bring you back safely today. I'm not allowed to take any other action without permission.

Ring: If we get involved in some strange incident, it would mean defying Dari's orders.

Ring: I understand you want to help, but we have to report to Dari first.

(A crime is happening right before our eyes, what is Ring saying...?)

Just a moment ago, I judged Ring to be an honest person who couldn't lie.

That's precisely why I know his words now are also true.

In other words... Ring has no intention of stopping the crime.

The person named Ring Schwartz, whom I thought I was beginning to understand, is becoming a stranger to me.

Kate: ...U-understood. In that case, I'll chase after the criminal myself!

Ring: H-hey...!

Premium Ending

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#ikevil #ikemen villains #ikemen villains ring schwartz #ring schwartz i can't return to a time before you #ring schwartz translation #ikevil jp

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formula1fanfiction · 2 days ago

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Max Verstappen / Charles Leclerc

Title: Seemed like the right thing, at the right time

Pairing: Max Verstappen / Charles Leclerc

Characters: Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Alex Albon, Lewis Hamilton

Prompt: Can you write omega max + any other omega but neither of them want to top

Ao3 link

It’s been a long ass fucking season, all he wants to do is go back to his hotel room and snuggle up in his nest with Max, but instead he’s at some shitty end of season party. That he only agreed to go to because of Max, and to top things off he's really not in a good mood.

“Why just because he’s an omega does he need to act like that” Charles lifts his head and sees max wildly gesturing at George, Charles can only raise an eyebrow because the smell radiating from George alone indicates what’s going on.

“Stop it man, he’s obviously going into heat.” Lewis snaps back at Max and walks off. “I mean it’s pretty obvious” Charles adds “I can smell it from here, he’s pouring with sweat and he’s resting his head on the inside of Alex’s neck.” Alex is practically holding him up at this point, his hand soothingly rubbing circles on George's shoulder.

“Come on let’s get you home” Alex gently guides George away from the mess of bodies. It’s clear the Brit doesn’t have the mental capacity to say his goodbyes, so Alex does it for him, which seems to further infuriate max. "I hope everything goes well G." Charles kisses his cheek on the way past, Max only glares at the pair of them.

“All my work gone downhill because of him, omega’s are not submissive whores” It’s Charles turn to feel infuriated, because George is in heat, his instincts make him feel like that, but Max in the bedroom is a bottom and it’s kind of a problem, neither of them want to top. “He’s in heat max and you’re only acting like this because you’re pissed with him” max narrows his eyes and doesn’t say a word until they get back to the hotel room.

“So I guess you’re going to top tonight then Mr Macho omega” Max, rips the red bull shirt of his head and it lights the fire in Charles belly, maybe he’ll get what he wants after all. “What gave you that idea?”

“Oh I don’t know, omega’s are not submissive whores might have something to do with it.” Max kicks off his jeans, so he’s just standing in his boxers. “George would have got down on all fours and agreed to be fucked in public if Alex had asked but I don’t see what that has to do with me getting fucked?” Max’ fingers grip at the waistband of his boxer shorts, Charles can see the outline of his cock and he can smell the slick Max’s body is producing. “The submissive whore part”

“I want you to fuck me Charles, that doesn’t mean I’m going to wither around and bare my neck.” Charles' can't keep his eyes off the waiting bulge in Max's underwear, he wants it inside of him so badly. “Well I’m not going to fuck you Max, I want you to fuck me”

"I'm not going to fuck you Charles, I always fuck you." Max finally shuffles down his boxer shorts, his hard cock springs free and slaps against his stomach, the whole room smells like Max's arousal. "Get undressed Charles." He quickly does as he's told, he kicks off his jeans and boxers together, his shirt quickly following. Charles arousal mixes with Max's and the whole room smells like horny omega's.

"If you wanted to get fucked all the time, why didn't you date an alpha instead." Charles is aware how petulant he sounds, he doesn't care. "I hate alpha's, I hate the thought of being reliant on someone else, absolutely not. Now lay down on the bed." Charles wants to argue, but it sounds like he might be getting what he wants, so he does as he's told before Max can change his mind.

It turns out Charles doesn't get what he wants, Max follows him onto the bed, he doesn't sit between Charles' legs, he sits on top of them, he can feel the wetness from Max's hole pooling on his upper thighs. "What are you doing, Max?" Max position's himself into a squatting position and presses three fingers inside his own hole. "ok, i'm ready."

"Max? What are you doing?" Max raises his eyebrow and takes Charles' cock into his hand, jerking him off a few times before nudging it against his slick entrance and slowly sinks down, until Charles bottoms out inside of him. "You're just as bad as George, i'm proving to you omega's don't have to be submissive whores." Charles whines, squeezing down on Max's hips. "Yes but, I need something inside of me when I cum, it hurts otherwise."

