#i know this has been analyzed a lot of times but i need to add my two cents
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sojirosteacup · 1 year ago
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The (possible) origins of the Mori/Haruhi rumor
Or, I take a look at four different language versions of Mori's character profile to try to debunk this rumor.
You guys probably know the rumor that goes like "Tamaki wasn't supposed to end up with Haruhi, it was going to be Mori, but Tamaki became more popular and the mangaka changed her mind"
Like many others in this fandom, I'm tired of people blindly believing it so I was trying to write a post about how I think this rumor started. I was originally going to focus more on the "it changed because Tamaki became popular" part, because I felt that the "Mori was supposed to be endgame" part of the rumor had already been dissected by other people.
Except when I was I looking for Mori's character profile (the infamous quote that is believed to be the source of it) to use for my post, I found different versions of it depending on the translation. And maybe the "Mori was supposed to be endgame" part needs a bit more dissection, actually.
Especially since I couldn't understand at first why Mori of all hosts is the focus of this rumor, because MoriHaru was pretty much a rarepair before this.
Now I'm going to analyze both the "Mori was supposed to be endgame" part and the "it changed because Tamaki became popular" parts. And I think I may have a pretty good theory for how this rumor started.
Here is my analysis under the cut:
(Beware there are probably some spelling mistakes bc it's 2AM and english is not my native language)
The MoriHaru rumor is widely believed to have come from a quote from Hatori in a manga volume. More exactly, Mori's character profile.
So let's take a look at his character profile for a second.
The English translation that gets passed around goes like this:
"If I leave him alone, he winds up being a 'quiet, sober-faced fellow' so he makes Hatori groan a lot. But his love is vast (laugh), so there's at least an outside chance of Haruhi and Mori becoming a couple."
Here we have what might have confused some people. "Outside chance of Haruhi/Mori becoming a couple" doesn't mean they were supposed to be endgame, it means there is an unlikely chance of them being a couple.
Makes sense people would misread this. But I've always felt it was such a weak sentence to start this entire rumor… especially when there is literally shippy art of Haruhi with every host in the manga. Wouldn't any other character have started a similar rumor? Why would such a weak sentence start something so big?
But I was looking for a clear picture of the English profile to add to my original post idea when I stumbled over the Spanish version. And it got me confused because it was worded differently:
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If you don't know Spanish, this is very similar to the English text, except the ending says:
"My (Hatori's) favorite couple is Mori + Haruhi, maybe."
Wait, we have an entirely different sentence here! This one implies Hatori likes MoriHaru more than the other couples, which could point to this being the source of the rumor. But I'm not satisfied. This is not enough. Let's dig deeper.
Spanish is not my native language, so I went to my actual native language, which is Brazilian Portuguese. Fortunately I have the entire collection with me, so I opened volume one to find this:
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The first sentence is pretty much the same as the English and Spanish versions, but the rest says "He ends up worrying me, because he gives me the impression he will end up turning the story around. But I like him a lot (laughs). Maybe my favorite couple is Mori and Hani"
And that Hani bit is a fucking mistranslation from the Brazilian Portuguese print! It's supposed to be Haruhi, not Honey. This is the second time I find a mistranslation in this volume! This is why shoujo manga doesn't sell well here, publishers!
But the rest of the text is interesting. He could "turn the story around" (this is the closest translation I can give you for the word "reviravolta"). That means he has the potential to change the plot. Interesting. Seems in line with the rumor of Hatori's plans changing.
Now we have three different translations here, all of them pointing to different things. It's a bit confusing. Which one is the real translation?
But you don't know the depths to my obsession! I do have the first ouran volume in Japanese! And there is no better way to solve this mystery than to look at the original text!
I'm not fluent in Japanese but I have six semesters of beginner level Japanese under my belt + it's 1 AM 2AM and I should be asleep because I'm going to cosplay Tamaki at a con tomorrow + I drank an entire cup of green tea and I'm shaking AND THIS IS THE PERFECT TIME TO FALL IN A TRANSLATION RABBIT HOLE!
Here is a pic of the Japanese text taken straight from the manga:
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In the Japanese text, Hatori says Mori/Haruhi (yes, HARUHI, not Honey) is a 大穴 couple. I searched 大穴 on a japanese dictionary app and this is what it means: "Long shot win (in horse racing), big winnings (on a Long shot), a killing (made from a bet)"
So THAT'S probably where it came from. She called MoriHaru an unlikely win and people thought it meant she was planning for him and Haruhi to be a surprise endgame in the long run. Looks similar to the english version, but I feel it has more "winning connotations" here, you know? Add this to the translation calling them Hatori's favorite couple and you have the likely source to the confusion: People thought it was her favorite couple and that it would win in the long run, surprising everyone.
From this to "they were supposed to be endgame but it got changed" it's not a big leap.
I should try translating the rest of the japanese text but let me do it another day when it's not 2AM, thanks
But that does not mean she was planning for them to be canon. If anything it's more likely she didn't know who to ship Haruhi with at first (there are other quotes from the manga that support this or the "Tamaki was always endgame" theory).
So another part of the mystery seems to be solved, but none of this explains the whole popularity part of the rumor. You know, when people say Tamaki became the male lead because he was more popular than Mori.
We know this is highly unlikely because Mori actually got second place at the first popularity pool, losing only to Haruhi. And Tamaki wasn't the only popular character in the group. You can see this in depth in this post by another person.
So where could people have taken that from?
You know which other shoujo fandom has a very similar rumor? Boys over flowers (a.k.a. Hana Yori Dango a.k.a. Meteor Garden).
If you are into that manga, you have probably heard that "Tsukasa wasn't supposed to be the male lead, Rui was. But Tsukasa won the first popularity pool and the mangaka changed her mind."
(Listen, I'm a huge boys over flowers fan but I'm not sure if this is true in this fandom either. I'm not a huge interview reader, so if anyone has a source where Kamio says this, please send it to me.)
But in boys over flowers case it at least makes a bit more sense! Tsukasa did win the first popularity contest (Rui got third place). And I've seen this rumor on bof fansites from the 90s/early 00s, so this one has a higher chance of being true compared to the ouran one.
Honestly, the first time I heard the Mori rumor my first reaction was "???? I've heard this before in another fandom????"
So my guess is that the rumor about Boys Over Flowers somehow jumped to Ouran. But how did people mix up completely unrelated series from different mangaka and magazines? It's not that hard to imagine. They are both popular reverse harem series with the same basic concept (poor girl in rich school with rich boys).
My guess is that someone saw the Mori thing and thought "oh, so it's like boys over flowers where the male lead changed because the other was more popular" and it snowballed from this.
Again, I could be wrong and maybe there is a Hatori quote somewhere on the internet proving the rumor. But for now, I'm going to believe it's a mix of mistranslations/misinterpretations and people jumping to conclusions.
(And this is not an attack on people who ship MoriHaru, btw. Ship whatever you want. This is just about the rumor)
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harrysfolklore · 4 months ago
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casual - ln4
summary: you’re in a situationship with lando norris, one that you know is going to break your heart, but you can’t seem to walk away. wc: 11.7k
folkie radio: i was about to scrap this entire fic bc i just didn’t like they way it was turning out but i finished it ���� i’m still not really confident about it but i hope you enjoy it. disclaimer: this is angsty !!
MASTERLIST | MY PATREON
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You and Lando. Lando and You. An undefined space, more than friends, less than a relationship. You remember it like it was yesterday, though almost a year has passed.
It started innocently enough. As a data analyst and strategist for McLaren, you often found yourself working late nights, poring over race statistics and performance metrics. Lando would sometimes wander into the office, restless after a day of simulations and meetings.
At first, your interactions were purely professional - discussing tire degradation rates or fuel consumption patterns. But gradually, conversations began to drift, getting more personal and personal.
The shift happened subtly. One night, after a particularly grueling race weekend, you were both exhausted, sprawled on the office couch analyzing data. Lando's head drooped onto your shoulder, and for a moment, neither of you moved. The air crackled with tension.
"We shouldn't," you murmured, even as you turned to face him.
"Probably not," Lando agreed, his blue eyes flickering to your lips.
The kiss was inevitable, months of built-up attraction finally finding release. And then came another, and another.
When Lando suggested heading back to his place, you found yourself saying yes without hesitation.
Before you knew it, you were in his apartment, you could feel the tension in the air. Lando stepped closer, his hand cupping your cheek.
"I've been wanting to do this for a while," he murmured, before leaning in to kiss you again.
Clothes were shed as you made your way to his bedroom, falling onto his bed in a tangle of limbs.
The next morning, sunlight streams through unfamiliar curtains, and you blink awake, momentarily disoriented. Lando's sleeping form beside you brings the memories of last night flooding back.
Lando stirs, his blue eyes meeting yours. "Morning," he mumbles, a shy smile playing on his lips. "So... that happened."
You nod, unsure of what to say. "It did."
An awkward silence stretches between you, the weight of the previous night settling in. You would be lying if you said that you didn't enjoy it. You did. You enjoyed it a lot. But you knew the implications of getting close with someone like Lando Norris.
"Look, Iast night was great," finally, Lando speaks. "But my life, my career... it's complicated."
"I understand," you reply, trying to hide the embarrassment on your face, "I mean, we're work colleges after all, it's complicated for me too."
"I'm not saying I regret this," he quickly adds, "I just... I can't offer you something else right now."
You take a deep breath, weighing your options. "So what are you offering?"
"Honestly? I don't know," Lando runs a hand through his tousled hair, "But I'd like to keep seeing you, if you're okay with... not defining things?"
And so begins, your undefined journey with Lando Norris. From that moment, your relationship existed in a grey area. At work, you maintained professionalism, but stolen glances, brushed hands and the way your clothes always ended up in his bedroom floor told a different story.
You know it's not ideal, to have a situationship with Lando Norris. Not when you know you could really fall for him and jeopardize your job. But at the same time, you can't walk away.
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You love you job so much, and the fact that you're willing to shut the rest of the world away in order to focus on what you needed to do proved it.
As the Japanese Grand Prix weekend unfolded, you found yourself buried in work. The Suzuka circuit always presented challenges, and you were determined to give the team every advantage possible.
You were so engrossed in your data analysis that you barely noticed Lando enter the temporary office setup. His hand on your shoulder made you jump.
"Christ, Lando! You scared me," you exclaimed, pulling off your headphones.
He grinned, but there was a hint of something else in his eyes. "Come with me," he said, taking your hand and gently pulling you up.
"Lando, I'm in the middle of-"
"It can wait," he insisted, leading you out of the office and towards his driver's room.
Once inside, he closed the door and leaned against it, watching you with an intensity that made your heart race.
"I miss you," he said simply.
You felt a pang of guilt. It had been weeks since you'd had any real time alone together. "I've been busy," you replied, trying to keep your tone light.
"Busy doing what?" Lando raised an eyebrow.
"Coming up with strategies so you can win races, actually," you retorted, a hint of challenge in your voice.
"Oh really? And how's that going?" he stepped closer, a teasing glint in his eye.
"Well, if you'd stop distracting me," you tilted your chin up defiantly, "Maybe I could finish and you'd find out."
Lando chuckled, closing the distance between you. His hands found your waist, pulling you against him. "Maybe I like distracting you," he murmured, his breath warm against your ear.
You shivered involuntarily. "Lando..." you warned, but there was no real resistance in your voice.
"Tell me about these strategies," he said, his lips now trailing along your jawline. "How are you planning to make me faster?"
You struggled to maintain your train of thought as his touch sent sparks through your body. "Well," you managed, "I've been analyzing your cornering speeds and-"
Lando cut you off with a kiss, deep and passionate. When he pulled away, you were both breathless.
"Sorry," he grinned, not looking sorry at all. "You were saying?"
"You're impossible, you know that?"
Before he can even reply, you drag him for another kiss. His fingers tangled in your hair as he pulls you closer, your hands slid under his team shirt, tracing the lean muscles of his back.
When you broke apart, Lando's eyes were dark with desire.
"I thought I was the one who distracted you. Seems like you're just as needy as I am," he smirked, his voice low and teasing.
"Don't flatter yourself, Norris," you felt a blush creep up your cheeks, but matched his playful tone, "I'm just... thorough in my research."
Lando's laugh was warm against your neck as he pressed a kiss there. "Is that what we're calling it now?"
"We're not calling it a relationship, aren't we?" you blurted out before you could even think about it.
Lando's expression softened for a moment, a flicker of something unreadable passing through his eyes. But quickly, his trademark grin returned.
"Well, we're not calling it a relationship," he said, his tone light and teasing, "maybe we should call it a 'performance enhancement program'. You know, for the sake of the team."
You couldn't help but laugh, even as you felt a twinge in your chest at the casual deflection of the relationship topic. "Oh, is that what this is? And here I thought I was just your favorite data analyst."
"Oh, you definitely are," Lando murmured, leaning in for another kiss. "The very best at... analyzing my data."
You rolled your eyes at the innuendo but smiled despite yourself. "As tempting as it is to continue this 'program'," you said, gently pushing him back, "I really do need to get back to work. Those race strategies won't write themselves, you know."
"Fine, fine. Go make me faster on paper. But don't forget, I might need some hands-on analysis later."
"We'll see about that, hotshot," you replied, straightening your clothes and heading for the door. "Focus on your qualifying first."
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It's late, well past midnight, when your phone buzzes with a text. You're still up, reviewing data from the day's practice sessions. The message is from Lando, of course.
"Room 507. Now. Please?"
You can't help but smile, imagining the impatience and desire behind those words. You type back:
"Demanding, aren't we? What if I'm busy?"
His reply comes quickly: "Busy with what? I know you're probably still working. Take a break. You deserve it.”
You laugh softly. "I deserve it, huh? Well, when you put it that way..."
"So you're coming?"
You pause, pretending to consider it, even though you both know you're already reaching for your room key. "I suppose I could spare a few minutes."
"There's my girl"
You slip out of your room, heart racing with anticipation. You've done this countless of times before, sneaking out of your hotel room to end up naked in Lando's, but you still felt like a teenage girl every single time.
The hotel corridor is quiet, your footsteps muffled by the plush carpet. You're so focused on reaching Lando's room that you almost collide with someone rounding the corner.
"Whoa, sorry!" You step back, then freeze as you realize it's Oscar, who looks equally surprised.
"Oh, hey. Bit late for a walk, isn't it?"
Your mind races, searching for a plausible excuse. "I, uh... couldn't sleep. Thought I'd grab some ice."
"Ice?" Oscar's brow furrows slightly, "At this hour?"
"Yeah, you know... for my water," you say lamely, cringing at how unconvincing you sound. "Helps me... think better. For work."
"Right," Oscar says slowly, clearly not buying it but too polite to press further. "Well, don't let me keep you from your... ice-enhanced thinking."
You force a laugh. "Thanks. Goodnight, Oscar."
As you hurry past him, you can feel his curious gaze on your back. You silently pray he doesn't mention this encounter to anyone else on the team.
One of the main reasons why you agreed to mess around with Lando without a label was exactly that, the fear of putting your job at risk. You worked hard for it, and you would never forgive yourself if you lost it due to getting in a relationship with one of the drivers.
Which lead you to getting in a goddamn situationship.
Finally reaching room 507, you knock softly. Lando opens the door almost immediately, pulling you inside with a grin.
"Took you long enough," he teases, his arms wrapping around your waist.
"Yeah, well, I just had to convince your teammate that I'm wandering the halls at 1 AM in search of ice. So thanks for that," you retort, but there's no real annoyance in your voice.
"You ran into Oscar?" Lando's eyes widen, "What did you tell him?"
"That I needed ice. For thinking."
"Ice for thinking?" he bursts out laughing. "That's the best you could come up with?"
"Hey, you try coming up with a believable excuse on the spot!" you protest, swatting his arm playfully.
"Fair enough," Lando concedes, still chuckling. "Now, where were we? I believe you were going to help me with some... performance analysis?"
As Lando leans in, your lips meet in a passionate kiss. The tension that's been building all day finally releases as you melt into his embrace. His hands roam your body, pulling you closer as the kiss deepens.
"I've been thinking about this all day," he murmurs, his voice low and husky.
"Oh really?" you tease, running your fingers through his hair. "I thought you were supposed to be focusing on your lap times."
"Who says I can't do both?"
Lando's lips find your neck, trailing kisses along your jawline. You tilt your head back, a soft sigh escaping your lips. Your hands slide under his t-shirt, tracing his sides.
He guides you towards the bed, your bodies pressed close together. As the back of your knees hit the mattress, you fall back, pulling Lando with you. He hovers over you, his weight supported on his forearms.
"You're beautiful," he whispers, his eyes roaming your face.
You reach up to cup his cheek, drawing him down for another kiss. This one is slower, deeper, filled with unspoken emotions.
As things heat up, clothes start to come off. Lando's shirt is the first to go, followed quickly by yours. Skin meets skin, and the world narrows down to just the two of you, lost in each other's touch.
The night stretches on, filled with whispered words, soft moans, and the rustle of sheets. You can't help but think that this undefined thing with Lando is getting more complicated by the day but you decide that's a problem for future you to worry about.
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After an exhausting triple header across three different countries, you finally have a well-deserved two-week break.
The past few races have been grueling, with long nights analyzing data and strategizing for each track. While you love your job, the intense schedule has left you drained. Now back home, you decide it's time to unwind and have some fun with your friends.
It's Friday evening, and you're getting ready for a girls' night out. Usually, you’d spend your Friday with Lando, but this time you were dying for a chance to let loose, dance with your friends and forget about work for a while. 
And maybe, forget about your little situationship, too.
Speak of the devil and he shall appear, they say. Because as if on cue your phone starts buzzing with an incoming FaceTime call. Lando's name flashes on the screen.
You answer, propping the phone up on your dresser. "Hey, Lan," you greet him while still doing your makeup.
"Hey, you," he replies, his eyes widening slightly as he takes in your appearance. "Wow, you look hot. Are you going somewhere?"
You nod, turning back to the mirror to continue applying your eyeshadow. "Yep, heading out tonight. It's been ages since I've had a proper night out."
"Oh," Lando says, his tone curious. "Like, out out? Are you... um, going on a date or something?"
You can't help but smirk a little at his barely concealed interest. "Why, Lando Norris, are you fishing for information?" you tease. "I mean, I could be going on a date. We're not exclusive, after all."
Lando's expression falters for a moment before he catches himself, forcing a casual laugh. "No, no, of course not. I was just, you know, curious. Making conversation and all that."
You watch him in the phone screen, noticing how he's trying to play it cool but failing miserably. His jaw is tense, and he's fidgeting more than usual.
Taking pity on him, you decide to put him out of his misery. "Relax, Lando. It's just girls' night. After that triple header, I need to blow off some steam with my friends."
"Oh, right. Cool, cool," the relief on his face is palpable, "That sounds fun."
"Were you jealous, Norris?" you raise an eyebrow at him.
"Me? Jealous? Nah," he scoffs, but the slight blush creeping up his neck betrays him. "I mean, like you said, we're not... you know."
"Exclusive," you finish for him, feeling a familiar twinge in your chest at the word.
"Right," Lando nods, looking a bit uncomfortable. "Anyway, I hope you have a great time tonight. You deserve it after all the hard work these past few weeks."
"Thanks, Lan. I plan to."
"Call me if you need me to pick you up," Lando assures, making you smile softly. Maybe he actually cares about you, you think.
"Don't worry, I can handle myself."
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Just as Lando was expecting, you call him around 2 AM, asking if he could come pick you up from the club.
He doesn’t think twice before he’s getting up, putting a hoodie on and grabbing his keys to leave the house.
His car pulls up outside the club about 15 minutes later. You make your way to the vehicle, sliding into the passenger seat with a giggle.
"Thanks for coming," you say, leaning towards him with a grin.
“Of course, love,” Lando looks you over, a playful smirk on his face. "Looks like someone had fun tonight."
“I did, but I missed you,” you say as he starts driving, you’re not sure if he’ll take you to your place or his, but you don’t want to sleep without him, "Oh! I have to tell you something,"
"Well do tell," he encourages, glancing at you with interest.
"There was this guy at the club," you begin, noticing how Lando's eyebrow quirks up. "He was really handsome, and he was flirting with me."
"Was he now?" Lando asks, his tone light but with an undercurrent of something else.
"Yup," you say, popping the 'p' sound. "I pushed him away. Because even though you might not be my boyfriend, I only want you. No one else."
Lando's lips curl into a pleased smile. "Is that so?" he says, his voice low and teasing. "And here I thought I was just your favorite Uber driver."
You burst into laughter, the sound filling the car. Then, feeling bold, you place your hand on his thigh. "Will you sleep with me tonight?"
Lando doesn't even flinch. Instead, he shoots you a mischievous look. "Just like that? Usually, I at least buy you dinner first."
You groan, moving your hand from his thigh but he quickly catches it and kisses your palm before resting it there again, “Of course I’ll stay with you, baby.”
As you arrive home, Lando helps you inside, his arm steady around your waist. You stumble a bit, giggling as you lean into him.
"Careful there," he says, "Let's get you sorted, shall we?"
He guides you to the kitchen, one hand on the small of your back. You hop onto a barstool, watching as he moves around your kitchen with surprising familiarity.
"Let's get some water in you," he says, filling a large glass. "And maybe some food too. When's the last time you ate?"
You scrunch your nose, trying to remember. "Um... before we went out? I think?"
Lando shakes his head, a fond smile on his face. "No wonder you're in this state. Drink this," he hands you the water, "and I'll make you a sandwich."
You sip the water obediently, watching him as he rummages through your fridge. "You don't have to do all this, you know," you say softly.
"I want to," he looks up at you, his eyes soft. "Let me take care of you, yeah?"
As you finish your water, he slides a plate with a sandwich in front of you. "Eat up, pretty girl. It'll help sober you up."
You take a bite, suddenly realizing how hungry you are. As you eat, Lando leans against the counter, watching you with amusement and something else you can't quite name.
"So," he says casually, "tell me about this handsome guy at the club."
You swallow your bite, looking up at him. "Jealous, Norris?"
"Just curious," he shrugs, a smirk playing at his lips. "You said you pushed him away?"
You nod, setting down the sandwich. "I did. He was nice, but... he wasn't you."
The words hang in the air between you, heavy with implication. Lando's eyes sparkle, but he doesn't say anything.
You slide off the barstool and step closer to him. Your hands find his chest and you lean in, pressing your lips to his. He kisses back, his hands settling on your waist, pulling you closer. The kiss deepens, and you feel a warmth spreading through you that has nothing to do with the alcohol.
But then Lando pulls away gently, resting his forehead against yours. "Let's go to sleep, pretty girl," he says, his voice low and a bit rough. "You need rest."
You pout, your fingers playing with the collar of his shirt. "But I want you," you whisper, leaning in so your lips are inches from his.
"And you can have me," he says softly, cupping your face with one hand. "But right now we're going to sleep."
You start to protest, but he silences you with a gentle kiss on the forehead. "Come on, let's get you to bed."
As he leads you to the bedroom, Lando's mind is in turmoil. He's acutely aware of the growing feelings he has for you - feelings that go far beyond the casual arrangement you've had so far. The way his heart races when you're near, the constant urge to make you smile, the fierce protectiveness he feels - it all points to something deeper, that both thrills and terrifies him.
But with these feelings comes a familiar fear. Commitment has always been hard for him. The demands of his career, the pressure of the public eye, the fear of letting someone down - they all contribute to his hesitation. And yet, as he looks at you now, soft and vulnerable in his arms, he can't help but wonder if you might be worth the risk.
In the bedroom, he helps you change into comfortable sleepwear. As you both lay down, you curl into his side, your head on his chest. The steady beat of his heart is soothing, and you feel yourself starting to drift off.
"Lando?" you ask, your voice sleepy.
"Hmm?" His hand is running through your hair, the gesture comforting.
"Do you push away the beautiful girls that come up to flirt with you? Like I did tonight?"
You feel his chest rise with a deep breath. There's a pause before he answers, "I do," he says softly. "There's only one girl I'm interested in."
You lift your head slightly, trying to look at him through heavy-lidded eyes. "Really? Who's that?"
He chuckles, the sound rumbling in his chest. "I think you know, pretty girl."
You're fighting sleep now, but you're determined to get an answer. "Well, I don't believe you," you mumble, the words slurring together. "Prove it."
Lando opens his mouth to reply, but he realizes you're already asleep, your breathing evening out. He looks down at you, a fond smile on his face. Pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead, he whispers, "Maybe I'll show you soon."
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The Hungarian Grand Prix has just concluded, and the atmosphere in the McLaren garage is torn between elation and tension.
Oscar has claimed his first Formula 1 victory, a monumental achievement for him and the team. However, the circumstances of his win have left a bitter taste in Lando's mouth, casting a shadow over what should have been a moment of pure celebration for everyone.
You're standing off to the side, your mind racing. The strategy call wasn't yours directly, but as part of the team, you can't help feeling partly responsible for the decision that affected both drivers.
As Lando storms into the garage, his face like thunder, you brace yourself for the fallout. His usual easy-going demeanor is nowhere to be seen, replaced by a storm of anger and disappointment. You've seen Lando upset before, but this felt different.
"Lando," you start, reaching out to him, your voice soft and tentative.
"Save it," he snaps, his blue eyes flashing with anger as he brushes past you. The coldness in his voice makes you flinch. "I don't want to hear it. Not from you, not from anyone."
For the rest of the day, Lando avoids you like the plague. You take separate flights home so you don't really see him or hear from him after you left the circuit.
Over the next few days, you try reaching out via text, each message more desperate than the last. But they go unanswered, each 'read' receipt another twist of the knife. This isn't like Lando, to shut everyone out so completely. You can't help but wonder if this is about more than just the race.
Finally, unable to bear it any longer, you decide to go to his place. It's a risky move, you know, but the thought of leaving things like this is unbearable. Using the spare key he gave you months ago - a gesture that had felt so significant at the time - you let yourself in.
The apartment is quiet, but not empty. You can feel his presence, sense the tension in the air.
"Lando?" you call out, your voice echoing slightly in the silent space.
You hear movement from his bedroom, and soon enough he emerges, dressed to go out, and freezes when he sees you. His expression hardens, the warmth you're used to seeing in his eyes replaced by a cold, distant look. "What are you doing here?"
"We need to talk, Lando," you say, your voice firm despite the nervous flutter in your stomach. "You can't just shut me out like this. It's not fair, and it's not right."
"I don't have time for this right now," Lando's jaw clenches, his gaze darting away from yours, "I'm heading out."
"Of course you are," you say, unable to keep the bitterness from your voice. "Because going out and partying is so much easier than facing your problems, isn't it?"
His eyes narrow, a spark of anger igniting, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means you're running away," you say, taking a step closer. "From the race, from the team, from me. We're all just trying to do our best, Lando. The team made a call, and it worked out for the best. Why can't you see that?"
"Because it wasn't the best for me!" Lando explodes, his composure finally cracking. "Do you have any idea what it's like? To have victory in your grasp and then have it taken away? To be told that you're not good enough, that your teammate is the better choice?"
"That's not what happened, and you know it," you argue back, your own frustration bubbling over. "It was a strategic decision, not a judgment on your abilities. You're letting your ego cloud your judgment."
"My ego?" Lando's laugh is harsh and humorless, "That's rich, coming from someone who's never had to make these kinds of sacrifices."
The words hang in the air between you, sharp and cutting. You take a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions inside you. You's never had an argument like this before.
"Fine," you say finally, your voice quiet but firm. "Go out if that's what you want. But don't call me when you're feeling lonely later tonight. I'm not just some convenient comfort for when you decide you need me."
Something flashes in Lando's eyes – hurt, perhaps, or regret. But it's quickly replaced by a hardness that makes your heart ache.
"Don't worry," he retorts, his voice cold. "I can always find another girl to keep me company. I don't need you for that."
The words hit you like a physical blow, and you take an involuntary step back. The undefined nature of your relationship, once thrilling in its potential, now feels like a weapon being used against you.
"Is that what this is to you?" you ask, your voice barely above a whisper. "Just a convenient arrangement? Someone to warm your bed when you can't find anyone else?"
Lando's expression softens for a moment, regret flickering across his features. But he doesn't take back his words. Instead, he turns away, his hand on the front door.
"You know your way out." And with that, he's out of the door.
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A week later, Formula 1 has moved to the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium. The air is thick with anticipation - not just for the upcoming race, but for the looming summer break that follows.
You've thrown yourself into your work, burying your emotions under a mountain of data analysis and strategy planning. The tension between you and Lando hasn't gone unnoticed by the team, but thankfully, everyone's too focused on the upcoming race to pry.
You haven't spoke to Lando after your argument at his place, and you blocked his number, leaving him unable to contact you.
As you make your way through the paddock, your arms full of printouts and your mind racing with tire degradation calculations, you spot a familiar figure approaching. Lando, clad in his McLaren team shirt, is walking purposefully in your direction. Your heart rate spikes, and you quickly duck into a nearby hospitality area, pretending to be engrossed in conversation with a group of engineers.
This dance continues throughout the day. Lando tries to catch your eye during the team briefing, but you keep your gaze fixed on your tablet. He lingers near your station in the garage, but you find urgent errands that take you elsewhere. It's exhausting, this game of cat and mouse, but you're not ready to face him - not yet.
As the day winds down, you're making your final rounds, double-checking that everything is set for tomorrow's practice sessions. The paddock is quieter now, most team members having retired for the evening.
You're so focused on your checklist that you don't notice the approaching footsteps until it's too late.
"We need to talk," Lando's voice, firm and tinged with frustration, breaks the silence.
You spin around and Lando stands before you, his blue eyes intense and determined. He's changed out of his team shirt into a simple t-shirt and jeans, his hair slightly tousled as if he's been running his hands through it.
"Lando, I-" you begin, but he cuts you off.
"No, don't give me another excuse," he says, stepping closer. "We've been dancing around each other all day. Enough is enough."
Before you can protest, he gently but firmly takes your arm and starts guiding you towards the McLaren motorhome. You could resist, but something in his tone, a note of desperation perhaps, makes you comply.
The motorhome is quiet and dimly lit as Lando leads you inside and up to the second level where the drivers have their private areas. He ushers you into his room, closing the door behind you.
The space is unmistakably Lando's - a gaming setup in one corner, a few personal photos tacked to a board, his race suit hanging neatly on a hook. The familiarity of it all makes your heart ache.
Lando runs a hand through his hair, pacing for a moment before turning to face you.
"I'm sorry," he blurts out, the words tumbling from his lips as if he's afraid he'll lose his nerve if he doesn't say them immediately. "I'm so sorry for how I acted, for what I said. It was awful, and you didn't deserve any of it."
