#i did Not get good enough sleep last night

[3amfanfiction]

Our Girlfriend pt 2

The morning after.

You can thank @disasterofastory for this piece about the morning after you had four men in your bed. Considering you'd never spoken to two of them, how is this going to go? 1.5k little ficlet of a scene. A little bit of fluffy sweetness to even out the pure smut of the first chapter.

Part one

The bed was almost empty by the time you woke up, only you and Johnny remaining. You were curled up to his chest, listening to the steady thrum of his heart as your eyes peeled open, sticky with sleep.

You didn't move at first, just laid there content to breathe in the still morning air where nothing needed to be done. There were no deadlines to meet, no chores to complete . . . it was just you, existing.

You watched as the thick chest under your cheek raised up as he drew in the breath to speak. Your quiet morning was about to be disturbed. You held onto the few split seconds you had remaining, locking onto this peace to get you through your day.

"You awake, love?"

Because real life always came knocking.

You hummed an assent, not interested in trying to force your tongue into shapes that would make words. You felt wonderfully wrung out, with only the things occurring right this moment needing thought. There wasn't any stress about yesterday or any worry about tomorrow.

Johnny stroked along your back gently with calloused fingers, a slight tickling scratch to go along with the warm caress. It roused you enough to turn and press a kiss to the warm skin you were laying on, a non-verbal 'good morning' in place of any proper greeting.

Johnny pressed a return kiss to the crown of your head, never ceasing the running of his palm over your back. You really did love him. You knew it was fast, that people say there was no way it would last because of how quickly you two fell together but you ignored them. Johnny was something special and you were thankful he was in your life.

The sun had shifted slightly when he spoke again. "How do you feel this morning?"

As a matter of fact . . .

"Johnny." Firm. You know he'll try and wiggle his way out of an answer if he catches any hint of weakness. "What was that last night?"

He didn't respond at first. After a moment you tilted your head up to look at him. He was staring at the ceiling, a serene look on his face with a hint of a smile on his lips.

"It was nice, wasn't it? I can't believe I decided to take a nap right in the middle of it though. Don't worry, love, I'll be making it up to you." He was coming to life with every word spoken. His face more animated, fingers starting to twitch and legs rubbing together. You knew you only had a few more minutes in bed before he would be up and gone—ready to start another day.

"That wasn't what I meant and you know it. Why did they all talk like we were dating? What have you been telling them?"

"Nothing that wasn't true, I promise." He turned to look beseechingly into your eyes, ensuring you saw the truth in what he was saying. "I told them about you, of course. How amazing you were—always looking out for me, being so understanding, not taking any of my shite." He grinned at the last one, ever amused by your backbone, "and they fell in love with you, just like I did. And then you went and showed me that you loved them back and I couldn't let it go. I had to bring the four of you together."

Immediately you clocked what he meant. "Johnny MacTavish, those muffins weren't—they didn't mean—" How could you even begin to explain away this misunderstanding? Especially after what happened last night? You didn't get any further before the bedroom door opened.

"Good morning, sleeping beauties," Kyle beamed as he walked in holding two coffee cups. "You two finally ready to join the rest of us?"

Oh shit. The rest of them.

How are you going to face them? You'd never even properly met two of them and you let them into your bed. You'd let the man standing in the doorway come in your mouth last night. You've never even spoken to him.

All of a sudden you found yourself tongue-tied, unable to do anything more than mumble a shy thank you as you were handed your cup of coffee. Starting to sit up you realized you were still completely naked under the blanket and looked around self-consciously for a shirt to pull on.

Kyle saw slight panic in your eyes and grabbed a t-shirt off the floor. It was the one Simon had worn last night. You thought about putting up a fuss, asking for one of your own but in the end you graciously accepted, more worried about being covered in the bold light of day than worrying about who's shirt you wore.

Comfortably covered once more you turned to face the two men, looking at you with differing shades of the same smile. You felt around the corners of your mouth and eyes to make sure there weren't any lingering crusties before you took a sip of your coffee. Your eyes widened and darted up to Kyle's face.

"Johnny hasn't stopped talking about you since he you met. Any one of us could make your drink with our eyes closed by now," he teased gently, good-natured mirth shining through his warm eyes. "I hope you don't mind, we took liberties with your kitchen. Cap and Simon are finishing breakfast right now. Well," he allowed with a small shrug, "The captain is, Simon isn't allowed near the stove. Not unless you want a bit of char on your food."

"You didn't have to do all that, here let me . . . " You worked to pull yourself from the bed without spilling your coffee or flashing anyone. "Let me get dressed and I'll be down. They're guests, they shouldn't be cooking." Of all the things. You didn't truly mind the thought of them in your kitchen but it felt like you should protest on principle. When you stood up your hips gave a worrying twinge and you braced yourself against the mattress. Yeah, maybe you should just leave them be after all.

It was embarrassing how quickly Johnny and Kyle were at your side, clearly no worse for wear after the night you all had. You'd like to see them jump up like that after having their hips spread around another's torso. Not so easy then, huh?

Waving them off exasperatedly you gingerly left the room and headed for the kitchen. You walked in just in time to see John swatting at Simon, shooing him away from the stove where he had picked up a spatula and was attempting to stir the eggs. You must have made some sort of noise because both men turned to look at you, freezing as they took you in. Standing in the kitchen with bare legs and Simon's black t-shirt, Kyle and Johnny clustered behind you, you must have made quite the sight. John was the first to come to his senses, pushing the utensil back into Simon's hand distractedly and walking over to you.

"Good morning, sweetheart." He looked you up and down, "we weren't too rough with you last night, I hope?" he questioned with a raised brow, his soft-looking mustache bristling with the movement of his mouth. It twitched while he waited for your answer—worried but fighting not to show it.

"I'm good," you reassured, "Better than, even." You smiled sweetly up at him, enjoying watching the tension leave his face, the little furrow between his brow disappearing. It almost startled you, how fond you were of these men. It was strange.

You didn't know the exact shade of blue John's eyes were but you knew he needed reading glasses if it was late at night and he was still working on paperwork. You'd never seen the way the hair curled at the nape of his neck but you knew he liked deep-tissue massages after tough missions.

So strange. You knew them intimately and as strangers all at once, a unique dichotomy to be in. You wondered if they felt the same way. They knew how you took your coffee and what you would normally make for yourself for breakfast. Was it so hard to believe they were in the same boat as you? That they knew you as deeply as you knew them?

You found it was easy to fall into their orbit. All of them drifting around the others in ever-changing patterns. Present but not suffocating.

They liked to keep a hand on you though, for all that they gave each other room to breathe. They would take turns standing beside you after you took a seat—a hand placed low on your back as they came in for a kiss or moving over to hold your hand while they spoke about anything under the sun.

You laughed when the eggs Simon had been tasked to look over had to be tossed out after smoke started wafting from the pan. The happy peals doing more to settle the men than you knew, because hadn't you realized? They were already falling for you too.

Next

[klausysworld]

Heyy could I please get a birthday story on the 12th of january? Just do what ever you wanna write as long as it as something to do with a birthday of the reader / Y/N

Please and thank you<3

Happy Birthday!!

In The Family

Birthdays were a complicated topic for the Mikaelsons. After living so long time became more and more insignificant and irrelevant to them, especially being vampires where sleep wasn't mandatory. Forever is a long time and yet if time is not real then forever is nothing at all.

For Y/N birthdays were everything. Her family always made a fuss over each other's birthdays, the celebration of the life they'd been blessed with and the ways in which they'd developed them.

However, Y/N knew that her vampire friends were overly fond so she didn't tell them when her birthday was coming up. Not even Rebekah.

She assumed they'd never ask either because it simply did not matter to them which she understood from their points of view and she never pushed the matter.

Y/N did her birthday as usual.

She went out with her friends the weekend before, minus Rebekah, Kol, Elijah and Klaus as she knew they wouldn't get along with her childhood friends as well as she'd maybe hope and so they didn't feel pressured into buying presents or embarrassingly singing happy birthday to her. Y/N got drunk and danced around deep into the night, laughing through the streets as she and her oldest friend stumbled to the hotel they were staying at for the night.

She was supposed to see her parents on her actual birthday, however they rang her all stressed out and upset saying that something important had come up and they'd have to see her the day after.

Y/N was a little upset of course that she wouldn't get to see them like normal but she understood and told them it was just another day and it could wait for a family emergency. They offered to send her gifts over, face time in the day when possible but she told them to wait until the day after and pretend her birthday had not been yet.

Her family were devastated to miss the day, they'd always made such a big deal in the past and so missing it for the first time was strange for everyone.

Y/N thought it wouldn't matter, that she too could pretend her birthday wasn't for another day...but she couldn't, not really; not truly.

Instead she ended up sat quietly on her couch, dressed for a day that wasn't going to start, watching a film she didn't really want to see and eating a microwave meal because she had forgotten to go shopping and to be honest she wasn't so sure she could afford it. Living on her own was difficult enough, especially when her job was so frequently interrupted by Mikaelson family drama; Rebekah always had her on call begging her to come over because something terrible had happened. Once Bex was okay, Y/N would find Kol upset and comfort him, find Elijah silently contemplating which was never a good thing and last but not least she'd find Klaus staring blankly at a half painted canvas, unable to conjure anything else onto the page.

She and Klaus had a complex relationship. They enjoyed each other's company and simply enjoyed each other but Klaus was too cautious of what happened to those her got to close to him and Y/N always feared she was imagining his feelings so brushed it off as much as she could. However, it was no secret that they liked each other, Rebekah teased them both endlessly and hoped they'd finally give in. Kol hoped Y/N would lighten Klaus's grouchy mood, and Elijah wondered if it were even possible for Klaus to love so purely again.

But still, their twisted family dynamic meant that she was the Mikaelson fire distinguisher which messed with her hours at work and therefore her pay.

On top of that, spending money on a hotel the week before and however much alcohol had not helped her cupboards nor her fridge. So her home remained empty and lonely for the majory of the day.

It was late afternoon, early evening when Rebekah messaged. It appeared to be urgent so Y/N rushed to be there for them, Fearing someone could be hurt or worse.

She sped in her car all the way there, probably gaining multiple speeding tickets which would catch her up in a weeks time. Her hands quickly pushed the doors open, her feet clumsily carrying her inside, her voice strained as she called out for Rebekah, then Klaus when she got no answer. A flood of worry filled her as she hurried up the stairs, checking each room but finding no one before going back down and bursting through the dining room swinging doors.

Her breathing was a state, her hair stuck to her forehead as she fell silent and froze. Each Mikaelson stood behind their place at the table, smiling as innocently as they could at her.

The table was covered in candles and flowers, a pile of presents in the centre. Her expression relaxed slightly and then softened, her eyes starting to sting as tears built up that they'd do something like this for her.

"You didn't think we'd forget did you?" Rebekah asked with a laugh, leaving her post and coming over in front of Y/N who was wiping her eyes.

"I never even told you, how...how did you know?" She sniffed and Rebekah smiled. "Nik found out." She whispered, as if the rest of the people in the room didn't have sonic hearing. Y/N's eyes drifted up to Klaus gratefully and he smiled back, his hands clenching slightly as he held onto the back of his chair.

"We thought we'd let you have the day with your family before making you come over." Rebekah grinned, grabbing her hand and pulling her to sit at the head of the table. "How was it with your family? Who came? Parents? Aunts and Uncles? Oh cousins- oh..." Rebekah shut up when Kol kicked the back of her leg, her eyes focusing on Y/N who was fighting tears.

"I'm sorry." She sniffled, her face red as Klaus too moved from his place and rubbed the side of her arm comfortingly. "My family couldn't come is all, it's not a big deal I just haven't ever done it alone before." She whispered and they each softened.

"You aren't alone anymore, love." Klaus murmured softly, kissing the side of her head and pulling her seat back for her to sit before tucking her back in.

"Yeah, don't worry darling, we're practically family anyways so you aren't really missing out." Kol shrugged, filling her wine glass making her laugh a little.

"I do hope we didn't worry you too much with the ominous text message, dear. I did tell Rebekah it was too harsh." Elijah apologised, frowning to himself but Y/N wiped her eyes again and shook her head with a smile.

"It's alright Elijah, it made for a really lovely surprise." She told him earnestly and his features relaxed as he nodded faintly.

Dinner started coming out only a moment later, all of Y/N's favourite foods as a picky eater loaded onto each of their plates and placed in front of them making Y/N blush pink and smile wide at their antics.

"See? This is my kind of dinner, good choice darling." Kol licked his lips, lifting a slice of pizza and letting it droop onto his mouth making Klaus roll her eyes and Y/N giggle.

As they ate, Y/N's eyes drifted round the room; seeing the extent of their effort as she looked at the dozens of balloons that had floated up. Then her gaze flicked to each Mikaelson. Kol was eating like a caveman, Rebekah was mixing her ketchup and mayonnaise like a child, Elijah was delicately cutting into his chicken nugget and Klaus...Klaus was looking back at her.

A small silence lingered over them, even as the others spoke between them. Y/N was brought back into it when Rebekah started telling a funny story about Elijah from centuries before, effectively embarrassing the usually stoic original and pulling a genuine laugh from Klaus.

They told Y/N about the faint memories they had of birthdays from when they were human, children especially and how they would spoil their little brother Henrik.

"In a way, you're our younger sister now. Much, much younger, you know...a thousand years give or take but still." Kol said with his mouth full. The sentiment there but his humour everpresent.

"Perhaps a sister to us however I do doubt she and Klaus would ever consider the other a sibling." Elijah commented and everyone's heads turned to him, not expecting the comment from Elijah's lips.

Rebakah started laughing first, then Kol which encouraged them all to fall into a cycle of giggles.

Klaus and Y/N flew past the teasings and continued with the evening. Eating icecream and chatting away before the cake was brought out.

It was a beautiful cake, almost magically so.

Y/N could feel her cheeks burn red and her smile go so wide it hurt when they sang happy birthday to her and clapped as she blew out the candles, telling her to make a wish. She made eye contact with Klaus as she did and Rebekah snickered.

An hour or so later Elijah began to pack things away, Kola and Rebekah suddenly disappeared and Klaus refused to let Y/N tidy up her own party so he took her upstairs.