"I'll fuck your ass, but you need to make me cum first." Charles nods, ok he can live with that, he just lays back, watching Max, who isn't doing anything but just sitting there, smirking. "You know, it's such a shame Charles." Max clenches and unclenches around him. "You're so big, maybe you should have been an alpha instead." Charles hisses, Max throws his head back and laughs.

"Poor little omega, so desperate to get fucked aren't you? Too bad." Max digs his finger nails into Charles' shoulders and pulls up his hips, about half of Charles' cock sits inside of him, as he sinks back down again hard and rough. Charles can't help the moan falling from his hips, he might prefer to get fucked, but there's no denying how good it feels to have Max's tight, warm heat wrapped around him. Max repeats the move, pulling the same moan from Charles' lips.

"See, it feels good doesn't it?" Max rocks himself backwards and forwards. "Just because you're an omega doesn't mean you don't get to have me like this." Max half pants and half moans, his eyes almost black with arousal. "Be like me Charles, i'm an omega, I just take what I need, I don't need an alpha." Max pulls himself up once again, only to slam back down again.

"It feels good, I admit, but i'd rather get fucked, I like being an omega." Charles withers around under the heaviness of max's body, wishing Max would just flip them over and fuck him hard into the mattress, just like Alex will be doing to George right now. "Please Max, fuck me, please."

"No, stop being selfish all the time. I hate topping too, but I always do it to keep you happy." Charles whines, in the saddest way he can mange, but instead Max only pays attention to himself, wrapping his hand around his leaking cock and starts to stroke himself. Max doesn't bounce anymore, instead he leans forward, pressing his face into the crook of Charles' neck and rocks himself against Charles' cock, moaning in pure pleasure. "Charles' please." Max has never sounded that needy before, Charles quickly gets the hint and furiously fucks up into him, hitting his prostate with every thrust. Max stays quiet, the only way Charles' knows, he's hit his orgasm is by the heavy breathing and the sticky cum splattered up his chest.

"Ok, it's my turn now." Charles pushes' Max's hips, bucking up into him a little. Max sits up, looking utterly fucked out. "Don't worry my sweet little omega, I haven't forgotten about your orgasm." The smirk on Max's face should give it away, but Max doesn't pull off him, instead he starts bouncing up and down on Charles' cock once again, a little bit harder this time. "M- Max." It feels so fucking good, but Charles can't come this way, it hurts. "I need you-"

"I know what you need baby." Max cuts him off. "You look so good like this Charles, desperate and begging for me to put my cock in you, I might start calling you George Russell." Charles whines stalling Max, with strong hands on his hips. "Stop talking about George and just fuck me already."

"Then fuck me like you mean it Charles, come on fuck me, like I deserve." Oh. He gets it now. Charles uses the leverage on Max's hips and fucks up into him with all his might, battering his prostate with every thrust. The sound of skin slapping against skin echo's around the room, mixed with Max's loud moans, happy he's finally getting what he wants. "I'm so close Charles, please." Max moans, throwing his head back, grinding down his hips to meet everyone of Charles' thrusts. He knows how close Max is now, he knows exactly what he needs.

"Come for me omega, come on." Charles growls thrusting up extra hard, smashing Max's sweet spot and that's all it takes for him to lose it. He screams out Charles' name as he cums, spurting his load all over Charles' chest and face.

"Why didn't you just tell me what you wanted?" Charles pants as Max climbs off him and settles down between his legs, hard cock pressing against Charles' aching entrance. "I told you, I'm not some submissive whore, I just take what I need." Max's cock must be aching and sore now, but that doesn't stop him from roughly slamming inside of Charles with one swift thrust, who moans in relief, finally getting something inside of him.

"Fuck me Max, I need it." Max starts to thrust very slowly inside of Charles, only pulling back the smallest amount before sliding back into him again. Charles is going insane from the small amount Max is giving to him, he's been waiting forever and a day for this. "Please." Charles whines, Max chuckles. "Honestly, such a submissive little omega, there is no changing you." Max slowly gives Charles what he needs, pulling out a little bit more with each move, and thrusting back into him that little bit harder, until soon Max hits all the right spots and turns Charles into a moaning mess.

"I do love you Charles, so much." Max thrusts his fingers into Charles' hair and pulls him into a rough kiss, Charles can only moan into Max's mouth because that's the moment Max finally starts to pick up the pace, and gives Charles what he really wants. "What do you want Charles? Tell me."

"Fuck me hard Max, come on." Max smirks. "Good boy." Charles moans in delight as Max slams into him with an almost brutal force, the headboard slams into the wall, poor Carlos next door must be wondering what on earth is going on, it can be his leaving gift from Charles.

"Do you need me to touch your cock baby? It's so red and hard." Charles nods. "Please, touch me." Max wastes no time and wraps his fist around Charles' aching cock and strokes it to the same pace as his thrusts, and changes the angle ever so slightly until Charles is seeing stars and throwing his head back into the pillows.