You stand there, arms crossed, trying to maintain your composure even as a lot of emotions overwhelm you. "You were an asshole, Lando," you say quietly.
"I know," he nods, "I was angry and frustrated, but that's no excuse. I took it out on you when you were just trying to help." He takes a step closer, his eyes pleading. "I've been miserable this past week. I missed you so much, and the thought that I might have ruined everything between us… it's been killing me."
Despite your best efforts to stay strong, you feel your resolve weakening. You're weak when it comes to him, and you're pretty sure he knows it.
"I missed you too," you admit softly. "But Lando, we can't keep doing this. We can't just pretend everything's fine and then lash out at each other when things get tough."
"I know, I know," Lando nods eagerly. "I want to do better. I want to be better," he pauses for a moment, his gaze dropping to the floor before meeting your eyes again. "And I didn't go home with anyone that night, by the way,"
You furrow your brow, momentarily confused by the seemingly random statement. Then, like a flash, you remember his cruel words from that night in his house.
As you laid in bed the night of the argument, you couldn't help but wonder if Lando had gone home with someone else, and if that was how it worked when you were not there.
And it hurt more that you ever thought possible.
"Oh," you respond, aiming for nonchalance but not quite hitting the mark. "That's… I mean, you didn't have to tell me that. It's not like we're…"
You trail off, unsure how to finish that sentence. What are you, exactly?
Lando takes a step closer, his blue eyes intense as they lock with yours. "I know I don't have to tell you," he says, his voice low and earnest. "But I want you to know. I only want you to keep me company, not anyone else."
Your heart skips a beat at his words, a warmth spreading through your chest. But almost immediately, a more cynical part of your mind chimes in. He wants you, but he doesn't want to be in a relationship with you. He wants the comfort, the intimacy, but not the commitment.
"Lando, I…" you begin, but the words catch in your throat. You want to ask for clarification, to define what this is between you, but fear holds you back.
Lando seems to sense your inner turmoil. He reaches out, gently taking your hand in his. "I know I messed up," he says softly. "And I know things between us are… complicated. But I mean what I said. You're the only one I want."
You look down at your joined hands, then back up at Lando's face. Despite despite the voice in your head warning you to be careful, you feel yourself giving in. The pull is too strong, the desire to be with him overpowering your rational mind.
"Okay," you whisper, squeezing his hand.
Lando's face breaks into a relieved smile, his eyes lighting up. He pulls you into another embrace, holding you close. You allow yourself to sink into his warmth, pushing your doubts to the back of your mind for now.
When you finally pull apart, Lando's expression is soft, almost reverent. "Are we good?" he asks, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
You take a deep breath, considering the question. Are you good? There's still so much left unsaid, so many questions unanswered. But looking at Lando, feeling the comfort of his presence, you can't bring yourself to disrupt this moment of peace between you.
"Yes," you say, managing a small smile. "We're good."
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The early morning sunlight filters through the curtains of Lando's Monaco apartment. You stir slowly, consciousness creeping in as you become aware of the warm body next to you. Opening your eyes, you're greeted by the sight of Lando's peaceful sleeping face, his features relaxed and vulnerable in a way they rarely are when he's awake.
It's been two weeks since your conversation in the motorhome at Spa, and true to form, you and Lando had fallen back into your familiar rhythm without missing a beat. The race weekend had gone well, with both McLarens finishing in the points, and you'd flown to Monaco with Lando for the first part of the summer break without a second thought.
As you watch Lando sleep, you can't help but feel that being here with him feels right in a way that's hard to describe. You know that this thing between you, whatever it is, is a ticking time bomb if you don't define it soon. But every time you think about approaching the subject, fear holds you back.
So you've chosen to ignore it, to live in this blissful bubble for as long as you can. You tell yourself that you'll deal with it later, after the summer break, after the next race, after the season ends. There's always a reason to put it off.
Lando begins to stir, his eyelids fluttering open. When his gaze focuses on you, a slow, sleepy smile spreads across his face. "Morning, beautiful," he murmurs, his voice husky with sleep.
"Morning," you reply softly, unable to help the smile that mirrors his.
Lando reaches out, his hand cupping your cheek as he leans in for a kiss. It starts soft and sweet, but quickly deepens as he pulls you closer. His other hand trails down your side, leaving goosebumps in its wake. You sigh into the kiss, your own hands exploring the familiar planes of his chest and back.
As things start to heat up, Lando rolls you onto your back, hovering over you. His lips leave yours to trail kisses along your jaw and down your neck. You arch into him, your fingers tangling in his hair.
Just as things are about to progress further, there's a sharp knock at the front door.
"Ignore it," Lando whispers, leaning in to capture your lips again.
You lose yourself in the kiss for a moment before another, more insistent knock breaks through. Lando groans in frustration, dropping his forehead to your shoulder.
"I should probably see who that is," he sighs, reluctantly pulling away.
You watch as he gets out of bed, admiring the view as he pulls on a pair of sweatpants before heading downstairs.
Curious about who could be visiting so early, you decide to follow after a few minutes. You grab Lando's discarded t-shirt from the night before, pulling it on. It falls to mid-thigh, long enough to be decent for a quick peek downstairs.
As you descend the stairs, you hear familiar voices from the entryway. Your heart drops as you recognize the second voice - it's Max Verstappen. Panic sets in as you realize the compromising position you're in, but it's too late. You've already rounded the corner, coming face to face with both drivers.
For a moment, everything freezes. You stand there, a deer caught in headlights, wearing nothing but Lando's shirt. Max's eyes widen in surprise, darting between you and Lando. Lando looks equally shocked, clearly not expecting you to come downstairs.
Mortified, you turn on your heel and bolt back upstairs, your cheeks burning with embarrassment. As you retreat, you hear Max's voice, tinged with amusement and surprise.
"Dude, isn't that one of your strategists?"
You don't hear Lando's response as you shut the bedroom door behind you. This is exactly the kind of situation you'd been afraid of, the reason why leaving things undefined was so dangerous.
Downstairs, the conversation continues.
"Yeah, she is," Lando admits, running a hand through his hair nervously.
"Wow, okay," Max lets out a low whistle, "So… how long has this been going on? Please tell me it's recent and not, like, during the season or something."
Lando hesitates for a moment before answering. "It's… been a while actually. Over a year."
"A YEAR?!" Max exclaims, his voice rising in disbelief. "Lando, mate, are you serious? You've been hooking up with a team member for over a year and nobody knew?"
"It's not just hooking up," Lando defends, though his voice lacks conviction. "It's… complicated."
"Complicated?" Max raises an eyebrow, "Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen if you ask me. Does the team know?"
"No," Lando shakes his head, "And I'd appreciate it if you didn't say anything. It's not affecting our work, so no one needs to know."
"Hey, not my circus, not my monkeys," Max holds up his hands in surrender, "But seriously, Lando, be careful. This kind of thing can blow up in your face if you're not careful."
They exchange a few more words before Max takes his leave, reminding Lando about their plans for later in the week. As soon as the door closes behind Max, Lando bounds up the stairs, taking them two at a time.
He finds you in the bedroom, already dressed in own clothes. You're pacing nervously, chewing on your bottom lip - a habit he knows you fall into when you're anxious.
"Hey," he says softly, approaching you cautiously. "I'm sorry about that. I didn't expect Max to show up unannounced."
You stop pacing, turning to face him. "It's fine," you say, but your voice is tight. "I should go."
"What? No, please don't go," Lando's face falls, "Max won't say anything, I promise. He may be a bit of a prat sometimes, but he can keep a secret."
"I'll just have a walk around the harbor, I'll be back," you say as you grab your phone from the nightstand.
"But why?" Lando asks, a note of panic creeping into his voice. "Is this because Max saw you? I swear, it's not a big deal."
"I'll meet you for lunch, okay? you say softly, avoiding Lando's gaze.
"Okay," he replies simply, not pushing for more.
Without further conversation, you gather your belongings and head for the door. Feeling more conflicted than ever before.
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After Max caught you together in Monaco, you stayed a few more days with Lando before reluctantly going back home, and he took on a trip with his family. You don't really see him for the rest of the summer break, until he showed up at your place two weeks before it was time to get back to work.
"So," Lando says as you laid in bed, "ready to go back to being all professional and proper soon, Ms. Strategist?"
"Oh, I'm always professional, Norris. It's you who can't keep your eyes off me during briefings."
"Me? Lando gasps in mock offense, "I'll have you know I'm the picture of focus and concentration."
"Sure," you drawl, "That's why you kept 'accidentally' brushing against me in the garage."
He leans in closer, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. "Can you blame me? You're irresistible when you're talking about tire strategies."
You laugh, pushing him away playfully, trying to ignore the flutter in your stomach at his proximity. "Smooth talker. Is that how you charm all the girls?"
"Nah," he grins, pulling you back towards him. "Just the brilliant, beautiful ones who can calculate pit stop windows in their sleep."
Your breath catches as he nuzzles your neck, his stubble tickling your skin. For a moment, you consider bringing up the conversation you've been avoiding all summer. "Lando," you murmur, "we should probably talk about-"
He silences you with a kiss, deep and passionate. "Or," he says, his eyes dark with desire, "we could make the most of our night."
You know you should resist, that you should have that conversation you've been avoiding. But as Lando's hands start to wander, you find your resolve weakening, as always.
You don't really hear from Lando after that night. He says goodbye after breakfast the following day, and then it's radio silence.
You try not to think too much of it, the break is coming to an end and he has responsibilities and work to go, it's not personal, you try to convince yourself.
But your mind can't help but wander. Is he with someone else? Is he avoiding you? Did you make him upset and you failed to notice?
But you don't dare to bring it up to him. He's not your boyfriend, after all.
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The transition back to work after the summer break is jarring. The McLaren Technology Centre buzzes with activity as everyone prepares for the upcoming race. You're immediately swept up in meetings, data analysis, and strategy sessions. Despite working in the same building, you and Lando barely cross paths for days. The few times you do see him from afar, he's always surrounded by engineers or caught up in simulator work.
Finally, the team arrives at Zandvoort Circuit for the Dutch Grand Prix. The atmosphere of the paddock envelops you as you make your way to the McLaren garage, your arms full of strategy documents and your mind racing with last-minute considerations for the race.
As you approach, you spot Lando and Oscar chatting animatedly near the entrance. Your heart does a little flip at the sight of Lando, and you can't help but smile. You've missed him more than you care to admit.
"Morning, boys," you call out, aiming for a casual tone as you near them.
They both turn, matching grins spreading across their faces. "Hey there, stranger," Lando says, his eyes twinkling with that familiar mischief that never fails to make your stomach flutter.
Oscar, ever the gentleman, moves to take some of the papers from your arms. "Let me help you with those. How was your break?"
You smile gratefully, handing him a stack of documents. "Thanks, Oscar. It was lovely, very relaxing. How about yours?"
As Oscar launches into a story about his time back home in Australia and his trip with his girlfriend, you can't help but steal glances at Lando.
He looks good - tanned and relaxed, with a hint of stubble that you know from experience feels delightfully rough against your skin. You quickly push that thought aside, reminding yourself of where you are.
"Oh, that reminds me," Oscar says suddenly, turning to Lando with a sly grin. "How did that lunch go the other day? With Emma?"
You feel your body tense involuntarily. Lunch? Emma? Who's Emma?
Lando's eyes widen slightly, and he shoots a quick glance your way before looking back at Oscar. "Oh, uh, it was fine. Just a casual thing, you know."
But Oscar, oblivious to the sudden tension, presses on. "Come on, mate, don't be modest. Emma told Lily it went really well. Said you two really hit it off."
You feel as if all the air has been sucked out of your lungs. The documents in your arms suddenly feel impossibly heavy.
Lando runs a hand through his hair, a nervous habit you've come to recognize. "It wasn't… I mean, it was just lunch, Oscar. Don't make a big deal out of it."
"I'm just saying," Oscar continues, still grinning, "she seems really into you. Might be worth giving it a shot, yeah? It's about time you settled down with someone nice."
You can't bear to hear any more. "I should get these to the engineers," you mutter, already turning away. "See you guys later."
As you walk away, you hear Lando call out your name, but you don't stop. You can't stop. If you stop, you might fall apart right there in the middle of the paddock.
You make it to the back of the garage before you hear rapid footsteps behind you. "Hey, wait up," Lando's voice comes from behind you, slightly out of breath.
You turn slowly, trying to school your features into a neutral expression. "What is it, Lando? I'm kind of busy."
He looks at you, his eyes searching your face. "About what Oscar said… it's not what you think."
"What do I think, Lando?" you raise an eyebrow, fighting to keep your voice steady. "We never defined what this is, remember? You're free to have lunch with whoever you want."
"It was just a favor for Oscar," Lando steps closer, lowering his voice. "His girlfriend's friend is new in town, and they asked if I'd show her around. That's all it was, I swear."
You want to believe him. God, how you want to believe him. But the memory of those blissful days during the summer break, followed by days of silence and now this… it's too much.
"Look, Lando," you say, hating how your voice wavers slightly, "we both knew this couldn't last. We have jobs to do, careers to think about. Maybe… maybe this is for the best."
"What? No, that's not…" Lando starts, reaching for your arm, but you step back.
"I really need to get these to the engineers," you say, gesturing with the documents still clutched to your chest like a shield. "We should both focus on the race this weekend. That's what we're here for, right?"
Without waiting for a response, you turn and walk away, your vision blurring slightly as you blink back tears. You can feel Lando's gaze boring into your back, but you don't turn around. You can't.
As you round the corner, out of sight from the main garage, you lean against the wall for a moment, taking deep breaths to compose yourself. The rational part of your brain knows you're overreacting, that you should hear Lando out. But the emotional part, the part that's been dreading this moment since this situationship began, is in full fight or flight mode.
With one final deep breath, you push off the wall and head towards the engineering room, burying your personal turmoil beneath layers of race strategy and tire calculations. Lando Norris was consuming every part of you.
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The tension between you and Lando remains palpable throughout the race weekend. You both maintain focused on your jobs, but there's a hint that something is not right with you.
The truth is, your situation with Lando has been consuming you for weeks now. What started as a casual arrangement has grown into something much deeper, at least for you.
The more time you spend with Lando, the harder you fall for him. And it's terrifying. Being casual isn't enough anymore; it hasn't been for a while. You've reached a point where you don't think you can continue this way. The pain of loving him in secret, of always being on the edge of something more but never quite reaching it, is becoming unbearable. You need clarity, commitment - or you need to walk away before you lose yourself completely.
To make matters more complicated, Lando wins the race at Zandvoort, securing his second victory of the season—one he had been craving since Miami. Your heart breaks even more as you realize you can't even celebrate this moment with him properly. Watching him on the podium, champagne in hand and pure joy radiating from his face, you feel like crying right there.
You want to run to him, throw yourself into his arms and celebrate with him, tell him how proud you feel and how much he deserves this. But you can't, not until whatever is going on between you gets sorted out.
It's not until after the race, when the celebrations cool down and the team begins to pack up, that Lando finally corners you in a quiet moment.
"Can we talk?" he asks, his voice low and urgent. "Please?"
You hesitate, glancing around the garage. Most of the team is busy with post-race duties, paying you no attention. With a sigh, you nod and follow Lando to a more secluded area behind the motorhome.
"First of all, congratulations on the win. You really deserve it," you say as soon as you're alone, trying to keep your voice steady.
Lando gives you a bittersweet smile. "Thanks, but that's not what occupies my mind right now," he replies, his eyes searching yours with an intensity that makes your heart race, "I don't understand what happened back there. Why won't you believe me about Oscar's friend?"
You cross your arms, a defensive posture you're all too aware of. "It's not just about her, Lando. It's… everything."
"What do you mean, everything?" he asks, brow furrowed.
"I mean this whole situation," you take a deep breath, trying to organize your thoughts, "I thought I could handle it, but…"
"But what?" Lando steps closer, his voice softening, "Talk to me, please."
"But it's getting harder," you admit, your voice barely above a whisper. "Every time I see you with someone else, every time we have to pretend there's nothing between us, it hurts a little more."
Lando reaches for your hand, and this time you don't pull away. "You're the only one I want," he says earnestly. "You have to know that."
You let out a humorless laugh, shaking your head. "You always say that, Lando. But you still won't fully commit to me. It's hard to believe it when you won't put a label on us, when you go out with other women-"
"That wasn't a date," Lando interrupts, a hint of frustration creeping into his voice. "I told you, it was just a favor for Oscar."
"I know, I know," you say, pulling your hand away and running it through your hair. "But that's not the point. The point is, I don't know where I stand with you. We've been doing this dance for over a year now, and I still don't know what we are to each other."
"I thought you were okay with this. With us staying without a label. You agreed to keep things casual."
"I was okay with it," you turn away, blinking back tears. "But it's not enough anymore. At least, not for me."
There's a long moment of silence. When you turn back, Lando is staring at the ground, his hands shoved deep in his pockets.
"What are you saying?" he asks finally, his voice small.
"I'm saying that I can't do this anymore, Lando," you say firmly, "I want more. I need more."
"We agreed it was too complicted," Lando looks up at you, his eyes wide and vulnerable, "That we couldn't be in a relationship."
"I know what we agreed," you say, your voice cracking slightly. "But feelings change. People change. I've changed, Lando. And I can't keep putting my heart on hold for a someday that might never come."
Lando steps forward, reaching for you again. "Please, don't do this. We can figure it out. I'll try to be more open about us. We can tell our friends."
You shake your head, cutting him off. "It's not just about telling people, Lando. It's about commitment. It's about knowing that when I go home at night, I'm not just someone in your bed. It's about building a future together, not just living for the moment."
"I don't know if I can give you that. Not right now," Lando's face falls. "My career is at a great point, and-"
"And mine isn't?" you interrupt, a flash of anger cutting through your sadness. "Do you think I'm not risking just as much as you are? If not more? But I'm willing to take that risk because what we have… what we could have… it's worth it to me."
You watch as emotions play across Lando's face - confusion, fear, longing. Finally, he speaks, his voice barely audible. "I don't want to lose you."
Your heart aches, but you stand your ground. "Then give me a reason to stay, Lando. Show me that I'm more than just a convenient distraction between races."
Lando opens his mouth to respond, but you hold up a hand to stop him. "Don't answer now. Think about it. Really think about what you want. Because I can't keep going on like this. It's not fair to either of us."
With that, you turn and walk away, leaving Lando standing alone behind the motorhome. As you make your way back to the garage, you can feel the weight of unshed tears burning behind your eyes. But you don't let them fall. Not here, not now.
You've laid your cards on the table. Now it's up to Lando to decide what he's willing to do with them.
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The Monza race weekend flies by in a whirlwind of noise and action. You keep yourself busy, diving deep into numbers and race plans to avoid thinking about your feelings. It's easier to focus on tire strategies and pit stop timings than to deal with the ache in your chest every time you see Lando.
When you do have to talk to Lando, you both act normal and professional. But there's a tension in the air between you, like a tight rubber band ready to snap. You catch others giving you worried looks sometimes, and it makes you feel even more on edge.
Lando has not given you any kind of response to your talk in Zandvoort, and it's been just a week, but you feel like you know his answer. He's not willing to give you what you ask for. And it hurts, more than you can say.
As Sunday night gets closer, whispers of Carlos Sainz's birthday celebration begin to circulate through the paddock. You know Lando will definitely go - he and Carlos are really close friends. A small part of you wishes you could go too. You imagine laughing with your coworkers, having a drink, and forgetting about all the drama for a while.
But then you think about seeing Lando there. You picture having to smile and act like everything's fine when it's not. The thought of making awkward small talk with him, or worse, seeing him chatting happily with someone else, makes your stomach churn. It feels like too much to handle right now.
In the end, the thought of facing Lando and all those people is just too much. You decide to skip the party, even though a part of you feels guilty and a bit left out. But the relief you feel at making this decision tells you it's the right choice for now.
As the sun begins to set after the race and everyone gets ready for the party, you retreat to your hotel room. You order room service – a plate of pasta that you barely touch – and settle in for a quiet evening alone. You try to lose yourself in a book, but the words blur on the page, your mind constantly wandering to thoughts of Lando. Is he at the party now? Is he having fun? Is he thinking of you at all?
Meanwhile, at Carlos' birthday celebration, Lando finds himself struggling to enjoy the party. He mingles half-heartedly, his laugh a beat too late, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. He can't help but scan the room periodically, hoping against hope that you might have changed your mind and decided to come.
Max, observant as ever and knowing his friend too well, notices Lando's distraction and pulls him aside.
"You alright, mate?" Max asks, "You look like you'd rather be anywhere but here."
Lando sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Is it that obvious?"
Max nods, taking a sip of his drink. "Want to talk about it?"
For a moment, Lando considers brushing it off, but the weight of the past week suddenly feels too heavy to bear alone. "It's about her," he admits quietly.
Max doesn't need to ask who 'her' is. By now he knows the situation his friend is caught up in, "Trouble in paradise?" he asks.
"More like paradise lost," Lando lets out a humorless laugh, "I think I really messed up, Max. I was so worried about keeping things casual, about not complicating our working relationship, that I didn't realize how fucked up the whole thing was."
"So what are you going to do about it?" Max asks.
Lando looks around the room, at the laughing faces and clinking glasses, and suddenly feels very out of place. "I don't know. I just know I can't be here right now. Not when things are like this between us."
"Then go," he says simply. "Go find her. Talk to her. Life's too short for regrets, especially in our line of work."
Lando looks at Max, a hint of his usual playful smile returning despite the situation. "When did you become so wise, Verstappen? Did all those championship trophies finally knock some sense into you?"
"Someone has to be the voice of reason around here," Max rolls his eyes, but there's a fond smile on his face, "Now go on, get out of here before Carlos finds you and makes you stay, I'll distract him."
"Thanks, Max. I owe you one," Lando chuckles, patting his back.
"You owe me several, but who's counting?" Max grins, clapping Lando on the shoulder. "Now go get your girl."
With a newfound sense of purpose, Lando slips out of the party. His heart pounds as he makes his way to your hotel, not even sure if you would want to talk to him.
When he's finally standing in front of you door, he knocks softly, hope and fear warring in his chest as he waits for you to answer.
You're curled up on the bed, still trying and failing to focus on your book, when you hear the knock. Confused, you glance at the clock - it's barely past 10 PM. The party should still be in full swing. Who could be at your door?
As you pad over to the door and peer through the peephole, your breath catches in your throat. It's Lando, looking slightly disheveled, his hands shoved deep in his pockets.
You hesitate, your hand on the doorknob. Part of you wants to fling the door open and throw yourself into his arms. But another part, the part that's been hurt and confused for the past week, holds you back.
Taking a deep breath to steady yourself, you slowly open the door, trying to keep your expression neutral despite the emotions inside you.
"Lando?" you say, trying to sound calm even though your heart is racing. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd be at Carlos' party."
Lando looks a bit messy, like he rushed over. He shifts from foot to foot, looking nervous. "I was," he says. "But I couldn't stay. Not when you weren't there."
You lean against the doorframe, crossing your arms. You're trying to protect yourself, even though you want to believe him. "You left your best friend's birthday party early because of me?"
Lando nods, looking right at you. His eyes are so intense it makes your heart beat even faster. "Can I come in? I think we need to talk."
You hesitate for a moment. You're scared of getting hurt again, but you also really want to hear what he has to say, even if it breaks your heart. Finally, you step back and let him in.
As he passes by, you catch a whiff of his cologne mixed with the faint scent of the paddock - a combination that's uniquely Lando and achingly familiar.
Lando walks into the room, running a hand through his hair. "I've been doing a lot of thinking this past week," he begins, turning to face you. "About us."
Your heart starts to race, but you force yourself to remain calm. "And?" you prompt, when he doesn't continue.
"And you were right. About everything," Lando takes a deep breath, "I've been so focused on not complicating things, that I didn't realize how much I was hurting you.”
"Lando, I-"
"Please, let me finish," Lando interrupts you softly, "The truth is, I've been scared. Terrified, actually. Of commitment, of letting someone in completely, of potentially damaging our careers if things went wrong. But this past week without you… it's been hell", he takes a step closer to you, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "I've dated before, had relationships, but nothing has ever felt like this. What we have… it's different. Special. And I've been an idiot for not seeing it sooner."
Your breath catches in your throat as Lando continues, his words coming faster now, as if he's afraid he'll lose his nerve if he doesn't get them all out. "I kept telling myself that keeping things casual was the smart thing to do. That it was protecting both of us. But all I've done is push you away and make you doubt how much you mean to me."
He runs a hand through his hair, a gesture you've seen him do countless times when he's nervous or frustrated. "The truth is, I'm crazy about you. I think about you all the time. When something good happens, you're the first person I want to tell. When something goes wrong, you're the one I want to turn to. And it scares the hell out of me because I've never felt this way about anyone before."
Your heart is pounding so hard you're sure Lando must be able to hear it. You want to speak, to tell him how much his words mean to you, but you can see he's not finished yet.
"I know I've messed up. I know I've hurt you by not being clear about my feelings, by not giving you the commitment you deserve. And I'm so, so sorry for that," Lando's voice cracks slightly, and you can see the sincerity in his eyes. "But if you're willing to give me another chance, I want to do this right. No more hiding, no more pretending we're just casual. I want to be with you, properly. I want to tell our friends, take you on proper dates. I want everything."
He takes another step closer, close enough now that you can feel the warmth radiating from his body. "I can't promise it'll be easy. Our careers, the media attention, the travel - it's all going to be complicated. But I'm willing to fight for this, for us, if you are."
You stand there, momentarily stunned by Lando's words. Your mind is racing, trying to process everything he's just said. You've dreamed of hearing something like this from him for so long, but now that it's happening, you find yourself almost paralyzed.
Taking a shaky breath, you finally find your voice. "Lando, I… I don't know what to say. This is everything I've wanted to hear from you, but I'm scared too. What if we try this and it doesn't work out? What if we end up ruining our friendship, our work relationship?"
Lando's hand finally makes contact with your cheek, his touch impossibly gentle. "Those are all valid fears," he says softly. "And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about the same things. But I think what we have is worth the risk. Don't you?"
You lean into his touch, your eyes closing for a moment as you savor the feeling. When you open them again, you see Lando looking at you with such tenderness it makes your heart ache.
"I do," you whisper. "I really do. But Lando, I need you to be sure, if we do this, I need all of you. No more half measures, no more hiding."
Lando nods, his thumb gently caressing your cheek. "I'm sure. I want all of you, and I want to give you all of me in return."
The sincerity in his voice, the look in his eyes - it's everything you've been longing for. Unable to resist any longer, you close the distance between you and press your lips to Lando's. The kiss is soft at first, tentative, as if you're both afraid this moment might shatter. But then Lando's arms wrap around you, pulling you closer, and the kiss deepens.
It's not your first kiss, not by a long shot, but it feels different this time. There's a promise in this kiss, a commitment that wasn't there before.
You pour all your pent-up emotions - the longing, the frustration, the love you've been holding back. Lando responds with equal passion, one hand tangling in your hair while the other presses against the small of your back.
When you finally break apart, Lando rests his forehead against yours, a smile playing on his lips.
"I've missed you so much," he murmurs. The relief and happiness that flood Lando's face are beautiful to see.
"I've missed you too," you admit. "More than I wanted to admit, even to myself."
Lando's hands start to wander, tracing patterns on your back that make you shiver, you melt at his touch, but then your mind starts racing again.
"Where do we go from here, Lan?" you ask, your voice barely above a whisper.
Lando takes a moment to consider your question, his hands still gently caressing your back. He pulls back slightly to look into your eyes, his expression a mix of tenderness and determination.
"Well," he starts, a small smile playing on his lips, "I think we take it one step at a time. We don't need to rush anything, but we also don't need to hide anymore."
You nod, encouraging him to continue.
"First things first," Lando says, his voice growing more confident, "I want to take you on a proper date. No sneaking around, no pretending we're just colleagues grabbing a quick bite. I want to take you somewhere nice, hold your hand in public, and not care who sees us."
The thought makes your heart flutter. "I'd like that," you reply softly.
You wrap your arms around him, feeling a sense of peace settle over you. For the first time in a long while, you feel truly happy and hopeful about the future.
"So," Lando says after a moment, a hint of mischief in his voice, "since I left Carlos' party early to come here... does that mean I get to stay the night?"
You laugh, playfully swatting his arm. "Cheeky," you tease, but there's no real accusation in your voice. Instead, you lean in and kiss him.
As the kiss intensifies, you both start moving towards the bed, hands roaming and clothes starting to come off. This time, there's no holding back, no pretending this is just a casual thing. Every touch, every kiss is infused with the promise of something lasting.
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Two weeks later, you're in Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
You're in the McLaren garage, eyes fixed on your tablet as you analyze the latest telemetry data. The familiar sounds of mechanics working and engineers discussing strategy fill the air, but you're completely focused on your task.
Suddenly, you sense a pair of eyes on you. Without turning, a smile tugs at your lips. You know exactly who it is.
"See something you like?" you ask playfully, still not looking up from your work.
You hear a low chuckle, then feel a warm presence behind you. "Just admiring my girlfriend," Lando's voice is soft, meant only for your ears.
He wraps an arm around your waist, pulling you gently against him. His lips brush your shoulder in a tender kiss that sends a shiver down your spine.
The past fortnight has been a whirlwind of emotions and adjustments. True to his word, Lando has taken you on proper dates and you've made your relationship official. You still feel giddy every time Lando calls you his girlfriend, a fact that hasn't escaped his notice. He seems to take particular joy in introducing you as such, his eyes always seeking out your reaction.
"How's the data looking?" he says, giving you a quick squeeze.
"Pretty good, actually," you turn back to your tablet, but remain in his loose embrace. "Your last practice session showed some promising improvements in sector two."
"That's my girl," Lando murmurs, pride evident in his voice. "Always making me look good."
You chuckle, elbowing him gently. "You do that all on your own, superstar. I just provide the numbers."
You turn in Lando's arms, facing him with a soft smile. The garage bustles around you, but in this moment, it feels like you're in your own little bubble.
"You know," you say, your voice low, "I never thought I'd be standing here like this with you. In the middle of the garage, no less."
Lando's eyes crinkle as he grins, his hands resting comfortably on your waist. "Having second thoughts?" he teases.
"Not at all," you shake your head, your smile widening. "It's just different. Good different."
"The best kind of different," Lando agrees, echoing his words from that night in your hotel room.
"I should probably get back to work," you say reluctantly, not making any move to step away.
Lando nods, but doesn't loosen his hold on you. "Probably," he agrees, a mischievous glint in his eye. "But first…"
He leans in, pressing a quick but tender kiss to your lips. It's brief, mindful of your surroundings, but filled with promise.