They walked the stairs leisurely as if it were obvious something were waiting up there. Y/N wasn't sure what but she definitely hadn't expected his art room to be a romantically lit space. Music playing softly in the back ground as he stood before her and held out his hand for a dance.

He spun her to his chest, his hand in hers and the other on her waist keeping her close as they swayed against each other. His eyes stayed on hers, daring her to look away as he dipped her.

Barely a second went before both of them leaned into a kiss. Y/N's hand left his to hold onto his neck as he clutched her hips, holding her up to him as their lips moulded together perfectly.

Klaus pulled back, listening to her panting softly for lost air as he rest his forehead against hers and loosened his grip on her slightly. "You're family" He whispered, his voice uncharacteristically soft. "Your birthday is important and I promise we'll never, ever miss it."

"Thank you, Klaus. For everything today." She muttered quietly, almost shyly and he smiled, kissing her cheek just beside her lips.

"You're welcome, love. Happy birthday."

[writing-whenever-whatever]

Little song bird- I warned you pretty boy

Emperor get x reader x emperor Caracalla 

Part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 

Summary: it’s a few days till the wedding and your starting to crack, people are ignoring your request and you’ve had enough it only ends in a mess by the end of the day, thinking you’ve messed up you apologise but little did you know this would only make the emperors want you more than ever before

Warning : mdni, violence, blood, gladiator fights, Caracallas blood lust, neck kisses, concubines pushing limits, kissing, hickeys, reader looses her shit, pregnancy talk, lust, not proof read, no details smut sorry xx

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A few weeks have passed and it’s a few days before the wedding the staff around the Palatine are rushing getting everything prepared for the big day but also the festivities that are in the lead up to such a big event. Even though todays events are taking place at a member of the senates home the help around the palace  are still trying to keep everything in order. 

I’m getting dressed early in the morning my servants doing my hair the tunic is a golden silk piece embroidered with flowers and leaves that glisten in the sun “ are the emperors awake “ I ask looking down at one of the maids “ emperor Geta is awake my lady, but emperor Caracalla is still resting” she responds not looking me in the eye as she tucks my hair into a tight braided bun “ I shall wake him once I’m dressed” I sigh quietly looking at the jewellery laying infront of me my hand running over the cold gold necklaces I stop at a gold and emerald necklace curled into a floral design  “ I shall wear this one” I smile sweetly as they place it on me with matching bangles and rings I take in my appearance taking a deep breath “ stunning work today ladies” the maids take a long exhale of relief as they step back looking over their work for a second “ thank you, you may be excused now” they quickly rush off without another word. 

I look out the window looking over the Palaces gardens watching the birds flying and singing in the morning breeze enjoying the freedom of the sky, i notice Geta sat on the edge of the fountain staring up at my window still dressed in his scarlet robe he wore to bed last night, I look down at him giving him a small wave and a smile before I leave to join him. 

As I walk out into the garden Geta has turned to watch the water ripple in the fountain and see the small fish swim amongst the lily pads that float on the surface“ morning” I smile sweetly walking towards him my dress flowing behind me “ morning my love how did you sleep” he asks his attention not moving of the water as I sit next to him “ I slept well thank you” I rest my hand on top of his making him look at me a smile comes across his face as he takes in my beauty 

“ you’re dressed beautifully” I blush resting my head on his shoulder “ you look lovely also” I giggle as he raises his eyebrows “ really?” He chuckles looking down at himself “ I think you look good in everything you wear Geta” he scoffs shaking his head “ your flattery works on me song bird you should know that” he kisses my cheek before rising from his spot “ are you ready for today’s festivities“ he asks offering me his arm which i take meeting him at his side “ I think so, but I will have to wake Caracalla to make myself completely ready to go” he nods chuckling “ let us pray that he’s in a good mood today “ he adds looking down at me as I hum in agreement “ it’ll be fun trust me” he runs his hand up my arm “ I believe you” my voice soft as we make our way up to Caracallas bed chamber and hear yelling from inside and then loud crashes. 

I quickly open the door rushing in to see a maid cowering on the floor her legs scraped and bleeding, a table had been flipped over and a vase had been thrown at the girl “ I told you to leave him” I look down at her my voice calm but cold, trying not to startle Caracalla i walk towards him slowly “ my love are you ok” I coo to him my hand brushing against his cheek as his maddened cloudy eyes turn gentle, a stuttered breath escapes his lips his head nuzzling into my warm hand “ I’m alright ” his voice is stifled by his nervous twitches 

“ let us get you ready for today “ I smile sweetly as I look down at his partially nude form only covered by a scrunched up bed sheet “ very well” he sits on the edge of the bed as I turn to the maid “ I will dress him, you clean up the mess you caused” I snap slightly causing her to scramble to her feet cleaning up the smashed pieces of pottery. 

Caracalla grabs my hand pulling me into him “ don’t leave” he whispers his voice barely audible as he holds me close “ I’m not going anywhere “ I smile at him as he rests his chin on my shoulder “ what do you want to wear today “ I look at him smiling sweetly as he looks at me a smirk cracking into his face “ surprise me” I get up walking towards his wardrobe looking through all his extravagant clothes finally pulling out a red and gold patterned tunic with two large golden broaches and a chain “ this one” I pull it out bringing it to him “ I think it’ll flatter you quite well” I smile as his eyes scan over it “ very well my love” he gets up as I help dress him and get him neatened up combing my hands through his messy hair making him hum slightly as my nails scratch against his scalp. 

I step back looking over him a grin coming to my face “ you look perfect “ he smiles hooking his arm around my waist “ not as perfect as you” I rest my head on him gently as Geta walks in, now dressed in a gold and blue tunic “ great we’re all ready” he claps his hands together smiling as he looks over both me and Caracalla I hold his arm gently walking towards Geta “ we’re expected to leave very soon “ I nod smiling more as he joins my other side “ let us go to the chariots  and get comfortable “ Caracalla suggests as he looks down at me “ perhaps we could have some wine” I smile sweetly as we walk out to the golden chariot waiting, taking a seat by the window next to Caracalla and opposite Geta. 

Both boys sit staring out the window getting settled in their seats “ so what’s gonna happen when we get there” I ask tilting my head slightly “ there will be food, drinks, people to talk to and entertainment “ geta smiles looking at me I hear Caracallas gasp his eyes going wide with excitement “ you’ll witness your first gladiator fight” he claps his hands a grin wide on his face “ obviously you’ll be sat with us, so if you get squeamish we’re here” Geta a adds quickly taking my hand in his holding it tightly “ sounds fun “ I smile turning to look at them as the chariot starts to move slowly through the streets of Rome. 

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As we pull up at the senators home we’re greeted by crowds of people who are cheering children throwing flowers petals and waving wanting to get our attention as Geta and Caracalla leave the chariot I take a guards hand as I step out, the sun blinding me as I come face to face with the public.

A young girl runs up to me holding a bunch of violets and daisies I smile bending down to the girl her eyes gleaming as she passes me the flowers “ for you empress” her voice is tiny and sweet as I take the flowers “ thank you they’re beautiful “ I smile going into my pocket pulling out a coin “ this is for you, sweet girl keep it safe “ I place it into her small hand as she squeezes it tightly her smile beams as she runs back to her mother in the crowd, I rise to my feet waving to the people as I catch up to Geta and Caracalla, they both smile at me looking at the flowers I hold in my hand “ they love you” Geta exclaims a chuckle leaving his lips “ obviously who wouldn’t “ Caracalla laughs taking my free hand as we enter the senators home.

The house is smaller than the palatine walls and floors a glistening marble with expensive decorative vases and ornaments scattered around the halls as people bustle through talking to each other, a band are singing with instruments playing and exotic foods like rhino are on the table as we walk in things fall silent as they turn to look at us 

senator thraex comes up “ ah emperors empress welcome to my home I hope you’ll enjoy yourself indulge in some food you look starved” he smiles as he kisses Caracalla and getas hands I hold onto Caracallas arm tightly as I get knocked into by others causing me to stumble slightly “ ugh watch where you’re going “ I snap slightly staring daggers at one of the women who barged I to me “ my apologies my lady” they bow their heads rushing of quickly “ do they bother you my love” Geta asks his voice low as I shake my head “ it’s quite alright” I smile through gritted teeth trying to hide my growing annoyance, following them to a large seat at the front of the hall “ this is for you the best seats in the house “ senator thraex smiles starting to blabber on as we take a seat I sit between both boys sitting comfortably as the senator leaves us to our own company.

“ there’s a lot of people here” I say looking at Geta as he pulls my back into his chest  humming in agreement I giggle slightly as Caracalla pulls my legs into his lap “ get comfortable song bird thier will he lots of sitting around and chatter” he smirks as he spots the horde of concubines coming towards our direction gathering around us I can’t help but let a grimace slip on my face watching how they beg for attention from those above them. A woman sits on the arm of the sofa next to Geta, her left tit hanging out of her revealing garments as she strokes his arm gently giggling sweet nothings into his ears making me feel sick and a rather feminine looking man sits bellow Caracalla resting against his knee slightly as he leans back against Caracallas open man spread his hand wandering closer to my thigh every so often making me flinch back slightly. The others seem to just gather around watching everyone. 

Suddenly senator thraex enters the room again clapping to get everyone’s attention “ everyone get back get back” he announces before turning to look at us again bowing “ my emperors, lords, ladies and gentlemen and senators for your entertainment, the art of combat” the crowd seems to get excited gasping and clapping as i feel the emperors shuffle forward in their seats moving me with them. Now I’m closer the the male concubine, who’s hand now seems to be caressing my thigh causing uncomfortable goose bumps to form under his touch. I swat his hand away making him chuckle just to move his hand back moving it higher, I sit up causing getas attention to fall back to me, I look at the man dead in the eye as grabbing his wrist “ touch me again and I will cut your hand off do you hear me” I snarl under my breath glaring at him he nods snatching his hand out of my grip his breath escaping him with a grumbling sigh as I lay back into getas arms I smile up at him “ all is fine my love” I reassure him as he looks back at thraex “ may I present the barbarian vs from my own stable the mighty Vichek!” He announces clapping as both men are brought out everyone claps observing both opponents. 

Geta leans to my ear “ who shall we bet on” he looks at me with cunning eyes as I look back at both men the Barbarian seemed small but looked strong willed and fast in his feet and the other seemed big and bulky with muscles but that could limit the matter of wit “ the barbarian” I look at Geta “ he may not have a lot to his name but there’s something about him” Caracalla looks at me hearing my words “ I agree with her brother” they exchange a look then geta turns to macrinus “ is this your gladiator “ he asks his voice raising over the applause “ it’s is” macrinus responds bowing his head slightly as he talks “ three rounds, hand to hand” thraex calls out just to be inerupted by Caracalla “ swords, we want swords a fight to the death” he taps the cheek of the man say infront of him receiving a fucked out look from the boy as he leans back on himself making me giggle as Caracalla rests his hand on my leg squeezing my thigh with a slight bruising force a smug look drifting over his face as his tongue brushes over his bottom lip “no quarter to be offered or given” he glances at Geta “ fight now” his voice impatient as two guards give the men their swords.

I turn to Geta “ isn’t this a bit dangerous giving two slaves swords in an open area such as this” he raises an eye brow hesitating for a second to think as the woman sat on the arm laughs looking at me “ it’s all for the fun my lady, don’t be so worried “ I look at her my lip curling slightly “ I wasn’t talking to you” i grumble slightly as getas hand meets my waist “we’ll be fine my love” his thumb rubs up and down my side as the fight begins. 

Both men circle each other “ brother let’s not kill each other for the sake of their amusement “ the barbarian states just to get lunged at by his opponent I watch my full interest being sucked in as two men dance about their blades occasionally clanging together or ripping through flesh that’s when a bust is picked up off a table and smashed into the mighty Vichek’s head causing him to fall back dazed, a laugh slips from my lips as the two rugish men punch and beat each other punch kicking biting tackling all of the above then the barbarian is slammed into a table I slip off the seat onto the floor next to the male concubine not bothered of how unladylike it appears watching wide eyed my breath heavy with some sort of pleasure, an entertained grin spread across my face as the barbarian stabs the mighty Vichek through the stomach till the blade is visible the other side then he pulls it out the man falling to the floor in a puddle of his own blood I clap my hands applauding such a fight as Geta stands “ remarkable “ he tells laughing as he turns to macrinus “ congratulations “ he smiles looking at the gladiator again “ remarkable “ he repeats himself wandering up to the man “ from where do you hail” he questions his voice filled with confidence just to receive silence back “ speak” he orders “ I said speak” he steps even closer I raise to my feet joining his side taking his hand in mine “ he is from the colonies your majesty his native tongue is all he understands “ macrinus steps in his voice lower than getas but still clear. 

Then the barbarian steps forward out of breath as he pants “ the gates of hell are open night and day smooth is the decent and easy is the way “ he laughs at getas confusion as I hold onto his arm tighter staring at the gladiator as spit comes out of his mouth landing on us with each word causing me to flinch back each time “ but, to come back from hell and to view the cheerful skies in this the task and mighty labour lies “ he stares at Geta a toothy smile on his face as he pants for his breath “ poetry” I mumble under my breath “ by Virgil my love” I look at Geta “ how do you know such a thing” I question looking at the rugged gladiator still not letting go of getas arm as Caracalla wanders towards us “ poetry, very clever macrinus” he laughs as everyone else does “ I’ve grown so bored but you surprise me “ he looks at macrinus laughing more as I turn to him “ to amuse you is my only wish” macrinus assures us with a smile “ we are amused, we are amused” Geta says eyes not leaving the gladiators his grip on my arm tightening

“ we all look forward to seeing your poet perform in the arena “ he smiles as macrinus nods “ so do I your majesties thank you” then the gladiator gets taken away soon to be followed by macrinus. 

Geta and Caracalla exchange looks as I look down at my tunic seeing blood splatters dotted across the fabric I look up and them smiling as we both go back to the sofa the excitement still buzzing in the air as we sip wine and discussing “ you seemed excited “ Caracalla chuckles his hand poking at the splatters of blood on my clothes playing a game of connect the dots “ it was incredible I felt completely compelled “ geta kisses my neck gently “ we knew you’d love it” I lean back on both feeling completely different as if coming down from some sort of high .