"So needy for me." Max continues to pleasure Charles cock while slamming into his prostate with every thrust. Charles is losing it pretty quickly, Max had kept him on edge for so long, he needs to cum so badly, it hurts. "Fuck, fuck fuck, Max." Charles all but screams and uses his finger nail's to scratch at Max's back, leaving ugly red scratches as he reaches his orgasm, spurting his load over his own chest and Max's hand.

Charles whines as Max slips out of him, he's so sensitive all he wants to do is cuddle up to his fellow omega, but instead he's left alone. "Calm down, i've only been gone five seconds." Max gently wipes a warm towel over Charles' skin, cleaning up all the remains of cum from his face and chest.

"Can we just cuddle now?" Max shrugs wiping away the slick from around Charles' hole and settles down under the covers next to him. Charles rests his head on Max's chest, while the Dutchmen absent mindedly runs his fingers through Charles' hair.

"We really need to do something about this bottoming situation." Max sighs, while tapping on his phone. "What do you mean? Like getting an alpha in or something? I don't like the thought of sharing you." Max chuckles. "I told you no, I hate alpha's." Charles has never been more confused in his life. "Then what?"

Max holds up his phone, a shit eating grin plastered on his face. "I just ordered us this knotting double ended dildo. We can both get fucked, our heats will be less painful and best of all we don't need an alpha around."

Charles doesn't know what to say in responded to that, but he already can't wait to have sex again.

#If you could give this some love on ao3 I would be really greatful #mxm smut #formula 1 fanfiction #fanfic #formula 1 fanfic #mxm #fanfiction #formula 1 #formula one #george russell #charles leclerc #max verstappen #lestappen #abo dynamics #abo

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fortuneforsaken-if · 2 days ago

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if you're not following my main blog (which you should, i make funne joek sometimes lol) then you should know that my kitten massacred my charger cable to the laptop and i've yet to get a replacement.

in lieu of an update, here's a concept piece about how you would've met maluset for the first time in game. it's scrapped now for something better (hopefully) but it's still an okay piece of writing if i do say so myself. think it was some sort of a fever writing so let's not look too close okay.

It's cold. The mansion is always cold, of course, but this feels unnatural. Like the sun itself blotted out, a chill that seeps into your bones, a freeze after submerging in icy water.

No. You stop your steps and scan your surroundings. The mansion is quiet as well, void of the hustle and bustle of the maid always scurrying around. Something has shifted.

"What the fuck is going on," you hear the voice from atop of the grand staircase, the keeper of your chains aggravated as they tie the sash around their bathrobe. "What the fuck did you do?" They hiss, each step down the staircase filled with anger, theyr eyes on you in accusation.

But you didn't do this, did you? A cursory glance at your hands, and they're shaking. Why? Why can't you stop them? A tug at your heart could be anything; fear, exhaustion, panic, but those are emotions you've long buried. No, there is something else too. A familiarity, a longing, you felt it for the first thousand years, but it has since lain dormant.

"I-" you begin, interrupted by the rumble you feel underfoot. It's minimal at first, barely there for you to sense, but it grows stronger, stronger, until a vase perched on a side table crashes into the floor.

The heir grabs onto the bannister and curses. Another figure falls against the bannisters upstairs, a familiar, exhausted visage now with frantic eyes looking across the room, eyes meeting yours in question.

It peaks and recedes, slowly, shakes becoming tremors, and tremors becoming subtle vibrations. The heir stomps up to you with a finger raised, but they get no word out before Rami is down the stairs and grabs their arm. "Wait, do you see -"

"Rami, you're my brother, but I will break every single one of your fingers if you so much as touch me aga-" and he does, grabs them by the head and turns them to look at the front entrance, the massive windows that show an opulent garden outside.

Or they should, but there is nothing. Only darkness.

Oh. You feel the realization creep up your neck like a soft desert breeze, warm in midst of the cold that has otherwise settled. It cocoons you like your mother's hugs, protective, adoring. Alive.

"What the fuck," the heir offers eloquently yet again, bare feet stomping to the door and yanking it open. Light that should spill out from the open door sits still at the threshold. "That's not normal," Rami mutters, but you can only stare into the abyssal darkness.

At the sand collecting at the porch, grains coming together to form a vortex before it solidifies into a figure.

The heir stumbles back with a cry, landing on their behind as they scurry back. You stand still, hands ny your side, but you want to reach. You want to welcome an old friend, but you get no chance.

He's here. After so many years, he's here. The robes fall effortlessly over his shoulder, the moving glitter of starlight the only differentiating element from the darkness beyond. A divine vision clad in shadows, the human features swirling as if not keen on being in that form. You see the galaxies in his eyes consolidate into an iris, the full weight of it set on the heir sprawled in the ground.