As he pulls back, you can't help but laugh softly. "You're incorrigible, you know that?"
"You love it," Lando grins, finally releasing you from his embrace.
"I do," you admit, your heart full. "Now go on, superstar. You've got a car to drive soon."
As you watch him blow you a kiss which made you throw your head back in laughter as he left, your heart feels full.
You and Lando. Lando and You. Finally, together.
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itneverendshere · 1 year ago
Text
can't remember anything before you - rafe cameron.
request: "can you write something for rafe, where he's had a crush on topper's older sister for ages and he finally does something about it? it can be fluffy and smutty, honestly I'm just here for the plot."
pairing: rafe cameron x thornton!reader; brother's best friend! trope or best friend's sister! trope; fem!reader.
word count: wrote 11 word pages i apologize;
WARNINGS: p in v; fingering; handjob; smut with plot; a lot of cursing; rafe being a lover boy; mentions of slow burn like the slowest burn of his life but it pays off; mentions of voyeurism;
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you drive him insane. 
what the hell are you doing prancing around the house in the tiniest red bikini known to mankind? 
rafe's not a creep, okay? earlier, he tried to redirect his attention, focus on anything else – the tv, the background music, even the patterns on the wallpaper – but his gaze involuntarily gravitated back to you. it's as if the universe conspires against him, pushing him to the edge of his self-control.
it's not just the stupid bikini; it's the way you carry yourself. 
it's not fair. 
it's why he secluded himself from the party an hour ago, slipping away unsuspectedly to the little private lounge you kept in your favorite area to sunbathe. he sank into a reclining chair, running his hands through his buzzed hair in frustration. 
closing his eyes for the millionth time that evening, rafe tries to summon the strength to think about you in anything except the slutty number you're wearing— and it still doesn't help. in the distance, laughter from the party echoes, a stark reminder of the festivities he chose to distance himself from. 
then, the hidden door creaks open, and without looking, he knows it's you. 
it's your spot after all. maybe this was a terrible idea.
the subtle scent of your sunscreen wafts through the air, and the sound of footsteps approaches. rafe's heart quickens, torn between the desire to get the fuck away from you and your scent that urges him to stay. he keeps his eyes closed for a moment longer, clinging to the darkness as if it can shield him from you.
completely fucked. he's so fucked. 
you settle into a nearby chair, and the silence between you is almost comforting. almost. because that sleazy bikini of yours is still very much imprinted into his brain. rafe finally musters the courage to open his eyes, only to meet yours the second he does. 
it takes an unbelievable amount of willpower to fight the groan in his throat when he realizes your arms are crossed and doing absolutely nothing to hide your tits. the world seems to narrow down to the glistening droplets of water on your skin, the curve of your body. his gaze trails down and he almost folds on the spot.
oh, for fuck's sake.
the reclining chair suddenly feels like a throne of thorns. he should've gone home. ogling you is nothing new in his book, it's what he does best, but now that you've spent the entire summer together...having you all to himself after years of barely catching a glimpse of you during the holidays or summer breaks in the outer banks, rafe knows that it's not just a stupid crush on his best friend's older sister.
it's not just a fleeting desire, it's something that has been brewing inside him for years, and the eye of its right here. 
"you, okay?"
rafe almost jumps out of his skin, as your voice breaks the silence. he hesitates, finding it difficult to find the right words when you're looking at him with your pretty eyes. 
he clears his throat, attempting to regain his composure, "yeah, yeah. i'm...i'm good." rafe replies, his voice rougher than he intends.
your pouty lip’s part, perhaps ready to probe further, but he can't let you mess with his head.
"just needed a breather from the party, y'know?" he adds, hoping the casual tone will deflect you from analyzing him like one of your books. you're the only one who always saw through the layers he wrapped around himself. 
too fucking smart for you own good. 
you tilt your head slightly, exposing your pretty neck, "were my cocktails that bad?"
there's an underlying teasing undertone, and he can't help but let out a small, rueful chuckle, "nah, don't think they could be bad even if you tried, peach." he replies, a sheepish grin playing on his lips.
your heart races at the sight of him. he’s gorgeous. no one should be allowed to look this good, especially with a shaved head and a three-day stubble. you'd like to blame the drinks for luring your nasty thoughts out, but you know this, is entirely on you.
weird, right? 
this was rafe cameron. the little rafe cameron who grew up down the street from you, the insufferable kid your brother brought along to every single-family vacation and had the biggest crush on you when you were seventeen. the metamorphosis from the boy to the captivating man seated before you makes you head hurt.
he's a man now, the prettiest you've ever seen, and it only took him one summer to have you under his palm. 
his phone looks so small in his large hands, your gaze follows the veins lining the back of them as his fingers nimbly play with the screen.
"am i boring you?" you ask, leaning your head back into the chair, his perfume, replica jazz club you assume, wafts over you and it takes everything in you not to drop your face into his buff chest and just inhale him, "you haven't spoken a word to me all day."
there's a slight buzz from the alcohol in your veins that allows you to ask the questions you'd never ask if you were sober. 
rafe runs his hand across his jaw, analyzing you slowly. "'course i have."
you scoff, feigning nonchalance. "no, you haven't. it's like you're avoiding me."
rafe's heart skips a beat. "avoiding you? m'not avoiding you."
you raise a perfect eyebrow, challenging him, "really?"
rafe shifts uncomfortably in the chair, his gaze flickering between your eyes and the tempting curves that the tiny red bikini accentuates. 
"is it because raven is here?"
his eyes are busy tracing the lines of your features with an unwavering dedication. he's never been the best at multitasking when in your presence. he sees your lips moving but can't wrap his head around what you asked.
when he catches your eye again, there's a subtle blush gracing your cheeks, but you don't look away, "who?"
"raven. your ex? the girl you were fucking on spring break?"
rafe's eyes widen comically, surprise and discomfort settling on his face. he shifts in his chair again, as you've catch him off guard. how the fuck did he forget you knew about raven? 
"oh, uh, raven. yeah—i mean no! no, no, it's not about her. we're not a thing anymore," he stammers out, fingers scratching his stubble, "that was a spring break thing."
you sit up straighter, the tequila and curiosity-fueling your boldness, "a spring break thing, huh?"
you pray to god he can't pinpoint the jealousy coating your words. 
his jaw slightly slackens, forming an unintentional expression of awe as you move your legs, once again momentarily losing the ability to form coherent thoughts. beads of sweat form on his forehead as he struggles to maintain composure. 
the heat is not helping his situation at all. 
when the silence becomes a little too overbearing for you, you can't shake the growing unease that you might be unintentionally bothering rafe's peace. your words flowed, but you notice a subtle glaze over his blue eyes, a distant look that hints at his mind wandering elsewhere. 
is he thinking about raven?
you adjust your posture, nervously fiddling with the bracelet on your arm, a subtle sign of your growing discomfort, "do you want me to leave?"
rafe's eyes snap back to you, the fleeting moment of distraction replaced by a sudden intensity. he blinks a few times, as if trying to shake off the mental fog that had settled, "'course not," there's a hint of urgency in his voice. he doesn't want you to leave, and that realization tightens the knots in his stomach, "always want your company."
this is unbearable. you've gotten him on a tight leash, and you don't even know.
his tone makes your lips twitch, and you press them together to keep from smiling, "aww, look at you being nice to me, it's like you're sixteen all over again."
an involuntary groan escapes his throat, the sound automatically making you clench your thighs. 
"you remember that?"
"course i do, you're the only guy who's ever gifted me flowers."
that's because you've only dated douchebags, it's what he wants to tell you, but he doesn't because it's none of his business. 
"how much have you had to drink?"
you smirk, "a little. how much have you had to drink?"
he trails his eyes up you higher, gliding up your tummy, over your tits, right up to your throat, "a little."
a subtle awareness tingles at the back of your senses and that's when it hits you. 
rafe is staring at you. 
he's not shy about it; his eyes trail over you, leaving a tangible heat in their wake, practically eating you alive and you have to take another look to confirm you're not being a delusional bitch. so maybe... you did wear this bikini hoping he would finally do something, that he'd finally understand that you want him. 
you've spent the entire summer teasing him. seeing if you could get a rise, hit the right button. 
you quirk a brow at him, amusement curling at the corners of your lips, "bikini's nice, isn't it?"
he clears his throat, a subtle rasp betraying the restraint he's trying to maintain. 
"yeah, it's...it's something," he replies, the words slightly breathless. he crosses his arms across his chest, biceps big enough to make you want to climb him like a tree. 
you lean forward propping yourself on one of your elbows, making sure he gets a fantastic view of your cleavage, "you know, rafe, you've been pretty quiet."
his lips, naturally inviting, become the focal point as he bites down on the lower one, "just...taking in the view, i guess." he mumbles, his gaze momentarily darting away before locking onto you again.
rafe feels like he's fourteen again, unable to hold a conversation with a pretty girl like you. except he's twenty-two and he should know better. you're going to give him a stroke. 
"the view, huh?” your eyes widen in mock-surprise, “and do you like what you see?" you ask.
he swallows hard. uh-oh, is he really about to do this? 
"you know i do." he admits, the admission laced with a raw honesty that takes you by surprise.
got him right where you want him.
you decide to push the boundaries a bit further, your voice dropping to a sultry tone, fingers playfully tracing the edge of the bikini strap.
"wasn't sure about the red, but it's your favorite color."
his head whips back around and he swears he hears a crack. if he wasn't fully hard before, he is now. 
you both know you meant what you said, not just a heat-of-the-moment confession. his gaze is fixed on you and his eyebrows are pushed together in a painful expression and he just keeps shaking his head.
he opens his mouth, takes a slow, shuddering breath that you feel through every inch of your body and leans forward, hands gripping the arms of the chair for dear life, "peach."
there's an underlying warning in his voice, begging you to take a step back and rethink this entire thing, but quite frankly, you're tired of thinking. as matter of fact, you're done making excuses not to fuck rafe.
he exhales a shaky breath, "you're playing with fire, y'know that?" his voice is low, it only spurs the warning and longing lingering inside you.
you're both breathless and you haven't even touched each other.
it's time you deliver the final nail to the coffin.
"you're gonna do something about it or do i have to find someone else?"
the realization eventually sinks in: you want him. you want him as desperately as he wants you. you've pushed him to the edge, and there's no turning back now.
his hands are on you before you can blink again, roaming fingers locking around your wrist to pull you towards him, knocking his phone to the ground in the process, but he doesn't care, everything's background noise when you stumble into his lap, pretty legs dangling to the sides. his hands wrap around your torso, pulling you closer, chest to chest, fingers digging into your hips like he's trying to convince himself you're not an illusion. 
the world narrows down to the heat of his touch, the electrifying sensation of his fingers on your skin. you feel the rapid beat of his heart against your chest, mirroring your own anticipation.
rafe's eyes, lock onto yours, a silent agreement passing between you.
"y'sure about this?" he whispers, voice a low growl, but the vulnerability in his eyes makes you want to kiss him stupid.
his hands, which had been restless before, find a purpose as his fingertips brush the skin of your face lightly, caressing your chin between his thumb and forefinger before his eyes sweep up to meet your own.
"please." the words come out like a plea.
“please, what?" he asks, so smug you almost punch him, "gotta tell me what you want, hm?"
“kiss me.”
and then his lips are on yours. it's more than just kissing; it's a fusion of desires, an electric current that drags you under. rafe's touch is confident, yet tender, as if he is unraveling a secret, delicate treasure. your senses heighten, catching the subtle nuances of his warm breath mingling with yours.
rafe's kiss is a slow burn, a deliberate exploration that leaves trails of heat in its wake. there's an artistry to the way he traces the contours of your lips, teasing and coaxing, building a crescendo of anticipation, rendering you breathless.
the lounge chair becomes a battleground of hands and lips, a frenzied exchange of desires unleashed, an intensity that borders on desperate, as if trying to capture and savor every moment. your fingers trace along his arms, and his hands explore every inch of your body, as if mapping out the territory he's yearned for.
his lips leave a trail of fire along your jawline, down to your collarbone, and you suppress a cry, the sensation sending shivers down your spine. the summer nighttime air feels heavy, thick with the scent of sunscreen and the heady aroma of desire.
rafe breaks the kiss for a moment, his breath hot against your skin. 
you’re both panting, breathing so hard that your heaving chests touch with every breath.
"been driving me insane all summer, y'know that?" he admits, a husky edge to his voice, throat bobbing, "so fucking insane." he whispers into your neck.
he can't even think straight with your ass firmly pressed against him.
you attempt to keep an even voice, but nonchalance escapes you for the time being. "that was the plan all along."
rafe chuckles, a low, throaty sound that resonates through you, feeling the warmth of his breath against your ear, "god, gonna be the death of me."
there’s no time to reply because he leans his head and catches your lips faster this time. 
he tilts your head down, applying a little bit of pressure to your mouth. your lips part again, and so do his. he swallows your moan into his mouth, and eases his tongue into you, urgently exploring every crevice of your mouth, hand slipping from your cheek and resting at the column of your neck, fingers kneading the back of it.
you press your body further into his and you can feel every inch of him vibrating, his entire body pulsing with need. his skin feels so hot against yours, he’s unbearably hard and you’re positively dying to get your hands on every single inch of his skin.
your nails scrape against his scalp and you squeak in shock as rafe’s hips surge upwards, forcing his hard cock against you. the unabashed moan he lets slip is sinful and it’s all you want to hear for the rest of your life. you can’t stop the urge building up inside you, you’re not even certain you can stop moving your hips even if you wanted to.
his hands dig into the plush of your thighs and he restrains himself, you deserve better than to get fucked out here. he watches closely, hypnotized by the way you begin rubbing yourself onto him, the outline of his cock grazing back and forth between your covered folds.
“baby, we can—can’t, jesu—not here.”
the new pet name makes you feral for him.
you trace a finger up the column of his throat, sending a shiver down his spine, you don’t stop moving your hips, watching his eyes flutter every time you rub just the right way.
“why not?”
rafe groans, head falling back to the chair, “here?”
it’s almost funny how he’s willing to bend over every decision he’s ever made in his life, just for you. he’s letting you dry hump him right here, when your brother, his best friend and god knows who can walk in at any given moment. 
you nod pathetically, brain turned into mush, “can’t wait any longer.”
“stop saying shit like that.” he warns you through gritted teeth, “fuck.”
the needy sound that rips through your chest when his hands leave your thighs echoes in his mind.
“peach”, he begins, roaming hand brushing up the back of your thigh and squeezing the flesh just below the swell of your rear, “y’have a problem with control."
both your lips are swollen pink and ridden with spit.
“like you’re any better.”
you’re such a brat. 
rafe grabs your chin and tilts your head, so you have to look into his pretty eyes, “let’s not make any noise, yeah?” his lips create a path up your throat, hands on your ass, kneading and pushing so he can grind you all over his growing bulge.
you whimper, rocking harder on him and wrapping your arms around his neck. you just want him to touch you. his hips roll slowly, rubbing his hard-on lazily and mindlessly. he can't help but send a rough smack on your ass, smirking at your surprised yelp.
“just touch me,” you grip his shoulder harder, holding on for dear life as his hands trail back, the bits of his nails scraping along your naked thighs. 
they catch the waistband of your bikini bottoms. he traces your clit over the fabric feeling the warm, wet patch you’re leaving in them and then he teasingly slips his fingers underneath, swiping them along your slit, thumb, and index finger opening your pussy to his gaze. 
this time he swallows hard, seeing your pussy pink and glistening for him. 
“’m touching you, peach,” his touch, and scent, cloud your vision, the soft sounds of his labored breath singing in your ears as he leans down to press wet-mouthed kisses to your neck, “m touching you.”
”more,” you whine, lips barely parted, drawing out another salacious moan from him. “fuck.”
“like this?” he whispers against your lips, words hoarse and murmured, watching your eyes soften and brows twist, features becoming pliant under his enamored gaze, “you’re so fucking wet.” he tsk under his breath, shaking his head in the typical rafe cameron condescending way.
he presses a finger inside of you, slowly stretching out your tight hole. you groan, and his eyes roll back at the way your walls stretch around him. so fucking tight. you rock harder against him, fucking yourself into his finger and wrapping your arms around his neck again. you just want to feel him against you.
his half-lidded eyes look up at you as you contort on top of him, feeling overstimulated, with a single finger. 
he coos, his other hand sweeping over the back of your head sweetly, pushing back stray sweaty hairs. he nudges your nose with his, hand on the back of your neck, and tries to meet your eye. the squelch as his finger fucks into you, fast and deep, is the most beautiful thing he’s ever heard.
“rafe—“ you hand grips his wrist as your eyes roll back when his fingers find that spot.
“t’s good?”
“so good,” you whine loudly, he’s cocky tone only adding to his allure. 
you can feel the stretch it takes just to take his finger, rutting into you, curling perfectly.  
he thinks it might be the sweetest thing he’s ever witnessed – your voice when you’re being fucked. you’re gushing around his digits, hands now clutching his shoulders. it’s like you can’t stop moving them, needing to feel every ridge of his body. 
rafe adds another finger, pressing the tips of his middle and ring finger against that soft, spongy part deep inside and grins when you cry out his name.
“fuck,” you cry out against his skin dragging your lips up his throat, over his jaw, before finding purchase at his lips in a kiss that devours all air in your lungs. your fingers curl around the band of his bathing shorts, enjoying the slight whine that slips past his lips.
“let me touch you,” you plead, words muffled by the way your tongue can’t seem to leave his skin alone, teeth grazing along where his neck and shoulder meet. you nip at the area, before daring to swipe your tongue along his neck, sucking the tender flesh with your teeth. 
holy fuck, are you marking him?
“oh god."
a third finger, your hips now rutting against him.
“hickeys, baby? that territorial, huh?” his hand slows for a moment, twisting so he can thumb at your clit before he continues, both motions in tandem. you cry out, eyes screwed close, hips shoving forward, “you look so pretty like this," rafe whispers against your skin, his full-blown pupils looking up at you through his long lashes.
“i want more”
“every little sound you make goes straight down to my cock,” he’s rubbing his cock so perfectly against your clit again, only making you whine more desperately for him. he places a chaste kiss on the corner of your mouth, just so he can see you blindly chase after his lips. 
and then, you feel empty. 
he lets his fingers slide all the way out and his throat tightens at the feel of you bearing down, trying to hold on to him as he withdraws completely. he ignores your protests and drags his thick fingers across your wet folds. when he feels satisfied with the coat around his fingers, he moves them toward your face, letting them trail over your lips.
“gon’ open up f’me?”
you gasp, but obey immediately, tongue darting out to lick your slick off his fingers. rafe doesn’t hold back his groan, watching your tongue swirling around his digits. he throws whatever concerns he had over your noises out the window.
he’s too lost in your body to care if someone finds you two or not. 
as a matter of fact, let them see. god knows he’s dying to show those bastards you belong to him anyway. he wants you all to himself, wants the whole world to know you’re his.
“so, so, so good,” he praises, closing the gap, lips molding right into yours again. his hands find home in your throat, adding just right the amount of pressure to make you sigh against his lips.
rafe smirks, brushing a finger along your skin, should’ve guessed his pretty peach had kink for praises. your tummy is in a knot because he’s running his hands along your body, and you just need to have him.
you clumsily slip his shorts and boxers down, just enough to touch him, and he raises his hips automatically helping you slide them down, his cock springing out of his confines to lightly hit against his abdomen.
you break the kiss, needing to look at him. 
and you’re so glad you do, because rafe has the most perfect dick you’ve ever seen. you catch yourself staring at him, devouring every part of his body with your eyes.
he feels his heartbeat faster, face flush when your eyes are back on his face as you softly wrap one of you manicured hands around him, just slightly, slow pumps. but it’s more than enough to make him drop his head back, adam’s apple bobbing, brows pitched together.
“good?” you ask him, keeping the pace so you can feel him throb in your hand.
“everything’s good when it’s you peach,” he grunts out, and the way his abs seem to recoil makes your tongue slide across your bottom lip, “fucking perfect.”
your thumb smears precum across his tip, bending forward to ghost your lips over his, “need you inside me.”
the way rafe’s jaw drops open in a silent moan when you tighten your hold around him is beautiful, searing itself in the back of your mind. 
settling on his lower lip, you draw it into your mouth, sucking softly, moving your hips even closer. he runs his hands along your sides, one stopping just below your breasts—the other one flicking your nipple with his thumb.
you keep your eyes open, needing to memorize every single moment. his breath comes down on your lips in heavy pants, fingers teasing your skin, hums of pleasure circling both of you. 
“want me inside you?” his voice sounds so husky it makes you want to cry, “want me to fil you up?”
your hand leaves his cock, pulling him to you by his shoulders, and he braces himself with one hand on your waist, another on the chair.
he runs his tongue along the inside of his cheek, “that bad?”
“don’t tease me,” you struggle to produce words, hands winding through his chest, “waited long enough.”
rafe holds his cock by the base, running it up and down your pussy, “not longer than i have.”
you sink down onto him, biting your lip at the slow pressure, the pleasant stretch that pulls at your middle. you can feel tears brimming your eyes from pure relief and he feels like every single fiber of his being is scorching. 
he can feel just how deep he his, his fingers clutching at the flesh of your hips like his life depends on it, “fuck. that’s it, baby.”
your hands are placed firmly on his stomach, and one of his glides up right up to your throat, pulling you down to his chest. all you can properly let out of your mouth are pleas and whimpers. the stretch is on the edge of painful, but he fits so perfectly inside of you. you huff a short breath when he’s all the way in.
“you okay?” he asks against your ear, softly biting the lobe.
your answer is a desperate roll of your hips, “perfect.”
you begin to move your hips up and down, as the stretch gives way to something delirious, and rafe takes mercy on you, beginning to thrust back up into you, his rhythm building up until your mouth falls open again into a pretty moan, until sweat shines on the high points of his perfectly sculpted face. every time your skin touches his it’s fucking scorching, and the stretch is agonizing, and the heavy air is suffocating but then he’s bottoming out and you feel your brain go fuzzy. 
you’re wrapped around him so tight it makes his moves sloppy, almost mindless but so deep it knocks the air out of your lungs.
“waited so long for you,” one hand on the curve of your hip, the other along your jaw, lips hungrily working over yours, swallowing your gentle whimpers, your soft, sweet pleas vibrating against his tongue, “have no idea what you do to me.”
his confession only makes you drag yourself harder against him, clit brushing against his pubic bone, “rafe!”
“that’s it,” he coos, tone gentle, the friction too overwhelming, “so beautiful.”
the strain in his voice makes you want to stay like this forever.
you tighten around him further, letting your nails rake down his chest. rafe grunts, thrusting harder, shifting you closer to him as humanly possible. you feel his stomach and thighs clench, and his hips sputter, “you’re so deep.”
he presses his hand against your stomach, feeling the bulge, “might fuck a baby into you,” he rasps, thumb catching against your clit, “let them know you’re mine.”
“yours,” he’s trailing kisses along your collarbone until he reaches your tits, leaving a line of soft, wet suckles behind, “only yours.” 
the way he’s stroking you unrushed is absolutely toe-curling, guiding you over his cock with very little maneuvering, gently pushing your hips down onto him.
“gonna keep you here, stuffed, for hours baby.”
you can hear it reverberating through the night air. 
the slap of skin, the grunts. the sound of the chair creaking as he fucks you into it. each delicious slip, every time you feel his veiny shaft twitching for attention against your walls. you’re so lightheaded you might pass out.
rafe feels his balls tighten. you are creaming so fast, squeezing the hell out of his cock. he’s making sure to put your pleasure before his, hitting all the right spots.
“rafe, baby—" his name being moaned out by you is urging him to bust inside you, his eyes narrowing slightly as his grip on your hips tightens, “oh—im gon—fuckk.”
he only pushes you faster up and down his dick as your walls grip around him, a mix of your cream and his pre-cum coating his length. his eyes focus on your face, basking in the pretty expressions you make.
“it’s too much.” you whine, feeling your orgasm about to reach itself. rafe’s eyes glimmer at your words, tracing a thumb against your lips before sneaking a kiss onto your mouth.
“you can take it,” his muscles flex from the constant friction. you’re so full, all you can think about is rafe spilling inside of you, “c’mon.”
his cock thrusts even deeper, a sharp hiss leaving his lips at the way your pussy tightens. his calloused thumb wipes away a stray tear. he loves the sting of your nails practically sinking into his skin. he tangles his hand in your hair, forcing your neck to arch up as he leans in, biting hard enough to leave a mark.
“im—m—gonn—” you feel him right at your womb again and again, any semblance of sanity melted away the moment he set his hands on you, “holy fuck.”
“i know baby, keep your eyes on me,” you with your perfect tits bouncing with each roll and grind of your hips is enough to make a grown man cry, “eyes on me.”
you lean back, supporting yourself with your hands on his thighs, circling your hips and doing your best not to close your eyes. the burning inside you is so strong, it’s taking you everything not to close them.
his hands slide around your back when he sits up suddenly, and you gasp, “oh my god.”
the pace has both of you panting, his balls slapping your ass every single time. a shiver runs down your spine and you throw your head back and almost scream out his name. 
he chuckles breathlessly, “never getting tired of that sound.”
you can feel yourself starting to reach the edge of your climax, grinding harder and harder into him and gasping with each spark of pleasure it gives your throbbing clit. each time he hits your g-spot just right, you feel more and more slick dribbling out of you and down your thighs. 
“so fucking pretty,” he groans, punctuating each word with a deep thrust and you feel that tight coil in your belly snapping.
“fuck—rafe,” you pant heavily, breathy whines falling from your lips, legs starting to give out. “oh mhmf—don’t stop!”
your thighs are shaking and seizing as it finally its you, at full force. you squirm in his hold, feeling an almost overwhelming wave of pleasure wash over your body. the feeling’s so intense it’s almost painful. rafe’s arms hold you tight, keeping you grounded while you shudder in his grasp, his fingers determined to prolong your ecstasy.
his piercing blue eyes stay trained on yours the entire time, “knew you could do it.”
he doesn’t let up his pace, pressing chaste kisses to your lips to soothe you. 
“wonder how many of those i can get out of you.”
long night ahead of you. 
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might have some grammar mistakes, frankly im not sure at this point lmao, it's late. english's not my first language, it's my third i think. will edit later bc i spent hours writing this and my old ass needs to sleep, thank you for reading <3 by the time im posting this, over 200 of you voted they wanted smut so y'all won, tried best to deliver the goods. also rafe's not mentally unstable in this one, in case that wasn't obvious, he's just a little too in love and cute. let me know if you enjoy it and if i should start taking requests more frequently!
ps: that picture is how i imagined rafe throughout this whole thing
2K notes · View notes
satxnsupreme666 · 1 month ago
Text
Risk this heart of mine: Agatha Harkness x fem!reader x Rio Vidal
Masterlist
Requested by: @midnight-lestrange
Summary:  You are Agatha´s girlfriend, and you have been with her for over 10 years, you are also the one who freed Agatha from Wanda´s spell after almost three years, Agatha decided to stay in Westview to work on regaining her magic, but what happens when a teenager breaks into your house looking for Agatha, asking her to take him to the witches´ road, Agatha fearing for your safety and caring about you, is not sure if she wants to go and take you as well to the witches´ road, but as always you managed to convince her to do what you wanted.
You have been feeling sick for the past few weeks, making Agatha feel worried sick about you for not knowing what is going on with you, what you didn´t know, was that you were pregnant with Agatha´s child, and none of you knew about this, until Rio arrives and is the first one to notice this about you.
Rio who has been visiting you for the past years only leaving flowers to you never staying to talk visits Agatha again, and instead of talking thing out, they fight as always, but this time Rio decided to come fight with Agatha because she thought the blue-eyed witch had let you go, after knowing you were still with her and realizing you were pregnant, Rio, who cannot tell you nor Agatha the reason as to why you have been feeling sick over the past weeks, decides to go with you to the witches´ road, to try and keep you safe from whatever the road would make them face.
What happens when the truth is revealed to Agatha? How is Agatha going to react knowing that her girlfriend is pregnant and on the witches´ road?
Warnings: Angst, unknown pregnancy, angst, I think that´s it.
Word count: 29k+
Author’s notes: Hello, so, this was requested a while ago by the amazing mind of the creative @midnight-lestrange, I have always loved her requests because she has such an amazing imagination and writing her requests is always a joy, thank you for requesting, by the way I always have loved your amazing ideas! Sorry that this took me too long to finish, you know I had some bad days, things happened, then I got a temporary job just to keep my mind busy, and now I finally was able to finish writing this, also, I am sorry that my stories keep getting longer, I will try to write a little bit less next time, also I decided to add a small prompt someone sent regarding Agatha putting some of her own cologne on reader´s neck because I thought it would be a nice addition to this story as well.
In this story Rio is in love with reader and Agath knows it, since Rio is the only one who is aware of you being pregnant, she worries a lot for you.
Another thing I want to say about this story is, that in this one, the road will be real and not something Billy created.
I hope all of you enjoy this!
Taglist: @italianaidiota @midnight-lestrange @eliscannotdance
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Agatha had been taking a shower when you heard the noises coming from the other room, and confused, you went to see what was going on, opening slowly the door of the room and turning the lights on, you saw a surprised teen with half of his body in the room trying to get unstuck.
“Do you need help?” You had asked him with a chuckle and the boy in front of you just stayed there completely frozen not knowing what to do or say.
You couldn’t help but laugh and seeing that the boy in front of you was not going to move or do something else, you walked slowly towards him, and stretched your hand out for him to take, he looked at your hand and then at your face, unsure of what to do but you gave him a soft smile and he slowly started to stretch his hand out to take yours.
You helped him to get him inside the room and he started to look around the place nervously, after some seconds of you analyzing him and seeing that he didn’t seem to be more than 16 years old or even less he uncovered his face and he gave you an awkward smile.
“I am sorry, I thought someone else lived here” His voice was timid as if he was ashamed and you got curious for whom he had been looking for.
“Who did you think lived here?” You asked him gently and pointed at a chair so he could sit there, he sat in the char and you sat as well in front of him in the single bed to look at him properly.
“I was told Agatha Harkness lived here” He said without taking his eyes off the floor, and you raised your eyebrow.
What did this boy want from Agatha, your girlfriend? You didn’t want to scare him off so you started to think properly how to ask the next questions.
“Agatha Harkness? One of the most powerful witches? Why are you looking for her?” You asked him in a soft voice trying to get as much information as you could before making sure how you had to act.
“I know it may seem as something dumb, and many people say it doesn’t even exist to where I need her to take me to, but I really was waiting for her to be here, someone told me she was under some kind of spell and I came here to break that spell, I really need her help” Interesting, you thought, and if you were right, he seemed to be talking about the witches’ road, the teen didn’t seem to be a threat and he sounded sincere, you would have sensed if he had been threat, but this boy didn’t seem to actual want to harm you or her.