———————————————————————

As the day continues to go on, I’m laid back against both brothers after drinking a tad to much wine, my head is spinning slightly as Geta strokes my head gently looking down at me a smile on his face as I look so relaxed no longer bothered by the fact that the concubines have gained more confidence by moving closer to Geta and Caracalla. 

the woman has her hand on getas chest her fingers tangling with his chest hair, as the male concubine sits closer to Caracalla his hand palming the bulge under his robe as Caracalla kisses along his shoulder a dazed grin on his face. I stay laying down half asleep as thraex makes his way towards us “ emperors would your lady like a room she appears quite exhausted “ he offers looking down at me my eyelashes fluttering slightly at I look at him “ I’m quite comfortable here, thank you” I mumble my words slurred as I snuggle down Geta smiles down at me as he places a kiss on my forehead “ leave her be thraex, she’s fine” Caracalla looks down at me “ do you want anything my love” he asks smiling at me with hooded eyes “ I’m alright” I smile closing my eyes again sinking back into their touch.  

When I wake up I’m curled up between both emperors a wool blanket had been placed over me a male concubine kneels infront of me looking at me, his hand running over my head similarly to how getas was. Geta has a girl in his lap and Caracalla has the other male concubine on his, both of the occupied by both whores who seem to be drowning in the emperors attention . 

My eyes blink getting used to the light around me “ I don’t feel to good” I mumble slightly as the male hushed me “ you’re ok sweet empress “ he coos his voice soft and masculine as I lean more into his touch, it makes both emperors chuckle “ I told you she’d be fine with him brother ” Caracalla chortles a grin on his face the concubine in his lap leans in, taking his bottom lip between his teeth biting it playfully I sit up using the man sat in front of me as support he holds me up slightly, stabling me my head spinning as I move too quickly. 

I look across to both geta and Caracalla observing the state they’re in with whores on their laps giving them everything they could want, I can’t help but roll my eyes as the one on Caracallas lap reaches out to touch my thigh similarly to before my warning still tasting strong on my tongue as i look down at his hand a softer  expression washing over me for a second as i lean to the tray placed next to Geta, I pick up a blade quickly stabbing it into his hand my eyes wild and manic as a devilish laugh escapes Caracalla he stares at the man who screams out “ I warned you pretty boy I told you not to touch me” I pull the blade out his blood spurting out onto my dress ruining it “ now look you’ve ruined my dress” I stand up looking down at the man who clutches his hand hysterical cries escaping him as Caracalla pushes him off of his lap “ you always seem to surprise me “ he breaths against my ear as he takes the blade from my hand passing it to one of the guards who quickly disposes it. 

“ I warned him” I sigh tutting under my breath as I look at the man slowly passing out on the floor I let a small laugh escape me “ but he just kept pushing” a fire seems to be lit behind my eyes as Geta joins my side his hand reaching my shoulder “ come my love, we should leave now” he insists his voice slightly hurried, as we walk back out the the chariot waiting for us when I get in I notice the blood dripping from my thigh from where the knife had gone through the man’s hand and had stabbed into my thigh not to the point where it’s to noticeable. I look at them as they sit opposite me staring “ what” I ask looking at them confused “ I think today went quite well” I smile sweetly at them as they both laugh as we start going back towards the palace 

“ it’s seems sometimes everyone has to get their anger out” Geta looks at me as he observes my face as I watch the streets through the window “ I enjoyed the gladiator fight” I smile sweetly “ and the poetry” I giggle looking down “ I’m sorry if my actions were out of order” he smiles slightly “ they were slightly unusuall, but I think those in court are aware of the madness that comes with royalty” Caracalla looks at me his eyes slightly glossy as he stares his mouth ajar “ you’re even more beautiful covered in blood, red suits you”he smirks shuffling closer to me “ thank you, but I do not want to get too used to having my clothes tainted with blood unless it’s fully necessary “ he smirks his hand moving to my thigh “ it’s always necessary “ his voice is low against my neck a gasp escapes my lips as i move into his lap kissing him passionately his hands instantly moving to my waist as he chuckles “ Caracalla, brother don’t get carried away” Geta warns his brother eyes glaring slightly “ you’re only jealous “ Caracalla scoffs I lean back tilting my head upside down to look at Geta I smile as I pull him down to kiss me a moan escaping my lips as Caracalla kisses down my chest leaving dark red marks along my collar bone 

“ it’s improper to do this before our marriage the gods will be angry “ Geta sighs looking at me “ but gods I want to” he growns “ just a few days left” I giggle kissing him gently as he smiles “ they couldn’t go any slower “ Caracalla chuckles pulling me back up onto his lap his hand landing on my lower stomach “ can’t wait till you’re full of our seed, you belly swollen with our heir” I look at him blushing violently “ it won’t take long” geta smirks looking at me “ I’m sure you’ll be a great mother, i saw how you were with that girl on the streets” he smiles looking at me as i nod “ I’ve always dreamt of having children” I smile sweetly looking at them “ a little girl to pick flowers with and a boy to grow as strong as his father” I lay me head back closing my eyes imagining it “let us hope we can make these dreams a reality” Geta smiles as I hum quietly in response as the chariot pulls to a halt and the door opens welcoming us back to our home. 

As we enter the building my maids rush to me “ my lady a bath has been run for you and a healer has been sent to your chamber” her voice is so fast that it’s barely understandable “ thank you but I’m fine” I look at her “ but you’re bleeding my lady “ she stutters her eyes meeting mine for a second “ there’s no need to worry” I reassure her turning to Geta and Caracalla “ go bathe song bird we have important things to attend to” Geta insists smiling as he places a kiss on my head “ will i see you before bed” I look at them both “ of course my lady” Caracalla smiles kissing my cheek “ be good” he whispers in my ear his hand landing on my ass with a smack making me blush violently as he pulls away walking to the opposite direction . 

————————————————————————

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@marsmallow433

[martygraciesversion381]

Heyyyyy i wanted to request an Ollie Bearman fluff fic. I don't really mind what it is but maybe something about race weekend. ❤️

PAPER RINGS (OB87)

summary: Ollie comes back home after the brazil gp

warnings!: none just fluff and a bit of angst

a/n: it took me so long to write it i'm so sorry just been pressured cause of school and all. this was actually so cute to write ollie is just so fluff coded<3 kinda short but i'm really proud of it (might be my best work)

masterlist

the results in brazil weren't what ollie had expected. he recieved a 20 second penalty and ended p12, out of the points. he shouldn't be mad after all he's still an f2 driver even if he'll be in f1 next year. he's already extremely talented but it's just not enough.

he didn't even stay to party with the drivers just went back to you in your shared hotel room. he was so happy that you were able to come to his race even with your busy schedule cause of your studies.

ollie opened the hotel room door before slamming it closed making you jump. you were laying on the bed while reading a book. when you saw ollie. you put down the book and rushed over to him hugging him.

"m'so proud of you olls you did so good today" he wrapped his arms around you and forced a smile but it didn't last long.

a few seconds after, his head was burried in the crook of your neck and he was crying and sobbing. you rubbed his back softly while praising him and assuring him that he was the most talented driver you've ever met and that you were so lucky to have him.

after his sobs had calmed down, you both stayed there unmoving until you spoke up.

"wanna shower and watch a movie?" you asked and ollie nodded in the crook of your neck.

you stood up and the both of you walked to the bathroom with your fingers linked. once you reached the bathroom, you turned to ollie.

"take off your clothes baby i'm gonna prepare the shower okay?" ollie nodded and you turned on the water making sure that it was warm enough before taking off your clothes too.

you and ollie held each other under the warm water just enjoying the calm that only the other could provide. people called it soulmates, you called it home.

you started to wash ollie's hair. massaging his scalp with your fingers as you poured shampoo in his air. he leaned into the touch closing his eyes and letting out a small sigh. you then washed his body slowly massaging every part of him and especially his shoulders to relieve the pressure caused by the race.

ollie did the same for you even if you insisted that you could do it alone. you both washed and held each other needing the physical touch after the time spent apart from each other.

after you both dried each other, you put on some fresh clothes and headed to your shared bed. you pulled the covers over the both of you and cuddled closer to him. people would find weird that he is the one holding you even if he's the one in pain but ollie found more comfort in holding you than being held.

you put a movie on but it was quickly forgotten as you both were just content cuddling. you shared some sweet pecks and ollie flet his eyelids grow heavy.

"tired pretty boy?" you asked using the nickname that you used before dating to flirt with him. ollie smiled and nodded.

you turned off the tv and you both layed down together. you rested your head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around you.

"good night olls"

"good night love"

you both succombed to sleep quickly. people would say that it wasn't much, just young love but for you it was home and ollie knew that wherever he'll go, you'll be here for him. he sometimes found himself planning your future together and your wedding. You knew that you'd be happy even if it was only with paper rings.

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get added to the taglist!!!

@motorsportbarbie13 @f1addict3 @gorgeusreputation16 @swiftlyconehead @carloswinner @g00d--vibes @paulinegba @linnygirl09 @rd14 @itsleslie1998

[bapeach]

My nerd - part 2

This is the second and last part of "My nerd"! You can find part 1 here. It's my longest story yet so I hope you guys like it. Also i really appreciate all the support on the first part! Special thanks to the person who asked for a second part, you made my day :D Once again sorry for any possible mistakes. Let me know what you guys think and enjoy!

Pairing(s): Nika Mühl x female!reader Word count: 4.9k+ Summary: You finally get to take Nika on a date and do your best to impress her. (Spoiler alert: it works) ------------

Waking up the following day, you had a grin on your face. Nika was lying on top of you, fully wrapped in your arms, snoring away. You smirked a little. The brunette’s snoring was the perfect teasing material, something you could quip back with when she inevitably brought up your nerdiness.

Looking over at your alarm clock, you see that it’s still pretty early. The Croatian girl probably wouldn’t be awake for another hour or so, which was just fine by you. You took this time to fully take her in. Her hair was a bit of a mess, most of it sticking out of her ponytail. You could still see some leftover mascara on her eyelashes, some having flaked off onto her cheeks. You were glad she let you take most of her makeup off before bed, knowing she hated falling asleep with it still on. Your eyes trail further down to her lips. You can’t believe you stopped her from kissing you yesterday. Her lips looking so soft and kissable. But you were also glad you did, not wanting her to regret anything and knowing that she was too drunk to properly consent.

You hold the smaller girl close, tracing shapes on her back. You really hoped she remembered everything that had happened the night before. You really wanted to take her out on that promised date, already having some ideas on what you wanted to do. You wouldn’t even mind her remembering the teasing and the way you looked with glasses and sleepy eyes. She’d probably poke some more fun at you with that stupidly hot smirk of hers, laughing to herself like she’s the funniest person in the world. You’d roll your eyes and act annoyed, but secretly you’d love it because her laugh is your favorite sound in the world.

You cuddle Nika for a while, thinking of all the things you had to do to get ready for your date (assuming she still wanted to go, that is.), before begrudgingly getting up. While staying in bed with your crush for the rest of the day sounded amazing, you had stuff to do. You make sure she’s tucked in and comfortable before giving her a kiss on the forehead and walking over to the bathroom. After grabbing her some painkillers for the headache she’ll no doubt have and a bottle of water from your fridge, you place them on your nightstand. You take a piece of paper, writing, “Good morning! Take these for your headache :) I’m in the kitchen making breakfast. X Y/N”, just in case she woke up before you returned. You get ready as quietly as you can, trying not to disturb the sleeping girl.

In the kitchen, you silently start grabbing everything you need to make the perfect hangover cure: avocado toast and a dippy egg. You’d partied with the team enough to know what each of them liked after a long night out, so you made sure to add a few strawberries, some of Nika’s favorite hangover fruits. Every so often, you’d pause, listening to your quiet dorm to make sure you didn’t accidentally wake her up. Knowing she’d wake up in your room, surrounded by your geeky stuff, you figured you’d go all out. You grabbed the egg cup in the shape of a Tardis out of your cupboard with a smirk, knowing Nika will have a field day with it.

Once you finish getting the avocado toast and the soft-boiled egg ready, you go over to the sink to start cleaning the fruit. As you’re almost done washing the red treats, you feel arms snake around your waist. You jump a little, not having heard the brunette as you were too busy trying to decide which flowers to buy for your date. Nika leans her forehead between your shoulder blades and groans a little before muttering a “G’morning”. You grin, her adorable accent prominent in her sleepy voice. You dry your hands on a towel before sliding them over her arms and settling them on hers. “Good morning, Niks. Did you sleep well?” you say softly, not wanting to hurt her head even more. “Mhm,” she hums. “Your head feeling alright?” you ask, smiling at how domestic all of this feels. “I could definitely get used to this,” you thought to yourself. “Ugh, I’m never getting drunk again,” she complains, but you both know she’ll be drinking like there’s no tomorrow the next time your team goes out again.

You turn around when she loosens her grip, sending her a smirk. You glide past her to put the rest of breakfast on the table, pulling out a chair for her. You sit down in front of her, grabbing your own plate before eating in a comfortable silence, waiting for Nika’s headache to pass. Noticing the nerdy egg cup, she laughs a little, shaking her head in amusement. You beam at her, sending her a mischievous wink. You don’t bring up yesterday’s flirting and teasing, slightly nervous, wondering if she remembers it and if she meant all of it. Looking up from your toast, you see that the Croatian is already looking at you with that cute smile of hers, eyes twinkling. You raise an eyebrow at her with a smile of your own present on your face.

“So,” she starts, “the best date of my life, ey?”. “Yes, ma’am,” you grin. She rolls her eyes at the title. “Okay, so, where are we going?” she questions, leaning forward a little. “Can’t say,” you smirk, “it’s a surprise.” She groans, leaning her head back in playful exasperation. You chuckle at her reaction but don’t give in. “So, are you free tonight?” you ask, excitement starting to bubble up in your chest. She looks back at you, tilting her head and scratching her chin with a smile, pretending to weigh her options. “Hm, I guess I could clear my schedule for you,” the girl says as she starts smiling widely, not being able to keep a straight face. You could see she was excited, though, not being able to sit still anymore.