"Ashar tehk nuḥ senet akhet."

Your breath stutters at the inhale. It's been so long since you heard your tongue spoken, the words like an old-forgotten hymn you thought you'd never hear again.

I have come to retrieve the one you have stolen from me.

You could think he came for a relic, or anything else of material value. The spark of hope you've nursed flares to life when he turns his eyes to you, the vastness behind them softening as he takes you in, his shoulders easing only a fraction. Another gust of a warm breeze flows over your cheek.

He really did come for you.

#ramblings.#maluset.#drabble.#the pacing is off tbh #and i feel it's way too flowery #but idc lol it's a concept #also hiii sorry for silence! been working on the main project :) until charger death

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star-eyed-angels · 2 days ago

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Operation : Save Christmas

When you can't make it home for Christmas, Jihoon wants to cheer you up. But with twelve meddling friends, it might not be so easy.

Angst, Fluff, Light Crack 5.5k

Warnings: It's a little angsty, but mostly fluff. The others bully Jihoon (but when do they not 🤡)

A/N: Day 12 of belated mini-Ficmas.

Today is dedicated to the lovely @reikaryu Surprise! I’m you’re Carat Secret Santa🎄 Firstly I just want to apologize for how long this took, I ended up getting sick right before Christmas so I have been GOING THROUGH IT🥲 But nevertheless, your gift is here and I really hope you like it.

P.S. I also included an extra little moodboard below the cut to make up for taking so long so I hope you like it❣️

It’s been super fun getting to know you through asks and honestly I just wanna say you’re such a sweet person. Like I know I kinda mentioned through my asks, but you just exude this warmth and caring personality and I hope we can be moots going forward 👀

also the biggest of shoutouts to @96z for hosting the caratblr gift exchange!! I'm sure it wasn't easy, but it's been so much fun so thank you!!❤️

MASTERLIST

Four hours. Four hours, you’ve been stuck in the airport practically going insane waiting for your flight. With Christmas in two days, you'd expect for there to be some delays, but this is nothing but chaos. You grimace as you another announcement plays across the speakers above, informing another group of passengers that their flight has been cancelled. The crowd erupts into loud groans, but you don’t blame them. You’re not the only one who’s been sitting here all morning. You watch as passengers begin to swarm the help desk across the room, no doubt looking for another way home. It’s the fifth cancellation in the past hour, you can only hope yours just remains delayed. It’s been a few months since you’ve been back home, and you’re more than ready to see everyone again.

Just then, the speakers above you come to life, again announcing another flight cancellation. To your horror, the staff member lists off your flight number. You wait for her to repeat it again, hoping you’ve heard it wrong. Much to your disappointment she confirms the information that matches your boarding pass.

You quickly make your way up to the help desk near you, panic filling you at the thought of not getting home in time.

“No no no, please I have to get on this flight!” You beg. You give the flight attendant a pleading look, leaning over the desk slightly.

“Sorry ma’am, flights are cancelled due to weather issues,” she says, giving you a polite smile.

“Is there another flight?” you ask immediately. She shakes her head, again offering you a polite smile.

“Everything is getting cancelled, we’re preparing to make more announcements now actually,” she says, gesturing to the boards behind her. You watch as each trip flicks to red in real time.

“Tomorrow?” you ask, hopeful in getting home.

“The weather isn’t looking to clear up before the end of the week. Travel will resume at that time” she says calmly. Before you can get another word in she steps to the side, assisting the other passengers waiting behind you.

You let out a sigh, grabbing your luggage and making your way to the baggage claim. As you wait to collect your luggage you send your family a quick text, letting them know of the situation. They’re understanding as usual, letting you know they’ll see you soon. But something else tugs at you, a feeling you can’t quite place. You brush it to the side for now, deciding to focus on getting back home.

With a small sigh, you push the front door open, trudging your way into the apartment. One of your roommates, Jihoon, looks up from his place on the couch. He does a double take at the sight of you walking in.

“What are you doing here?,” he asks. He walks over to you, confusion clear in his voice.

“Wasn’t your flight supposed to leave like two hours ago?,” he asks again, looking for some explanation.

“Flight got cancelled because of the weather,” you say, dropping your bag next to your suitcase. It hits the floor with a thud.

“What about tomorrow? I’m sure you can rebook it?” he says, sounding as hopeful as you did earlier.

“No, the storm has everything shut down,” you say. You kick off your shoes, a little too aggressively, nudging them off to the side without much thought.

“Oh..I’m sorry, that sucks,” Jihoon says, frowning slightly.

“It’s fine. It’s not that big a deal,” you shrug, waving your hand dismissively. He makes a face at your response.

“Yeah, but I know you were really looking forward to going home.,” he says, his voice gentle.