“So, you needed a personal object from hers to break the spell, right?” You asked him and he lifted his head hastily to look at you with his mouth open in surprise.
“I know the spell, it is sweet that you want to break her spell, but you’re about six months late” The dark-haired boy frowned and you laughed.
“You are lucky I was the one who caught you, Agatha would have tied you first and then ask the questions” He opened his eyes widely and you laughed again.
“You are funny, maybe I can convince Agatha to keep you, she is taking a shower, do you want to go to the kitchen? I can offer you tea, coffee” You stopped talking to think a little bit more of what you could offer him.
“We also have water if you prefer” You remembered the way hours ago he had walked with you to the kitchen and shyly took the cup of tea you were offering to him, he seemed to be curious and to you it seemed he also had a lot of questions so you decided to encourage him to ask you whatever was on his mind.
“I know you have a lot of question so, now it’s your opportunity to make them” You smiled at him to show him you were sincere, he took a sip of the tea and then put it back on the plate.
He cleared his throat and prepared himself mentally to ask every question he had.
“How do you know Agatha Harkness? How is she not under Wanda Maximoff’s spell? Why are you here on her house?” He asked everything so fast you had to make sure not to forget his questions.
“I have known her for many years now, I released her from the spell she was under and I live here with her” You squinted your eyes and laughed slightly, you heard the steps coming to the kitchen and smiled, Agatha had already finished her shower.
“Honey, where are you?” Agatha asked out loud and entered the kitchen, she already had the purple pajamas you had given to her on, and had a hand in her hair, brushing it to the side, her still slightly wet hair, she was too focused on trying to get her hair in place that she didn’t notice the teen sitting on the other side of the table, his expression completely priceless.
Agatha came to you and pressed her hand in your waist, hugging you she left a soft kiss on your forehead.
“I thought you were already in bed doll” She commented while she pulled you closer to her, you happily rested your head on her chest while she caressed your waist lovingly.
The teen had his mouth open, out of all the things he could have thought and waited, this was not what he was waiting for.
“We have a guest” You said to her and lifted your face to look at her, she froze for a second and then after making sure her hair was completely in place she hastily turned to look where you were looking.
She saw the awkward teen sitting on the chair, sipping his tea for too long, and she squinted her eyes, the teen nervously started to shake a little, and then Agatha looked at you again with a smile on her face.
“Do you want some tea? I can prepare it for you” You said and started to stand up, but Agatha gently placed her hand on your shoulder to stop you from standing completely.
“It’s fine doll, you can finish your tea I will make mine alright?” You nodded and Agatha leant to kiss your lips, she started to deepen the kiss and playfully you pushed her away, not wanting for the kid to witness the scene, Agatha winked at you and walked towards the stove to pour herself some tea.
“So, who is this teenager, who seems to have arrived at…” She quickly turned her face to look at the clock on the wall, it read 10:45 and then looked at the teen to shook her head, disapprovingly.
“At 10:45, shouldn’t you be in bed by now?” Agatha asked raising her eyebrow and still shaking her head, trying to make the teen feel guilty for appearing at this hour.
“I am sorry, I thought you were, I mean, I thought no one else was here, I thought no one could caught me if I entered through the window…“ The teen started to stutter and you closed your eyes, you knew Agatha would get angry at his last sentence.
He kept talking saying he didn´t want to intrude and that he really wasn´t thinking properly, but the way Agatha stopped doing what she was doing with the cup, and placed it slowly on the counter, showing that Agatha was analyzing what he was saying, your girlfriend slowly turned herself around and walked idly until she was next to the talking teenager, you saw the way he slowly backed his body up, or at least he tried since he was still sitting, he was about to say something else, when out of nowhere Agatha kicked the teen out of the chair you quickly stood up to see if he had hurt himself but he seemed fine, so you decided to sit back and let Agatha handle the situation, and smile a little.
“Oh my god, what was that for?” The teen asked out loud grabbing his shoulder and Agatha rolled her eyes, she moved the chair out of the way, and kneeled down to grab the teen by his shirt.
“You broke into my house! And you are expecting to be received with open arms and gentleness?” The teen frowned and stuttered because he didn´t know what to do or say.
Agatha was still tense, because even if she knew you also had powers and you were able to protect yourself if something happened, she still feared that someone could actually hurt you and she would not be able to do something, someone entered to your house and she was not even able to sense it like before! So, of course she felt scared and angry for not having her powers and being able to protect you.
“I- I already said I´m sorry, and I was not going to hurt you, I didn´t even know there was someone else living here! I wanted to release you from the spell you supposedly were under!” Agatha furrowed her eyebrows again and looked at him straight into his eyes, trying to see if he was lying but she did not find any type of deception in his voice, he sounded sincere but decided to have an eye on him, she pursed her lips and released him from her grip.
“How did you know I was here? And how did you know I was under a spell, but most important, why were you looking for me?” Agatha sounded serious, and you decided not to interrupt her, you wanted for her to handle this the way she knew, so you only stayed the in the chair, sipping your tea and listening to the two of them talk.
“I did my research, a man told me about you, about the Wanda Maximoff incident, he told me that it was told you were under a spell, I swear I don´t know how he knew about it, and I was looking for you because I want to go to the witches´ road” You stopped drinking your tea at the mention of the witches´ road, it was just a myth right?
“The road doesn’t exist” Agatha said to him, and finally, stood up to get her cup of tea, after she prepared her tea, she went to sit next to you, she pulled the chair next to yours and placed it closer to you, you gave her a smile, when Agatha saw you were smiling at her she felt herself relaxing a little.
“You and I need to talk doll” She said gently almost whispering and you nodded, she may had been smiling but you still could see the worry in her eyes, she took the sit next to yours and you leaned into her body, resting your heat against her shoulder.
“You can sit down again, you know?” You said with a smile, loud enough for the teenager to hear who was still on the floor, some noises were heard and the teen slowly rose from the floor to sit back on the chair.
“What’s your name?” Agatha asked again after a couple of minutes of silence but what surprised her was that she was not able to hear what he had said and a symbol appeared over his mouth.
Agatha turned to look at you, realizing you were to looking at your almost empty cup and noticing you hadn´t seen the symbol appearing on the teenager´s mouth, you hadn´t seen what happened, but there was no doubt that the boy had a sigil on him.
“Interesting” Your girlfriend commented while eyeing the boy in front of you, she had so many questions but decided not to ask anything.
“We can keep talking in the morning, we have a spare room-“ You were going to offer him to stay in the other room but Agatha interrupted you and talked directly to the teen.
“You are sleeping on the floor” Chuckling slightly you looked back at Agatha who was drinking from her tea slowly and nonchalantly, rolling your eyes playfully at her you went to look back at the dark-haired boy who had his eyes wide open and you shook your head, you mouthed to him a quiet “Don´t worry” and he visibly relaxed.
The three of you just stayed there not saying anything else and waited until all of you finished your respective cups of tea, after that, you made sure to take the teenager back to the  bedroom where he had first entered through the window, Agatha kept saying he had to sleep on the floor and use his own jacket to cover himself but you only laughed at Agatha’s comments, you told her not to worry and kissed her after you told her she could go back to your shared bedroom to get ready for bed and to wait there for you, she nodded and pressed her hands on your waist to give you a quick hug before walking towards your bedroom, you entered to the room in which the boy would be staying the night and you found him standing in the middle of the room looking awkwardly at the ceiling.
“I told you, you were lucky I was the one who found you when you were trying to break in” He tried to laugh but the sound that came from him was more of a whine.
“You can sleep in that bed, and use the same covers, this room has never been used and everything is clean so you don’t have to worry, alright?” He nodded slowly and you looked back at him, he seemed familiar but you were not sure why.
“So, you’re a witch too, right?” The boy asked you suddenly and you nodded, he seemed to think deeply and you just shrugged your shoulders, you needed to go back to Agatha to talk to her about what had happened and what you would do.
“I’ll let you rest, please, don’t try something dumb, Agatha will notice and I’m afraid I will not interfere, alright?” He nodded quickly and you left the room, laughing a little.
Opening the door of your bedroom you saw Agatha standing in the middle of the room, she had her hand on her face and seemed to be deep in thought, not wanting to interrupt her thoughts you decided to go and sit on your bed, after a couple of minutes of watching her making faces and brushing her hair, she finally looked at you and smiled at you.
“So, are we going to take him to the witches’ road?” You were really curious, there were many stories that said the road was real but there were also a lot of stories that said the road was a lie, Agatha had never actually told you anything related to the witches’ road and you had never asked, so you were really curious about it.
Agatha visibly tensed, the way she suddenly straightened herself and pursed her lips showed you she was not sure, you just kept looking at her with a curious expression and Agatha suddenly knelt in front of you, putting her hands on your knees and brushing them gently.
“The road is a death wish” Her baby blue eyes stared right into your eyes, her expression completely serious, it was strange to see her this serious.
“So, it’s real?” You placed your hand on one of her hands that was brushing your knee and started to caress the back of her hand, Agatha nodded and tried to smile.
“It is, but just a few have been able to get to the end, many witches died on the road” If it was true, then it was true that at the end the ones that finished it got what they wanted right?
“You can get your powers back” She realized where this conversation was going and decided to stop you right there.
“No, the road is dangerous, too cruel, too harsh, it is never known what awaits in the road, we are not going, I-“ She stopped for a moment taking a  deep breath before speaking again.
“I don’t want anything to happen to you, just look at what happened tonight! I didn’t sense someone had broken in, what if it had been someone worse! Someone who could’ve wanted to hurt me? I wouldn’t even have been able to protect you” Agatha felt useless, without her magic she was not able to make sure you were safe, her worst fear was losing you, and she hated the fact that being powerless meant not being able to keep you safe, you saw the way she was so tense and you didn´t want to make her feel more worried, so you decided to leave the talk for tomorrow, right now you just wanted to lay down with Agatha and let her hold you, you still would have the chance to talk about the road with her, so you decided not to mention again the road for tonight.
。 ˚ ︶︶✩︶︶ ₊ ˚ ︶︶✩
“What was that?” The teen asked you suddenly when you heard a loud crash on the first floor of the house, you quickly got up from the chair, out of the bedroom and headed downstairs to look where the sound had come from.
And what you saw surprised you, there was another woman pressing Agatha against the wall, you were about to use your powers to push away the woman who was covered completely in black, but something about her seemed familiar, and as you sensed no threat you decided not to use your magic and try to talk things out.
You had started to walk slowly towards them and the laugh that came from the taller woman made you remember who she was.
Agatha hadn’t tell you completely what had happened exactly between Rio and her, and you never tried to push her into telling you everything, but the first time you had met her had been years ago and it had been in a very similar situation as this one, they had been fighting until you arrived to stop them from hurting the other.
You panicked when you saw the knife in Agatha’s throat but you tried to keep calm, trying to think of how to approach them, in order not to make things worse.
“Hey, I don’t know what’s going on, but can you please put the knife down?” You asked out lout while walking slowly towards the two of them with your hands in the air in order to show the woman in black that you meant no threat, you tried to keep your voice steady, but it was hard seeing a trickle of blood in Agatha’s chest.
The two women hastily turned their heads to look at you, Agatha felt a wave of fear taking over her whole body, afraid that her former lover could do something to you to get back at her, so the next thing she did was done out of pure impulse.
Agatha grabbed the other woman by her neck with her left hand and with the right one she grabbed the hand that was holding the knife to put it as far as she could, up in the air, the brown-eyed woman grabbed Agatha’s neck, which left the two of them in the same position, grabbing the other’s neck and with two hands up in the air.
“Can we please take a moment to breathe and stop wanting to hurt each other?” You asked them slowly and made sure you were only a few centimeters away from them.
Agatha and the brown-eyed woman looked at you and then, slowly, they looked at each other, straight in their eyes.
They stayed like that four a couple of minutes, Agatha chuckling from time to time with disdain and sometimes rolling her eyes, the other woman laughed softly and tended to squint her eyes a little, it was as if they were having a conversation inside their minds, as if they were communicating telepathically and you tilted your head to the side, watching them carefully, after some more minutes of what it seemed that they were discussing things in their minds, they finally nodded at the same time, carefully loosening the grasp they had on the other.
Agatha started to brush some strands of hair to the side to make sure they were not on her face and licked her lips a little after turning herself to face you, the brown-eyed woman cleared her throat and started to move her head to the side a few times until it cracked a little, she sighed in relief and turned herself around to face you as well.
“Can I trust you not to try to hurt each other?” You asked them with a soft tone in your voice while raising an eyebrow.
The two of them started to look around the place, looking at the wall, the ceiling, Agatha flipped her hair a little, and brought her hand to her face to scratch her jaw slightly, while the brown-eyed woman flipped her knife in her hand a few times, and the two of them answered at the same time.
“Yeah, whatever” Agatha replied before pursing her lips not wanting to look at you.
“Sure” The brown-eyed woman replied while she took her knife back into a small pocket that she had on her waist, then she lifted her hands up in the air to show you she was not holding anything else in her hands.
“Thank you, now, can you tell me what’s going on and why everything here is completely destroyed?”  You asked them and walked towards the living room in which everything was all over the place.
Everything was upside down, you could only shook your head in disappointment, sighing you walked towards the small broken pot that had dirt and a small yellow flower with almost no petals, taking it carefully in your hands with some dirt you made sure to bring the flower to its original state, after some seconds of pressing your hand over the dying flower it finally came back with its bright color.
“Next time you want to fight, make sure to do it outside, please” Carefully you took the broken pot and in only some seconds using your powers the pot was good as new and you placed the small flower inside of it putting in back near the window.
“Sorry” The two women said at the same time causing to look at each other and they proceeded to roll their eyes.
“I thought you had already sorted things out last time this happened” Rio couldn’t stand the way your voice sounded so disappointed and Agatha felt a little bit ashamed, she hadn’t been waiting for something like this to happen, and of course she had not been waiting for her former lover to appear.
You kneeled on the floor to take a small flower that was completely crushed by pieces of glass and you couldn’t help but feel suddenly so sad, you were not sure why, but suddenly the wave of sadness took over you, the flower on the floor completely dead and crushed by the heavier material on it, it made you want to cry, you tried to take the flowers in your hands and due to now doing it carefully a sharp piece cut your skin making you hiss in pain, you stood up so abruptly that when you turned around to face the two women again, you felt suddenly dizzy, and unconsciously tried to hold onto something.
Agatha and Rio quickly noticed the way your body had suddenly reacted and without thinking too much, the two of them walked quickly closer to you, to make sure you were not going to fall.
Rio quickly took your right hand which had been the one who had the cut made by the sharp glass and with her other hand she made sure to grab you by your lower back, in a way to help you become steady.
Rio quickly started to examine your wound, taking closer your wounded and bleeding hand to her eyes, making sure you didn’t have any more pieces of glass inside.
Agatha was quick to place both of her hands in your waist and her grip became stronger to help you balance yourself, she did not even mind that also Rio had gotten closer to you to make sure you were fine, the blue-eyed witch was not going to comment anything about it, but it was sweet that Rio had gotten just as worried as she got, she did not understand why the sudden paleness and the dizziness as well as the sickness you had been feeling for the past weeks, she would have loved to help you to make sure what was going on with you, but without her powers, she was not even able to help you with that.
After a couple seconds when Rio made sure you did not have anything else in your hand such as another small piece of glass she carefully caressed the back of your hand, her soft touch made your heart skip a beat, you remembered getting to have such long talks when she first had come looking for Agatha, thinking the blue-eyed was on her own, but just as it happened the night before that the teen had thought the same, she was surprised to be face to face with you, the way Rio had always been so careful around you, making sure not to annoy you nor to make you uncomfortable, if you were near Agatha and Rio it was sure they would at least try not to fight or hurt each other, Rio´s sad eyes always made your heart ache, you had wanted to help the two of them to talk as well, you were not sure what had happened centuries ago, since Agatha always avoid the topic, never wanting to get into details, the only thing you knew was that many, many centuries ago, the two of them had shared their lives, they had loved each other, and you were sure, the love for each other was still there, the way they tended to look at each other when they thought the other was not looking, you were not dumb, and the first time Rio had been around you, you noticed so many different things about the two of them that they didn´t realized you observed them, Rio always had that sad look in her eyes, it hurt you to see her that way, even if she was a cosmic being, Death herself, you couldn´t fathom what was the cause of her sadness, but one thing you were sure, was that Agatha was the cause of that sadness Rio was carrying with her.
Agatha had mastered the craft of hiding her feelings, what she truly was feeling when it came to cases like this, she didn´t like to be seem as vulnerable by other people, it was different with you, with you she left her strong façade behind, she showed you the real her, her real feelings, she didn´t care if you saw her sad, scared or even angry, with you everything felt good, she felt safe showing her emotions, she trusted in you the same way you trusted in her, but when it came to Rio and what had happened, she always avoided the subject, quickly changing the conversation to something else, and you didn´t want to push things, you didn´t want her to feel pressure, so you never insisted more, but you could see the grief her eyes reflected whenever her and Rio´s past was touched, only knowing the more superficial things about them, but never getting to know the actual deepness and full story they shared, so, even if you had wanted them to talk and sort things out, and help them to get to talk, you knew it was not going to be possible, if neither of them actually talked about what had happened whey they fought, there was no way they were going to let you know.
During the past years you had been with Agatha, you were sure there was always something, or more like, someone watching you from afar, always in the depths of the shadows and darkness that came with it, you were not going to say it out loud to Rio, that you knew she visited you from time to time, at first, you had thought she only came to see Agatha, and you were fine with that, even when you knew they shared a history, you didn´t feel any type of threat, and you always felt safe when she was around, but Rio never stayed, she always maintained her distance, only watching from afar, and when she realized you had noticed her, she always left, never saying anything, not even a goodbye.
When you first felt a presence years ago, weeks after you had met her for the first time, Agatha and her fighting just as you had found them now, weeks after that incident you noticed the intense presence of something near you, and when you finally spotted where the presence was, it had been in your back garden, it had been late at night, around 8:00 pm, it had been raining for the whole day and Agatha was on your shared bedroom reading a book, but the feeling that something was there made you want to look all around the house to know what was that feeling you had, just when you were about to turn the lights on of the kitchen, the feeling that you were being watched grew stronger and unconsciously you turned your head to look at the window that pointed at the backyard, deciding to walk closer to the window, you squinted your eyes, and the silhouette of a woman started to become more visible, the crown on the head was so familiar that you couldn’t help but smile at the silhouette, slowly you brought your hand close to your chest, and waved at the barely visible woman who´s silhouette blended with the darkness of the night.
Waving your hand to greet her, you thought she was going to come inside, but she only waved at you as well, and that was when you finally saw her face, she had part of her face covered with a black piece of cloth, leaving her eyes to be only visible, her big brown eyes staring at you, you were about to move your hand to invite her inside, but before you could have done that, she disappeared, leaving you there in the middle of the night feeling curious, deciding to sleep, you went to Agatha, who had asked you why you were smiling but you only shrugged.
The next morning when you woke up, something told you to go back to the backyard where the woman covered in black had been standing, so, going back to your garden, you saw a single red rose fully grown exactly on the same spot where Rio had been the night before, it was the most beautiful red rose you had seen, the red color so vibrant, that it made your heart skip a beat, feeling your face getting warm, you decided to take such good care of the flower, you were not sure why Rio had left it there, but over the past years she had been visiting you constantly, never staying for too long, and never talking to you, always leaving a trail of flowers behind her, and you had made sure that every flower she had given to you was taken care of.
You felt something warm in your hand that made you come back to the present, looking back at your hand that was being held by Rio, you saw that the wound was not there anymore, the aching feeling had disappeared and the thick liquid of scarlet color has stopped from coming out of your palm, Rio then caressed again your hand and gave it a soft squeeze.
“Thank you” You whispered to her, Agatha and Rio were so close to you that they heard your soft voice, Rio nodded and you turned your head a little to look at her face, her brown eyes  staring right into yours, making you feel as if she was staring straight into your soul, she smiled to you and nodded slowly, looking briefly at your lips, only for a second, you had not noticed if you had been looking or more like, analyzing her expression, it had been so quickly that it made you think she had looked at your lips by mistake.
But how wrong you were, Rio enjoyed feeling you so close to her, getting to feel your warm body was enough for her, even if she wanted more, for her this was enough.
You remembered the mess that was around you, and also Agatha being as well so close to you made you remember what had happened first, turning your head a little to the side to look at Agatha you saw the way she was smiling at you, her baby blue eyes still held the same worry she had been feeling for you for the past weeks, but her loving stare was there, taking her left hand to your face she brushed a strand of hair that was on your face and gently put it behind your ear.
“Thank you” You said again, this time to your girlfriend, she always knew how to make you feel better, always knowing what to do or what to say, the way she always knew how to reassure you were going to be alright made you feel loved and warm on the inside.
Rio knew exactly what was going on, why you felt dizzy, she had noticed a change in you, the way another life was growing inside of you, but she knew she couldn´t say anything, it was not something she had to let you know, it was not something she had to let you or Agatha knew, the two of you had to realize it on your own, she was not allowed to announce things like that, and the way her heart ache for that and so many more things, she wasn´t even sure if she would be able to let you know even if she was allowed.
Agatha had of course seen the way Rio had been so gentle with you, making sure not to hurt you more, and even healing the wound on your hand, Agatha felt guilty, because of their fight, everything in your  house, or at least in the living room was broken, shattered and even all over the place, and because of their actions, you had gotten hurt, it had not been a really bad wound, but Agatha hated to see you hurt, it didn´t matter if it was small, she still worried awfully, and the way Rio had made sure the wound was completely healed, made Agatha felt grateful, it had been the same thing she would have done if she had her powers, making sure you were alright was her priority, and it looked that to Rio, the priority was the same.
“Oh my god! What happened?” The teen suddenly appeared running down the stairs, seeing how everything in the living room was completely ruined and even the furniture was all over the place, or at least, the remnants of the furniture, it was as if a hurricane had happened inside the house!
And when he saw Agatha and another woman holding you, the way you looked pale, he got even more scared, without thinking twice, he came running towards the three of you, when he got closer to you, he was about to take your hands in his, he brought his hands to yours but seeing the way the two women where fiercely grabbing both of your hands and didn´t seem that they were going to let go of your hands he just placed his hands on his chest, still alarmed about the state you were in.
“Are you alright Miss… Miss Harkness?” The teen had no idea how to call you, would it be disrespectful to call you only by your name? He hadn´t thought twice, so he only assumed your last name was the same as Agatha, but now he was not so sure.
You laughed at the way the teen had called you, Agatha felt her face getting warmer, blushing even, and Rio couldn´t help but laugh as well.
“I am fine, don´t worry, it was just, I felt dizzy suddenly, maybe I have to go lay down for a while” You said and started to separate from the two women, Agatha pursed her lips, not wanting to let you go.
“I can take you to the bedroom” Agatha quickly said to you, but you didn´t think it was that bad, you would be able to go to your room, a little bit scared if the dizziness hit you again, but you decided to come up with something for the two women to have a conversation, the two of them alone.
“No, it is fine, he can help me to get to our bedroom, please?” You looked back at the teenager in front of you, whose face still held worry all over his features, he quickly nodded and rose his hands to help you walk.
“You two destroyed everything here, I expect you to fix this mess, and please don´t hurt each other, that´s the only thing I ask from you, don´t fight please” You said to them with a pleading tone, to which they couldn´t say no to you, Agatha and Rio quickly nodded, agreeing not to get into another fight, you smiled at them and started to walk with the teen next to you, his hands up in the air close to you, just to make sure he would be able to catch you if you fell.
“When I come back here, I want to see everything in order, alright? And again, I will know if you start fighting, I will send Mr.Scratchy to keep an eye on you, so you better not fight”
You finished saying that and turned yourself to keep walking towards you bedroom, leaving the two women alone, they did not dare to look at each other, so they just stood there looking at you making sure you were fine, still afraid that you could fall, they stared at you climbing up the stairs, the teen behind you ready to do whatever he could.
After a couple of minutes, they heard the door getting closed and the teen came quickly running down the stairs towards them.
“I will make sure she is fine, I will ask her if she needs anything, I´ll leave you two now” He gave them an awkward smile and heard the footsteps of the teenagers disappearing again.
。 ˚ ︶︶✩︶︶ ₊ ˚ ︶︶✩
“I am not dumb Rio, I know you have been the one leaving her flowers whenever you can” Agatha said to the taller woman, and Rio only smirked, Rio had powers and would be able to use her powers to put everything back in place, but decided to take a seat on the only cushion who seemed not have been destroyed, waiting for Agatha to finish doing the cleaning.
“I know you have been aware, but if it had annoyed you, you could have told me to stop” Rio only shrugged her shoulders, it had not been a crime to gift you one of the things you loved.
“Whenever she sees a new flower left there for her, she always gets the biggest smile, how can I compete right now, when I don´t even have powers?” Agatha couldn´t help but feel a little bit jealous and frustrated, she couldn´t get you anything out of thin air, without her powers she felt so useless.
“I am not looking for a competition, we both know her heart belongs to you” The way Rio was saying that, her voice becoming a whisper and her gaze going to the floor, it was clear the brown-eyed woman felt hopeless longing a one-sided love, Rio felt her heart break more and more, how could it be, her first love didn´t reciprocate her feelings, blaming for what had happened, never getting the chance to explain herself more, and now, centuries later, the woman who was with her former lover, you, a woman whose eyes shone with so much happiness whenever she was doing something she enjoyed, whose laugh sounded so sweet and with such a harmony that Rio wouldn´t mind listening to all the time, she couldn´t believe she had fallen for you, the woman who was in a relationship with her former lover, who hated her, how could her dark heart belong to two people who were so out of reach from her?
Agatha saw the way the woman in front of her was looking at the floor, a cosmic being like her, mourning over love, mourning the love she thought would never had, deep down, Agatha would have liked to go and hug her, explain to her how things had gotten so bad, talk to her and reassure her that whatever she was thinking was not right, but being so prideful was impeding her to speak with her heart on her sleeve, even after everything that had happened between the two of them, she still felt the need to try and cheer her up, seeing her so sad always made her heart ache.
Agatha was also not blind, she was aware of how you would react whenever Rio was near, she knew you too well for her to know that you also felt a spark for the brown-eyed woman who was seated right now in front of her, she should have been feeling jealous, being irrational about the fact that Rio made you feel something, but the truth was that, it didn´t bother her, of course only with Rio was the fact that she did not feel annoyed, because if she saw a different woman flirting with you, whoever it was, that other woman would completely be ten meters rotting underground.
“Her heart is split in two” The blue eyed-woman said in a whisper, and Rio hastily lifted her head to look at Agatha, a spark of hope suddenly was visible in her brown eyes, Agatha cleared her throat and decided to look to her right.
“I mean, the bigger part of her heart and love belongs to me, of course, I would even dare to say that her love is divided into 80 percent, no, 85 percent loving me, and maybe the other, what is it? 15 percent maybe, and just maybe is what she feels for you, not love, don´t get me wrong, maybe she is just fond of you” Agatha finished saying while she flipped her hair and turn around to get a glass of water from the kitchen.
Rio chuckled, she knew Agatha so awfully well, she knew when Agatha was lying, when she was saying the truth, and she was sure that when it came to you, she would never dare to lie, you were so important to her, she treasured you with her whole heart, that even the thought of doing something to hurt you destroyed Agatha completely, and due to what Agatha had just said, Rio felt her heart skipping a beat, the sadness had gone away, and a spark of hope had been implanted inside her heart.
“Can you now help me to get this back to how it was?” Rio just remained there, where she was sitting, a smile on her face, if she was honest, she had thought that maybe at one point you and Agatha would separate, and when she came back to fight Agatha again, she thought you were not there anymore, the thought had made her heart ache, but when she saw Agatha had been the one that had opened the door, she instantly felt her blood boil again, she had not felt you at first, Rio had not sensed you, and part of her felt disappointed, she felt angry because it had been a while since she had come see you or Agatha, she had been busy with so many things, her job was not an easy one but it was what she had to do, so when she arrived at this house on this town, and she did not fell you, her anger came back with such a force that was even unknown to her, angry because not sensing you meant you were not there anymore, which also meant Agatha and you had ended things, which to her meant that Agatha had been the one to push you away and leave you, because it only made sense that Agatha would ruin something good with you, the best woman she had also met, but after listening to your voice again, the anger suddenly disappeared, leaving a sense of relief, but the first moment her eyes landed on you again, she noticed the way you had changed, the way you were carrying another life, and maybe that had to do with her not being able to sense you, there was not any other answer.
“I want to keep her safe” Rio suddenly said, Agatha turned herself around to look at her, raising her eyebrow, until the blue-eyed woman realized that Rio was talking about you.
“I want to do the same, to keep her safe is my priority” Agatha replied to her with a serious tone.
“And yet you are taking her with you on the road” The way Rio sounded upset made Agatha feel guilty, she knew that taking you to the road was a risk, she would be putting your life in danger, but how would she be able to deny to you something you wanted, she knew you were strong enough to face whatever you would encounter, you broke the spell she was in! The one the Scarlet witch had put her under, you were strong and powerful, yet Agatha still feared something may happen to you.
“She is strong, she is really powerful, she was the one who released me from the Scarlet Witch´s spell” Rio nodded, taking in the information, she was aware of your powers being strong, but the new life growing inside you was what made her feel even more worried.
Rio however, knew everything about you, the way you had survived so many years without a coven, a coven-less witch you had been called, powerful magic, even other witches were scared of you, and yet, you didn´t need a coven to survive nor to teach you anything.
But Rio knowing the truth about what was going on with you, if going to the Witches´ road was a death wish, a great risk of losing life, high chances of not making it to the end, now with another life growing inside of you, she was conflicted, she couldn’t tell you or Agatha what was going on, she would be breaking the rules, she had once broken the rules for Agatha and still, Agatha did not realize what she had done for her, blaming her, she did not want for the same to happen with you.
“Let me go with you, she doesn´t have to be part of the coven you need, she can be… “a tourist” If you will, only visiting, but not being part of the coven, it would grant her not to have any trials, right? She wouldn´t have to encounter nor fight against anything” Rio said out loud, if she had to take your place, she would do it, everything to keep you safe, and now more than ever, you needed to be taken care of, Rio also knew you were too stubborn, so if Agatha didn´t allow you to go, you would find a way to break into the Witches´ road, which only would be more dangerous to you, so the only way to grant you would be safe, would be to keep you close, but not making you part of the coven.