“Good,” you stated. “I’ll pick you up at 6:30.”. Nika looks at you with her nose scrunched. “You’re really not gonna tell me, are you?”. You send her another wink before getting up to start putting away the dishes. “Can I at least know what I’m supposed to wear?” she challenges. You think for a moment before replying, “Nothing too fancy, something comfortable and casual… oh, and bring something warm.”. “Hmmm,” she hums, racking her brain about what you could have planned. You only look at her with a twinkle in your eyes, stretching your arms above your head as you get ready to part ways with the brunette until tonight. Your old shirt rides up a bit as you do, making a sliver of your stomach show. Nika’s eyes immediately dart to the exposed skin, your slight V-line on display. She swallows thickly, flicking her eyes back at the table before looking at you. You look at her smugly, letting her know you caught her staring. 

Pursing her lips in playful annoyance, she gets up and starts walking towards your bedroom to get her stuff. You let her go, smiling in amusement. You quickly wash the dirty dishes before meeting Nika near the door. You grab her in a tight hug, your arms around her lower back as she wraps hers around your neck. “I’ll see you tonight,” she mumbles against your chest. You loosen your grip and reply with a grin, “See you tonight, princess.”. She flicks your head with an eyeroll at the term of endearment. The brunette starts walking away into the hallway and disappears around a corner with one last smile and wave. 

Alright, it’s go time.

The first thing you do is grab your phone to call the nearest flower shop. While you knew red roses were classic date flowers, you had something else in mind. You remembered a conversation between Azzi and Nika you overheard a while back where they were talking about their birth flowers. You recall hearing Nika say she thought hers were cute, so you ask the lady on the phone to make you a beautiful bouquet of white daisies. 

Once you’ve ordered the flowers, you hang up and walk back to your room. You already knew where you wanted to take her and what you wanted to wear, so there wasn’t really that much you could do until then. Since time always feels extremely slow when you’re excited for something, you figure you should do something useful with your time. You get dressed in some comfortable clothes before grabbing your keys and walking to your car. Before driving to the flower shop, you stop by the bank to make sure you have enough money on you for the date. Having collected the flowers, you drive back to your dorm, putting them in a nice vase for tonight.

Looking around and seeing there’s not much else you can do, you grab your laptop to finish off some homework you had ignored yesterday. You weren’t exactly in the mood to do it right now either, but you needed some kind of distraction, knowing you’d just be pacing around in your room all day otherwise.

Before you knew it, it was time to get ready. You grabbed your nicest black shirt (which was a little tight around your biceps. You hoped you’d be able to catch Nika staring again), as well as your black pants and belt. Putting on your favorite chain and spraying your nicest perfume, you look into the mirror. You smirk a little. Damn, you look good. You walk over to the door, putting on your new sneakers before grabbing the bouquet as well as your wallet, keys, and treasured leather jacket. You walk towards Nika’s dorm, hands slightly clammy with a heart that feels like it’s about to beat out of your chest. Reaching her door, you breathe in deeply, rolling your shoulders back and standing up a little straighter.

Knock knock.

The door opens as Paige appears with an amused smirk. “Well, well, well, look who we have here,” she grins. You roll your eyes with a smile of your own at her goofiness. Stepping aside, she lets you in before walking in front of you again and crossing her arms. She puts on a fake serious face and questions, “What are your intentions with my twin?”. You want to keep a straight face and play along, but you can’t, your lips curling into a smile.

“Leave my date alone, P.” you hear from behind you as Nika and Azzi walk out of the bathroom. You turn around, your mouth dropping open as you feel your heart skip a beat. Wow… Of course the Croatian always looked beautiful, but she looked like an actual goddess right now. She wore her army green crop top, her toned stomach on display. A new belly button piercing glinting in the light. A pair of black cargo parachute pants fitting her just right. You can see she’s wearing her signature number 10 necklace as well as a few dainty rings.

“You okay over there, L/N?” the brunette says with a smirk, but you can see a blush covering her cheeks as she looks you up and down. You close your mouth before clearing your throat and smiling softly at her. “You look beautiful, Niks,” you say, stepping forward to hand her the flowers. She takes them, her eyes crinkling with how much she’s smiling. “Thank you,” she breathes, taking a step closer to give you a hug. You wrap your arms around her waist, breathing in her perfume, warmth spreading in your chest. You two stand there until you hear Paige playfully clearing her throat. You let the smaller girl go before looking over to see Azzi give the blonde a playful push as she shakes her head. Nika walks over to Azzi, giving her the bouquet to put in a vase before you two say your goodbyes and start walking to the car.

Making quiet conversation, you reach the car, opening the passenger door with a grin. “M’lady,” you say, making the brunette laugh. “Oh my God, you nerd,” she says, her eyes twinkling in amusement. Once you get in the car, you start driving to your destination, letting Nika control the music. As the soft melodies start coming through the radio, she turns to you. “Okay, we’re on the way to our date spot now. Does that mean you’ll finally tell me where we’re going?”. You take your eyes off of the road to cast a quick glance at her. You smile, opening your mouth to reply as you see her lean a bit closer, eager for you to end the suspense. “Nice try,” you grin, looking back at the road. She groans, “Oh come onnn, please?”. You don’t look at her, knowing you couldn’t say no to her when she had that adorable, small pout on her face. You chuckle at how cute she’s being before replying, “You’ll see in about 30 minutes.”. 

You spent the next half hour talking about everything and nothing, relaxing the longer you were driving. Because you’re with Nika. The first girl to approach you when you joined UConn, a smirk on her face as she started teasing you right away. The same girl who always fell asleep on your shoulder on bus rides, drooling a little. She was your best friend, so it was only natural you felt calm in her presence. 

As you came to your destination, you looked over at Nika, who had yet to realize you had parked the car. You continue listening to her rambling, looking at the way she’s waving her hands around to emphasize her point. Feeling your staring, she looks over at you, her cheeks becoming a beautiful pink at the look of adoration in your eyes and the realization that she’s been babbling non-stop. She looks away a little embarrassed before whipping her head back to you, eyes wide as she beams at you. “The fair?”. 

You smiled at her before getting out of the car, walking over to her side to open the door for her. You’d been wanting to go to the fair with her for ages and knew this was the perfect date idea. Nika had always been competitive and loved challenging people, so what better place to take her to than a fair full of games? While you knew a lot of the games were rigged to make people keep playing without gaining a lot, you had your own tricks up your sleeve. Being a nerd has its advantages.

You two enter the fair, looking around at the beautiful lights as you smell the sweet treats being made. You stroll around a bit at first, not touching but walking close enough to feel each other's body heat. Finally deciding to play some games, you walk up to all the different booths. There’s not a single moment where you’re not smiling. Grinning whenever the confident girl cockily told you she’d win a game and smirking whenever you won. You were teasing each other nonstop, and that’s exactly how you liked it. Loving to see the playful side of the shorter girl instead of the fierce side you usually saw on the court. 

Nika stopped talking in the middle of her sentence, making you look at her in confusion. Seeing her with a wide smile on her face, you follow her line of sight to a booth with a basketball game. You look back at her with a smirk, noticing her sporting one of her own. “Oh, you’re going down L/N.” “In your dreams, Mühl.”

You two quickly walk over to the bored-looking worker, handing him some money, before turning to each other. “So… it’s finally time to see who’s the better basketball player,” you muse. “We already know who the better player is, Y/N; let me show you how it’s done,” she grins before turning towards the hoop, trying to get as many points as she can in the time she was given. You gotta admit, it was very attractive seeing her shoot hoop after hoop, not missing a beat. After the timer went off, she looked back at you with a smirk, patting your chest as she walked past you, “Good luck.”. You try to shake off the slight haze you’re in, feeling extremely attracted to how confident the girl is. You roll your shoulders back, cracking your neck. You nod towards the worker, who looks slightly more interested now that he saw that you two knew what you were doing, letting him know you were ready. 

Swish. Swish. Swish.

You score point after point, feeling a little smug as you start reaching the end of the timer, knowing you could beat Nika by a few points if you kept this up. You slow down slightly. While you know the brunette will become almost unbearable if she wins, never letting you forget who the better player is, you realize that doesn’t sound so bad. Besides, you’d do anything to see the point guard smile.

The clock buzzes, showing that you have 1 point less than Nika. You turn around slowly, preparing yourself for the teasing. “Oooh yeah, take that, baby!” she cheers, throwing her arms in the air. You roll your eyes playfully and mutter, “Yeah, yeah, whatever,” but your pulse quickens hearing her call you baby.

After accepting your prizes, you continue to walk around the fair, stopping for food when you two get hungry. You stumble across a few claw machines, walking up to them when you see Nika eye the plushies inside. “You do realize those are super rigged, right?” she mumbles, peering over your shoulder as you crouch down slightly to insert money into the machine. You feel a blush creep up your neck as the brunette leans against you, her chin placed in the crook of your neck. “Oh yeah?” you mutter as you push the buttons, successfully grabbing a fluffy, little elephant teddy. You grin at her, pushing the soft bear in her arms. 

Her cheeks reddening, she asks, “How the hell did you do that?”. You shrug slightly, “I’m a nerd, remember? I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve.”. You continue wandering around, stopping every now and then for another game or to win Nika another prize. As you’re walking, your hand brushes the brunette’s before she grabs yours, interlacing your fingers. You look down at her with a loving smile as she starts softly swinging your intertwined hands between you two. 

After a while, your arms are full of the teddy bears you’ve won for Nika, making her giggle every time she looks at you, given that she can barely see your face in the pile. “Okay, I think that’s enough stuff,” she snickers. While you’d love to keep impressing her, you agree, as your arms are becoming heavier. (Well… you were gonna agree). You halt in your step, seeing a plushie that you just had to have. 

“Would it be very inappropriate if I won someone else a prize on our date?” you question, eyeing the teddy bear. “Depends,” she smirks.  “Is it for your side hoe?”. You look at her with a mischievous look in your eyes, “Yeah… Paige is gonna love it.”. She snorts a little before replying, “I guess it’s fine then.” Nika didn’t know why you so desperately needed that specific stuffed animal, but she decided to roll with it. You see, the Croatian had her own reasons for agreeing to let you try to win it. The booth you were walking up to had mostly men around it, all trying to assert dominance and showing how manly they are. To win a prize, you had to hang onto a bar for 100 seconds. Of course, everyone knew the game was rigged, but many men still thought they could make the exception and win. 

After paying the worker to play the game, you walk back to where Nika is standing a few feet away from the metal structure. You both watch a few men that were before you try and fail, hearing them huff about how it was unfair and how the workers had messed with the equipment. Once it’s your turn, you hand the girl next to you her prizes and your jacket before sending her a grin and a wink. As you step up to the platform, you hear a few guys laughing at how you, a girl, thought you could do it. They didn’t seem to care how tall and buff you looked, scoffing at your relaxed posture. You crack your knuckles, grabbing onto the bar before giving the booth operator the go-ahead to start the timer. As you hang your weight on the bar, you look over at your date. While you learned how these types of games worked years ago, you were still a tiny bit nervous. Failing wasn’t really an option. Not only would you prove to the arrogant men around you that you couldn’t do it, you’d also look like an idiot in front of Nika, and you really didn’t want that. 

You try not to stress too much, trying to enjoy the way the brunette is looking at you. Her eyes linger on your arms as your muscles are flexed (Thank God you wore that tight shirt). You see her bite her lip before looking back in your eyes with a grin. Even though you’re hanging uncomfortably from a cold metal bar, you can only focus on the beautiful girl in front of you. As the time ticks by, a crowd starts forming around you. You see a few teen girls tapping their friends on the shoulder and pointing towards you in awe. The boys around you quieted down the longer you hung there, slowly beating all of their records. You can tell you’re not the only one that noticed, hearing the booth worker next to you chuckle while you see Nika shaking her head with a grin. You simply grin back, sending her a wink.

Buzzz

The buzzer goes off as the girls around you start cheering. You see a few men with their dates grinning at you with a nod of respect. The men that were so sure you’d lose the challenge start stomping away in annoyance as you let the bar go with one arm to fake a yawn. You put both arms back on the bar, pulling yourself up into a pull-up before letting go of the bar and crossing your arms in satisfaction. You don’t show that your arms feel like jello and like they’re about to fall off. 

You turn to the fair worker as you hear a few girls fawn over you from in the crowd. As you tell the man the prize you want, he looks at you a little confused. “Are you sure that’s what you want?” he questions. “Yup,” you grin. Handing you the toy, he gives you a pat on the shoulder before getting the timer ready for the next challenger. You walk over to Nika, smiling so wide that your eyes crinkle. You hold the stuffed animal in front of her and wiggle it a little. A crocodile on a skateboard. 

She doesn’t question why you just had to get Paige that plushie, so you figure last night’s mumbling from the blonde wasn’t the first time she talked about it. You check your watch, seeing as the sky is now fully dark. While Nika still looks very smiley and excited, you can tell she’s becoming a little tired, so you grab the prizes she was holding again and start walking to your final destination. 

While the brunette beside you pretends she doesn’t really care about all the cliché romantic stuff, you know her well enough to know that she does. She’d been eyeing the big ferris wheel all evening when she thought you weren’t looking. You guide the way towards the queue as you see her face light up. “Really?” she asks, looking up at you, her eyes wide. You feel warmth spread through your chest at the adorable look she’s giving you. “What? You didn’t think we’d miss the ferris wheel, did you?” you say, playfully knocking your arm against hers. 

As you’re waiting in line, you see her shiver a little. While you were always on the hotter side, you knew she got cold easily. That’s why you told her to bring something warm. You also knew she’d forget, which is why you brought your leather jacket, the one the shorter girl always jokes about stealing. You shrug off the jacket, wrapping it around her shoulders. You immediately see a blush spread across her face as she looks up at you with the widest smile you’ve ever seen. You return the gesture, your cheeks hurting from how much you’ve been smiling all day. You brush your hand against her cheek as you push a few strands of hair behind her ear. You take a mental picture of her, wanting to remember this moment forever. Red-cheeked, slightly drowning in your big jacket. The fact that this was only your first of hopefully many dates made your heart swell.

Once you reach the front of the line, you pay the operator the fee before setting down all the prizes somewhere the worker could keep an eye on them. You grab Nika’s hand, helping her get into the carriage, before sliding down next to her. You admire the beautiful view next to you as you go up. Sure, the whole fair area looked pretty around you, but who could pay attention to that when they had The Nika Mühl next to them? Once you reach the top, her eyes meet yours, sparkling from the charming lights and her own happiness. When the carriage comes to a halt, you grab her hand. She’s already grinning at you before you get the chance to say a word.