“It’s okay, it’s just one holiday,” you say. Jihoon doesn’t miss the way your voice sounds slightly hollow. You give him another smile that doesn't reach your eyes, before shuffling past him.

“I’m just going to rest, long day at the airport,” you say before shuffling towards your room.

Jihoon nods, watching you closely. He awkwardly shifts from one foot to the other. Before he gets the courage to say another word you’re already shutting the door to your room. He stands there for a moment, part of him wants to follow you and comfort you. He’s never been good with words, but he can clearly see this is bugging you more than you’re letting on. He decides to let it go for the time being, he figures he’ll bring it up with the others later. Just then his phone pings from his pocket, he fishes it out seeing the roommate chat active. Speak of those devils.

Jihoon is working at his desk when his phone starts blowing up. The sound of his text notifications eventually gets too annoying to ignore any longer. With an annoyed sigh he opens his phone to dozens of messages and a new group chat.

You’ve been doom scrolling through social media watching your family's posts for the past few hours. A hollow feeling gnaws at you while you scroll through post post. You pause on a video of your family's annual Christmas party. The sound of the laughter and cheer leaving a weird aftertaste on your tongue. You’re glad they’re having fun while you’re not there. But being on the other side of the screen feels strange. You can’t explain what you’re feeling without being there. Before you can dwell on it too much a knock sounds at your door.

It takes you a second to pull yourself out of your thoughts. A second knock sounds at your door, this one just a little more urgent than the first.

“Come in,” you call out, sitting up in your bed.

Jihoon opens the door, shuffling into the room cautiously.

“Hey Hoon, what’s up?” you ask. You do your best to seem casual despite your earlier turmoil. You’re so caught up in your own dilemma that you don’t catch how odd he’s acting. He rubs the back of his neck nervously, avoiding eye contact with you.

“Do you want to go out for a walk? To go see the lights?” he asks. His voice comes out in a rush, the words blending together. It takes you a second to register what he said.

“What? Jihoon you literally hate going out,” you say. You can’t help but laugh at the suggestion.

“No I don't,” he argues, quickly. You give him a pointed look, knowing full well that he isn’t convinced himself. He huffs, finally rolling his eyes in surrender.

“Okay maybe I do, but it's christmas eve, we should go out for a bit at least,” he says, coming over to sit on your bed. You

“Jihoon, I appreciate the offer, really I do. But I’m really just not up to it,” you do your best to let him down gently. You’re not really in the mood to go out and about, more so wanting to wallow in your doom-scrolling cocoon once more.

“Please? Just this once?,” he begs. You make a face, ready to reject again. Before the words come out, he rushes towards your bed, flopping onto it dramatically. He places both hands together in a praying motion, silently pleading with you. You can’t help but crack a smile, the action far cuter than Jihoon’s normal character.

“I really want to see the lights,” he begs again.

You ponder for a moment, glancing down at Jihoon flopped over next to you. Seeing him beg so strongly has you caving faster than you’d like to admit. The image mirrors something you are usually doing to him when you beg for him to join you.

It's pretty uncommon to see Jihoon go out on his days off, he isn’t typically one to go out in general. He's the world’s biggest homebody, so you’re very used to being greeted by the sight of him lazing around. But it’s an even rarer sight to see him request to go out, especially during the busy holiday season. The only exception he has is when it comes to you.

While he’s not one to go out, he's let you drag him out more times than you can count. Even when he scowls at your pleading, he’s always willing to accompany you on your late night snack runs, or mundane errands.

“Fine, let me just get dressed and we can go,” you say, already getting up to get ready.

Jihoon hops up with a smile, and a discreet sigh of relief, already heading out of your room.

“Let me know, when you’re ready,” he calls out, already shutting the door behind himself before you can reply. Again you don’t question his behavior, chalking it up to him being in an extra festive mood today. Even if you’re not in the festive mood, you suppose you can indulge him just like he normally does for you.

You hate to admit it, but you’re actually glad Jihoon decided to drag you out. Despite the heavy snow, the fresh air feels nice against your skin, helping you relax as you both stroll side by side. With the sun just having set, the lights strung up around the river look beautiful. The area isn’t too busy, which you’re sure Jihoon is thankful for as well.

Jihoon glances at you out of the corner of his eye, glad to see you smiling like normal. He nudges you subtly, drawing your attention to him.

“See it wasn’t so bad right?” he asks, clearly pleased at his idea.

“I guess you do have good ideas every once in a while,” you tease, nudging him back.

“Once in a while?” he yelps, face falling in shock. You laugh at his dramatics, shaking your head.

“I’m kidding. This is actually really nice, thanks Hoon,” you say, voice soft as you smile at him.

He only nods, turning away to check his phone for an incoming text from the others letting them know everything is almost ready.. He’s thankful for the distraction, allowing him to hide the flaming of his cheeks.