Agatha stood there, looking at the brown-eyed woman, she actually had a point, that way your life would not be put at risk, they would only make sure you were safe, you would be a bystander, not taking actual part, and that way, they would grant you would make it to the end, with them, safe and alive.
“The Salem seven are not going to know where you are” Rio said again, she knew she had threatened Agatha to alert the entities and let them know where Agatha was, but now that she knew you were still with her, she would never forgive herself if something actually happened to you, Rio looked back at Agatha who was also looking at her, looking at her in a way she had not done in a long time.
“I am doing this for her, not for you” Rio said with her eyebrows furrowed, her jaw clenched and took a deep breath.
“Thank you” The blue-eyed woman replied, feeling grateful that Rio cared so much about you to even offer this.
“We have to call a truce, after all, you are coming with us down the road” Agatha said with an honest smile, the thing that they had in common right now, was to make sure you were safe and would make it alive, if they needed to do something else to protect you, they would do it.
Rio nodded slowly, agreeing with what the blue-eyed witch had said, protecting you was their goal, they could try and make sure their hatred for the other, would be pushed aside, she knew it was wrong not to let you know or Agatha about the life that was now growing inside of you, and she was sure Agatha would be surprised when she realizes she was the mother as well of the life that you were currently carrying, but still she felt guilty for not being able to let you know, she knew the rules, things like those were not allowed for her to announce, never knowing what could happen, she still was not even sure what could happen or if everything was going to be alright, but she vowed to herself, that you would be protected, she would make sure to keep you safe along with Agatha and that was what the two of them were going to do.
。˚ ︶︶✩︶︶ ₊ ˚ ︶︶✩
You were sure only around 20 minutes have passed and you really hoped that Agatha and Rio had already finished cleaning the mess they did.
“Are you feeling better?” The boy next to you who was sat in the chair next to your bed asked worriedly, you had been laying on your bed for the past 20 minutes, with your eyes closed, the teen had helped you to get to your room and had ran way only to come back with the same velocity he had left only to let you know he would stay in that same room to make sure you were alright, and then he had said “Sorry for intruding in your house and for forcing myself to be here right now with you, but I really want to make sure you are fine”, you had only laughed and nodded at him accepting he would stay there with you, you opened your eyes to look at him, he had his eyebrows furrowed and was looking at you expectantly.
“I´m feeling better, thank you, I should go and see what Agatha and Rio are up to, leaving them alone for so much time is never good, and they have not made any noise, so I should better go see what is going on” You said to him and were about to stand up but the teen quickly stood up from the chair and lifted his hands up in the air, in a way to tell you to stop moving.
“No, I told Agatha I was going to make sure you were fine, I can go and see what is going on and come back running again to let you know” He said while also he moved towards the door and opened it.
“I will come back to inform you what is going on, please don´t stand up” He smiled at you widely and nodded before leaving the room and closing the door, you could hear his footsteps running through the hallway and then hearing him running as fast as he could downstairs.
When he quickly arrived to the first floor, he got surprised to see that the mess that had been before had completely disappeared, the were not pieces of shattered glass, the furniture seemed to be brand new, placed where the old cushions, couches and the glass table had been before, everything seemed to be in place, and there was no trace of the mess that was before.
Agatha was sitting in one of the couches, she seemed to be deep in thought, her hand on her chin and staring directly to one of the walls, the other woman who he remembered you had called her Rio, was caressing some of the plants that were placed near one of the windows, he could not remember if you had that many plants inside your house before, were they new or not?
Everything seemed to be back in order and the two women were not fighting so he decided he had enough information to go back to you and tell you what he had seen, nodding and happy with the information he had gotten, he decided to go back to your room, but before he could turn himself around to run back upstairs he heard Agatha calling him.
“Hey teen, what are you doing here? Shouldn´t you be checking on Mrs. Harkness?” Agatha smirked and started to stand up from the couch to go to your room.
The teen visibly tensed, his shoulders stiffened and cleared his throat.
“She wanted to come and see what you two were doing since everything was quiet, but I told her I could come and see and go back to her” He just stood there not daring to move, the older witch narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips slightly, slowly walking closer to him, he felt as If Agatha was analyzing him, trying to see something he didn´t know.
“I will tell her myself everything is fine, you stay here” She ended saying to him and walked past him to go downstairs to check on you.
The dark-haired boy just stood there in the middle of the living room not knowing what to do and he saw when Rio turned herself around to look at him, she tilted her eyes and just stared at him, her deadly stare made him feel unnerved, Rio smirked and suddenly she bit in the air, the sound of her teeth biting in the air making him jump in fear not knowing why.
She slowly went to take a seat on the small couch, the smirk never leaving her face.
“So, Mrs. Harkness?” She asked, looking at him straight in the eyes.
“Yes, I mean, yes?” He wasn´t even sure what he was answering, and Rio laughed again.
Meanwhile, Agatha had already arrived at your shared room, she slowly opened the door and entered trying not to make as much noise as she could, she noticed you still were laying on your bed with your eyes closed, and her face changed to an expression completely full of worry, she couldn´t stand the feeling in the pit of her stomach, the fear of not knowing what to do or what you even had.
“How are you feeling doll?” The blue-eyed witch asked you while she knelt down on the floor, next to you, placing her hand on your shoulder and caressing it slowly.
“I´m feeling better, don´t worry, I was just feeling sleepy, I think I relaxed too much” Chuckling a little bit you opened your eyes and proceeded to move to sit on your bed, Agatha quickly understood what you were trying to do, so she being the loving girlfriend she had always been, stood up and took your hand in hers, her free hand went to your lower back to help you sit on the bed.
“I know you are worried, but I can assure you there is nothing wrong, you don´t have to worry this much” You looked at her, with a smile on your face, your hand never leaving hers, you gave it a soft squeeze to reassure her everything was fine.
Agatha tried not to purse her lips again, she couldn´t help but worry about you, she had no idea why you suddenly felt dizzy out of nowhere or why in the mornings you suddenly felt like throwing up, she wanted to know what was going on with you, she even tried to talk to you about going to an actual doctor to see what you had, but you only told her you had maybe caught a bug or something and just waved the thought off, Agatha pressed her free hand against your forehead and then placed her hand on your cheek, you leaned against her touch, enjoying the warm feeling, you could see the way Agatha´s lips pursed, meaning she was thinking too much, and before she could say something else you decided to speak.
“Hey, were you not supposed to start gathering the coven for our trip to the witches´ road?” Agatha knew exactly what you were trying to do, you were trying to change the subject, you were even batting your eyelashes, knowing very well that was something Agatha loved, so she decided not to bring up again the subject about seeing a doctor.
“Yes, we are supposed to do that, but we still have time, that teenager can wait, but I am thinking if it would be better, not to go, you are clearly not well and-“  You didn’t like where she was going.
“Please Agatha, you already told him we were going to go, and I am not that bad, please, you already agreed on letting me go with you” You pouted and even if Agatha found your pouting to be cute, she still worried about you and everything that could go wrong.
She really didn´t want you to go, if something happened to you she would always blame herself, she was not sure what she would do if she lost you, your beautiful eyes were looking at her, she still couldn´t believe how lucky she was for having you, she would never let you go, how could someone so sweet, caring and beautiful as you be with her? She had wondered the same thing so many times, always feeling deep down that you would realize how awful she was, that some day you would realize that she was not worthy of you, but all these times when she was at her lowest and she felt deep hatred for herself, you were always there, always reassuring her that you loved her and that you would never let her, not matter what, so she really couldn´t lose you, the love she felt for you was immense, she sometimes could not even describe the feeling she got when you looked at her with so much love.
Even when Rio had agreed on going to the road to help her look after you, she still felt scared, she knew the feelings the other woman had for you, so she also knew Rio would not let anything happen to you, and even after that, she still felt scared.
You were the best thing that had happened to her since she had lost everything, she had been alone for so much time, wandering and just killing other witches, killing them because she had nothing else to do, she had nothing left, she was alone, not having anyone to hold to, since that day in the woods she had not just buried her feelings and heart with the most important little person she had ever had, since that day, she had vowed to herself not to care about anyone else, not to even look at anyone else, she couldn´t, after losing two people she had loved so much, she thought she would never be able to love again, she thought she would not be capable of loving someone again, and she did not even want to, the mere thought of caring for someone else had even made her feel disgusted, she would even had wrinkled her nose in aversion when it came to the word “love”, so she had just spent her centuries getting to study and increase her knowledge about her magic, increasing her power with each witch she murdered, only caring about power and nothing else, until she met you years ago.
The way you had made sure to stay by her side, making sure she was fine, every little loving action you had had with her, it made her open her heart slowly to you, she knew she was in too deep the first time she saw you and she had felt her heart skip a beat, since the moment she had felt the way her face got warmer when you first got closer to her, she knew, what she had vowed to herself years ago, she would not be able to keep that promise, not anymore, and she had been grateful, thanks to you, she had found the love she thought she would never feel again.
A soft knock on the door interrupted her thoughts and made you look from her to the door, then you looked back at her with a confused look on your face and Agatha only shrugged her shoulders.
The door started to open slowly without anyone entering, until you heard the teenager clearing his throat.
“Is it safe to look?” He asked out lout behind the door and you laughed.
“No, we are naked and-“ You quickly patted playfully Agatha´s shoulder and laughed looking at the way she was smirking.
“Come on in, it´s fine, it´s safe to look” You said to him and he still seemed to doubt, he did not enter but slowly opened the door a little bit more, he only peeked his head in a slow motion until he saw the two of you there, holding hands, he visibly sighed and proceeded to enter just a little bit, not wanting to intrude.
“Sorry, uhm, Rio sent me to tell you that we have to get going if we want to find the coven we need” He said without looking at Agatha, he seemed to be a little bit scared of her, and you only laughed, Agatha wasn´t scary.
Agatha looked at you and rolled her eyes, she quietly started to mimic what the teen had said and you just laughed, the teen looked at you confused, not understanding what was so funny.
“It´s fine, thank you for letting us know, also, I don´t think I asked your name” You suddenly remembered, because you couldn´t even remember if you had already asked him or if he had told you, the next thing that happened made you gasp in shock, when he tried to tell you his name, a sigil appeared on his mouth, not letting you hear his name or who he was, Agatha sighed and turned her head to look at you, it was clearly someone had put a sigil on the teenager, not knowing what to do or say you only looked at Agatha surprised not knowing what to do.
“We will leave in a few minutes; can you go back to wait on the living room again?” Agatha said to him and the teenager seemed to be thinking if he should leave or not, being alone with Rio scared him more than being alone with Agatha, the blue- eyed witch raised her eyebrow an looked at him expectantly, he got the message and quickly left closing the door behind him.
“Did you see that?” You asked Agatha, still surprised, she nodded and sighed again.
“Someone put a sigil on that boy, the question is why?” You were surprised, you had heard of sigils but never once in your life had met someone who had it or someone who had casted a sigil.
“Do you think that is one of the reasons why he wants to go to the road?” Agatha didn’t have an answer for that, because even if they asked him what was the reason or the reasons, the sigil would prevent you from knowing.
“I´m not sure, it could be, but without us actually knowing who he is, we can´t know for sure, we don´t even know if he is dangerous” Agatha said to you in a whisper her mouth set in a hard line.
She had a point, you couldn´t deny that, but you had always relied on your intuition, if you felt there could be danger, it meant there was a threat, but if you actually didn´t feel any type of threat coming from someone you would always made sure to trust your instincts, it had happened with Agatha, even after everyone claimed she was witch-killer, a bad person, a monster, you had not listened to any of that, you didn´t consider her a threat and your gut agreed with you.
“You know I have always been good at reading people and their intentions, and I don´t feel any type of threat or danger coming from him, we don´t know what is going on with him, what if he actually needs help? If I had felt he could be dangerous I would have got rid of him, and you know it” You tried to reason with your girlfriend and even if she had wanted to tell you how wrong you were, she couldn´t because you were right.
 “See? You know I´m right” The way you were smiling at her made her feel so lucky, she was lucky for having you, she was lucky because you loved her.
“You know how much I hate when I´m wrong, but this time, you´re right doll” Agatha started put her left hand on your face and caressed the skin on your cheek in a gentle way, she then put her face closer to yours and gave you a soft kiss on the lips, she loved the sensation of your lips against hers.
“Listen, since I agreed on you coming with us, you will have to wait here until we go look for the witches we need, alright? I know you would like to come with us, but it is only going to take a couple of hours and it would make me feel better if you stay here, at home, please?” The way she sounded so gentle, letting you know what would make her feel better, she was letting you see her vulnerable state and you would never take for granted what she felt or wanted, she was right, you would have loved to go with them to get to know the witches that would be part of the coven, but if that made Agatha feel better you would do it.
“Alright, I will wait here for you” You smiled at her and nodded, she felt happy you had listened to her, it made her feel a little bit more relieved.
“Alright doll, I don´t want to keep you waiting too much in here, so we will make sure to finish this as fast as possible, alright?” Her blue eyes looked at you with so much love, she had the most beautiful eyes you had ever seen, she gave you another soft kiss on your lips and hugged you carefully, you pressed your head against her chest, after a minute of hugging you, you felt her moving away slowly.
“Stay here, please? I can´t believe what I´m about to say, but, if you need anything, I´ll make sure Rio stays here with you, alright? I don´t want you to stay here all by yourself baby” She sighed and closed her eyes for a second,  she felt distressed at the thought of letting you alone, and the other person who she knew cared for you just like her, was Rio, and even if she would not say it out loud, she trusted in her to make sure you were fine while she was not there with you, you nodded and gave her a smile, you didn´t think it was necessary to have constant supervision, but if it made her feel better you would accept it, and you also didn´t mind sharing a little bit more of time with the brown-eyed woman.
“I will let her know, I will try not to take too much time, alright?” She hugged you again and you let her engulf you in her arms, feeling her so close was always such a delight.
“I love you” You said to her while you hid your face in her chest, she separated from you a little bit and leaned to press a kiss to your forehead.
“I love you too darling, please, don´t go downstairs alone, I will let that teenager know we have to leave, alright?” She saw you nodding and smiled again, you were so pretty, feeling her body getting away from you slowly made you want to pout but you stopped, not wanting to make Agatha think something else or get her worried, you only loved the way her body felt against yours.
She walked to the door and opened it, but before she could leave the room, she turned around to look at you again.
“I love you, please take care doll, I will be back in a few hours” She then winked at you and left the room, leaving you with a warm and nice feeling inside of you, since you didn´t have anything else to do, and were not allowed to go downstairs alone, you decided it would be nice to take a nap.
Agatha on the other side of the room closed the door, and sighed deeply, she still was not sure if this was a good idea, but she had already promised you all of you would go to the road, the unsettling feeling was not leaving her, and that made her stomach twist in fear.
Walking down the stairs she saw that the teenager was standing here in the middle of the room, he seemed to be looking at the plants that Rio had placed when the two of them were cleaning, when the blue-eyed woman had asked her why she had put more and new plants the brown-eyed woman had simply said that it was a gift for you, Agatha didn´t question her anymore, she also knew how much you loved plants and flowers so it had been a nice gesture from the woman covered in black.
“Alright pack up your things, we are leaving right now to search more witches” Agatha said to the boy when she was close enough for him to hear what she had said, he quickly nodded and ran upstairs as fast as he could, he needed to get his little backpack and his phone that he had left on the room you had kindly let him sleep on.
When Agatha made sure the teen had left the two of them completely alone, she walked closer to Rio who was still sitting on the same couch, Agatha took the seat in front of her and looked at her with a serious expression on her face.
“I need you to stay here with her, I trust you to make sure she will be alright, during these hours I will not be here, just make sure she doesn´t try to come downstairs alone, she has been having these episodes where she feels dizzy and I don´t want her to fall” The way Agatha´s voice was full of worry made Rio feel guilty, she was aware why you were feeling like this, but she couldn´t say what was going on, the guilt was eating her alive.
“You can count on me with that, I will stay here with her” Agatha looked straight into Rio´s eyes, there was a part of her that didn’t trust or didn´t want to trust completely in this woman, and she was trying to see or find any type of deception in her eyes, but she didn´t find anything, the woman in front of her was sincere, so Agatha only nodded and stood up to walk to the door and open it.
“You better take care of her while I´m not here, if you are going to be stuck with us for a while, you need to start showing you really care about her, don´t mess this up please” Agatha said with a straight face and got out of the house, to wait for the teen outside, Rio took a deep breath stood up, ready to go downstairs, the last phrase Agatha had said made her flinch.
 The teen then came back running and looked everywhere around the room with his eyebrows furrowed, confused as to where Agatha was, Rio just shook her head and pointed at the opened door, he quickly gave her a smile and ran towards the door, after he closed it, Rio went to take the small pot in the window that had a single red carnation in the middle, sighing again she decided to go knock on your door with the flower in her hands, she didn´t know why she still felt a little bit nervous, even knowing what Agatha had already told her.
You were waiting on your bed for the sleep to arrive, until you heard two soft knocks on your door, you had already heard the engine of a car leaving outside your house, and the way this person was knocking on your door was different to the way Agatha usually knocked, Agatha used to knock three times, the teen you realized knocked more than three times and in a rush, and this person, who you assumed was Ri, had knocked only two times and had waited a few seconds after knocking the second time.
“You can come in” You said out loud for her to hear and sat up in your bed, the door slowly opened and Rio entered with a shy smile on her face, when you noticed the flower she was carrying on her hands, you smiled widely, Rio saw the smile that formed on your face and couldn´t help but give you a big smile as well.
 The brown-eyed woman inquired while looking at you with a sheepish smile on her face, her big brown eyes shining with the light of the sun that came through the window, your heart warmed at her question.
“I´m feeling better, thank you Rio” She nodded and walked closer to you, you patted the chair next to your bed to show her she could sit there, she bit her lip and took the seat next to her.
“This is for you, I left more flowers for you downstairs, since the old ones you know got destroyed” Rio lowered her head not wanting to meet your eyes, she didn´t want to see the same disappointed look you had before, when you saw her and Agatha fighting, the pot with the flower was resting in her lap, she felt truly sorry and hoped for you to forgive her.
“Hey, it´s fine, I just, I don´t want you to hurt each other, I don´t care about the things that got broken, I just don´t like seeing you two fight” Rio slowly lifted her head to look at you and the way you saw a hint of sadness flashed over her face made you smile sadly, you still didn´t know what had happened between them to the point that it seemed they hated each other so much.
“Thank you for leaving flowers for me whenever you came, I am glad you are here today, you always left without actually saying something” Your hand came to your face to brush a strand of hair and put it behind your ear, you saw the way Rio´s smile grew wider and she handed you the flower she was holding, when her hands came closer to you, you stretched your hands out to her to take the flower in your hands, for a second your hands touched hers and you had sworn you felt a spark of electricity there.
“This is for you, my lady” Your face suddenly started to feel warmer, and you gladly accepted the flower, placing it in your lap and caressing the delicate petals of the vibrant red flower.
“Thank you, I love every flower you give to me, I always take care of them, I promise to make sure this has enough water and enough time in the sun, it´s beautiful” You commented while looking at her, Rio´s face lit up, and her eyes seemed to get brighter.
“Sorry for the mess we made and…” She stopped talking and seemed to think what she was going to say next.
“And sorry for appearing like this, out of nowhere, I didn´t want to cause any problems, it was not my intention to destroy almost everything” Rio scrunched up her face remembering the state they had left the entire room downstairs in, and you chuckled, for a second you saw the way her hand was about to stretch out to you, but she placed it back, you noticed how she hesitated to actually touch you, and it was something that Agatha had done as well years ago when you were starting to know her, the way Agatha had hesitated as well many times to get closer to you or to touch you, so you decided to encourage her and show her she didn´t have to hesitate.
Stretching your hand out and putting it in the air, you saw the way Rio´s eyes grew wide.
“It´s fine, you can give me your hand” Rio slowly gave you her hand and you took it in yours, she gave it a squeeze and loved the feeling of finally feeling you this close to her, she had yearned for years to be able to touch you somehow, and you being the one to initiate the contact made her beam with happiness, a happiness she had not felt in centuries.
You wanted to reassure her, to let her know that her presence would always be welcome.
“You don´t have to feel sorry, please, never feel sorry for appearing here, I would never mind, I would have loved for you to stay more all these times in the past, I would have loved to have a chat with you, and I, even if I don´t know why Agatha and you hate each other so much, please have in mind that I still don´t want any of you to get hurt, I would love for you to talk things out, but whatever happened in the past, I can sense it still haunts you and her, I don’t even know if what had happened can be fixed” The way your voice sounded so sincere and so caring almost made her cry, but she didn´t want you to see her cry, she didn´t want you to think she was weak, you were right, what had happened still haunted her, the guilt Agatha had made her felt for something she had tried to even stop from happening, the way Agatha didn´t understand that she had done everything in her hands to give her more time, but Agatha didn´t see any of that, Agatha didn´t see the hurt and pain she was also feeling, only focusing on her grief and pain, never realizing that she felt the same way Agatha felt, for centuries she had been completely heartbroken and with time, these feeling shaped into anger, anger because Agatha had been so selfish to only focus on her own pain, Rio had stopped looking at you, her eyes staring at the floor.
“What happened cannot be fixed, we have hurt each other so much, for many centuries, we left the pain and anger took over us, blaming and accusing the other one, there is no way for us to fix what has been broken”  You would have loved to comfort the grieving woman, her sad eyes made your heart ache, you would have loved to make her feel better, but you weren´t not sure how.
“Can I hug you?” The words came out of your mouth, you hoped for Rio to accept, she slowly lifted her face to look again at you, her eyes shining again with what seemed to be happiness, and she nodded slowly, placing the pot with the flower on your nightstand and with her hand still in yours, you stood from the bed and dragged her gently to make her stand from the chair she had been sitting.
Rio grinned and her eyes squinted a little, looking at you with curiosity, laughing a little you pushed her a little bit closer to you and she quickly pulled you closer to her, you were surprised by the strength she had suddenly showed but quickly recovered, her arms passed over your waist, pressing you closer to her, and out of instinct you passed your arms around her neck, resting your head on her chest, listening carefully to her beating heart.
Rio placed her chin on top of your head, in such a gentle way not wanting to hurt you or make you feel uncomfortable, feeling your body so close to hers filled her with happiness, she had wished for this since a long time ago, the way your body fitted against her made her heart skip a beat, a feeling she had not felt since centuries ago, it overwhelmed her a little, filling her completely with so much joy, and again, she felt like crying, Rio pressed a soft kiss on the top of your head, her right hand started to caress your back slowly, making you feel relaxed, she wanted to let you know everything that had happened between Agatha and her, she wanted to be honest and sincere, she wanted to let you know about the life growing inside of you, but again she knew she couldn´t, it was not her place, a single tear rolled down her face and you felt the way she tried to pull you impossibly closer to her, and you let her, you let her hug you as much as she wanted, trying to ease the pain the brown-eyed woman carried with her.
“If I could, I would take all the pain you have in your heart away” You words resonated in her head, if only you knew you had been helping her all these time, when she saw you taking care of the flowers she had given to you, when you smiled, even if it was not directed at her but at Agatha, she still felt joyful to see you were happy, she had not felt the courage to make sure to stay by someone´s side since a long time ago, she wanted to make things right, she did not want to be away from you again, so she would have to prove to you and to Agatha if needed that she was worthy of you.
“Agatha and I, we, we talked about you” Her words made you feel curious, so you lifted your head to look properly at her.
“What did you two talk about me?” Your voice sounded playful and Rio started to smile, it was impossible not to smile when you were looking at her that way.
“About the way the two of us feel about you, about the way I feel about you” Your heart started to beat faster, you had your theories about Rio and why she left flowers, certain flowers through all these years, you knew the meaning behind the flowers she had given you in the past, but always tried to push that feeling aside, the red carnation she had given you meant admiration, affection and was a symbol of passion, it was an amazing flower to give to someone whom you tried to show the romantic feelings you had for them, or the first flower she had given to you all these years ago, the single red rose that was associated with love and symbolized passion, strong emotions such as love and admiration.
“I know Agatha knows about my feelings as well, then, right?” You asked and Rio nodded, remembering the way Agatha had told her about your heart being split in two, and her heart started to beat faster.
“She is not mad then?” You asked shyly and Rio separated from you a little to have a proper look at you and see the way your eyes started at ther.
“She is not, but we still have to talk, the three of us have to talk about this” Listening to Rio´s soft voice made you feel better, taking away the guilt you felt deep down about the way you felt for the two women.
“I hope we get to talk soon, just the three of us” Rio hoped the same, but she was not sure when the three of you would get the chance to have a proper talk, and Agatha and Rio´s priority was to keep you safe no matter what, so even if they didn´t have the chance to talk about it right now or soon, they would make sure first to protect you from everything, Rio gave you another smile and you rested your head again against her chest, the brown- eyed woman loved how you felt being this close to her.
“I don´t know how long they will take, but would you like to do something? I can show you the house, show you the books I have, I can give you a tour through the garden, or we can stay here, just holding each other and lay down on the bed?” Rio loved the idea of doing things with you, she had never had the chance to do anything with you next to her, she had never had the chance to be this close to you, but now, you were there, letting her hold you, and even if she had wanted to do more things with you, she didn´t want to stop the amazing feeling of having you this close to her, she wanted to enjoy as much as she could being like this with you, holding you and inhaling your sweet scent.
“Can we stay a little bit longer like this, and then lay down for a while?” You nodded, agreeing to what she had said, your smile growing wider and you face getting warmer, Rio had never felt this happy in centuries, and she loved it completely.
You stayed with her, letting her hold you, and feeling her hands caress your waist gently, enjoying the quietness of the room, and only listening to your beating harts, the proof that what the two of you felt was reciprocated, genuine and sincere, no matter what Rio would make sure you were going to be fine, and she knew Agatha would do the same.
。˚ ︶︶✩︶︶ ₊ ˚ ︶︶✩
The sound of a car stopping outside your house made you slowly open your eyes, the dim light was comfortable enough for you to open them without any trouble, the bed was cozy enough and the person next to you held you tightly and gently, her warm making you feel comforted and protected, her presence was lovely, giving you a sense of security.
“It seems that they just came back” Rio´s voice next to you was soft, one of her hands around your shoulders and your head resting on her chest, she loved having you like this, you nodded and closed your eyes for a second before taking a deep breath, you were not sure how much time had passed, because being this close to Rio made the time seem as if it had passed so quickly.
“I really hope you also get to talk about what happened, I know maybe it doesn´t concern me, but I really don´t like seeing the two of you fighting, I know she doesn´t like to talk about how she feels, I know it´s really hard for her, but I can see the pain in her eyes whenever she hears your name” Rio would have loved to tell you what had happened, why the two of them in her mind and Agatha´s mind could never get along again, but she decided not to say anything, the pain burning in her chest with the warmth of a thousand of fires, she knew Agatha needed to tell you, how things had happened, again, it was not her place to start telling you the story that had been haunting her and Agatha as well.
“One of these days, everything will make sense to you, right now, you should go check on Agatha and make sure she doesn´t murder that poor boy” You opened your eyes so quickly because she was right, the boy had left with Agatha a couple of hours ago and he had passed all these hours next to her, you didn´t know if Agatha had already had enough of the teen, before you could quickly stand up from the bed, you heard the door opening slowly, and you knew instantly it was Agatha.
So you decided to wait for her, Rio who also noticed Agatha was the one who was on the other side smirked just a little bit, waiting for the other woman to enter to the room, Rio still had her arm around your shoulder and the two of you were laying on the bed, relaxed and in a comfortable position.
When Agatha opened the door fully, she entered and looked at you, the first moment her eyes landed on you her gaze softened, you could see her shoulders being a little tense, she had had some quite stressful hours, she was not used to pass so much time with someone so younger, except for you, of course, but it was totally different, the teen made so many questions, and talked so much, she felt on edge.
You noticed this and quickly understood what she was feeling, you sensed her mood so you worried, before Rio or Agatha could foresee what you were going to do, you quickly stood up from the bed, in a hasty way that when the two women realized you had almost jumped out of bed to go check on the blue-eyed witch, their eyes opened wide in panic.
Agatha caught you in her arms as quickly as she could, afraid you could lose your balance and fall, so her strong grip holding you tightly against her and her eyebrows furrowed trying to understand how fast you had gotten up from bed.
“Doll, be careful, you have to be careful please” Agatha commented looking at you straight into your eyes, fear still visible in her face, you didn´t listen to her you wanted to make sure she was fine.
“How are you? You seem tense” Taking her face in your hands you started to cares her jaw softly, Agatha felt herself melting at your touch, for a moment she forgot the stressful sensation and heaviness Inside her mind, she closed her eyes for a second enjoying the feeling of your soft hands on her face.
“I am better now that I´m here with you” You couldn´t help but smile at her words.
“Always a charmer, I love you so much, you got me worried, you look tired” The way Agatha sighed confirmed what you were sensing.
“I just need to take a shower” Rio realized she needed to get out of the room and wait for the two of you downstairs, so she stood up from the bed and started to walk with confidence towards the door, when Agatha opened her eyes again she saw the brown-eyed woman smirking and rolled her eyes a little but still, even apart from the slight annoyance she felt, she also was thankful for actually staying here with you, so the blue-eyed woman quickly stared at her and nodded at Rio, in a way to show she was thanking her for being here with you, the brown-eyed woman realized what she meant with that and she nodded back at her, acknowledging what she wanted to say, the two of them smiled at each other and Rio stopped close to the two of you, looking at you.
“Be careful mi amor, please” Rio said to you and Agatha rolled her eyes playfully at Rio´s pet name for you but didn´t comment anything, you smiled at her and nodded.
“Thank you for staying here with me” You replied to the woman covered in black and she only chuckled.
“I will see the two of you later downstairs, don´t make us wait too long” The woman walked past you and disappear in the hallway, you only laughed and Agatha rolled her eyes again playfully.
“Do you want me to help you relax a little?”  You inquired looking at her while batting your eyelashes and she chuckled, she really loved the idea so she nodded, agreeing to let you take care of her, she leaned to give you a soft kiss and you gladly accepted it, feeling her soft lips.
“What did you and Rio do during these hours?” Agatha had separated from you to take off her hat and place it on the bed, and you saw the way her eyes squinted a little.
“We talked for a while and then we just rested on the bed, the time passed quickly but I still missed you” You came closer to her and sat on the bed in front of her, her eyes pursed a little and she sighed, she knew she had already had a short talk with Rio about you, and even if she didn´t mind the other woman passing time with you, she still couldn´t take off her mind what had happened centuries ago, Agatha didn´t like to think about awful things happening to you, but if it happened, if something happened, would Rio do the same she had done in the past? She really didn´t want to think about that, so she shook her head and decided to relax with you, before going to the actual road, her eye caught her perfume on the vanity of the room, and an idea crossed her mind, she would make sure to do what she had in mind after the shower she so much needed.