“Nika?” you say her name softly. “I-”. You don’t get to say much else before she interrupts you with a beaming smile, “Yes.”. You chuckle, “I haven’t even said anything yet.”. “Well hurry up, you dork,” she teases. You playfully roll your eyes at her before starting over. “Listen, I’ve liked you for a really long time now. When I first saw you, I felt my heart stop for a second. You are the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen, and I knew back then that I was a goner. I started falling for you on day 1 and haven’t stopped since.”

Her smile softens, becoming less teasing and more gentle. You can tell the words are hitting her hard as she squeezes your hand. “You’re extremely funny, smart, caring, and fierce. I’ve never felt like this for anyone else before, and I hope I never do. You complete me in a way no one ever has before. Will you do me the honor of becoming my girlfriend?” 

She doesn’t reply at first, choosing to let her actions speak for her instead. She surges forward, grabbing your face as she kisses you hard yet gently at the same time. After a few seconds, she pulls back, still staying close enough that you can hear her whisper over the shrieking from the people on other rides below you. “Yes, you idiot.” 

You grin, leaning back in to kiss her as the ride jolts into motion again. When you step out of the ride, you grab your prizes, letting Nika also hold a few so you can sling an arm around her. Being happy with how everything went, you both agree to make your way back home. When you reach the car you put the pile of stuffed animals in the back, before opening the door for Nika. After putting on your seatbelt, you look over and see the brunette’s tired, yet happy expression and the tiny elephant plushie in her arms. You feel like your heart is overflowing with the love you have for her. 

On the ride home, you guys don’t talk too much, letting the car fill with a comfortable silence. Reaching the campus, you walk her to her dorm with sleepy smiles on your faces. When you arrive at her door, you two pause for a moment, not wanting the day to end just yet. The smaller girl looks up at you, grabbing your face to pull you in for another kiss. You drop everything you’re holding, your hands gripping her waist. You kiss her, pushing her against the door. You feel her gasp against your mouth as you squeeze her hips. After a few seconds, you pull away, pressing your forehead against hers as you pant a little. 

You reluctantly take a step back, Nika following you slightly before pulling back and opening her eyes. You raise your right hand towards her left, which is still holding your face. You grab it, pulling it towards your mouth as you give her palm a feathery kiss. She smiles, letting her arms fall back to her sides. You bend down to grab the toys you’d dropped as she unlocks her front door. Once the door is open, you hand them to her as you wiggle your eyebrows. She chuckles softly, shaking her head.

“Good night, princess,” you grin. “Good night, nerd,” she smiles back.

[highqueenofelfhame]

oh, hi.

it has been a hot ass minute but i'm back baybeee. seriously though, if you're still here, still reading this, and still excited there was an update, thank you from the bottom of my heart. i love u guys to pieces!! enjoy <3

The cotton candy hues of the sunset were fading to nothing as he pulled into the long driveway to his house. Lights illuminated the edge of the path, but his house sat dark at the very end until he opened the gate, passed through, waited for it to close behind him, then signaled the garage to open. As soon as he opened the garage, his phone began to ring. 

The shrill ringtone was enough to make his heart skip a beat in his chest before he realized the name and photo on his screen. Golden Boyo flashed across the top accompanied by a picture of the two of them holding a World Cup trophy high above their heads. 

A heavy sigh escaped deep from within Rowan’s chest and he almost didn’t answer. His heavily tattooed thumb hovered over the deny button until he realized he had hardly texted anyone back all weekend. The thought of leaving his friends in the dust didn’t sit right with him when he knew for a fact that Aelin would likely yell at him for it until she was blue in the face and needed to lie down. 

Against his better judgment, he answered. Even worse: he showed up at the bar his teammates were meeting up near Lorcan’s place. While he needed to be fully ready for practice, his friendships needed nurturing as well. It didn’t matter that he felt old and tired. It had been awhile since he met up with the guys and by the time Rowan was a few beers in, he felt better about the whole situation. 

“We have practice tomorrow,” Lorcan reminded Fenrys. His tone was stern, his words were the law. It didn’t, however, change the way Fen’s eyes were roaming the bar looking for a body to explore all night. Rowan smirked, feeling the buzz from his drinks.

“That’s never stopped me before.” Fenrys winked at a man near the dartboard and Rowan watched as a rosy blush crept over the man’s face. No, it had never stopped him before. It was a lesson he still hadn’t learned: a sex marathon the night before practice or a game never did him any good. In fact, it made him play like absolute shit most of the time. “Speaking of people we’re bedding, how’s Aelin doing?”

“We aren’t sleeping together,” Rowan muttered into his pint glass. “She’s been sick a lot. Thankfully she can work from home most of the time.”

“Are we sure—“ Lorcan began, but Rowan held up a hand to stop him. He wasn’t dealing with his bullshit tonight regarding the legitimacy of the pregnancy. Rowan had no doubts, and was even happy. Lorcan was just looking out, but it didn’t stop the irritation that flooded him when he brought out his accusations and reservations. 

“We’re positive. They’re the best ace I’ve ever gotten.”

“That’s cute,” Fenrys swooned. His chin was propped on his fist while he looked at Rowan.

“What?”

“You called them an ace.” Warmth bloomed up his neck, all the way to the tips of his ears. The alcohol had loosened his lips and let the truth flow freely.

“Well,” he grumbled. “All it took was once and now I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.”

“You’re pathetic,” was all Lorcan said in response. Rowan couldn’t disagree. He was nothing if not a love sick puppy waiting for his girl to really come around to the idea of them. 

Pathetic, indeed.

~*~

The blender was a blur of green and entirely too loud. Rowan was definitely getting old if the few beers he had the night before led to such a hangover. Being out so late last night was probably a mistake, but it had been fun to hang out with the guys outside of practice for once. Rowan was feeling it this morning though, already several pain killers deep. Water. He needed a lot of water. 

 He knew the greens and hydration would cure his ailments, but the sound of his phone buzzing might send him over the edge first. When his phone started ringing, he wanted to throw it into the blender, too. 

Rowan wiped a towel over his face. His pulse pounded in his skull while sweat slipped down his face in lazy rivers from the workout that had kicked his ass. He stared down at his phone, the screen lighting up with the one person he truly had been avoiding since his relationship with Aelin began.

MOM CALLING…

He needed to call her. It was bad enough that his relationship was now public and he’d barely told his mom anything about Aelin, but he really needed to clue her in on the pregnancy. If that got out before it came from him she would be deeply wounded and he didn’t like the sound of that. 

The texts she sent him were always a myriad of questions about Aelin. His mom wanted to know what she was like, where she was from, what her hobbies were. Most of that could be found on a google search, but his mom was old and barely had a grasp on the internet. Iris Whitethorn preferred books and newspapers to even learning what the internet had to offer. It was the only reason he had hope that he would beat the world to the pregnancy announcement. Regardless, the papers weren’t how he wanted to find out about his relationship, and she had.

He needed to be a better son. 

That little fact hit him harder when he looked through his texts with his mom. All of them were incoming with varying questions about the girl in the photos. What was going on? Who was she? She’s awfully pretty. Rowan felt like he barely had any answers, so he hadn’t responded. While he sipped down his green juice and devoured his breakfast, he vowed to respond to her later today. A phone call was in order for all the shit he had to relay to her at this point. 

Was a phone call enough to tell her about the baby? Probably not. Fuck. 

Rowan’s hands raked through his hair while he gave himself a moment to groan his frustrations into the universe, hoping the answers would come back to him. There was no time for him to go see her soon. By the time he found a date that would work for both he and Aelin, it might be too late. She could be showing by then with rumors swirling through the media. He had no fucking idea how to tell her anyway. A flurry of emotions ran through his mind while he changed and got ready for practice. All of this would, unfortunately, have to wait.

Nothing yet from Aelin.. Rowan frowned. Sure, it was a bright and early 7 AM, but she was usually already up and getting her day started. He texted her first, wishing her a good day with hopes she felt better. 

Rowan sighed heavily.  The secret he was keeping curled into a ball in the pit of his stomach. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could avoid telling her. Well, avoid wasn’t the right word. He just didn’t have the words to tell her he got a girl he barely knows pregnant and, yes, it’s actually his baby. It was still early, anyway. Still, it wasn’t sitting right with him. He would make a trip to go and see her soon and tell her then.

>> Mom: I want to know about this girl you’re seeing, Rowan Matthias.

<< Rowan: I’ll call you after practice. I promise.

>> Mom: You better. 

~*~

Last night had been fun, but all the sprints and drills during practice were making Rowan nauseous. For the second time today, sweat was streaking down his entire body while he squirted water into his mouth. Gods, Coach was on one. It was like he knew every time there was a night out and made them work even harder. 

Rowan was relieved when they were told to hit the showers. The guys followed behind him, Fenrys groaning about a persistent headache between his eyes. Even Lorcan, who was an absolute tank when it came to alcohol, was cursing and moaning. It would have been funny if he wasn’t in the same boat.

The steaming shower he stepped into was almost holy. Hot water pelted his body while he washed himself, taking a little more time than usual because of his ailments. He could feel his muscles loosening with every breath he took and Gods, it felt so good. When he finally wrapped it up, he quickly dried and got dressed. His friends were teasing each other while they did the same. 

“Go a little too hard last night, Lorcan?” Fenrys crooned, wrapping his golden curls into a messy bun atop his head.

“I really don’t think you want to go down this road, pup,” he grumbled back. A smile twitched at the corner of Rowan’s lips as he grabbed his phone, deciding now was as good a time as any to call his mother. 

“Hello?” Her sweet voice chimed after two rings.

“Good morning, mama,” he said, zipping his bag and tossing it over his shoulder. 

“You’ve been ignoring my calls.” Not a question, though there was some hurt behind her words. Rowan rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“Just busy with practice and games.”

“Is that Aelin?” Fenrys called from across the room. He pulled a shirt on and began to walk over to Rowan. “Is she still sick?”

“Is who still sick?” His mom inquired. Again, he sighed and shot Fen a warning look. 

“Aelin has been feeling under the weather,  Mom,” he emphasized her name and Fenrys looked immediately apologetic. Great. 

“Well, what's the matter? I might have some good advice, you know. You better be taking care of that girl. Has she gotten you sick?” 

“Nausea, maybe a stomach bug, no I’m not sick, and no I’m not taking care of her. She won’t let me. Aelin is so independent that I can’t get her to depend on me for anything right now.” It was probably a bigger truth than he was ready to share with his mom, much less all his friends. He made his way out of the locker room and Fen shouted an apology after him. Rowan flippantly waved his hand as the door shut behind him.

“Well, let's start with some remedies. I have just the thing that will help. It’s a tea I drank through my entire pregnancy to fight the nausea and it works like a charm.” Rowan almost choked at the mention of a pregnancy. Did she somehow know already? She couldn’t find out from anyone but him. It would destroy her if she discovered the news on a tabloid site. Fuck. 

“That’d be great, I’ll send it to her.”

“Better yet, I’m due for a visit. How about I drive up and make it for her myself?” Shit. Fuck. Godsdamn the universe.

“Mom, right now isn’t really–”

“It’s never a good time,” she interjected. “You’ll be busy regardless. I don’t mind a little time on my own while you practice. It’ll give me plenty of time to get to know Aelin, too.”

“She lives in Varese,” he told her, trying to get her to back down. 

“I know she does. Tabloids have pictures of you hanging around there any chance you get. And anyway, Fenrys has loose lips. Tell me her name again?”

“If you’ve seen the news articles, you know her name already.” There were plenty of grainy pictures of them sipping drinks at The Neon Moon, plus pap shots of them everywhere else. Rowan wasn’t used to quite so much attention. Sure, there were the occasional paparazzi that snapped photos of him around town, but with Aelin at his side it seemed to be more than usual. 

“Aelin. Her name is Aelin Galathynius,  but you already know that.”

“Well, since you aren’t taking care of Aelin I’m going to drive up and do it myself. Sometimes us women just don’t know how to ask for help when it’s needed. Besides, the poor girl doesn’t have her own mother close by to lean on for support. Maternal comfort goes a long way.”

There was no getting out of this. Maybe it would be a good thing, he pondered. They could tell her in person and maybe she wouldn’t go ballistic if Aelin was there. Stressful as all hell, but maybe it could work if he could get Aelin to come stay for a day or two. 

“Yeah, okay. See you tomorrow, then?”

“I’ll be there in the morning,” she swore before hanging up. Now he just had to get Aelin to come down.

Rowan slumped down into his car and immediately called Aelin. His thumbs drummed on the steering wheel while it rang and rang, his anxiety building in his gut. A thousand things ran through his head: Was it too soon? Would it be weird? What if they didn’t get along?

“Hey you,” she said when the call connected, her voice like music to his ears. It soothed his anxiety, just talking to her. Just by being her.

“Hi.” It was impossible to stop the smile that crept over his face as he dropped his bag in the backseat and got in his car.  “I have a favor to ask and an apology to give.”

“I’m intrigued, do go on.” Rowan chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. Hervoice filtered through his car speakers, surrounding him wholly. 

“Fenrys accidentally told my mom you’ve been sick and now she’s determined that you need her special tea and maternal comfort.”

“Ah,” she said, clearing her throat. “So is the favor meeting your mom? And is the apology for Fenrys?”

“The favor is that you come stay with me for a few days to meet her and let her mother hen you to death because there was no way I was getting out of this scenario while talking to her. But if you refuse I can try to get her to back down.” When Aelin laughed, a weight lifted from his chest. “The apology is for roping you into this mess. And for Fen.”

Aelin laughed, “I accept both. I’d love to meet your mom. Plus, maybe we can tell her about the baby while she’s here.”

 Rowan was relieved she was so open to the whole ordeal. His heart squeezed in his chest that she wanted to meet his mom. Fuck, he was so gone for this girl. He was on a free fall and only she could catch him. He wasn’t looking forward to finding out what would happen if she didn’t.

“She’ll be here tomorrow. Is that okay?” He could hear papers shuffling in the background, the sound of a zipper and a small sigh from his girl.

“I’ll pack a suitcase and be there in a bit. I’ll bring my work stuff with me and set up in your office, if that’s okay.”