You continue to take in your surroundings, loving the way the lights gleam against the water of the river. You’ve always loved the way the city is decorated this time of year. It reminds you of your sister, and how the both of you love seeing everyone decorate back home, it being something you look forward to during the holiday season. Just then the sound of laughter catches your attention. You turn towards the sound, seeing a family in the distance laugh as they take pictures, enjoying their time together.

Your face falls at the sight, a wave of sadness washing over you. You watch as the family continues on their way, still laughing and smiling as they leave. Your mind drifts to your social media scrolling from earlier and just how happy your family looked. How you wished you could be with them right now. The sadness only grows, your mood dropping instantly. The cold air now nipping at your skin harshly, with the change in your mood. Even the sight of the lights no longer feels comforting, instead only making your heart feel heavier.

“We should start heading back,” you say quickly. The sudden request startles Jihoon, he turns to look at you in confusion.

“So soon?” he asks, clearly confused at the complete 180.

“Yeah I’m getting kind of tired, you say, lying through your teeth. You do your best to keep your voice steady, not wanting him to worry.

He notices the small shift in your facial expressions, how your lips are downturned in a subtle frown. It’s clear as day to him that something is wrong, he’s just unsure of what caused it.

“Okay,” he agrees. While he wants to argue that you should stay out a little longer He really has no room to argue to stay out longer, at least not without looking suspicious. He hopes that the members finish before you get there. And that whatever they’re prepared is enough to bring a smile to your face once again.

The closer you get to the apartment, the more he’s starting to think this was a bad idea. He’s spent the past thirty minutes trying to hold a conversation with you, only to have you shut him down with quick responses. He has half a mind to text the group chat to call off the entire thing, but you’re already reaching the floor of your apartment after a silent elevator ride. You pull out your keys quickly, wanting to hurry back into the safety of your room. You’d done your best to remain composed the entire way home, hoping to just make it back in one piece. You know Jihoon can tell something is wrong, but at this moment you’re about hair’s width from breaking down.

“Listen y/n, about tonight-” Jihoon starts, voice laced with nerves.

“It was really nice, Jihoon, thanks for inviting me,” you cut him off. Your voice clipped at each word as you begin to unlock the door.

“Right, but-” he starts, doing his best to stall you. He’s sure the others can hear the sound of your keys jingling, alerting them to your arrival. To Jihoon, the sound is like a ticking time bomb, counting down to disaster in the apartment.

With the unsteady state you’re in you don’t take the hint, only focusing on opening the door as quickly as possible.

“I’m sorry to have cut the night short. I’m just not feeling well so I’m just gonna head to bed,” you say, quickly. He doesn’t even get a chance to interject before the sound of the door clicking beats him. You breathe a small sigh of relief as Jihoon silently holds his breath.

You don’t even make it three feet into the apartment when the light flicks on, startling you.

“Surprise!” a chorus of voices rings out.

Your heart drops at the sight of everyone in front of you. The apartment is now completely decorated in lights and random Christmas decorations. There’s a table lined with so much food and drinks that they nearly spill over the edges. Each of your friends is dressed up in a tacky Christmas outfit that normally would make you giggle at the sight. They all wear bright smiles as they stand around your living room awaiting your reaction. Your eyes dart around the room quickly, trying to make sense of the situation when a familiar scent fills your nostrils. You turn your attention back to the food table, your eyes landing on the incriminating item. In the middle of the table sits, a Christmas tree shaped plate, with a stack of cookies that you recognize all too well. The scent of the cookies your dad makes with you every year has tears springing to your eyes faster than you can blink. You let out a choked sob, no longer able to keep your emotions in check. You tear your gaze away from the cookies, and look back at your friends who all look on in horror. Without a word, you turn back around, running out the door. Jihoon tries to call after you, but you don’t bother even looking back, needing to get as far away as possible.

You find yourself back by the river, this time having taken refuge on an empty bench near the open water. Your phone continues to go off in your pocket, the buzzing sound faintly being heard over your sniffles. In the back of your mind you know that it was wrong to up and leave without a single word, knowing that they’re worried about your well being with the state you left in. But you know they can’t help you right now, at least not the way you need them too. There’s only one person who can ease your mind. Normally you wouldn't think about bothering him with the time difference between you, but with the way your heart aches you don’t think you can bear not talking to him.. You pull out your phone quietly, unlocking it with a quick swipe. You continue to ignore the incoming messages in favor of selecting one contact. You wait quietly through the ringing, letting out a sigh of relief at the cheery hello that fills your ears.

“Hi dad,” you greet, voice coming out in a wobble.

“What’s wrong, honey?” he asks, immediately picking up on your distress. Curse him and his dad senses.

“Nothing,” you say a little too quickly.

“Y/n. I can tell when you’ve been crying. Now what’s going on,” he asks gently. You can practically picture the way he looks with his brow furrowed in worry.