。˚ ︶︶✩︶︶ ₊ ˚ ︶︶✩
“Hey, so, when do we start?” You asked Agatha when you reached her basement, it looked like you had arrived a little bit late since the other witches seem to be already placed in the middle of the basement forming a circle, Agatha had been looking for something in one of the shelves near to the wall and Rio was waiting for her centimeters away from the blue-eyed witch.
Agatha quickly turned herself around, confusion all over her face, what were you doing there? She had already told you to wait with the teenager upstairs, wait for her to come let you know it was time to leave, she was going to go for you.
“Doll, didn´t I tell you to wait upstairs with the teenager?” She asked while quickly walking over to you, and you furrowed your eyebrows, she had told you that, but you had thought that it was only to wait for her until everything was gathered and then you thought you had to come looking for them to join them to open the door.
Agatha hoped that you didn´t put up much of a fight, she didn´t want you there because if you took part on opening the door with them that would make you instantly part of the coven, and she knew that your life would be put in danger, if she remembered the rules of the road, being a member of the coven, would mean you would have to face a trial, a trial who no one had any idea of what could be about, what dark illusions could be shown, or how the road could mess with your mind, they were not even sure what type of trials and dangers the road would make them face, and she didn´t want for any of that to be thrown at you, she had agreed that you went with them, but she hadn´t agreed on you being part of the coven to face the cruelties of the road, and she was not about to risk your life more, she saw the way you nodded and how your beautiful eyes were looking at her with curiosity, so she had to think of something in order to make you wait for her upstairs, where you would be safe, at least by now.
“Well, baby, remember the song? Water, earth and air?” She asked you with a loving smile on her face and you nodded.
“Well here we already have every element around us, in order for us to open the door, it is strictly necessary that a certain number of the elements stay here to chant the sacred song and open the door, that´s what I told you to wait with the teenager, he also needs to be upstairs because here we have to be the ones to make sure this opens correctly, alright?” She hated herself for lying to you, she hated not telling you the truth, but if that meant she could keep you extra safe through some lies, then she would do it, no matter what, her priority was to make sure you were safe.
You seemed to understand because the way you smiled to her and nodded again in understanding made her heart feel warm, but at the same time it pained her to see how much you trusted in her, she hated lying to you, but she was not sure if you would have agreed on going back upstairs if she had told you the truth.
“Alright, I will wait for you upstairs, I will se if the boy wants to play some card games, I already placed Señor Scratchy in his safe place, I put enough water and food, so he will be fine, I will be waiting for you” You replied back to her and gave her a quick peck on her lips, Agatha unconsciously closed her eyes when she felt your lips on hers and a big smile formed on her face, before you could leave she quickly pressed her hands on your waist and pulled you closer to her body, the happiness you were feeling was immense, and you let her hold you against her.
“I love you so much, I won´t let anything happen to you” Her words made you feel so much love, the way her voice sounded so sincere, you knew she would do everything she could to protect you, you trusted in her, and you nodded, she had always been such a protective girlfriend.
“I know, I will also make sure nothing happens to you, we are going to protect each other, alright?” She smiled against you and chuckled, you were the best, slowly you separated from her and gave her one more smile, before you could turn yourself to leave, you turned around to look at the other witches who were looking at the two of you with smiles on their faces, they still couldn´t believe that Agatha Harkness, the witch that so many people other witches feared and some other hated, had found someone as sweet as you to love her, not listening to the things that were said about her, the myths, bad tales and scary legends told about the mysterious witch, and the way Agatha seemed to get soft when you were near her, made them believe that maybe, even after all, the fearsome woman had a heart after all.
You smiled at them and waved your hand to greet them again, with your eyes bright full of happiness, it was hard not to smile at you, you had such a pretty smile and had a contagious laugh that made them smile at you as well, such a kind soul, offering happiness wherever you went.
Rio who had moved to the corner, watching you with a grin on her face, felt her heart skipping a beat, she had vowed to herself to protect you, and was happy to see how Agatha had handled the situation, that was the thing with her former lover, Agatha always knew how to handle things, how to make sure things always played in her favor, but she knew now, that this time, she was doing it not to gain something for her, Rio knew whatever she had said to you, was to keep you safe, and she knew that feeling very well, she knew she had made some mistakes in the past, but some of them had been only her doing her job, she wanted to keep you safe, and she only hoped that when the truth would be revealed, she hoped that you would understand her reasons, she only wished that you would let her explain why she hadn´t said anything, just as Agatha wanted, Rio wanted to protect you as well.
All of the witches saw the way you left happily and closed the door of the basement with a soft thud, Agatha sighed deeply and when she turned herself to look at the witches, she noticed the way they were looking at her.
“Shall we?” Rio came from her spot in the corner and placed herself where Alice, had made a space for her to enter, she placed herself next to Agatha and Alice, and even though Agatha pursed her lips slightly, this time, she found how surprising it had been, that she hadn´t felt any type of annoyance at Rio´s proximity, Rio decided not to say anything at the lack of sarcasm or witty comments about how close she was next to her, and when the time came for all the witches to hold hands, Agatha didn´t hesitate to grab Rio´s hand in hers, part of their minds tried to think that it was because of the truce they had agreed on having in order to make sure you would be fine.
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“Can I ask you something?” You heard the dark-haired boy asking, the two of you were sitting on the couch while the other witches were looking for a clue in the perfect elegant house, you had wanted to help but Agatha, Rio and the coven had told you it was not necessary, so they sent you to sit with the teen.
“Yeah, sure, what is it?” You smiled at him and nodded.
“Why do you and Agatha smell the same?” You didn’t understand his question so you frowned.
“What do you mean? We smell the same?” Your face had a confused expression, you were not understanding his question, did you have a smell?
“Yes, I mean, the perfume, it seems like the two of you use the same perfume, at first, I couldn’t quite place my finger in what it was, when Agatha grabbed me by my shirt yesterday, I smelled her perfume, kind of a hint of vanilla? Lavender? I don’t know, and you just smell the same, it’s nice, maybe you can tell me what is the name of the perfume? It really has those sweet floral hints you know?”
He said while he looked at the small table in front of you, he seemed to be deep in thought, and you felt your face getting warmer just as the seconds passed.
And the reason why the two of you had the scent of the same perfume, it had been due to Agatha spraying some of her own cologne on your neck, “So everyone knew you belonged to her” just s she had said, and you couldn’t help but let your mind wander back to this morning.
“I can’t believe we actually have a coven!” You had commented excitedly to her, Agatha didn’t seem to be really happy, the way she sighed and looked at you through the mirror on your vanity while she made sure the collar of her blouse looked good, you saw the way your girlfriend was having a hard time accommodating her own blouse, so you decided to help her a little.
“Here, let me help you” Pressing your hands on the collar of her blouse you made sure it was perfectly accommodated and with not wrinkles, you patted gently her chest and smiled at her.
“There you go, all nice and neat” Agatha smiled widely at you and put her hands on your waist, for a moment you gasped in surprise but ended up laughing when you felt the way Agatha pulled you closer to her.
“I love you so much doll, I can’t believe you convinced me to let you go with us” The way her eyes still showed the fear she felt due to not knowing what could happen and the constant reminder that she was powerless, the way the fear of not being able to protect you if something happened was eating her alive.
“Hey, it’s fine, we will be alright, I am going to be alright, you don’t have to worry about nothing, I have magic as well, remember? I released you from the spell the scarlet witch had put you on” Agatha smiled softly, you were right you had been powerful enough to release her from the Scarlet Witch’s spell, she still was fascinated by that, you had already explained to her that you had tried to release her several times before it actually worked, but in the end you had done it, you were right, she was sure about you being powerful enough to take care of yourself, but still, she was scared, scared of something actually happening to you.
“I know, I know you are powerful, remember when we met? I could feel the strong magic coming from you, you don’t need to say incantations to use your powers, I just… I want to make sure nothing happens to you, I want to protect you, my job is to protect you, not the other way around doll” Agatha finished saying with a loving smile on her face, her hand left hand on your face, caressing slowly your cheek with her fingers.
“But you always protect me, even without powers, I know you will find a way to do it, please, let me go with you, I will make sure to stay near you, please” Agatha couldn’t help but feel her heart beating faster, you looked so cute when you begged, and she always find hard to say “no” to you.
“Fine, but you will stay close to me, not wandering off, alright?” The way your smile grew wider did not pass unnoticed to your girlfriend who laughed out loud noticing your excitement.
“I promise not to wander off and stay close to you the whole time, thank you” Passing your arms around her shoulders to hug her tightly she couldn’t help but close her eyes and pressed her hands in your waist, with the same strength you were hugging her, she loved feeling you so close to her.
“We have to hurry then, we don’t know if the women you went to look for the coven are going to arrive sooner” You sounded so excited that it warmed her heart, once you separated from her you went to the mirror to take a look at you, just to make sure you looked decent.
Agatha watched you brushing your hair with your hand making sure not even a single strand of hair was out of place, she always loved the way you would brush your hair in the mornings after you got out of the shower.
“You always look beautiful, there’s only one more thing that´s left to apply” You stopped what you were doing and turned yourself to look at her, confused as to what she was referring.
You only stood there with your head tilted to the side and then the older witch laughed, she walked towards you and passed her hands around your waist again, you thought she wanted to hug you one more time but then you felt the way she leant a little bit more and her hands were searching for something behind you on the vanity, before you had the chance she separated from you a little and placed her left hand again on your neck, caressing gently.
Closing your eyes, enjoying the feeling, Agatha started to brush with her fingertips your jaw and you leant into her touch, after some seconds you felt a few drops of what it felt to be water, and then the sweet scent of Agatha´s perfume was surrounding you.
“You are going to meet some new people now that we agreed you are coming with me, and everyone needs to know you belong to me, isn´t it right?” You smiled with your eyes still closed, and chuckled, the way Agatha´s voice sounded so raspy and had started to whisper close to your ears, it made your heart beat faster.
“Don´t be shy, answer me doll” The hand that Agatha had on your jaw grasped you a little bit harder but without hurting you, she still knew Rio would be coming with you, and even if they had already talked a little about you and your feelings, Agatha couldn´t help but be possessive of you.
“You´re right Agatha, people need to know I belong to you, only you” Agatha licked her lips unconsciously and sighed deeply, her grip on your neck loosening just a little.
“Good girl” The older witch said to you with a raspy voice. -
“Uhm, did I say something funny?” The teen´s voice brought you back to the present.
“No, not at all, why?” You asked him a little bit confused not understanding his question.
“I asked you why you and Agatha smelled the same and then you started to smile” The teen said looking a little bit worried wondering if he had said something stupid.
“Oh yeah, no, no, sorry, I just I remembered something nice, to answer your question, we, uh, we keep some of our clothes together in the same drawer, I think that´s why we have the same perfume, you know, the scents tend to get mixed” You said with your face completely red, the teen squinting his eyes, looking at you with a curious look.
“Oh, well, it smells great” He said after a minute and smiled widely.
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“Oh my god, that smell, I used to love the scent of wet dirt but now, I don´t even know why I can´t stand it” You said to Jenn when she grabbed a handful of it on her hands, Alice nodding agreeing with her on how it was a pleasant smell, you had also found the smell to be pleasant weeks ago, waiting for the rain to actually fall all over town and wait for the rain then to go away to go check on your beloved garden, the smell always bringing a sense of comfort to you, until some weeks ago.
“It is almost as if you were pregnant” Jenn said jokingly while chuckling a little, and you stopped dead in your tracks, your eyes opened widely and looking at the ground. It had been intended to only be a joke, a simple funny joke, but suddenly everything started to make sense, you put two and two together.
Some weeks ago, you had woken up around 6:00 in the morning, feeling a little bit thirsty, Agatha had still been asleep on the other side of bed when the sudden wave of nausea had hit you, it had happened the same thing whenever you woke up, feeling dizzy and even starting to feel disgusted at certain smells you liked or tolerated before, but you had thought and said to yourself that it had been due to maybe catching a bug or a slight cold, but everything seemed to make sense now.
Agatha was talking to the teen a couple of meters behind you, she was listening with so much attention at something the boy was saying, Jenn had walked a few centimeters more and didn´t notice you had stopped walking, Alice was next to her walking and smiling softly, while Rio had stopped next to you and Lilia had stopped as well, with a worried look on her face.
Rio looked at your stomach for a minute and the way her eyes were wide open made you feel worried for a second, she seemed tensed, the way her shoulders stiffened and didn’t dare to move, after a minute she dropped her gaze to the floor, not daring to look at you in the face.
“Is it true?” You asked her, while looking at her, your voice had come up almost in a whisper and trembling a little.
Rio took a deep breath, she felt guilty for not telling you or Agatha the life that was growing inside you, but it was not her place to say it, she was not the one who needed to let you know, and still, she felt guilty because you were here, walking the witches’ road, you had no idea, maybe if you had known, maybe you would haven´t agreed on going with them but right now, but the what ifs didn´t matter.
She looked back at you, straight into your eyes, and she nodded slightly, not daring to say something else, the guilt eating her from the inside, and the worry more present than ever, she started to feel scared of your reaction, and how you would take this new information.
“But how? How is it possible?” You asked suddenly, panic taking all over you, your heart started to beat faster and Rio and Lilia noticed it right away, Rio quickly came closer to you and placed her hands on your face, brushing slightly your hair, in a way to help you calm yourself.
“Hey, it´s alright, it´s fine, don´t worry, alright? Agatha and I are going to make sure nothing happens to you, please baby, take deep breaths” Her soft voice was recomforting and it helped you to feel grounded, right now it was not the time to panic, you needed to think straight, and you also needed to think how you would tell Agatha, how were you going to even explain that you were pregnant? How were you going to explain that if you didn´t even know how it had happened?
Lilia who was next to you sensed the fear in your mood, the way you seemed you were about to faint terrified her so she had come next to you to hold your hand and keep you steady, her heart filled with fear at the thought of you being pregnant and being on the road.
“Oh, sweet girl” Was the first thing Lila could say, her furrowed eyebrows and hand covering her mouth in shock.
Rio kept brushing your hair softly, her soft hands pressing from time to time your skin, which made you lean into her touch, Agatha who was only meters away from all of you noticed how Rio and Lilia were holding you and she started to walk faster to get to you, alarms started to sound in her head, and her heart started to beat faster, afraid that something had happened to you.
“What happened doll? Are you hurt?” Agatha quickly started to check on you looking for wounds all over you, she then placed her hands on your face and started to examine as well your features, you had your eyes closed and she thought you were about to faint, she hold you closer to her and looked at Rio whose eyes were full of worry.
“We should help her sit down” Lilia said nodding and pointed to a place where there was a tree trunk in the middle of it, Rio and Agatha nodded and gently started to push you towards the trunk tree, the two of them helped you to sit down and Agatha sat in knelt down  in front of you on the ground, taking your hands in her, Rio came to knelt down as well next to her, her hands on your knees, stroking them gently.
The other witches were looking at the three of you with worried faces, they would have wanted to go and help, Alice was about to go and walk closer to you to see If she could help you somehow, ask if there was something she could do but Lilia stopped her, knowing the three of you needed space to talk.
Things had already been going fine over the past two trials, with the poisoned wine and Alice getting to break her generational curse, things have been fine at least for now, no one had been harmed, no one was hurt, and Lilia hoped for things to keep going this way.
You thought about just blurting out to Agatha what was going on, but you were scared of her reaction, you didn’t even know how it had happened! Magic could be the only answer and even though your gut told you that was how it had happened, still you doubted to say it out loud, to acknowledge that there was a life growing inside of you.
Rio wasn´t sure how would Agatha react, she wasn’t even sure what could happen or what she would do when she realized you were pregnant with her child, Rio knew Agatha loved you deeply, but she also knew that the blue-eyed woman had never let you know about Nicky, being something that still affected Agatha so much, not knowing how the blue-eyed witch would take the news, would she understand? Would she be taken aback? Rio didn´t know for sure how would the woman next to her would take the new information, and she worried, not only for Agatha but for you as well, she knew that right now you were in such a fragile state, and whatever happened if it was slightly bad could affect you deeply, and Rio didn´t want for your emotional state to get worse.
You knew you had to say something, anything to stop the two women in front of you from worrying so much, but how could you when even yourself were panicking awfully? It was now or never you thought, just when you were going to let Agatha know that you were pregnant, the first thing you noticed when you opened your eyes, was the strange cabin behind Agatha and Rio, it was only some meters away from you, and you knew the road wanted for the next trial to take place now.
Agatha noticed you were looking behind her so she hastily looked at the same direction you were staring at, Rio proceeded to do the same, and Agatha´s heart filled with pain and sorrow when she also noticed the blood moon up in the sky, the next trial was hers, and seeing your face contorting in terror and fear when the curse had actually attacked her made her think that the best would be for you to stay out of the next trial, everything had been going fine, and she hoped that during this trial of hers everything still would be the same, but, what if thing went south? What if she was shown something awful? What if you saw how much a monster she was, so turning herself around to look at you, she decided to let you know what was going to happen next.
“You are going to stay here with the teen, here at least we know the road is safe, the trials are only counting for five of us, I am not really sure if rules apply to her” Agatha pointed with her head at Rio before continue talking.
“But it would be better if she doesn´t go and break the rules, this time I am asking you not to break the rules, I hope you listen to me for once” Agatha´s voice was filled with something you hadn´t heard before, was sounded like resentment or bitterness and Rio´s shoulders tensed, you supposed they were referring to whatever it had happened, but you, being a little bit too stubborn as Agatha would sometimes say, you quickly shook your head, you were not going to leave her alone or the witches, how could she even ask for that? Weren´t you supposed to be all together?
Agatha realized you were about to contradict her but her expression became hard and her lips were pressed in a thin line, she was visibly on edge, she knew she had told you that you would be close to her at all times, but seen that you had been about to come next to her to help her when the curse had attacked her, she didn´t want for you to risk your life if something happened to her, so she needed to change the rules for you.
“No, you heard me, I know the rules, I know what is the best for you, right now you are not in a good state, at least not physically, you almost fainted! Can´t you see I am trying to protect you? We are trying to make sure you are safe, why can´t you listen just for once?” Her voice had broken completely, tears had already started to fall down her face, and it hurt you to see her that way, so broken, feeling so stressed over you, maybe, if you had listened to her, if you had stayed at your house, maybe Agatha wouldn´t have been feeling this way right now, but it was too late to actually think about the what ifs, you didn´t want to cause her to be more stressed, so maybe, it was not even the time as well to let her know why you had been feeling sick for the past weeks, that would only add for her to feel more worried than ever, and you wanted her to keep her head cool so she would keep on being the best leader she was, so you only nodded, and Agatha visibly relaxed.
“I will stay here, I will not move from here, but please be safe alright? I will be waiting for you here, I will be waiting for you to come back, alright?” Agatha sighed and a smile formed on her face, she nodded again and pressed a soft kiss on your lips.
“Thank you doll, I will come back here with you” You girlfriend whispered softly to you and then she looked back at Rio who couldn´t help but feel guilty and Agatha did something she wouldn´t do ever again, she pressed her hand on Rio´s shoulder and then looked back at you again.
“We will come back to you” Rio smiled widely and nodded at Agatha´s words, she knew they would have a long talk when they came here next to you.
Agatha stood up and called the teenager to come over, he nodded quickly and ran towards the three of you, when he was standing next to you, he looked at Agatha waiting for her to talk.
“Listen boy, I know you are hiding something, and I know you can take care of you, we will have a talk later as well later, but right now, I have to ask you to please stay here with her, I don´t want her to be alone” The boy was surprised to see her so vulnerable, he hadn´t seen her this way, and he knew she was being sincere,  Agatha´s eyes showed so much emotions, fear was the most visible, it was clear she feared for you, she was scared of losing you and if he was honest he didn´t want that anything happened to you as well, and he was sure that any of the other witches of the new coven wanted for that to happen as well, all of them cared for you deeply and he was sure every witch here would do something in order to protect you.
He nodded and looked at Agatha with a serious expression on his face, however, their plan hadn´t go according to what they had wished.
You had seen them entering to the cabin, all of them, the teen had taken the seat next to you, the two of you had seen the other witches closed the door behind them, not even a minute had passed, or that was what you thought, that when you closed your eyes for a second and you opened them again, you were inside the cabin the teen was shocked as much as you and when you heard Agatha´s voice yelling your name, you knew things were going to get complicated.
“I told you to stay outside!” The witches were looking at you, they had turned around to look at you, Agatha was in what it seemed to be some stairs, Rio was at the front with a knife in her hand and another person was in the front. Someone you had never seen before, white hair and with a strange aura all over herself, the boy and you didn´t even have time to say you had in fact waited outside but the next minute you were inside with all of them!
“Let the girl and the baby inside of her with me, and I shall not harm anyone, you will be free to go” Agatha froze in her spot, her hands up in the air as she had tried to brush her hair out of her face after the ghost of her mother had tossed her the in the stairs, her mind freezing as well, for a second she didn´t understand, until Rio placed herself in front of the ghost of her mother.
“You can´t do that, she is not part of this, there are rules, and I will not let you take her” That was the moment when Agatha realized Evanora was talking about you, without realizing she walked down the stairs slowly until she reached the end of them where Evanora was floating, her lip almost quivering, the unsettling feeling growing stronger in her stomach.
“You don´t know what you are talking about” Was the first thing Agatha could say to the paler woman, getting a loud cackle from her.
“I don´t have time for this” Said the ghost and what happened next happened so fast you didn´t even have time to process exactly what was going in front of you, only catching glimpses, the ghost entering into Agatha´s body, Agatha starting to run towards you with such a strength that seemed inhuman, Rio trying to hold her, stopping her from taking a step forward to you, Agatha tossing Rio to the other side of the room, Jennifer and the teenager trying to keep her in place, Lilia had ran towards you to place herself in front of you, too shocked to even know what to do, how could they even fight a possessed witch, how were they supposed to fight a ghost? And the next thing you saw was Alice placing herself in front of you and Lilia, throwing strands of her power to Agatha, expulsing the ghost from your girlfriend´s body, Rio running to place herself next to Agatha to stop her from absorbing all of Alice´s powers, and then Alice falling to the floor, grunting but still alive, it felt as if everything had just happened in a matter of seconds, watching everything unfolding in front of you.
When the door opened, Agatha´s blue eyes stared at you, her eyes filled with tears, her expression unreadable, her hand on her mouth, covering it completely, her hair completely disheveled, but her eyes were always so easy to read, her blue eyes were looking at you with worry, showing how scared she was, how terrified she was feeling, and she did what she was used to when she didn´t know how to deal with her feelings and with the cruel world, she ran towards the opened door, getting out of the cabin as fast as possible, you had wanted to check on everyone, make sure Alice was fine, make sure Rio was not hurt, ask how Lilia felt and check if Jenn and the teenager were alright, but as you had sensed the complete wrecked state Agatha was in, you decided to go after her, no listening to the voices from behind calling out for you.
The first thing you saw after getting out of the cabin was how the scenery had changed completely, from the forest and the path being covered completely in leaves that had fallen from their trees, the sky that seemed to be dark as if you were late at night, the blood moon was nowhere to bee seen, the weather seemed to have changed completely, from the cold sensation that made your toes long for a pair of warming socks, to a different sensation in the air that it was even hard to describe, the light made the place look as if it you were in the middle of an abandoned forest that seemed to have ben burnt in some places, the trees didn´t have leaves and after squinting for a couple of minutes trying to locate Agatha you saw her walking some meters away, so you ran, you ran as fast as you could to reach her, and when she heard you calling out her name she abruptly stopped, but she didn´t dare to turn around to face you.
The fear and her awful thoughts had taken over her completely, she didn´t feel ready to face you, not yet, she needed time, time to process what had just happened, what she had just heard, trying to do something you did what you had done so many times, you took her by her arm, softly trying to make her to turn around to face you, but you felt the way her body stiffened, how her shoulders tensed, and the way she almost flinched, you heart broke when you felt her reaction, she had never rejected any type of contact, never before, until now.
“Agatha I´m-“ Before you could continue what you were about to say, what you had just learned today, what you had realized and Rio had confirmed, you heard a sob coming from her, and then her broken voice talked to you.
“I know, I know sweetheart, I just, I need time, please” She said without even looking at you, without facing you, and you were not sure what was hurting you more, the fact that she didn´t want to look at you, or if she didn´t let you address what was going on, so, with tears in your eyes you took your hand away from her arm and the moment Agatha felt you had let go of her arm, she started to walk faster, where to? You didn´t know, but you were sure she wanted to be alone, so for the first time in years you let her get away from you, alone, giving her the time to be alone, with her thoughts and her feelings, she hadn´t given you the chance to explain yourself or to talk with you, she just decided to leave, and it was breaking your heart, you felt the hot tears falling from your eyes, staining your shirt, feeling ashamed, not knowing why, you aggressively wiped the tears off your eyes with your sleeve, not caring if it left your face red and irritated.
Before you could do something else, Agatha suddenly turned herself around and walked back to you, as fast as she could, when she reached where you were, in a quick movement she pressed a quick yet soft kiss on your forehead, she didn´t  even give you time to do something because just as she pressed the soft kiss on your skin she turned herself around hastily and started to walk away without saying anything, you were not sure where she was going or if she was going to be safe alone there in woods of the road, but you knew she wanted to be alone, and you did not even know what to do, the only thing you thought you would be able to do was just to stand there, on the same spot she had left you in, not even knowing what to do, your mind completely blank, unable to form a coherent thought, your mind was a complete mess, what were you supposed to do now? Or at least, what were you supposed to think?
Hot tears were falling down your face, it seemed impossible to stop them from coming out of your eyes, the pain in your heart felt as if it was getting stronger and stronger with each passing second, for a moment everything seemed to go in a slow motion, the sensation of you getting out of your body, your hands feeling suddenly numb, and that was when you realized you had started to panic.
“Hey, come here, don´t worry, everything is going to be fine” Feeling Rio´s arms around you, engulfing you completely in a warm hug, her hands caressing slowly your back and you let her hold you, it helped you to stay a little bit calm, it helped you to bring you back to where you were, her warmth making you feel secure, safe, and you wanted her to hold you forever, that was when you realized you needed Rio as much as you needed Agatha, and the mere thought of Agatha made you cry harder, Rio´s heart was aching for you, she had seen the way Agatha had quickly left the place, but she knew the reason why Agatha had reacted that way, Rio knew the immense pain that Agatha had been carrying alone for so many centuries, the suffering Agatha had been having inside her since she lost Nicky, you still didn´t know what had happened to the blue-eyed witch, the reason why Rio and Agatha had separated ways for centuries, how much the loss of their beloved boy had affected the two of them, how much it had affected Agatha, to the point that the blue-eyed witch had seemed to shut everyone off, until you.
Rio let you cry more and more on her chest, giving you as much comfort as she could, trying to help you ease the pain, why did it hurt so much? Because you didn´t know what Agatha was thinking? Or because it seemed to trouble Agatha knowing you were pregnant? Was she mad? Was she disgusted? Could she be disgusted? What if she didn´t want children? You hadn´t had the chance to talk about having children during all these years you had shared, you in fact, hadn´t even think about having kids, it was not something you had not stopped to think about it thoroughly, let alone, having the chance to discuss it with Agatha, the love of your life as you had told her so many times, but you were terrified, you were not sure why Agatha had reacted that way, and it only made your anxiety grow incredibly fast.
“She is going to leave me” Was the only thing you were able to say to Rio between sobs, the mere thought of Agatha leaving you made your heart ache more, you were not sure if she would be able to do that, would she start treating you like she treated others? Would she stop caring about you? It terrified you and the thoughts were only making you cry harder, it hurt Rio to see you in such a vulnerable state, to see you so hurt, but she also knew that when Agatha didn´t know what to do or what to feel, she would just leave, that was how she coped, the way she had learned all over the years to cope with hard feelings, with unknown feelings or things, and this had taken Agatha by surprised, so Rio could understand why the blue-eyed witch had decided to leave, but you didn´t, and that was the reason that was causing you so much distress, not knowing what Agatha would do or why she  had acted the way she did.
“She is not going to leave you, alright? She is just, she is afraid, she just needs a little bit of time to take in everything that just happened, alright?” She said to you in a whisper, tightening her hold on you, her firm voice made you feel comforted, the way she sounded so sure about Agatha´s feelings made you feel a little bit less anxious, she was the one who knew Agatha a lot more than you, you were sure about that, and listening to these words coming out of Rio, helped you ease the pain, a little.
Nodding against Rio´s chest, and after a couple more minutes of letting her hold you close to her, the sobs coming from you started to lessen and the tiredness started to take over you, Rio sensed the change in your mood, how your shoulders started to relax a little, your body didn´t seem to be so tense against her, she saw the witches behind the two of you, their sad expressions in their faces, she knew all of them cared for you, and how could they now? You were just so sweet and caring towards everyone, and she was sure they would make sure you were fine, even if she didn´t want to leave you, she knew she also needed to go look for Agatha and talk to her, Rio knew she could trust in the witches to take care of you while she went to look for Agatha.
“Can you stay with here and have an eye on her, please” The voice echoing in the minds of the witches behind the two of you made them lift ther heads to look at the brown-eyed witch holding you in her arms, and all of them nodded, they would stay there with you, take care of you while Rio went away.
Lilia who was the one who took a step forward, walked towards the two of you, she slowly pressed her hands on your shoulders, caressing them slowly and you felt Rio gently separating from you.
“You are going to be fine, don´t worry please, I will come back with Agatha, I just need to talk to her, alright?” The way Rio talked to you in such a soft tone made you want to cry again, she was being so gentle and you only wanted her to hold you, but you nodded, not wanting to be more of a burden, so you separated from her, her hands slowly slipping away from you, giving you one last squeeze to your hands, Lilia was quick to take your hands in hers, taking your right one into hers and her left hand was placed on your back, giving you a slight and gentle push to make you walk towards the nearest tree trunk in the middle of the road, you were still trying hard to stop crying completely, you were not sobbing anymore, but still you felt the need to cry, and it made you feel a little bit ashamed, it made you feel guilty.
Lila turned her head a little, just enough to look back at Rio for a second, and when Lilia nodded back at her, in a way to reassure they were going to stay with you until they came back, Rio gave her a smile and nodded back at the Sicilian witch, taking it as her cue to leave, she turned herself around to start walking to where Agatha ad left minutes ago,  she was not sure how things would go, or if Agatha would let her talk, but she hoped the blue-eyed witch would let her, they needed to talk, to face what had happened.