“What's mine is yours,” he swore. 

“Okay,” she said softly, and Rowan could hear the smile in her voice. He was grinning, too.

“Okay. See you soon.”

“See you soon, Ro.” Ro. Was she trying to get him to crash his car from a heart explosion? He disconnected the call as he pulled into his driveway and took a deep breath. This was a good thing, right?

~*~

“Ro?” Aelin called out, stepping through the front door. He’d left it unlocked for her in case he was busy when she arrived. 

“Kitchen!” He called back, so Aelin slipped off her shoes and padded through the house until she rounded the corner and saw him standing at the stove.

His sleeves were pushed up above his elbows and an apron was around his neck. A cutting board of vegetables sat on the counter while he stirred something in a pan. It smelled devine, and wasn’t making her stomach turn which was a huge win. Everything was setting it off lately.

“I know tacos are a safe food right now, so I thought we’d try fajitas to switch things up,” he said over his shoulder, turning briefly to grab the cutting board. The contents were dumped into the pan and she circled the counter, pausing beside him. Rowan stirred with his left hand and wrapped his right around her waist. Her stomach fluttered at the contact, but she didn’t pull away. 

“Thank you,” she said, pressing a kiss to his shoulder.

“Always.” Aelin smiled up at him before stepping away to get a glass of water. 

They made small talk while he cooked, everything from their days to little tidbits of what his mom was like. According to Rowan, she was the best mom in the world. He gushed about her cooking, about how he raised her alone after his father passed away when he was ten. She’s fiercely loyal to her people, and loves Rowan more than anything in the world. If the sun revolved around people, Iris would surely revolve around Rowan. He insisted it would be the same for Aelin and their baby. 

The thought warmed her. This baby would have the best community in their corner. Not having to worry about the lack of a village was a huge relief. Everyone was dying to be involved on both sides, and many of Rowan’s teammates contacted Aelin just to check in on her. Aedion and Lysandra were already vying for favorite aunt/uncle. No, this baby would never know what it was like to not feel wholly loved by their people.

After dinner, they cleaned up despite Rowan’s protests that she didn’t need to do anything. Aelin dismissed him with the wave of her hand and worked on the dishes while he put away leftovers. He was right; it was a refreshing change to eat something other than tacos. 

“I’m gonna shower,” she sighed, arms stretched above her head. Even though it was still pretty early, she was more than ready to don pajamas, curl up, and decompress from work and the drive down. 

“I’m not going anywhere,” was his reply, and she knew he meant it more than just right now. Biting her lip, she slipped out of the kitchen and made her way upstairs. 

The best shower in the house was Rowan’s. It had a rainwater shower head that felt so luxurious that Aelin swore she was going to get one for her house in Orynth. As soon as she stepped in she felt the day simply melt away. Hot water trickled down her skin while she carefully washed her body, then her hair. She really needed to get this showerhead. It was the height of luxury at the moment. 

After drying off and changing clothes, she went back downstairs and found Rowan on the couch. He had changed clothes and was now in sweatpants and a t-shirt. Something about it was really doing something for Aelin. His tattooed bicep was along the back of the couch and she wanted to trace the lines everywhere they turned. When he looked up at her and grinned, something fluttered in her stomach. Gods, she was so screwed.

“Good shower?”

“Mhm,” she hummed, sitting close enough that his fingers brushed her shoulder. Rowan toyed with the ends of her damp hair for a moment, and Aelin was stunned at how comfortable the silence was. Nothing was being said, or communicated in any way, but it was such a cozy silence. She’d never experienced anything quite like it before. 

“Don’t take this the wrong way,” Rowan said carefully, “but you look exhausted.”

Aelin took no offence, laughing as she rubbed her face. It was true. She wasn’t sleeping much, and when she did it was restless. Her hips were already beginning to ache and she wasn’t looking forward to it getting worse as her body grew and changed. Still, she was so tired. Most of the time she was asleep by nine-thirty. 

“Because I am,” she sighed. “There’s so much that needs to be done for the foundation before the office launch  here. I feel like I’m treading water because there’s always more to do. I love my job, and I can’t wait to see the effects it has on the community, but I think I forgot how much it is. All the events I need to organize, getting the office picture perfect. My team is amazing but some days I get asked so many questions that I never want to speak again.”

“What you’re doing is fantastic, and I will be at every event I can be. However, if you need to take a breather, take one. A day off is okay. You can do all of this, I don’t doubt it, but you are growing a human. It might slow you down a little, but you’ll get it taken care of.”

“I haven’t told my staff yet. I want to wait until my next scan to make sure everything is good before I tell anyone else. Except your mom, if you want to do that while she’s here. Family doesn’t count. Anyway, I think they’ll understand my work-from-home days a little more once the cat is out of the bag. I think Luca is on to me, though. Kid is way too perceptive and I’ve been spending way too much time with him working on the website.” 

“I’m sure they’re sympathetic now. Plus, you’re getting everything done you need to, right?”

“Of course. I think that’s part of why I’m so tired. I’ll stay until like eight, and then go home and eat, shower, and go to bed.” She sighed again, fingers running through her hair.

“Why don’t you get some sleep? My mom can be a lot,” he admitted. 

“I think I’ll take you up on that offer. I swear I’m usually a lot more fun than this,” she laughed, and he joined in with her. His hand cupped her cheek, thumb running over her skin. There were calluses on his hands that always felt strangely good. 

“Goodnight, then.” His hand dropped from her face and she was glad. Heat was creeping onto her cheeks and if she didn’t get out of there, she would look like a tomato soon. It was ridiculous that his touch set her aflame so easily. Aelin wasn’t sure she would ever get used to it. 

Upstairs, she wasn’t sure which room to enter. There was Rowan’s room, and then the guest room. They didn’t say anything about sleeping together tonight. Hell, Rowan didn’t broach the topic at all. It was tempting to crawl into his bed, but she turned into the guest room, which was unofficially her room, instead.

~*~

Aelin couldn’t sleep. It was just after ten, and she had maybe dozed off once for a few minutes. Otherwise she was watching the ceiling fan whirring above her head. The house was so quiet. Much better than her apartment, where upstairs neighbors were sometimes a little heavy footed. Not too long ago,she heard Rowan walk down the hall and close his door. She chewed on her lip, gave herself a little pep talk, then pushed out of bed and opened her door before she could talk herself out of it.

Two knocks on his door, followed by a soft, “Rowan?” 

“Come in, love,” she heard, muffled through the door. Once it was open she was treated to a shirtless Rowan sitting up in bed. Glasses were perched on his nose and he seemed to be reading a book. 

“Hey,” she said, lip tucking between her teeth while she rocked back and forth on her heels.

“Hi,” he chuckled, shutting the book and putting it on his nightstand. “What are you doing awake?”

“I can’t sleep. Plus, like, your mom is under the assumption that we’re together so we probably need to sleep in the same room anyway. Why not start now? And we’re not not together, so it would be weird if we weren’t sleeping in the same room. You know?”

“I think if we’re not not together, that means we’re together, Aelin.” A smile was tugging at his lips and she wanted to kiss it until she saw all of his teeth. She took it as her chance to walk over and get in bed with him, wiggling down in the blankets and pillows until she was fully enveloped in his scent. 

“Call it what you want,” she shrugged, the blanket covering the little grin on her face. 

“What are you calling it?” Rowan tilted his head slightly, glasses sliding down his nose. Gods, he was so… there were so many words for what he was right now. All of them were positive because this look and banter was really doing it for her. 

“You know I’m calling you my boyfriend.” Aelin’s eyes rolled in an attempt to seem nonchalant. 

“You can trust me, Aelin,” he said softly, hand reaching to cover hers. Their fingers slid together seamlessly, and more of that fluttery nonsense took over her stomach. She licked her lips, eyes focused on their hands.

“I know.” And she did. They barely knew each other, yet she knew he was becoming a safe person for her. There weren’t too many of those anymore. Her inner circle was small, yet she knew that because of Rowan, it was growing. 

“Yeah?” His finger bumped beneath her chin and she looked at him, fighting the tears that threatened to pour over.

“You’re going to make me cry, and then your mom is going to be here in the morning while I have a puffy, red face. I’ll look like a little tomato and I’ll be really mad about it.” Rowan snorted, leaning forward to kiss her forehead.

“A beautiful tomato,” he said, lips pressing to the top of her head like he couldn’t help himself. Beneath the blankets, she was smiling. 

“Maybe after your mom leaves… maybe we can talk before I go back to Wendlyn?” She lowered the blankets beneath her chin and looked up at him. A single tear had managed to escape and he wiped it with his fingertips. 

“It’s a date,” he promised, nodding his head almost too-eagerly. Clearly he was waiting for this moment. Aelin hated that she had to be so guarded these days, but there was too much damage in her past to not be. Her heart had been crushed into oblivion before, and she couldn’t risk it. Now that a baby was involved? Gods, she had to be so, so careful. 

“Why haven’t you kissed me yet?” She finally asked, tucking her bottom lip between her teeth. Rowan’s eyes widened at the inquiry, mouth opening and closing several times before he found letters to string into a sentence.

“I wasn’t sure you were ready for that,” he said slowly, reaching out to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. Aelin smiled, a whisper of a laugh escaping her mouth.

“I’m ready to be kissed, Rowan.”

It seemed that he didn’t have to be told twice. Rowan leaned in and kissed her lips softly as if testing the waters. Aelin was the one to melt into him, fingers braiding into his hair to pull him closer. He groaned quietly, parting his lips and she was more than eager to sweep her tongue against his. 

Gods, yes. This. There had been moments where she wondered if the tension was only that. Just tension that fizzled out after the first entanglement. The feeling in the pit of her stomach told her otherwise. Butterflies fluttered up her ribcage and she gasped. It wasn’t a one time thing. If she played her cards right… she could have this forever. 

The thought clanged through her, sobering her enough that she tugged on his hair a little. Rowan groaned and it really didn’t help dampen her desire. The sound was delicious, something she wanted to eat like cake until he had nothing else to give her.

“Rowan,” she finally sighed, his lips closing over her pulse. Fuck, it felt so good. “We said slow.”

“This is slow,” he murmured, teeth grazing her skin and tongue doing the laziest swirl over her skin. Oh, gods.

“Slower,” she laughed, taking his face in her hands and pulling him away herself before her resolve withered into nothing. 

“Whatever you want,” he promised, licking his lips. Rowan’s cheeks were flushed and she had to lean in and kiss them both, planting one more on his lips. It would be a lie if she said she wasn’t melting at the sight of him, rosy cheeks and crinkles by his eyes from smiling. 

“I know it’s not easy–”

“I’ll do anything you want. I’ll wait until you’re ready. Not just for sex. For everything.” Everything. Aelin’s heart fluttered madly in her chest, shaking her ribcage. Wasn’t that the part she was most scared of? It excited the hell out of her at the same time. Everything with Rowan was scary, and yet… Aelin found herself looking forward to it. 

It was easy to curl up in his arms, head on his chest. One of his hands traced sleepy shapes over her back and shoulders, and when sleep came to claim her, she had no say in the matter. Feeling safer than she had in awhile, she counted the beats of his heart until she fell asleep. 

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[inkk-tv]

[ ꜰᴏᴏᴛʙᴀʟʟ ᴘᴜʙ ɢᴏʟꜰ : ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ]

He can hear it in her voice, wants to hear more of it. “Yeah?” “You know,” Lucy’s got this smile on her face, something a little coy, teasing even. “If this wasn’t for a video, and we were on a night out, I’d probably take you to the bathroom to snog.”

in which: Arthur strggles with the will to move on.

5k words [ part two ] [ masterlist ] [ unseen (coming soon... ]

[warnings: excessive drinking, sexual innuendos and sexually explicit content]

Arthur doesn’t think he’s been this gone since uni, when he lost all his muscle mass after quitting boxing and pints were one two pound each. The walk between one beer garden to the next is nowhere near as sobering as it felt at age nineteen with worn down trainers scratching against the pavement. 

It’s got him dizzy, that light headed floaty feeling that only arrives after at least six standards and a distinct lack of food.

Starting the day hungover did him no favours, he’d vomited up all the food (and the first two drinks) he’d consumed at pub number two. Somehow, he’s still gone. Probably the empty stomach and all of one glass of water’s contribution.

Pub seven came with another beer garden and the fresh air helped immensely. So does the pot plant at the end of the table- an emergency puke spot that’s a better alternative than the astro turf. Arthur doesn’t quite manage to snag the seat on the end and he’s not close enough to chundering to ask for it but if worse comes to worst, he can lean past Lucy to puke. 

She'd probably kill him if he vomited on her. Infact, Lucy’s staring at him like she knows he’s thinking about it. 

“You’re so gone.” A smile cracks her lips as she talks, leaning in a little closer to inspect his face and the semi-vacant look in his eyes.

Arthur feels his cheeks flare up in a blush. He’s not a prude or a soy-boy by any means, but it’s been a while since he’s had a girl that was as pretty as Lucy in such close proximity. His last few nights out have been soured by everyone’s attempts to get Chris to chat up a girl, which leaves a bitter taste in his mouth at the reminder of how painfully straight his best mate is. Then again, it is Arthur’s fault for going and ending up completely head over heels for straight man, an experience he became well acquainted with in his uni days. 

Fancying Chris was an old hat for him, Arthurs had the better half of a decade to get acquainted with the misery of it. Devastatingly enough, his type is painfully cookie cutter. Blonde, around five-five or five-six, athletic and able to dish it out as good as they can take it. 

So he’d always sort of strayed away from Lucy Bell. She’s the right shade of pretty that scares him off, not keen to make a fool of himself by making it obvious how fit he thinks she is. That’s gone out the window today. 

“George is gonna take me home to sleep on his couch.” he offers, holding his phone for her to see the open text thread. “He’s worried I’m going to choke on my own vomit.”

“He’s so good.” Lucy goes to grab his phone, and Arthur hands it over easily.

Her fingers are a little clumsy with it, but she manages to open the imessage widgets and send George a game of connect four.

She does that a lot, Arthur’s noticed, the little games on her phone. He’d watched her do the wordle in the park while they waited for the production team to finish getting sorted. The evidence of their naughts and crosses games are littered up the insides for their arms- her left and his right. Now she’s started up another one with George. 