Your dad’s gentle voice makes you sniffle. You let out a sigh, your emotions still bubbling over the surface.

“Everything,” you choke out, once again near tears.

“I miss you. I miss everyone.. I want to be back home, and be with the family. It just doesn’t feel like Christmas without you guys. I know it sounds silly. But this is the first time I’m not at home and I feel guilty,” you say, the words spilling out as you finally let out what you’ve been feeling the past two days. Your dad listens patiently through your ramble, waiting until you’ve said everything on your mind before he continues.

“Sweetie,” he starts, voice calm, “you know we’re not upset, right?”

“I know, but I just feel like it's my fault?” you confess, swiping at the tears that manage to trickle their way down your cheeks.

“Why would it be? Last time I checked, my daughter didn’t control the weather, unless you’ve been keeping something from me all this time?” he jokes, lightheartedly.

The dad joke makes you huff, a small smile twitching at your lips.

“Dad,” you groan, pretending to be annoyed. Even then, the smile is evident in your voice. He chuckles, the sound comforting you through the crackling phone speaker.

“But really. When you told your mother and I you were moving abroad we knew it meant the possibility of seeing you less. Even on holidays,” he says, his voice reminding you of all the times he comforted you when you were little, “You’re growing up, you’re pursuing something you love. Something bigger. And with that comes changes. Things aren’t always going to go exactly how you want them to and that's okay. What matters is that you make the most of it,” he says. You take a moment to let his words sink in. It was a big leap of faith for you when you moved to Seoul, but at the time it felt like a step in the right direction. And you had been right, the move was the best thing you could have done for yourself. You’d had so many opportunities and met your amazing friends through them. And you wouldn’t trade a second of it for anything. It dawns on you that you haven't taken the time to process everything, with the large workload of your job you haven't given yourself the chance to adapt to all the changes taking place. Now thinking back, you realize just how much you needed this call to see everything clearly.

“When did you get so wise?” you joke, letting out the last of your sniffles.

“When I became a dad,” he responds with ease.You giggle finally feeling lighter.

“Holidays don’t have to be about being somewhere familiar. It’s about who you spend it with. Like those friends of yours we’re always hearing about. Spending Christmas with them is sure to be a memory you’ll cherish when you’re old and gray,” he chuckles again. You grimace when you think back to your friends, and how you left them.

“I may have ruined that,” you say, sheepishly.

“How so?” he asks.

“They were trying to do something nice and I didn’t react well,” you recall. He hums in thought.

“You can’t change how you react in the moment, but you can control how you respond to it now. Talk to them, be honest. They’ll understand. Good friends always do,” he says confidently. You hear the way he pauses like he wants to say more, a habit of his you’re far too familiar with.

“You know that friend of yours called us for our cookie recipe,” he says, casually.

“What?” you ask, your brain coming to a halt. You hadn’t mentioned the cookies at all, and how they prompted the call in the first place. You’d just assumed it was a coincidence they had been included. He hums again, before continuing.

“That boy, Jihoon. He called your mother to ask for the recipe. Said they wanted to do something nice for you since you couldn’t come home,” he reveals.

Your heart flutters a bit, cheeks warming at the thought of Jihoon calling your parents for something so small, yet so special. A new feeling swirls in your stomach, a feeling you realize you may haven’t been taking into account throughout knowing your roommate.

“Those friends of yours are something special, y/n. Not everyone would do something like that.

Hold onto them,” he says. You shouldn’t be surprised he can read your cues even through a phone, but it still makes you a little shy. There will be more time to think about Jihoon’s gesture later, for now you have something else to do.

“Yeah, I think I will,” you finally say, already standing up from your place on the bench.

“I take it you have something to do?,” he says, you can hear the way he smiles through the phone.

“Yes, I gotta go. But I love you, and I’ll call soon, promise,” you say, feeling a little bittersweet about ending the call.

“Of course. Merry Christmas y/n, we love you,” he says softly. You smile, his simple phrase filling your heart.

“Merry Christmas, bye Dad,” You hang up, slipping the phone back into your coat pocket. You take another deep breath, finally feeling like your world isn’t going to crumble around you. In fact it feels like another new beginning, another leap of faith you’re more than happy to take. With that you turn around, making your way back to your apartment.

When you make it back to your apartment, you find yourself lingering outside the door quietly, nervous to face your friends. You take a few deep breaths, before unlocking the door slowly. You open the door cautiously, your friends are all luckily still in the apartment. They watch you enter, hesitating to approach you. When you close the door behind you, Jihhon is the first to speak up.

“Y/n, we’re so sorry. We didn’t mean to upset you. It’s just you’ve been looking forward to Christmas for so long, and then the flight and we just,” he says, tapering off as you finally look up at all of them. He glances behind him, looking for help from the others.