After some minutes of walking through the path covered in leaves, she saw the silhouette of her former lover, Rio sighed deeply, they needed to talk for once and all about what happened, that would be the only way to get back to you and figure how things would work out from now on.
。 ˚ ︶︶✩︶︶ ₊ ˚ ︶︶✩
Lilia was holding you, she had taken the seat next to you, your head resting on her shoulder and her arm over your shoulders, letting you stay close to her, she even caressed your arm up and down, soothing you, making sure you felt safe, it was helping you, the tears had stopped coming, but the sadness was still there, so many questions on your mind, not knowing what would happen now, Lilia was worried, you were so quiet, it was as if the light that was around you had started to become dim, and with each passing minute of not knowing where Agatha and Rio were, that light would become duller, to the point in which only darkness would take all over you completely.
The other witches were around you as well, Jennifer was next to Lilia, watching you with a worried expression on her face, Alice was next to you on the tree trunk as well, her hands in her pockets but with her eyebrows furrowed, she didn´t know what to say to try and make you feel better, she knew that what had happened was a touchy subject for you, and she was afraid she could make things worse, or even make you cry again, Alice was happy at least that you had seemed to stop crying, but you still had that lost look on your face, just staring at the floor, your head on Lilia´s shoulder and completely quiet, not even moving, she looked at the teenager who was sitting on the ground with his legs crossed, looking at the ground, he didn´t know what t say, because just as Alice, he didn´t want to make things worse for you.
“What if Agatha doesn´t come back?” You suddenly asked out loud, feeling your heart shrinking at the thought of Rio coming back without Agatha, coming back to announce that Agatha had decided to finish the road alone and that simple thought made your heart ache in so much pain.
Lilia sighed deeply and separated a little from you, you only kept looking at the leaves on the ground and Lilia gently placed her hand on your chin to lift your face to make you look at her.
“Oh sweet girl, your mind is playing awful tricks to you, I understand the deep pain you are feeling right now, but trust me when I say, that witch, is completely in love with you, she is so smitten by you, trust me when I say, we have heard so much about her, we have got to see the way she just doesn´t care about anyone else, and we have never seen acting so caring about someone else, I can see the bond you two have, and I can assure you, that woman would not leave you, she would not let you finish this road alone, just as you right now, the hurt you feel right now, I can see Agatha carries her own burdens, something she has to come to terms, I know she only needs a little bit of time, and I know Rio is going to help her with that, she just needs a little bit of guidance, you will see” Lilia´s eyes were so bright, she transmitted you a peace you so much needed now, her words, just as Rio´s were making you feel at ease, her presence also made you feel relaxed and safe, and deep down, you felt her words were right, but even if she was right, the pain in your heart was still there.
“She´s right, if someone would have told me someone had tamed Agatha, I would have not believed it! But you have her wrapped around your finger, she makes everything to keep you safe” Jennifer said with a small smile, she had never thought a woman like Agatha would be so whipped, she was sure that whatever had happened to Agatha, or the reason why she had suddenly left, she would sorted it out with the help of Rio, and the two would come back, she was sure about that.
“You should have seen Agatha when I broke into their home, she was ready to fight me and tie me, she even pushed me out of the chair” The dark haired boy said with a slight chuckle, Agatha had been so wary of him because she didn´t want anything to happen to you, his comment made you smile a little, remembering how worried she had been about you.
“Oh my god! You broke into their house?” Alice asked him with her eyes wide, now she needed to know the full story.
“Yes, I mean, I told her I was sorry, but, now that I think, it was not the smartest idea” He commented while nodding slowly, it had been definitely not the best idea he had come up with.
“I am lucky she was the one who found me, because Agatha would have thrown me out of the window for sure” For the first time in what seemed like hours, you finally laughed, the heaviness in your heart leaving slowly, and the witches couldn´t help but smile as well, feeling a little bit relieved that you were coming back slowly.
“Yes, she would have done that” You said while lifting your face to look at him, Lilia smiled as well, seeing you laughing, even if it was just a little made her heart feel warm and her grip around you tightened a little, in a gentle way that it made you want to thank her for not letting you go and keep holding you, so you looked back at her to give her one big smile.
“Thank you” You said to her while looking straight into her eyes, and Lilia felt her eyes getting a little bit glossy, before she could say something to you, you turned your face to look at all of the witches sitting around you.
“Thank you, for being here with me” Your heart felt warm, the heaviness was almost completely gone, Alice, Jennifer and the dark-haired boy gave you a watery smile.
“You don´t have to thank us for anything sweet girl, we are a coven, we are not going to leave anyone behind, and certainly not you, we are going to make sure you are fine, and we are going to make it to the end, alright? No matter what” Lilia´s words made you feel face, her words gave you the security you needed to feel at the moment, you nodded and smiled at her again, you felt your eyes getting glossy again, but this time, it was not because you were hurt or in pain, it was because your heart filled with warmth and love, you had never had a coven, you had been a coven-less witch, being on your own until you met Agatha, but having this, a coven, and being told you were part of them, it made you feel happiness, a sense of belonging you had never felt, and you felt grateful for that.
。 ˚ ︶︶✩︶︶ ₊ ˚ ︶︶✩
Rio and Agatha were walking slowly next to each other, their steps being careful, trying not to make too much noise while stepping on the leaves scattered all over the ground, Agatha was feeling nervous, afraid, remembering your beautiful face full of pain, your eyes filled with tears, tears that she had made to fall from your beautiful eyes, she was feeling guilty, she got scared and she just needed time to think, to get her feelings and thought back in place, she hadn´t mean to hurt you on purpose, and she didn´t know if you were still crying, but one things she was sure of, she would make sure not to make you cry again because of her own fear, you didn´t deserve to be in pain because of her.
Agatha knew that what Rio had told her was right, she needed to come to terms with her own feelings, with her past in order not to affect you, in order not to hurt you, she needed to let you know the truth, even if it was too painful to even say Nicky´s name out loud, but she knew she needed to tell you everything.
When they got closer to the group of witches gathered around the tree trunk, they saw Lilia holding you close to her, a slight smile on your face, while listening to what the boy sitting on the ground was saying, Alice was talking as well and you seemed content being surrounded by all of them, Agatha could see how kind they were trying to be with you, how careful they were trying to act around you not to hurt you more, and she knew, Agatha knew, she would need to thank them for that, for treating with so much kindness and making you feel alright, for taking care of you while she had just left, while she had decided to fly away while you were in a vulnerable state, all of the witches were trying to cheer you up, Jennifer was listening attentively to what the dark-haired boy and Alice were telling, but just as Lilia, she would from time to time take a glance at you to make sure you were feeling fine, looking for any trace of discomfort while Lilia would caress slowly your arm up and down.
“She really likes being with them” Rio said suddenly while also looking at you from afar, Rio´s heart was feeling warm, she knew they witches would be able to take care of you while the two of them were not there with you, the blue-eyed witch knew she had to start being a little bit, just a little bit friendlier to them, just maybe she would thank them for being with you.
The closest they got to all of you, Agatha felt her heart bit faster with each step forward they took, the nervousness taking all over her, not wanting to see you cry again because of her, she didn´t have time to think what she would say to you, or how she would say sorry because, before she could actually come up with something, the two of them were already in front of the group, the witches´ laughter and words started to decrease slowly until there was only quietness surrounding all of you.
 Rio waited for Agatha to talk to you first, she knew Agatha needed to take the first step, you still felt a little bit wounded for having being left alone by Agatha, so you just started at the ground, not daring to look at the two witches who were standing in front of all of you.
Agatha cleared her throat and after some seconds that seemed to be so long like hours passing, she finally got the courage to talk directly at you, she stretched her hand out for you showing you that you could take her hand.
“Can we please talk, doll?” The pet name made your face get warm, she definitely knew that you always loved to be called like that by her, and even if you still were hurt, you couldn´t say no to her, so you just nodded and Lilia encouraged you slightly giving you a gently push to stand up and take Agatha´s hand, you took the soft hand that the blue-eyed witch was offering to you, and Agatha felt her heart skipping a beat, the nervousness started to dissipate, and a little bit of confidence started to invade her body, Rio placed her hand on your waist and the two witches that had come for you looked at the group of witches sitting on the tree trunk and at the boy as well who was still on the ground, the two of them nodded at the witches letting them know they were grateful to have been there for you, and all of the witches gave them a smile, they knew that after the three of you talked, they would be able to continue walking down the road and finish it, they felt all of them would make it to the end, and now, their goal as well, was to help you make it to the end and make sure nothing happened to you or the baby who was growing inside of you.
The group saw Agatha and Rio guiding you slowly towards they had disappeared before, sighing deeply they knew that once the three of you came back, you would have a smile on your face as well as Rio and Agatha.
“Do you think Agatha would let us gift them clothes for the baby?” The teen suddenly asked out loud and the witches started to think about his question.
“I don´t know, you would have to ask her, you are the one who she seems to like a little bit more than all of us” Alice said to him with a curious look on her face.
“What do you mean? She was going to let me sleep on the floor because I broke into her house, if someone could ask her without having consequences of being made fun of, would be Lilia for sure” Alice, the teenager and Jennifer turned their face to look at the Sicilian witch who had her left eyebrow raised, she seemed to be deep in thought and after some seconds she nodded agreeing to what the teen had said.
“Maybe we could ask her when we get out of here first” All of them nodded and the teen couldn´t hide his excitement, he was sure all of you would make it to the end, and then, he would be able ask you so many questions he had in his mind, right now, they only needed to wait for you to continue.
Meanwhile, Agatha and Rio took you to the same place where Rio had found the blue-eyed witch in the middle of the misty forest on the road, Agatha´s hand was still holding yours, and caressing the back of your hand from time to time, while she turned her face to look at your expression, you hadn´t lifted your eyes from the ground and the guilt it was eating her from the inside, Rio never let go of your waist, she tried to be as close as possible to you, until Agatha suddenly stopped and turned herself around to look at you properly.
“Doll, I am so sorry, I-, I shouldn´t have left like that, I made you cry, I made you feel distressed, I am so sorry, please, I didn´t want to make you cry” Agatha had started to cry, the tears were falling down her eyes, her beautiful baby blue eyes were covered in hot tears and it made your heart hurt, it was so rare to see her cry, she never cried and it only made you feel the need to hold her tightly and wipe the tears off her face, so with your right hand you brought your fingers to gently wiped the tears off her face and Agatha´s heart melted at the gesture, she placed her left hand on yours and brought it to her lips to press a soft kiss to the back of your hand.
“Please forgive me for making you cry, I was scared, I am still scared, I had so many emotions in me, so many thoughts that made me walk away from you, that made me leave you there, and I feel so bad for what I did, I shouldn´t have left you standing there, I was scared, I am still terrified, because I don´t want to lose you… I don´t want to lose you or the baby, I am so scared doll” Agatha´s words made you cry again, her words hitting you hard, and listening to her talk about the life growing inside of you, the baby inside of you, it melted your heart, her words filled you with happiness and so much love, so you hugged her, you passed your arms around her shoulders and she instinctively placed her hands on your waist, pulling you impossibly closer to her.
“I don´t want to lose you, you are the one that I love the most, and it makes me happy to know that we created another life, but there is something I have not told you, and it is the reason of why I am so scared, I want to be honest and tell you everything” Her voice so close to your ear and the way she sounded so serious made you realize that it was something really important, you just nodded against her and separated from her to look at her with your eyebrows furrowed, Agatha thought how sweet you looked with that serious expression on your face, she took a deep breath and looked at Rio to nod at her to let her know she could come near the two of you.
Rio came behind you and slowly took your right hand in hers, while Agatha took your left hand, they guided you to a spot in the ground, where the leaves seem to be greener, Agatha quickly took her coat off and placed it on the ground, only to guide you to sit on it, which only made your face become red because of her gesture, while Rio playfully shook her head, the two of them sat in front of you and each one of them took one of your hands.
You saw the way Agatha´s shoulders tensed for a second before she took a deep breath, Rio looked at her with a sad expression on her face, her brown-eyes full of concern, so you just waited until Agatha felt ready to tell you what she wanted to say, giving her a squeeze to her hand to encourage her and help her feel alright.
“Centuries ago, when I killed my coven, I wandered off, studying and gaining knowledge, stealing power from other witches, and then, I met her” Agatha stopped talking and turned her face to the side to look at Rio, who suddenly just stared at the ground, not wanting to look at Agatha.
“We, we fell in love, I knew who she was, I had seen her from time to time when she arrived to take the souls of those whom I have killed, but we fell for the other, we started to saw each other from time to time, she would appear out of nowhere in the forest, but as the time passed more and more, we started to see each other more and more, then, just like you, I got pregnant” You gasped in shock at what she had said, and Agatha chuckled a little bit, her breathing becoming faster, her hands started to tremble slightly and your hold in her hand became stronger.
“Nicholas was his name” Agatha´s voice had become shaky, the tears started to fall down her face more and more, and even if you had wanted to hold her or say something to her, you knew you needed to let her finish.
“He was the sweetest boy, calling me mom, following me all the time around, going behind Rio and following her when she needed to go, she would always take him by his tiny hand and bring him back to me telling him he needed to stay with me until she came back” You turned to Rio to look at her, her sad look, still staring at the ground, not daring to look at you or at Agatha, crying silently on her spot, you gave a squeeze to her hand to try and comfort her somehow.
“I knew he was supposed to have been taken away since he hadn´t even been born, but Rio granted us time, she gave us time, she gave me time with Nicky, the three of us, we were so happy, a family, time running I knew, with each passing year I knew our time would come to an end, I knew he was sick, I couldn´t heal him, no one could, and I knew our time with him would come to an end sooner or later, but I tried to be with him as much as possible I tried, I did everything I could, until his time came” Agatha couldn´t keep herself together anymore, her free hand was covering her mouth, tears streaming down her face, her eyes closed and Rio was crying as well, so silently you were afraid she would choke on her own tears for not allowing herself to cry properly, you wanted to comfort the two of them, you knew and you were sure that it had been too hard for Rio to take her son with her, that was the reason of her pain, of the sorrow and pain that she carried with her, and knowing the reason behind Agatha and her separating ways, broke your heart apart, why had life been so cruel to them? You would have loved to tell the two of them that you understood, but actually you had no idea how you would react if something like that happened to you, with any one of the two of them, how would you take it? Would you even be able to stand something like that?
“That is why I am so scared, I don´t want to lose you, or the baby we are just expecting,  I don´t want to pass through that again, I know I shouldn´t have brought you here with us, but we are here now, and I want to make sure you are safe, but without my powers I am so useless, I will not be able to protect you from anything” Agatha´s voice sounded so broken, and for the first time you didn´t know how to comfort her, Rio pressed her hand on Agatha´s shoulder and you looked at the brown-eyed woman, your could feel the pain coming out of her, and god, how much you wished you could just take the pain away from the two of them.
“I will make sure nothing happens to her, this time, things will be different, nothing will happen to you, or to her, and I can assure you, the baby will be just fine” Her beautiful voice filled your heart with warmth, she was assuring Agatha nothing would happen to you, her brown eyes wandering from Agatha to you, and you only smiled at her, Agatha quickly lifted her head to look at Rio, giving her a big smile, making you and Rio smile back at her, you knew, they still had to talk, and the three of you needed to talk more, regarding how this relationship would develop, but you knew, you would have more time when you get out of the road, in Agatha´s house, you knew, you would be talking about the three of you when all of you make it safe out of the road.
“Thank you for letting me know about this, I can only imagine the pain and sorrow you have been carrying alone for so many centuries and I know I won´t be able to take it all away, even if I want to, I know I won´t be able to take all the pain away, but I want to be there with you, with the two of you, I want to be there for the two of you” The way Rio and Agatha were looking at you with gentle smiles on their faces, the brightness in their eyes let you know they liked the idea, Agatha´s heart started to feel the heaviness and sorrow becoming a little bit more manageable, after telling you what she had been hiding for centuries, what she had been hiding for years from you, she could feel a heaviness going slowly away from her shoulders, she was sure with you, knowing this and having you by her side she would be able to keep on carry on, to start a new phase in her life, along with Rio as well.
Rio could feel the sadness in her heart slowly decreasing, she and Agatha knew Nicky would always be a part of their hearts and they would never be able to forget him, but the memory of the beloved Nicky had started to become less painful, she knew that with time and with your help the two of them would be able to talk about Nicky and remember him without feeling that immense amount of pain, and they would be able to remember him with the love they had for him and the love the two of them used to share, it would be a long path for the two of them, to come to terms with their past and with each other, but Rio knew, that with you there, with your help, with your kind smile and caring nature, they would be able to do it, in the end, they wanted the same thing, and it was to keep on loving you.
You threw yourself to them, passing your arms around their shoulders, taking them by surprise, but after some seconds of taking you in ther arms, they quickly pressed ther hands on your body, Agatha and Rio´s hands touched when they hugged you as well, but they didn´t mind, for the first time in so many centuries, they felt comfortable enough to be touching the other again, thanks to you, they knew they would be able to be in peace, to get to talk to each other again without fighting, but first, they needed to get you safe to the end and take you back home, they knew they still have a lot to talk, the two of them and also they would have so many talks with you as well, but they would do it later, after getting out of this place, right now, they wanted to enjoy the feeling of you being on their arms, having you close to them, and they were not going to let you go, they were not going to risk losing you.
After some more hugs and sweet words from them to you, you realized it was time to go back to your coven, to continue walking to make it to the end alive, with the two of them, the woman whose brown eyes seemed to be so sad all the time, and the woman with the blue piercing eyes who always was so confident and always knew what to say, you were for sure lucky to have the two of them, and one more thing, was that you finally had your coven, finally you felt like you could have a family, and it made your heart fill with happiness.
“We have to go back to our coven” You said to Agatha and Rio, a smile grew instantly on their faces and nodded at the same time.
“Our coven” Repeated Agatha, it felt nice, Agatha thought, to have a coven after so many centuries, and she felt happy that you also got to be part of it, without you her coven would be incomplete, Agatha then looked at Rio who was looking at you with such a loving expression on her face, she was sure that Rio´s love for you was as intense as her own love for you, and knowing that, made her realize that you would always have as much love from the two of them as you needed, she knew that the three of you would come to build something beautiful, between Rio and her, the missing piece was you, you were the only one who could make them stop fighting and work together, she knew Rio loved you deeply and she didn´t mind, her heart suddenly skipped a beat when she saw Rio´s eye slight up when you smiled at the brown-eyed woman, and this time, the feeling didn´t scare her at all.
The three of you started to walk back to where you had left your coven, Agatha was holding you by your waist, holding you close to her, while Rio was holding your hand, bringing it to her lips, leaving small kisses to the back of your hand.
Lilia was the first to notice you walking back to them, the three of you seemed to be more relaxed, your shoulders were not tense anymore, and your mood could be sensed from where you were walking, she sensed contentment, the same feeling Agatha and Rio were exuding, the three of you had smiles on your faces, and a strong bond could be sensed as well, she knew that from now on, no one would be able to separate you, and it made Lilia´s heart filled with contentment, that was how love seem like.
The witches saw you getting closer to them, and a smile plastered on their faces, they still knew that they needed to finish the road, and the fear of the left trials was still there, not knowing what the trials would make them face, but they knew and they were sure, that all of you would make it to the end, safe and sound.
。˚ ︶︶✩︶︶ ₊ ˚ ︶︶✩
“We are back” The teen, or now that you knew his name, and knew who he was, Billy said out loud, after the last door had finally opened and the bright light had almost left them blind, all of you managed to get out of the last trial safe and sound, after all of your eyes got used to the light of the sunny landscape in front of you, you were surprised, seeing Agatha´s backyard again was something you had not been waiting, but it only meant one thing, you had gotten out of the road, safe, all of you had made it back! All of your coven had made it out of the road, all of you were safe!
“It looks like we finished the road, no one was left behind” Billy said again with a smile on his face, Agatha had one of her hands on your waist, holding you tightly while Rio had her arm around your shoulder, her hold around you being gentle and caring, the two of them were at your sides, and you enjoyed feeling them this close to you, you were sure this would be how things were going to be from now on, and you loved it.
You still couldn´t believe how all of you managed to get out of the road, the whole coven was made it out safe, Lilia had been able to get control of her powers, she felt in control, because she was in control, you still were surprised how Jennifer had got her magic back, complimenting her about the nice pink that her powers were, the same tone of her pink dress, which made her give you a big smile, she felt like a complete new woman, you knew Billy was going to stuck for a while asking so many questions to Agatha, but you also knew he had the goal of finding his brother, and he would do it without problems you knew it very well, being the son of the Scarlet Witch made him too powerful, but he was still a teen, he needed to control his emotions as well, and you knew he would be able to do it.
Alice had broken her generational curse, she felt so much better without that weight on her shoulders, she had a different view of life, she felt like she could do anything she wanted, she felt free for once in her life, she felt powerful, and she knew, she would do anything she wanted from now on, not having to worry about things going south.
Your beloved blue-eyed witch had got her powers back, she felt complete again, having her “purple” back made her feel powerful again, and having got you out of the road safe and sound made her feel a lot better, having you close to her was the best feeling, and the baby you two were expecting, that also made her feel excited, the fear and overwhelming feeling of being on the road where anything could go wrong had gone away, finally she felt as if she could think clearly, as if she could feel a lot more, she could feel peace, her heart was not covered in fear, the sorrow of he first son Nicky and the pain would always be there within her, but she knew that with you and Rio, she would be able to learn how to cope with it, she knew this was her gift, this was the life she had wanted, it was her chance to have a family of her own and she would make sure this time it would last longer, a lot more, she would make sure to be with you all the time, and she knew Rio felt the same when it came to you.
You still were curious about what Agatha and Rio talked about when the two of them disappeared, but whatever they had talked, it had helped Agatha a lot, and you were grateful with Rio, you were not sure what type of conversation they had, but it seemed that it had helped the two to of them, and it made you happy knowing that Agatha and Rio finally seemed to be comfortable being near each other.
You saw Billy going to the middle of the backyard and he went to lay down on it, Alice, Jennifer and Lilia went towards him, the three witches were looking at the sky, they seemed happy, relaxed that they had got from the road what they were missing, and you were beaming with joy that all of you had made it out alive, they were your family, all of them your coven, you could now start a new chapter in your life, with Rio and Agatha by your side you were sure you would be able to have everything you always wanted, and the life growing inside of you also made you feel excited, You were sure Rio and Agatha would be amazing mothers, and even if you were a little bit scared, you were sure that whatever would come regarding the baby, Agatha and Rio would be there for you to make sure you were fine.
“We´re fine” You commented out loud, just for Agatha and Rio to hear, and they nodded with a smile on their faces, Agatha´s right hand was still on your waist, giving you a soft squeeze, while Rio had her arm around your shoulders, caressing your arm up and down with soothing movements, the two of them felt happy, genuinely happy, Rio could tell that the sadness that she had been carrying with her started to become more manageable, and she was happy she would get to be part of your life as well with Agatha, she wouldn´t miss this chance, she was not going to let you go, yes, the road had been messy, scary, terrifying, but in the end, it seemed that it had given her what she had wished for, as well as Agatha, now, Rio and Agatha would get a second chance to form a family again, to get to experience everything again, Nicky´s memory would always be with them, but they also knew they couldn´t let the pain consume them again, not with you by their sides, and Agatha and Rio knew that you would be there for them, when the darkest thoughts would take completely over them, they were sure that with your light, caring nature and love, you would be able to get them back to you, because that what they needed and wanted, was to be with you, and they would make sure that nothing would happen to you, ever, this time, they would make sure not to commit the same past mistakes, they had two lives to care for from now on, and they would make sure that everything would work completely fine.
That was what Agatha and Rio needed, their own little family, their own space, for sure, they still needed to talk more, about what happened, about how things would develop from now on, but the love they have for you was enough to make them feel they would be able to sort everything from now on, and they loved the way you smiled at the witches talking between them on Agatha´s backyard, they knew it would be amazing people around you and the baby, Agatha would make sure to have an eye on them, just to make sure she was keeping you safe, in the end, the road had given them what they needed, to all of them, a coven, a family, and you couldn´t be more excited to see how things would go from now on, you felt so lucky for having two amazing women loving you with so much intensity, and a whole new coven, a whole family to take care of you and to look after each other.
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cjlouwho · 7 months ago
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(I made this little headcanon then had to write a fic for it. Here's 2k words of the 118 being obsessed with Tommy ft. Bobby being a dad, of course. Enjoy here or on ao3!)
The Problem
Buck has a problem.
He knows it shouldn't be a problem. Knows he should be grateful. He's never had anything like this before. Never felt so secure in his life. Work is good, home is good, friends are good, family's good, and his boyfriend... well, he's really good.
Buck is in love, like really and truly in love, for the first time ever. Yes, he's said it before, and maybe he meant it, but not like this. He's never had this much stability, and care, and comfort, and security. Buck doesn't just love Tommy, he feels loved by Tommy. Since the moment the words I love you slipped out of Tommy's mouth, there has never been a doubt in his mind that Tommy means it. And he knows that Tommy feels the same way about him too.
But none of that is the problem.
The problem is he's not the only one who loves Tommy.
All of his coworkers love Tommy.
A lot.
Apparently he is a very popular guy with the 118. Buck always knew Tommy was a cool guy, even when he first tried and failed to discredit the claim, but he didn't realize that every single one of his coworkers would also think Tommy was the coolest guy to ever walk the planet.
Okay, maybe they didn't actually think that, but it was obvious that they liked him and they wanted to be around him.
All. The. Time.
At first it was cute. Buck was thrilled that everyone liked the person he was dating. He was overjoyed that they always had something positive to say about Tommy, that they had him included in group chats, and invited him to hangout with the team after a shift.
Then it became... a lot to manage.
Chimney and Tommy had a long history, so it was to be expected that they would hang out on occasion. They both loved to watch classic movies and, while Buck didn't mind one every once in a while, he wasn't a huge fan of black and white so he let them have their time with that. He just didn't expect Chimney to add the Old Classics Movie Network to his cable subscription so there was always another movie being recorded that they needed to watch and analyze.
Tommy and Eddie were already friends, and Buck and Eddie were best friends, so it was easy for the three of them to hang out. Buck could get into wrestling, he liked karaoke trivia, and he was a big fan of learning Muay Thai. But that's where Eddie had a problem.
“Every time you come to Muay Thai,” Eddie whined, “you and Tommy end up going one round, get all horned up, and leave early.”
“All horned up?” Buck repeated with a glare. “What are we, fifteen?”
“You're banned from Muay Thai,” he declared, holding up a finger to silence Buck's incoming protests, “at least once a week.”
Then there was Hen, who Buck thought would care the least of them all.
He was wrong.
She became convinced that she was the reason he and Tommy ever got together, not Chimney.
“Chimney may have been the one to contact Tommy, but it was me who planted the seed in his head,” she'd say, “so I was actually the one who connected you two.”
It turns out Tommy and Karen also had a lot of similar interests, so one double date turned into regular double dates. Often, Karen was texting or calling Tommy to set up the next double date before Buck even knew a thing about it.
Hen also enjoyed Tommy's dry humor. They could battle back and forth for hours in sarcasm wars, and often enjoyed hating on the same things.
Even Ravi wedged his way into Tommy's life. He actually wanted flying lessons for other purposes than staring at Tommy for hours at a time while he rambled on about what each button did.
And Tommy was so kind, so insanely, annoyingly, kind that he always made time for everybody. Buck had no idea how he did it, but he did. He even always had time for Buck too, Buck just wanted more of it.
He knew it was selfish. He knew Tommy deserved to have all the friends and found family in the world, which is why he'd never say anything to him about it.
But, he could talk to Bobby. Ask Bobby to talk to the rest of the team, because he'd tried and they wouldn't listen to him. Or, maybe Bobby could just schedule him off a day where everyone else worked? Give Buck and Tommy a day where distractions weren't possible, because all of the distractions were busy at the station. Surely he could do something.
He should've known better.
The second he tapped on Bobby's office door, Bobby excitedly waved him in.
“It came in the mail today,” he declared, as if Buck was supposed to know what that meant.
“Wh- What came in the mail?” Buck asked cautiously as he sat down.
“The murder mystery game Tommy and I talked about last time you guys came over. I had no clue he was so into puzzles and mysteries. I already talked to Tommy, and you two are coming over for dinner tonight.”
“We are?” Buck asked. This was a lot of information to be thrown his way so quickly.
“Yes. Well, he actually said he'd ask you about it and then confirm, but you already said you didn't have plans earlier, so...”
He should've known that question was a trap. Bobby had asked what everyone's plans were while they were on the way to a call earlier in the day. Buck had answered that he and Tommy didn't have any, which was risky, but his mind went blank in the moment. His actual plans involved a lot of nudity, mind blowing sex, and hopefully some whipped cream, but he was trying to not be so blatant about his sex life anymore.
But now Bobby was looking at him with wide, excited eyes, and he did remember Tommy talking about that game, and Bobby's food was always so good, so it wasn't like he could say no.
“Yeah, of course it's fine.”
Which led them to now, having just enough time to shower and change before driving over to Bobby and Athena's place.
“I know we haven't had as much us time lately,” Tommy said as they reached the door. Of course he did. Of course he noticed everything. “So we'll stay for dinner, and do this game, and we'll go by nine.”
Buck tried to play it cool. “No rush.”
“Evan,” Tommy replied knowingly, dropping a kiss on his temple, “we'll go by nine.”
Who was Buck to argue? “Yeah... Yeah, okay.”
Dinner went smoothly, as if there was another option. Tommy was always great at keeping up conversation, and he and Bobby knew tons of people to reminisce about and catch up on. Tommy had a long history with Athena as well, and a lot of mutual respect between the two, so the conversation never stalled.
It wasn't like Buck was ever left out either. Bobby and Athena were his family; more of his parents than his actual parents. Bobby cared for him, loved him, watched over him in ways his father never did. Athena was a dose of reality when he needed it. She was stern, expected the best from him, and didn't whitewash anything. He felt more comfortable in their home than he ever did in the house he grew up in.
And Tommy always had a hand on his leg, or his back, including him in the conversation or bragging on whatever he did at work that week. When Buck talked, Tommy looked at him like nothing else existed in the world. He listened, hung on to every word.
He made Buck feel special.
Which is why Buck wanted to take him home, rip off all of his clothes, and adore every inch of his body.
He couldn't do that yet though, because it was only seven-thirty and they still had to play the murder mystery game.
It started innocently enough. It was a fun game with pictures, paperwork, some evidence, and background on all the suspects. Buck figured they'd read through the material, follow along, and they'd be led to the murderer in no time.
Then Bobby rolled out the cork board and began pinning suspect photographs and pictures from the “crime scene”.