Arthur wonders if she knows chess. He doesn’t ask though. “If you lose, George is gonna think I've fallen off.” 

“One connect four loss won’t kill you.” She says, rolling her eyes.

“Hurt my pride maybe.”

Lucy tuts, like he’s given the wrong answer. “Well don’t worry, I never let George win. Even when we’re drunk.”

“Is connect four a normal thing for you when you’re drunk?”

She shrugs. “Gotta get the boys interested somehow.”

“Don’t think you need connect four for that, Luce.”

He must have gotten it right that time, because, although still looking down at his phone screen, some semblance of a smile appears. Smothered by the way she bites at her bottom lip to contain it but most definitely there. “Flattery gets you everywhere, Arthur.”

Flirting is a bad idea. They’re both fairly drunk and the last time he’d been this drunk and tried to flirt with a girl, was Ibeza when he told the story of getting a hard on from a surfboard and having a wank in the ocean. Lucy still has a somewhat respectable opinion of him, no need to go and drag it through the mud. 

But at the same time, he can’t not flirt with her. 

There’s an opportunity presenting itself here, something in her words. He can hear it plain as day, she fancies him too. Arthur’s gotten better at picking it over the years, what it means when a girl sits close enough to press their legs together, fiddles with his fingers or asks to compare hand sizes. (Flo, his flatmate at the time, had to explain that last one to him after he’d left some poor girl at a club, not realising she was interested in him at all)

He can hear it in her voice, wants to hear more of it. “Yeah?”

“You know,” Lucy’s got this smile on her face, something a little coy, teasing even. “If this wasn’t for a video, and we were on a night out, I’d probably take you to the bathroom to snog.”

He sits up a little straighter, the way he always does when a compliment is lobbed at him, brain playing catch up to make his posture better, his jaw a little tighter, presenting the best version of himself. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She repeats with a smile, looking him over. “But I get the vibe you’re not that kind of guy.”

“I can be.” Arthur says, feeling the need to assure her that he would, if she showed up on future nights out and asked. “Depends on the person.”

Lucy purses her lips. “Waiting on someone special, are you?”

He can’t help but glance back to where Chris is stood, chattering to the camera and his production team. 

“Ah.” Lucy lets out, nodding her head a little as she connects the dots. “It’s Chris isn’t it?”

“It’s not- I mean, I’m not hung up on him or anything,” he scrambles to defend himself, because he's never really had to explain it to anyone else besides his older sister, and he’s never had to lay it out drunk before. “But I feel bad sometimes, talking to people at some bar or club when I still kind of fancy my best mate.”

“I don’t blame you. He’s easy to fancy.”

And Arhtur’s learnt to spot it, so he hears the way she says it. The same way she’d been speaking to him. Only this time, she wasn’t talking about him. 

“No,” Arthur looks at her for a moment, as she squints at the screen to read whatever text has pinged though amidst the game she seems heavily invested in. Something that feels like disbelief hammers about in his chest. “Surely not.”

Lucy glances up to give him a flat look. “You are literally the last person who can judge me.”

“You’ve got a better chance than me.” He offers, because yeah, she does. Lucy’s proper fit, she’s funny and she’s smart. If she went up to Chris on any given day and asked him out for coffee, there’s no doubt in Arthur’s mind he’d say yes. “At least he likes women.”

She bites at the inside of her cheek as another message pings though, Arthur’s phone buzzing silently. “I put too much effort into getting over him to backtrack now.”

“See, I saved your pride.” She says with a smile, sliding his phone across the table to display the connect four game, a little crown spinning around on the screen.

He sort of wants to say something else. 

Encourage her to go for it. But part of him is selfish, wants to keep her to himself. Maybe if he does that mindset she’s built will rub off on him and Arthur can claim some of it for himself. 

Arthur doesn’t want to backtrack. 

It’s in her eyes when she looks at Chris, the resignation, the decision to get over it. He wonders if there’s truth to it, if this really was a night out, and Lucy had spent an hour drawing naughts and crosses up the inside of his arm, that she truly would snog him in the bathroom. If he’d take her up on the offer. 

He could fancy her, if they got talking one day. 

Maybe at one of George’s house parties. She used to go to those. 

Or at a club. Arthur could imagine her there. She’s the kind of girl that would have guys scrambling to prove themselves, peacocking about and buying her drinks to win her favour, wanting nothing more than to take her to a club bathroom, push her up against the wall and lick into her mouth. 

Maybe she’d let them push her to her knees, like she’d done to him an hour ago. Maybe she’d go home with them and let them kiss her into the mattress. He’s seen comments about it, when she features in videos, what people on the internet thinks happens behind closed doors or how they reckon they would pull her.

Arthur doesn’t think that sort of thing suits her though. 

Lucy’s the kind of girl that should be treated right.

If it was him, he’d ask for her number, maybe kiss her goodbye before leaving- so she knew he meant it. Bring her flowers before the first date, hold her hand and buy her coffee in the morning. Arthur would work for it, work for her. 

For a few moments, as everyone else settles around the table, he entertains the idea of it, going out with Lucy Bell. She would be fun to waste time with, Arthur can envision her curled up on his couch watching a nature documentary, her head in his lap or back to his chest. Maybe she’d go to the theater with him, or to see the new exhibitions at the museum. 

The two of them could have fun, be good together. 

He stews on it while Cal dishes out shot glasses to them all, smells his own with caution. One more would finish him- It would probably finish off any of the English team. Lucy’s a little more giggly than she had been earlier in the day, and the little nose scrunch of displeasure she does has been appearing much more frequently. She’s getting cuter by the minute.

There’s only two fake shots in the mix and luckily he’s been handed one. Maybe it’s because Cal can see how gone Arthur is already and is preemptively slowing down his alcohol intake. But skipping one shot probably won’t make all that much of a difference when they’ve still got two pubs to go. 

It takes his brain a few seconds to catch up with the fact he’s supposed to trick the other team and cringes at the ‘burn’ of it a smidge too late. Becky knows him well enough to spot it and they come out of the challenge three-nil, to Germany. 

The penalty is a choice between three points or three shots and Chris speaks for all three of them when he decides, as captain, that they’ll take the points. 

Harry takes Lucy inside with the aim to get some for the six of them. Arthur watches them go, she’s wearing these heels, chunky platform style ones with delicate little silver buckles that are just high enough that he’s worried she might tumble. She’s steady though. He wonders if a few more standards will change that, if by the time they’re all ready to head home, she’s gonna be the one needing piggy backs instead of handing them out. 

His phone pings with a text. It’s from George, asking how he’s drunk enough to misspell every word in his texts but still win connect four. It’s accompanied by a rematch.

Georgie Poo [connect four]

Arthur 2 Idon���t think i can wein Luce har my phone

Georgie Poo luce? as in Lucy Bell?

Arthur 2 Yeah< Shes prety gon too Still betterr off than me rn< Cna we take her home too?<

Georgie Poo you don’t mean my house right? she hates it. too dirty. and Alex is here. they don't get on.

Arthur 2 No nono< Liek ehr flat.< Don’t want her onthe tube alone.<

Georgie Poo how noble of you, king Arthur.

He almost tells George to fuck off but it might not come across right over text and if George does actually fuck off, then Arthur will have no one sober to keep him sane and offer advice when he inevitably considers doing something stupid, like asking Lucy Bell to snog in the bathroom.

Admittedly, Arthur does give the game of connect four a go as Chris settles down next to him, more so that he doesn’t stare and inspect every aspect of him that somehow managed to pull Arthur and apparently Lucy Bell at some point. 

“Look at these biceps man…” Chris murmurs, pushing up the sleeve of Arthur’s jersey. His hands are softer than they used to be- the change in focus at the gym evident though less calluses and crack on his palms. 

He licks a thick stripe up the skin of Arthur’s arm. “Oh my god.”

It doesn't get much of a reaction, Chris’ been licking him all afternoon. All their lives. Arthur, for a while, used to think it was a them thing. That it was just something about him that made Chris want to sink his teeth into or run his tongue over to taste. He knows better nowadays of course, and if he didn’t the accumulating tally marks on Lucy’s arm would be telling.

“Such little fat on there.” He pinches and pulls at the skin of Arthur’s arm. Picking the next box in connect four is a little harder, hearing the praise, knowing Chris’ eyes are on him and only him. 

The bite comes half a second later, and it’s enough to actually get Arthur pulling away. “Oh my god.”

Nowadays, the biting is so common that it doesn’t even make Arthur’s stomach flutter anymore. And when it’s time to leave the pub, and Chris hauls him up, arms looped under his and braced on his chest, murmuring about how good Arthur smells, he realises he is far too drunk to unpack it. 

So many compliments had been lobed at him in the last few hours. They swirl around his head in a dizzying storm. It’s got him stumbling. 

He’s not lying when he walks out of a store, a hundred and twenty quid poorer with a pair of shoes in hand that aren’t even for him and says, “Financially and emotionally, I’m in ruins.”

But he’s on camera and there’s not a whole lot of time to pour his guts out on the pavement, cry about how he feels guilty for wanting to ask out a girl he’s only just met and still being hung up on his best mate. 

Looking at her, feeling his stomach flutter when she laughs, it’s different to checking out a girl at some club. This is Lucy, she’s not just some chick, she’s so intricately woven into the lives of his friends, and how she’s not managed to end up in his before, is a mystery. 

It seems that everyone knows her. 

He knows she’s Geroge’s gym buddy, and that she works in the fellas offices with more than half of the UK Youtube scene. Evidently she’s got some kind of friendship with Chris- he talks about her fondly, with nicknames and stories- and they must have spent enough time for her to get hung up on him for a while.

“Do you fancy her?” Becky’s question sort of throws him, not just because of the implication, but more so because he hadn’t even realised she’d appeared at his side.

He blinks a few times, slinging his arm over her shoulder, more on instinct than anything. “What?”

“Lucy, Do you fancy her?” Becky asks, slurring a little with a smirk on her face, like she already knows the answer already. “She thinks you’re ‘well fit’.”

She makes air quotations when she says it, and Arthur wonders where she possibly would have heard Lucy say that. Unless she’s kidding. “Is that a direct quote?”

“Oh yeah. When you were opening up a new overdraft to buy Harold shoes, he asked for one word to describe you.”

“Well-fit is two words.”

“She said it’s hyphenated.”

Yeah, that seems pretty on brand for what he knows of Lucy Bell. 

The question is dropped though when Becky stumbles over her next word and he lays into her for it, sending the pair of them spiraling into laughter as she continues to butcher it. 

Further ahead, he can see Chris and Stephen in some sort of playful scrap. Today’s been a good day for Chris. 

It’s been an iffy few months, some days where he seems like he’s on top of the world, others where he doesn't leave or let anyone in his flat. Arthur’s been worried about him, most of their friends have been. He’s moving in with Gorge and Arthur Hill in a few months, the three of them flat hunting every other week. Everyone agrees that it will be good for him, to get out of the home he shared with Shannon. 

He doesn’t talk about it; the break up. Everyone’s walking around it like broken glass, the remnants of Chris’ love life splintered and shattered on the floor. Nobody even knows why it happened. He’s not said anything to Harry, Will or Arthur- just avoids the elephant in the room. 

For some odd reason, he seems okay with the jokes, but any serious talk, he shuts down quickly.

There’s a group of them that’s pretty dedicated to keeping his spirits up. Arthur has been ending up at pubs and bars most weekends with Chris, George and Arthur Hill. Will and Lucy make efforts to check in with him at the office- even his production manager Jess gives them updates, although they are admittedly becoming less frequent now that it’s been a good six months. Even Harry drops by his flat once a week or so. 

Things might be different if he wasn’t so weird about the whole thing. Six years was a long time, but being so shut down about it all, even after half a year, was worrying.At least he doesn’t seem hung up on it.

Arthur wants to move on.

He doesn't want to be holding out hope for the same guy. Not for a seventh year in a row. Analysing every little comment and action amounts to nothing everytime a hinge notification appears on Chris' lock screen.

He'd tried it himself, for a few weeks. It was too weird, to read a comprehensive list of character traits and decide if he could like them a few dates down the line. None of them ever felt right. With chat that was a little too dry or an over-fascination with the title 'youtuber'. Tinder hadn't worked out for him in uni, so why Arthur thought Hinge would now, he's not entirely sure.

Meeting someone organically has always been better for him, at a bar or in some club. The problem was that Chris' latest ventures as a single man meant he actually went out with them all. Nights that used to end with a girls number in his phone or his legs tangled in someone else's sheets now conclude with an uber home to someone's flat- whoever's closest- and passing out on the couch.

It's hard to chat someone up when Chris is sitting at the same table, a physical benchmark of all Arthur's preferences that he can't help but compare them to.

Sometimes it's worse, when he goes to Chris' flat and there’s a ripped off club-band on the kitchen counter. Or when he shows up to filming and the ink stain of a club stamp on the back of his hand. To know that Chris is going out, looking for someone to be his other half in places Arthur isn't. It's as much of an answer to his affections as Arthur would get.

He wonders if it pricks at Lucy the same way. The club stamps Chris never cares to wash off, telling of his night, lingering when she sees him in the office.

The thought sticks in his mind as they finish off the last pint of the afternoon, sending Chris off as their champion of drunk keepy-uppies and watching Stephen stack it and effectively eat pavement.

Lucy leans into him as she laughs warm and solid against his side, a steady presence that reminds him of what he could have. 

She’d made it clear she was interested, Left the ball in his court. 

At the next pub, whenlucy heads inside to find herself another glass of water, Arthur makes vague excuses of needing a piss and follows her inside to the bar. 

She’s leant up against it, one foot planted on the ground and the other crossed over it, tapping against the wooden floorboard. There’s a cup of water in her hand, a pink and white striped straw poking between her lips as she drinks it down. She smiles around it as he joins her at the bar.

“You know that thing you said about snogging?”

Lucy turns to look at him. “Hmm?”

“Would you?” Arthur swallows thickly. He might be about to make a fool of himself but it’s worth the risk. “Or was that just banter.”

“I would.”

Arthur can feel the blush rising on his cheeks and there’s a smile pulling at Lucy’s lips as she glances once out the door then back towards the bathroom sign. 

Her hand is a little cold in his, from the half drunk glass he abandons on the bar. Arthur’s nerves are spiking but he goes, follows as she pushes the door to the women’s bathroom open to peek inside before turning and pulling him in by the hand.