“We just wanted to do something special for you to hopefully cheer you up,” Soonyoung says, words slurring slightly. He gets teary eyed quickly, face scrunching up as he sniffles. It's then that you notice the cup in his hand, no doubt containing some form of alcohol. Soonyoung had always been a rather emotional drunk. Mingyu steps forward, collecting Soonyoung in his arms, and pulling him off to the side. You see some of the others grimace. Seungcheol even facepalms, breathing out a heavy sigh. Seungkwan clears his throat, stepping closer to you, the bells hanging on his sweater jingle with the movement.

“We took it too far and we’re sorry,” Seungkwan says, bowing his head slightly.

You take in the scene before you, your friends and the chaos that they bring. To anyone else this party would appear like a disaster, with tears and awkwardness bursting at its seams. But to you, it's like home. Not like the home you grew up in, but a home that was made from chance meetings, and random hangouts. A home that now consisted of random nights getting to know your roommates, too many inside jokes to count. This is your other home that you love dearly, and the people in front of you are what make it your home.

You step forward, pulling Jihoon into a hug. He freezes, startled by the sudden action before wrapping his arms around you tightly. You hug him tighter, pressing your face into the side of his neck.

“Y/n?” he calls out your name quietly, not wanting to startle you. You pull back from the hug, resting your hand on his arm.

“Don’t apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m just,” you let out a shaky breath, offering a small smile, “I’m homesick. And I hadn’t realized just how bad it had gotten”.

You turn your attention to the others, who all give you small smiles in return.

“I got into my own head after the flight thing. And then we went to go see the lights and I just couldn’t stop thinking about home. When we got here I wasn’t in the best state, so when I smelled the cookies I just broke,” you explain.

“We wanted to make this like home for you,” Seokmin pipes up. You smile again, your dad’s words coming to mind.

“I know and I appreciate it, but you don’t have to do anything extra to make this like home. Just having all of you here is enough,” you say, glancing back at Jihoon as you speak. He smiles back at you, making your heart flutter again. The quiet is broken by the sound of sniffling. You turn to see Soonyoung sniffle against Mingyu’s chest.

“We need a group hug or I’ll cry right now,” he chokes out, pouting at everyone. You laugh, opening up your arms for him. He darts towards you, practically toppling over Jihoon in the process. He hugs you tightly, sniffling into your shoulder. The others erupt into quiet laughter, but still join the hug. It feels cozy being squished between all your friends, at the center surrounded by so many people who you love. You can’t help but voice it out loud.

“Thank you, I love you guys,” you say. They each murmur back their own replies,

“Not that I’m not loving this sweet and tender moment, but can I please turn on the music? I spent all day working on the playlist,” Vernon says, from somewhere in the cuddle pile. A smack rings through the room as he yelps in pain. No doubt having gotten smacked by one of the older members. A few giggles slip out of you, detaching yourself from the hug. You motion Vernon over to the speakers, he grins as he darts over connecting his phone right away. When the music fills the room, everyone disperses excitedly dragging you to everything they’ve prepared.

It’s an hour later when you find Jihoon standing quietly near the door. He watches the festivities with a small smile on his face. You shuffle up to him,

“Hey,”

“Hey, you okay?” he asks,

“Yeah, I’m good. Really,” you say softly.

“About tonight-”

“That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about,”

“I know you put a lot of effort into making it special for me

“Everyone helped, it wasn’t just me,” he says, waving his hand dismissively. In a bold move, you catch his hand in yours. He looks down in shock, before glancing back up at you.

“I know, But not everyone would call my family to ask for my favorite cookie recipe,” you say, giving him a knowing look. He looks away, turning shy under your gaze.

“I thought it would be nice to have a little piece of home for you,” he says quietly, still not meeting your eyes. You think he looks rather cute this way, all shy and timid in front of you. You intertwine your fingers with his, drawing his attention back to you.

“Thank you, Jihoon,” you say softly. You lean over, pressing a soft kiss against his cheek. He stares at you wide eyed, a blush blooming across his cheeks and down to his neck. You hear a wolf whistle from across the room. The both of you looking up just as Joshua throws you both a wink. The others all give you knowing looks, some of the maknaes throwing a series of hearts your way. Your smile grows as you watch Jihoon throw each of them a death glare. They all finally look away, though you still find them stealing glances at the two of you. Jihoon turns his attention back to you, finding you staring at him with a soft smile.

“They’re never gonna let us live this down,” he huffs, rubbing his thumb against your hand softly. Despite how words, he never once lets go of your hand, only holding it just a bit tighter. You hum, squeezing his hand in yours once more.

“Yeah… We have some meddling friends, but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” you say. You already know the teasing will be relentless from the others, but what’s a few more memories to cherish with your little family?

Divider: @/mikeykuns (bow) @/cyberbeat (line)

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