He’s done this sort of thing before, in clubs, bars- once at the uni library- but never on a shoot. Then again, he’s never met someone quite like Lucy Bell. 

She’s a vision, pretty blonde hair and dark green eyes blinking up at him as a blush blooms on her cheeks. Arthur finds the soft curve of her waist, hidden by the baggy jersey and pulls her in close, backing himself into the door.  He’s a little stunned and very drunk but Lucy’s lips are so soft.

When he licks against them, she still tastes a little bit like the last pint they’d downed. She presses onto him, slides one hand up to cup his jaw and scratch at his stubble in a way that leaves his skin tingly, the other one settling against his chest. 

Everything about it feels right. Lucy fits against him perfectly, and he can almost imagine doing this in his kitchen. Cooking something together and stealing kisses, snogging while it sits in the oven then again on the couch when they’re supposed to be watching a movie. He wants to kiss her into the mattress and fuck her propper, then maybe make her a cup of tea afterwards and hear about her day.

Lucy Bell isn’t the kind of girl you’re okay with only having once, and as she snogs him into the bathroom door, runs her tongue against the points of his canines, Arthur knows there’s no getting past her. Not now that he knows what he’d be missing. Pressed right up against him, a leg slotted between his as she presses as close as possible. Arthur kind of wants to turn her around, press her into the door, but he likes the way they’re stood a bit more, where he can hold her close by the hips, palm low at the skin of her thigh, just under her skirt hem. 

She breaks the kiss to huff a breath or two and Arthur ducks his head to mouth along her jaw. A trail of kisses down her throat that stings with the taste of rose that must have dribbled off her lips a few pubs ago.

“Arthur,” She gasps out when he finds a spot along the hollow of her collarbone and nips at it. “I don’t have concealer on me.”

He’s lived with enough beauty influencers to know what she’s saying. Don’t leave marks. He presses one more kiss there that’s probably a little soft for what they’re doing. “Sorry.”

Then her lips are back on his and she bites at his bottom lip, slips her tongue past too.

It’s only when he tugs her that last half a step closer and feels the pressure of her against him, that Arthur realises he’s got a problem. 

This time, he breaks the kiss, letting his head thunk back against the door. Lucy nips at his jaw and he’s forgotten how good it feels to be taken, wanted and desired. Feels too good.

“Luce,” Arthrur murmurs. “We gotta take a breather, or else this is gonna get away from me.”

Maybe it’s selfish, or dickish, to drag her close for one little grind against the tightened fabric of his shorts, but there’s a little hitch to her breath that makes something stupid like pride bloom in his chest.

“Yeah,” She says in nothing more than a whisper. “We are supposed to be doing something else right now.”

There’s no reason to be whispering, considering they’re alone in a room and the world outside is more than noisy enough to smother any noise coming from the bathroom. But keeping quiet, it lets Arthur believe that for a while, the world is just the two of them. Him and Lucy.

“Okay. Game plan. Thirty more seconds,” He interrupts himself to press another kiss against her lips. “Then you go back out. I'll sort myself out, then I'll join you.”

“‘Sort yourself out?’” She repeats with a teasing smile, leaning in to kiss at his jaw again. Then whispers against his skin, right by his ear “Arthur are you going to wank in the pub toilet?”

It wracks a shiver down his spine and Arthur has to tighten his grip on her hips to stop his hands wondering.

“No.” He replies, a little petulant, even though he’s not really sure how he’s going to dispel the semi that’s only getting worse.

She looks like she wants to ask another question, maybe tease him a little more but there's a shine to her lips- red and kiss bitten- and today, rather uncharacteristically, Arthur is an impatient man.

It’s a struggle to rein himself in, stick to the allotted thirty second time he’d set himself that they almost definitely go over, but there are people expecting them, and at least one more drink to down. 

So Arthur detaches himself from her, sticks a kiss on her cheek that’s definitely too tender to come from the bloke she snogged in the pub bathroom, and watches her slip out the door. Eyes drifting over the skin, just under her skirt that swishes with each step, and the little crescent indents from his fingernails, dug into her skin. It’s possessive, the feeling that curls in his chest, even if he has no right to feel that, no reason for his stupid monkey brain to lay claim over her. 

Arthur’s not sure how long he stands there before readjusting himself in his shorts and walking over to the sink, splashing some cold water on his face. He looks like he’s chundered. 

But it’s not like another red card would make much of a difference, they're so far behind in the points it’s ridiculous. Although, Arthur isn’t all that saddened by the loss of a domino's pizza; he’s gained a lot more from today.

Even if he only does get to have Lucy Bell once, in  a questionably clean pub bathroom, she's offered him something a bit more special than a snog.

Perspective. 

Arthur’s not backtracking anymore, he’s not going to read into it when Chris goes for the fake lean-in and says, for the cameras, that they’d shag. He doesn’t have to be over Chris, but the willingness to move past it, that's what's important. It’s all out in the open with Lucy, she knows, and he guesses, that he sort of knows too. She’d fancied Chris, at some point. When that was, isn’t all too clear but evidently, it was sometime recently, If she was scared of backtracking at least. 

Maybe they could be good for eachother, him and Lucy. 

Thankfully he wore the black corduroy shorts today, initially it had been in case he spilt a drink on them but he’s learning that they do wonders to hide the outline of his dick. Arthur clicks the lock open on the door, prepared to go and pretend he’s a lot more sober than he is and definitely not half hard from snogging a girl, only to be met with a very unimpressed look. “Arthur Television.”

For a mortifying moment, he thinks Becky is here to scold him, for snogging a drunk Lucy and having the gaul to consider wanking about it. Thankfully, he’s been in the bathroom a lot longer than he realised. 

“Get your arse out of there, or I’m going to piss myself. Use the mens next time, you dirty bastard." She all but shoves him out of the way, and hurries inside, leaving Arthur a blushing and apologetic mess in front of the two other women queuing up to use the bathroom.  

Everyone’s outside and it doesn’t seem like anyone’s really missed them; he’s not sure if that’s worse or better than being caught. 

He feels like he’s spotted a checkmate in three, having to bite his tongue and play it cool, not let anything slip. Lest someone find out how ecstatic he is. 

[ part two ] [ masterlist ] [ unseen, coming soon... ]

ink note: let it be known, Lucy and Arthur's ship name is 'Bell-evision' and George is the one who coins it a few chapters down the line.

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[dangermousie]

OK so in the novel they clarified a bit which is before the present curse for the couple in the forest (ie before he also went up the staircase), which is truly horrible, when he stayed with her for 100 years, he'd just restart again every day telling her he loved her and she'd not remember and that's bad enough but of course then what happens for 6000 years after is worse! (So I guess that little bit where it showed them planting stuff is from that period.)

Her immortality lasted only a day, while he had watched six thousand years of flowers blooming and withering here, silently gazing from her shadow. Only when she was asleep, in the starless and moonless nights, could he briefly emerge from the shadow to touch her sleeping face?

They had once had sweet moments of dependence, in the more than thirty thousand days after their reunion. He stayed by her side, waiting for her to wake up every day, forgetting the previous day, and he would tirelessly tell her again and again:

—Feng Xiang, I love you, from the first moment I saw you.

—Can you forgive my foolishness and timidity, and start over with me?

She would forgive him again and again, clumsily kissing him, her face red as she accused him of being too skilled, asking if he had another Dao companion.

He could only smile bitterly. Where would he get another Dao companion? It was just that for more than thirty thousand days, he had repeated the same confession and entanglement, becoming skilled through repetition.

However, Feng Xiang would always forget that he loved her.

He wished he had never stepped on the Heavenly Stairs, so he could have a thousand years of companionship with her. But if he hadn’t stepped on the Heavenly Stairs, he wouldn’t bear to let her endlessly reincarnate alone in the mortal world.

It was all his fault. Why did he let Feng Xiang suffer such torment…

Good Lord, I am spoiled about what happened to the OG deities and all I can say is richly deserved!!!!

[rebel-wrath]

Confidence for Writers: How To Believe In Yourself & Your Fiction

Hello,

I'm new here. My name's Callie, and you can call me that or Rebel. My pronouns are they/them, and today I'm sharing somethings that helped me when my confidence took a hit and I couldn't write for a while.

A while ago, I lost my confidence in my writing and I was really struggling with it. I have since regained my confidence and now I know I'm amazing MUHAHA.

No, but like, seriously.

What I’m saying is I lost my confidence and regained it and… well, there’s more to it than that. I was also quite badly depressed. Depression comes and goes for me, and this time it hit hard. Anyway, my confidence tanked, my depression skyrocketed, and I couldn’t write for a long time. A very serious relationship I was in had ended, my job prospects were zero, I had just realised I was transgender for the third time, and unlike the first twice I couldn’t quite bury these feelings (but boy, did I try).

I decided to change my life around. And I started various things, such as exercising, eating better, and so on. Some of those things I still do.

One of the things I started doing was improving my self-confidence. All of it, through my whole life. And my confidence in my writing improved. See, you can improve your writing confidence, and I’ll come back to ways to do that later, but first I want to go over improving overall confidence.

Okay, since you’re reading this piece… one of three things is probably the reason for it. You maybe follow my tumblr (all like 3 of you, thanks), not really into this post, but reading out of loyalty. Thank you if you are, you’re so sweet. I heart you.

The second thing is that you could be really really bored and just reading anything. Oh, I thought of a fourth thing. I’ll put it now. The second and a half thing is curiosity.

The third thing is that you lack confidence and you’re looking for help.

But before I help you, are you confident at anything? If you lack confidence in one area, it’s not uncommon to lack it in other areas, too. If you do lack confidence in more than one area, the general tips to improve your confidence that I’m about to tell you will help. If it’s specifically writing related confidence you need, I’ll cover that after the general tips.

One last thing before we get to the tips: I've already said I was depressed at this time, and that will come up in the post again later. These are not tips for beating depression. You don't beat depression, you manage it. If you have depression, you need to see a doctor.

Tips to Improve Your Overall Confidence

sleep

First of all, get enough sleep. That might be 12 hours, or it might be less. For me, I get between 5 and 7 hours sleep a night, and maybe two or three nights a month I have a 12 hour super sleep. Do what works for you, but if you feel tired all the time… it might be because you’re tired all the time. It could also be illness or depression or something, but at least consider sleeping more. I’m not saying don’t go to the doctor.

Being rested makes you less stressed and more able to handle things.

exercise

One of the best ways to free your mind of stress and worry is through exercise. This is something I was doing a lot last year – but an injury in November with a long recovery means I haven’t been this year. I’m hoping to start again soon, I miss it.

The healthier you are, the better you feel.

act confident

If you act confident, people will assume you are confident. They will treat you like you’re confident, which makes you feel confident, and the difference between feeling confident and being confident - THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE.

If you feel it, you are it.

be clean, dress nice, look good

Depressed people often don’t do this - when I was at my most depressed I wouldn’t shower unless I was going out, and I could be in the house for days at a time, wearing the same clothes, all sweaty and rank. Even if you don't shower often, if you aren’t putting effort into your grooming, it can affect your confidence.

Be proud, look good

reframe negativity into positivity

Everyone has internalised thoughts that they never really pay attention to, and often these thoughts are negative. It’s probably a survival thing - I’ll never survive jumping off that 100 feet high cliff is a good thought, I’ll never survive jumping off that two feet high cliff can cripple you with fear for no reason. Pay attention to your internalised thoughts, reframe negativity into positivity.

I will survive jumping off that two feet high cliff.

Even if it’s something you can’t do, try to reframe it into something you can do. I’ll never survive jumping off that 10 feet high cliff unless I practice smaller jumps first and set out crash mats. Okay, yeah, you might not survive anyway - maybe if you jump into the sea?

I’ll never write an 80,000 word novel unless I plan it out and write one 2000 word chapter at a time

be kind and generous

The cynical view is that the more you help others, the more they want to help you, and the more people help you, the more you see yourself as a person worthy of people’s time and attention. The more positive view is still pretty cynical - if you help people, it’s a nice thing to do and doing nice things makes you feel good, unless you are a sociopath. Either way,

helping others helps you

Tips to Improve Your Confidence In Your Writing

First of all, you're not an aspiring writer. Take the aspiring and throw it away. You write. You're a writer. You can aspire to be a better writer, or a published writer, or someone's favourite writer, but you can't aspire to be something you already are.

compliment board

You can make an aesthetic or document of all the compliments you're writing receives and look at them when you're feeling down. Negativity is more memorable than positivity; this helps us remember the nice things people have said about our books. But to do this, we need to let people read our writing.

let people read it

Putting your work out there can be fiendishly difficult. It's a really, really stressful thing until you do it and realise it really isn't that stressful a thing. Yet the next time you try, it seems to be just as stressful as the first time. But it's one of the best and most sure-fire ways to improve your confidence in your writing. People tend to suck at self-evaluating. Some people overdo it, other's can't manage it at all.

be open to criticism

Positive criticism can make you a better writer, and when you're a better writer you'll get more compliments, so that feeds back into your confidence.

but also take no shit

Sometimes people will pretend to be help you but will actually attack you. They will tell you that you are a terrible writer, but will rarely say exactly what is wrong or how to improve. If pinned down, it usually turns out your story just isn't to their taste. Watch for people who pretend attacks are criticism, and remove them from your life or, if you can't, don't give them anything to read and ignore their opinions.

Hopefully these tips help improve your confidence. They worked for me.

[daddyn3xus]

Someone sounds a lil bit eepy lol

i need a nap brooo

[x-rds]

That post about huge red flags from exes is going around and I’m like well mine requires some background reading

[seventh-district]

.

[keeps-ache]

why's all the colorful stuff always in the kids' options oTL

[lesbiansanemi]

Do you think if I wish hard enough my mom will get electrocuted by a string of Christmas lights and just go up in a cloud of smoke. It’d be a Christmas miracle

[newtness532]

this stupid nap, which wasn't even a good one, ruined everything

[orcelito]

Despite all odds, I have arrived home safely👍

Turns out that the earlier goop was the better goop. The adderall goop. The adderall has worn off now though. So I am. Very incredibly out of it.

But I am home. And I will take my quick shower. And then I will climb into bed.

I do need to eat. But... later...