Things devolved from there.
Athena gave up before nine. “I solve murders all day long, I don't want to do it all night too.”
Buck still held out hope they'd leave on time.
Another mistake.
“Hon, it's getting late,” Buck said a little after nine, gently patting Tommy's back. They were sitting beside one another at the dining room table. Buck had been half paying attention, half going through a Wikipedia rabbit hole that started with active US serial killers and had somehow ended up on the origins of duct tape. “Maybe we should let them get some rest.”
“Buck, we haven't solved the murder yet,” Bobby replied, lifting both of his hands to show all the paperwork. “Cassie's ex-boyfriend is a prime suspect, but I have no physical evidence to prove he did it.”
“I think we should look more into the circus clown,” Tommy replied, handing Bobby yet another piece of fictional paperwork. “I learned a long time ago that you never trust a clown.”
“We already cleared the clown. He had an alibi.”
“Did he though? His best friend, the balloon artist, was his alibi. The clown could've paid him off.”
That's when Buck decided he'd be better off slipping away and joining Athena in the living room.
“Would you like some leftover pie?” Athena asked, eyebrow raised knowingly, as she lifted up her own slice.
Buck nodded. “I got it.”
He returned a moment later, pie in hand, extra whipped cream. He sat down on the couch, across from where Athena was curled up on the loveseat.
“There's not much on right now,” Athena said, staring at the TV, “but these home improvement shows always find a way to reel me in.”
“As long as it's not a murder mystery, I'll enjoy it.”
Athena let out a laugh. “They're in it deep, aren't they?”
“I'm not sure an actual murder would take them away from that game.”
Athena shook her head, peering into the dining room. “Our boys are something else, aren't they?”
Buck smiled. He couldn't help the butterflies in his stomach. The night may not be going as planned, but there was something so sweet, so domestic, about it all.
Everything felt... right.
“Yeah,” he replied, “they're something.”
Two more shows started and ended, and Tommy and Bobby could still be heard in the other room, arguing about whether it was the clown or the ex.
“You know, I looked up that game a while ago,” Athena whispered into the darkness of the living room, the only light from flashes on the TV, “and it wasn't the clown or the ex.”
Buck sighed sleepily. “I think we'll be spending the night tonight,” he mumbled, his eyes slowly closing where he laid on the couch.
“Already made up the guest bedroom,” Athena replied, taking another sip of her drink. “New toothbrushes in the bathroom too.”
It'd be another two hours before Tommy would come and gently wake up Buck and lead him to the guest bedroom. They'd brush their teeth, and change into some of Bobby's pajama pants before snuggling in bed.
And then, before the sun rose, Tommy would be popping up from a dead sleep to exclaim, “It was the candlemaker!” before running out of the room, and apparently right into Bobby who- from the sounds of their mumbled laughter and high fives- had the same epiphany.
Yeah, Buck had a problem. And he hoped he had it for the rest of his life.
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mothgardens · 4 months ago
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@tired-dragon22 ask and you shall receive :)
If you know me, no you don’t (I’m looking at u, T)
This is probably going to be a little messy and silly, but defo worth it.
To the people who think that Logan is a dominant, angry top… YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND HIM— this goes both ways because if you think that Wade is a submissive, whiny bottom you gotta be kidding.
These two characters are so complex and I am going to spend far to much time analyzing their psychosexual behavior, lets begin:
Logan, like most us know, is passed around like a blunt: Storm, Jean, Scott, Jean and Scott at the same time, Kurt, Storm, Kurt and Storm at the same time, Wade, some people ship him with Charles and Erik as well— point being, the man has some experience.
I know he wouldn’t run for one team (top or bottom), he is playing both fields. In my heart, he is a switch. But, that means he has multiple roles. To me, he is a power bottom MOST of the time, a service top, and on special occasions he can be a regular old bottom.
You have to really delve into the details of his character to see this how I do, and tbh idk if I will be able to explain it as well as I’d like.
Thinking about his character overall, he plays the “bad boy” who is mean and uncommitted, but that is not him. That is a mask to the world to hide his vulnerability.
This man is really just a soft, sad soldier. He has spent to much if his life grasping for stability and dignity. Everything he has ever done has been for some drop of control. But, he doesn’t like it.
He hates his anger, it’s exhausting. He hates fighting for everything he wants. He hates the constant tension and stress. He needs someone to take it away. Which leads me to our first role, Service Top.
He wants to serve. He wants to be told he is doing well (I will die on the hill of this mf having a praise kink). He doesn’t want to fight for control anymore. He hates having a constant guessing game; he would prefer to be told what to do. So, this is a perfect role for him. His partner has control, but he can still serve them. He can be their loyal dog. Do as they say, how they say it. He would get of to pleasing his partner. If they tell him “good job” then his heart is their’s.
I think the line between him being a power bottom or a traditional bottom is paper thin. He likes the lack of control, but he doesn’t like the guessing game. So, he gives suggestions, orders, or, primarily, bitches until his partner does what he wants. HE IS A BRAT, YOU CANNOT FIGHT ME ON THIS.
Simply, he needs to be taken care of. He takes care of so many people, he takes control of so many situations, he never catches a break. He just needs someone to gently lay him down and take the tension away.
I am foul, so one of my favorite traits about Logan is his animalistic tendencies. I believe they shine out during sex. Along the lines of him being a brat, sometimes he will just growl instead of actually bitching. Or he will whine instead of saying a word. I think he is incredibly verbal during sex, but his partner has to get him comfortable enough to quit biting back noises.
I’m not going to get into a lot of details, but just know: Logan is a bratty, feral power bottom who becomes a little mess OR he is a loyal dog service top who just wants to please.
That was my ted talk, amen.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ADD ON; im so happy i found the bottom logan community. He is so important to me.
(i can also make one of these about Wade)
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nqueso-emergency · 3 months ago
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Re the anon that Taylor isn’t the gotcha we think it is, I don’t know what the writers had in mind with her character, but at the time, it felt like they really did want her to be it for Buck. They gave her a lot of screen time and backstory. Hell, one of her episodes even felt like a backdoor pilot with her and a cop teaming up to solve crimes.
The problem with Taylor was she wasn’t a good fit for Buck at any point. Similar to Tommy, how the characters were introduced was a major sticking point for fandom and with Taylor there was a feeling that the audience deserved to see on screen apology for what happened in Dosed. Personally, I didn’t need an on screen apology but wanted evidence that the character we met in season 2 had grown enough that Buck would date her. She was always the same person as she was in Dosed and that was ultimately why they broke up.
I don’t know if the writers were just lazy assuming good looks and proximity are sufficient to justify a heterosexual pairing or if they figured the show was early enough in the run so the stakes weren’t so high for the relationship or if they truly meant for Taylor to Ms Right Now. Part of it could have been that the actor who played Taylor didn’t really bring much to the role. Whatever their original intention was, at some point the writers realized it wasn’t working so they aborted mission. Yes, fandom harassed her a lot (which she didn’t deserve) but that had nothing to do with why she’s gone. The GA didn’t mind Taylor but they also weren’t too broken up once she was gone because the average person might not spend time analyzing what they see on screen but they intuitively “get” when a story doesn’t work.
And yes, the writers could find that Tommy doesn’t work and abort mission. However, I don’t think that will happen because Tommy has been deliberately and carefully engineered to work in every way using 6 seasons of data of what didn’t work from being shown to have grown by the end of his season 2 arc, to being another first responder so he can easily be written into scenes without having a divergent plot line, to being the type of partner Buck needs. Add to that they have buy-in from OS for wanting to do this kind of story and Lou being the type of actor who puts a lot of work into crafting character backstory and creating impact with little screen time.
Yes, I love this!!! Exactly!
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keen-li · 9 months ago
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What you need | 02
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synopsis: everybody needs, but how do you define need? do you even know what you need.
Genre: best friends au, angst, fluff, smut, slow burn.
jungkook x reader.
prev | next
-
'’I’ve been in Seoul for a week now’’ he says hand in pocket, and tall figure towering over you as you just stand there.
‘’oh,’’ you say not knowing what else you could add. Namjoon’s aura is quite intimidating for you.
‘’I’m sorry I delayed your flight though.’’
The awkward smile you’ve got on your face makes him chuckle.
You take the time during his smile to admire the little dents on both his cheeks. You’ve never seen a man with dimples. Or maybe you're just paying too much attention to namjoon's face.
‘’That's alright yn’’ The way he says your name has a little more essence than the way others say it. ‘’I hope you enjoyed your lunch at least’’
You smile at the thought of lunchtime with jungkook. You enjoyed yourself and had your first full meal. Which you’re glad about.
You don't know if it will happen again it jungkook isn't around to force feed you.
‘’yeah I did’’ you smile and Namjoon can tell you’re not smiling at him.
‘’is it a boyfriend?’’ he asks walking on eggshells.
You internally scoff.
‘’that’s personal, don’t you think’’ you say knowing jungkook is far from your boyfriend. But it is personal for him to stick his nose in.
‘’you’re right, I apologize’’ he says, ‘’ I'm overstepping’’ You don't reply instead just let the silence sink in. You think you've indulged in personal conversation for too long. You never go past hi's and hellos when with make customers and neither do you spend so much time admiring their faces, but here you.
‘’what car do you have in mind’’ you change the topic and get to working. You’re not going to get yourself into personal conversations with a client. Last thing you need is more men on your plate.
‘’honestly, all of them’’
You know people like Namjoon, have too much cash and don’t know where to spend it and want to show it off (softly of course)
‘’wow, that’s a lot. Giving me a run for my money’’ you scoff
Namjoon shows you his dimples once more. You walk forward to the first car and Namjoon’s eyes follow your figure.
‘’I think you can handle it’’
-
‘’sorry I'm late’’ You walk to the booth jimin, willoe, and jungkook are sat at. All eyes are on you as you try and calm your breathing.
‘’what happened to you? ’’ willoe spits out eyeing you in concern as you breathe like you’ve got asthma.
‘’got off at the wrong stop and had to power walk here’’ you puff out. Jungkook moves out of the way so you can sit by the window and opposite facing willoe.
‘’you walked? What happened to your car’’ jimin asks staring at you even more concerned. You can see from the look on his face that he’s worried about you. It’s the first time you’ve seen him since your phone call. So he takes the time to analyze you.
‘’My car’s in the shop’’ Immediately you say it Jungkook’s eyebrows go up and he turns to face you. You bite your lip and avoid his eyes knowing what’s on his mind after your words.
You fight the urge to laugh nervously.
‘’That’s what happens when you don’t drive it.” Willoe spits out munching on some cheese sticks.
‘’I did drive it’’ for like a week, you honestly don’t even know why you bought the car if you weren’t willing to start driving it. You kinda place the blame on the fact that you recently got your license and are still shit scared of the road. Jungkook offers to help you get comfortable but you always procrastinate.
‘’what shop’s your car in?’’ jungkook eyes you warningly as his tongue grazes his inner cheek. He’s asking to provoke an answer.
‘’just some shop near work’’ You avoid long eye contact cause you know he’s probably feeling some way about it and you don’t want to face it.
‘’you didn’t tell me about it?’’ his words come out like a silent fire and everybody else at the table can feel the heat. So, willoe and Jimin ignore as they look at each other and speak with they’re eyes.
‘’yeah. I saw you were busy and I didn’t want to bother you’’ you spit out a little harsh. You understand what’s got his mood changed but you don't think it’s that big of a deal. You took your car to another auto repair shop, so what? ‘’it’s not that big of a deal kook’’ your words leave you mouth too quick for your liking.
‘’yeah you're right it’s not’’ his tone says otherwise. You roll your eyes at how childish he’s being. He can get childish sometimes over nothing and it bugs you.
‘’okay how has everyone been’’ willoe chimes in to change the air and you couldn’t be happier. But you were gonna have to talk about it later anyways.
-
‘’Now that the house is sold I have less work on my plate. Cause that house was impossible to sell’’ She exaggerates her tone and emphasizes how hard it was.
‘’That's great babe, I'm happy for you’’ Jimin rubs his hand on her thigh.
‘’thanks’’ she replies blush on her cheeks.
‘’how about you yn, how’s work?’’ she turns to you, who's mind is so far away.
‘’as horrible as ever but at least I just got a really big client’’ you adjust in your seat.
‘’ou, who?’’ willoe puts her elbows on the table.
‘’just some entrepreneur. I think he lives in France or something’’ you state like it’s nothing.
‘’he?’’ you can see the tease in Jimin’s eyes.
‘’please shut up jimin’’ You roll your eyes and scoff.
‘’what did i do?’’ he shrugs his shoulders amusingly.
‘’I thought you only worked with women?’’ jungkook decides to finally speak to you and it’s nothing more than a shallow inquiry.
‘’It’s not that I only work with women, it’s just that I prefer them over men.” You the words come out a little sharp and bored. You bite awkwardly into your cheese stick.
Jungkook hums.
‘’I know you want to say something’’ you turn back you Jimin as jungkook goes back to being silent after having his query's answered
‘’nope,’’ he shakes his head childishly.
‘’say it’’ you narrow your eyes.
‘’Nothing. Just be careful with these entrepreneurs from Europe’’
‘’why? He’s Korean though’’ you defend.
‘’doesn’t change a thing’’ willoe adds, she’s always on Jimin’s side. That’s what happens when in a debate with a couple.
‘’Their favourite thing is to prey on girls from here and promise them a fantasy’’ jungkook spits out. You can’t believe he’s still sulking.
You look at them as they seem to agree with each other. Why do they always act like they know better than you?
‘’you guys are being so dramatic. I'm not even interested in him like that’’ you insist ‘’plus I promised myself to never date again’’ you say like a vow and jungkook’s heart throbs in his throat.
‘’Whatever, I hope you just stick to your word’’ Jimin mutters with a cheeky smirk pasted on his face.
‘’yeah I will’’ your mood goes down a bit. You will prove them wrong.
You watch the waiter put the food down on your table and willoe is almost drooling.
‘’you’re gonna droll all over the table, babe’’ you hear jimin mock her before she lands a gentle smack on his shoulder and a soft mumble of words leave her mouth.
You turn to stare at jungkook to see if he’s still sulking. He is. You frown at how distant you feel from him when he’s like this.
You’re busy talking about your week and just some funny moments.
You watch willoe and Jimin bicker and it makes you smile at how cute they are.
You’re smiling when you turn to look at jungkook again. Your smile drops when you watch how silent he is and how he hasn’t touched his food.
‘’you okay?’’ he doesn’t seem to catch what you say immediately but when he does his smile and reassurance are unconvincing.
You don't poke more at it. He can’t be seriously this moody over you taking your car else where.
You're forced to stare out the window cause of the awkward silence in Jungkook’s car. The whisper of the wind the only conversation going on.
You haven’t spoken since you left the restaurant. You don’t want to nag him but you’re just worried he’s upset about the car thing when you didn’t mean to make him feel bad.
‘’kook’’ you speak so softly and unsurely you almost think he doesn’t hear. But the hard hum he releases lets you know he’s heard you. Now that you have the floor you wonder if you should even ask, you don't want to irritate him.
‘’Are you mad?’’ he raises his brow at you but still stares at the road. ‘’about the car thing’’
‘’I'm not mad’’ his tone says otherwise.
He takes a turn.
‘’it doesn’t seem that way’’ you ease in more.
‘’well I'm not’’ It comes out sharp and angry causing you to raise your brows ‘’Sorry’’ he murmurs out.
‘’I never meant to hurt your feelings, I just didn’t want to bother you with my junkie car’’ Your car was far from junkie but you’re just spitting out rubbish to ease the tension.
‘’it wouldn’t be a bother’’ he takes another turn. He doesn’t even know why he feels the way he does cause he’s not really mad, he just has this dull achy feeling in his chest and he doesn’t know why it’s there. But it’s there and making its existence known.
‘’I know, but I’ve seen you. You’ve got so much on your plate’’
You are right.
‘’I know but I just wished you’d told me, I could’ve recommended somebody I know’’
Why jungkook prefers you go to him about car issues is because he knows how some other auto repair shops work. They see women and find an opportunity to swindle. He believes he’s told you enough about it. But he still worries and prefers you tell him and he deals with it.
He pulls over at a red light.
‘’I’m sorry’’ you say taking a risk and bringing your hand into his free one, while the other stays on the wheel. Your body shivers at his warm hold which is contrary to your freezing ones.
You bring his hand to your lips to place a peck on it, just for fun and to catch his reaction. Jungkook crunches his face at the action, not that he minds but it just feels weird.
‘’don’t kiss my hand’’ he chuckles out. Then he interlocks your fingers together.
In your friendship you’ve become comfortable with this little holds and touches, so nothing feels weird about this. Just comforting.
‘’why?’’ you question with a huge teasing smile on your face.
‘’cause I'm the one who should be kissing yours’’
You watch him pull your hand to his lips. With his eyes locked on yours, he places a tender kiss on the skin.
The action soothes the ache in Jungkook’s heart, slightly. It brings some form of comfort to him.
You smile when he pulls his lips away, you can feel his lips still tingle on your skin.
You don’t know what to do but smile. At least he doesn’t seem to be mad.
The green light causes him to pull his eyes back to the road.
You try to pull your hand away from his so that it’s easier for him to drive. But his grip tightens around your hand, you raise a brow at him confused.
‘’ your hands are cold, I’m just warming them’’ he smirks and his thump caresses your skin.
--
‘’you don't wanna come up?’’ you lean against the window and wait for his response. ‘’I have banana milk?’’ you bribe.
He sucks air between his teeth ‘’it’s tempting, but I can't’’
‘’Maybe next time?’’ he bargains and you nod.
‘’yeah sure’’ you back away from his car.
‘’I’ll call you though’’ he says before he drives away, almost reluctantly. He watches you figure through the side mirror and watch his car disappear. The sad look on your face makes jungkook want to turn around.
But its not a sad look, more of a ‘I’m grateful to have you as a friend’ look.
When you’re back in your apartment and into your warm comfy bed. You throw your coat somewhere on the floor and make a mental note to pick it up soon, it was too expensive to throwing on the floor. But you’re exhausted.
Your mind slowly and unintentionally slips to the moment and feeling of jungkook holding your hand. You’ve held hands before but in the car, it felt...
In that moment for the first time, you never thought of yunho.
Ring, ring.
You groan when you hear your phone ring. It could be willoe cause she promised to call when she got home, but knowing willoe she’d never call cause she would forget to. Or it could even be jungkook. Your heart jumps at the thought.
Your smile drops and you let the phone ring to voicemail when you see the name that’s there. Unchanged still saved with the red heart and teddy bear emoji. You wonder why you never deleted it.
That sick and horrible feeling returns when you see the text that follows up on your screen.
Yunnie: I know you probably don't wanna talk to me, but I really wanted to hear your voice.
Yunnie: I've missed you.
Yunnie: are you free this weekend, I wanna talk things out.
You have a mix of emotions going through you and you can’t think. You could honestly throw up. Why the fuck is he texting you and why the fuck do you feel your heart pound.
The feeling gets even worse when a message from jungkook pops up and you open his chat.
[image]
Kook: goodnight bunny, <3
The picture of him on his couch with his black t-shirt and pajamas on and bunny smile in view causes you to smile. It almost makes you forget your dilemma for a second.
You: goodnight kook <3
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anpanman95 · 2 months ago
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JACK AND JOKER: Sacrificing Love against Tragic Love | Old Love vs New Love
They did it again.
Well, they’ve been showing us these contrasting parallels ever since the beginning.
Showing us that Jack and Joke’s new love is all about (self) sacrifice, and Hope and Save’s old love is all about tragedy.
I already knew this, but it hit me hard towards the end of episode 11 with this moment:
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First of all this whole scene was an absolute masterpiece. I’m a music composer for the media, I write, study and analyze music for a living, and let me tell you this scene might be one of my top 3 moments of this show just because how the music was treated here. (The music actually adds on to the point I’ll make in a bit, by the way)
First, we have our self-sacrificing lovers. Jack and Joke’s love has been all about self sacrifice since the very beginning, starting with Joke turning himself to the police to set Jack free
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and coming to a full circle moment when he gives the ring to Boss in exchange for Jack’s freedom, once more.
Joke has sacrificed himself, their love, and their happiness for the sake of others (in this case, Jack) twice.
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They fight for the world. Their love is new love. They have a lot they need to go through to put themselves first, to put their wants and desires first.
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Then, we have our tragic lovers. Their love is old love. They’ve been fighting against the world for each other, to finally be together and free, for a long time (even if it isn’t explicitly said, it’s evident when you see the lengths they’ll go for each other)
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They don’t sacrifice their love, they sacrifice the world. And it has nothing to do with their personalities, or that they are bad people. It’s just they are so damn tired of everything they only have each other to rely on. They only have each other.
But where does that lead them?
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To more tragedy.
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[the music on this scene was impecable]
Jack and Joke’s new love still has room to grow, which is why they can sacrifice it. They let the world come in between them for the sake of others, while still loving each other dearly.
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But again, their love is new. Fresh, still technically untouched and unharmed by outside things out of their control. Yes, the world is against them, but their reluctance to choose each other relies solely on their own fears and sense of responsibility to the world and their loved ones.
Hope and Save do not have that luxury, and don’t even want to have it. Their love comes first, because God knows how long they’ve been fighting for it. Old love that certainly already went through everything you can imagine.
It’s true we don’t get much of their backstory, but through their actions we can tell why they won’t sacrifice their love for anything.
Can you imagine what they might have gone through? What their love has faced?
Of course, they choose each other above all things, they had enough.
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Jack and Joke will choose each other in the end, but they still have a long way to go (season 2? haha yes i’m delusional)
This doesn’t mean Jack and Joke don’t love each other enough. But even though they’ve known each other for a long time, they haven’t loved each other for that long.
Their feelings appeared five years ago in a little spark of life but it was so short lived they simply didn’t get the chance to even acknowledge it before the world came in between them full force.
The spark was only re-born and ready to be noticed when they finally had a moment to breathe, a moment of peace with no other worries coming in between.
Hope and Save have already gone through all that, have truly gone to hell and back.
Hopefully they’ll get their heaven soon.
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Honestly I did not feel so much for them in the beginning. Their scenes felt underwhelming, and I wasn’t keen on them. But this episode left me absolutely in pieces. My opinion on them did a full 180.
They broke my heart.
I do hope they get their happy ending. They deserve it as much as our main couple.
Thanks for reading! Leave your thoughts, I love reading them❣️
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allllium · 10 months ago
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Hi!) send my love and little idea for a fic
May I request a little story about Remus x fem!reader? Other characters are welcomed :) characters age is up to you
The reader is calm person, ready to help, even get into a fight against bullies. But she also has a death glare and doesn’t peak words to smooth the situation. She doesn’t have a lot of friends, but definitely she is friends with Lily and the Marauders like to hang out with her (helps them with studies or work, helps James with Lily, lots of sarcastic jokes).
I think Remus can see through her facade. And he finally decided to ask her out for a date, maybe he even said something like “I like you”. And the reader reply with “Ok” and storms out to process with her feelings towards Rem. Then we can see collective panic 😱😂 The next day she finds Remus and gives him his favorite chocolate and self-made scarf with the words “I think I like you too” ❤️
Hope it’s all make sense to you 😅 sometimes I have similar situation when I can’t define my feelings and need time to analyze them… 🥲
I Think I Like You Too...
a/n ~ Omg reader in this is so relatable 😭 Honestly wasn't sure how you wanted me to write them so I did what I thought worked best for this situation. Not quite sure how happy I am with this so I might add to it/change some of it in the future but for now I hope you like it <3
~ Just fluff, James and Sirius being children
WC ~ 1,859
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Sometimes you don't understand why you're friends with the marauders. You love them so much but you're so different sometimes you don't understand. You're very calm and collected. Most times you don't show emotion at all, coming off as if you don't care. That's not the case though and luckily the boys know that. Even if they're the only ones.
Besides them and Lily, no one talks to you, and you don't talk to them. There's no real reason for this, only that people say you have a “death glare,” which apparently, makes you seem unapproachable.
Because of them being your only friends, (and not great at their studies) you spend a lot of time helping the boys, mainly James and Sirius, with their homework and preparing them for exams. During times where you're helping the boys in the library you notice the way people look at you guys. Sometimes their gaze is slanted towards the boys, either lusting after them or annoyed by some dumb prank they pulled.
However, there are times when people stare at you. They try to be less obvious, but you can see the way they silently judge you. Wondering why the boys hang out with you and debating whether or not you're as bitchy as you tend to seem.
You don't let any of this get to you, people will judge you for anything you do, and you know they simply don't understand. Honestly you find it funny how obsessed people are with a look on your face.
Especially when it's not one you make on purpose.
“I don't understand.” James tells you, for what feels like the hundredth time in twenty minutes.
“Of course you don't, you've been making faces at Sirius the whole time I was explaining.” You swear sometimes they're just children in growing-up bodies. Between the pranks, silly faces, and running around the halls playing hide and seek, but instead of each other seeking, it's whichever teacher they last put a spell on, it can be very hard to keep up with. Probably why people were so unexpected to see you all together.
“No I wasn't.”
“James, I saw you.”
“Wasn't me,” he defends. You let out a deep sigh at his childish antics, before focusing on the paper in front of him. You look down at the perfect moment, just in time to see Remus's small grin at banter between you and James.
“James, pay attention or I'll turn you into a rat,” you try to threaten, seeing Peter's frown at your words. “Sorry Pete, rats are adorable. You know how James feels about them though,” you shrug, remembering the way he screamed when Peter first transformed into his animagus form. He's not scared of Peter when he knows it's him but any other rat freaks him out.
“Fair.” Is all he says, as he leans back down to whatever he's doing on the floor.
You return your focus back to James, “Okay, are you going to pay attention this time?”
“Yes I am, apparently Lily only likes smart guys.”
“I have literally been telling you that for-” you're quickly cut off.
“No but that was just a plot for you to make me do my homework.”
“No it wasn't, I was trying to help you with Lily because-”
“No, I'm pretty sure you're lying.”
“But you confirmed it why would I be lying about it-”
“Well I don't know, why are you?”
“James Fleamont Potter I swear if you cut me off one more fucking time.” You hear the giggles of everyone else around you.
“What? What are you gonna do?”
“Call Lily.”
“No wait, I'm sorry.” He immediately changes his tone and turns back to his parchment.
Rolling your eyes, you look at Sirius,“Sirius, how far are you?”
“Well unlike prongs, I'm almost finished.” He tells you proudly.
“Can I see it?” He looks between you and the paper for a moment and then shakes his head.
“Not yet. It's a surprise.” You take a deep breath as he continues making faces to James.
Deciding you're done being a young mom to two boys older than you. You excuse yourself from the table and move to sit by the only boy not constantly giving you a headache.
“Hey, Rem.” You greet him softly.
“Good try.” He smirks at you, referencing the boys in front of you. You're glad they're having fun, but they're giving you gray hairs at this point.
“I'm two seconds away from calling Euphemia to deal with them.”
“That's a great plan, at least you'll get cookies out of it.” You nod your head in agreement, taking a second to admire your friend. Which is totally normal in a friendship, probably. You know you feel different about Remus than the others but you're not one hundred percent sure why.
“Ugh why can't you tutor them?” You don't even remember why you agreed to tutor them in the first place.
“Because I did it first and you lost the bet.” Now you remember, you and Remus had a stupid bet on who would tutor them. You and he had a competition, whoever got the lower grade on an exam would be the tutor. You lost. By one point.
“Not fair, I want a rematch.”
“How is that not fair? I won perfectly fair.” You know he did but you don't want to accept it.
“Uh because I don't wanna do it anymore.”
“C'mon they're not that bad.”
“Says you! Yesterday they were playing rock, paper, scissors and when Sirius lost, he pushed over James in his chair. Then James got up and claimed all the knowledge was knocked out of his head and he couldn't possibly finish the paper.” Remus is clearly trying not to laugh at your frustration. “Don't laugh, it's not funny.”
“I'm not laughing. But you have to admit they're very amusing.”
“I admit nothing. Seriously, why do they go to such lengths to avoid homework.” Remus immediately moves his face out of your view. “What do you know, Wolfboy?”
“Is the nickname really necessary?”
“Yes it is, explain,” you don't give him any room for argument.
“Fine. They usually do their homework just fine, slow but fine.”
“Then why do they cause such problems for me?” You ask him in despair.
“They like fucking with you.”
“Are you kidding me Lupin?” You raise your eyebrows at him and demand a response.
“No, they think you're funny.” He breaks out in a full blown laugh at your annoyed reaction.
“I'm glad you think this is funny, Moony, because you won't be laughing when you're all rats.”
“As if you could even turn me into a rat. I dare you to try.”
“Y'know what I will.” You give him a bright smile as he grabs your wrist to keep you from grabbing your wand.
“Not right now.”
“You're not scared are you Lupin?” You swear your heart skips a beat at his grin.
“Can you just pick one name and stick with it?”
“Okay I pick Wolfboy.”
“No you don't, pick something else.”
“No. Bye Wolfboy.” You hear his frustrated groan from behind you while you leave the library.
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“Ah!” You jump as you turn the corner and run into Remus. “Oh. Hi Wolfboy.”
“I thought I told you to pick something else to call me.”
“No, I don't remember that.” He looks at you in disbelief. “I'm getting breakfast now.”
“No you are not.” He begins to pull you in the other direction.
“Um Wolfboy, I need food.”
“Not right now.” What the fuck.
“What is so important I must miss breakfast?” He pulls you into an empty classroom and shuts the door. “You know you can't kill me right? People will know.
“That's not…what?”
“Nevermind, continue.”
“Okay great. I don't know how to say this but after yesterday it just felt so clear that I need you to know.” You give a gentle nod for him to continue.
“Y/n, I hope this doesn't ruin anything between us but I need you to know that I like you.” He waits a minute for you to respond, when you don't, he keeps going. “As more than a friend, like romantically. I have a crush on you.”
“Oh um okay.” You shrug and start to walk out of the room. “See you at breakfast.”
Remus is stuck standing in place as he tries to comprehend what just happened. He was expecting a rejection, a clear rejection. Or of course, there's the small part of him waiting for you to admit you feel the same way he does. But no. None of them. He has no idea how you're feeling. Who just says “okay” to that and walks out.
After a minute he decides to follow you to the great hall, pretending nothing just happened. He doesn't know whether to be sad about a rejection or be happy it wasn't actually a rejection?
James and Sirius are questioning his mixed expression the second he sits down, but Remus is focused solely on you. Who isn't in the great hall. He looks over all the people at least three times looking for you. Ultimately, he can't help but be a little relieved he doesn't have to face you right now. What would he even say after that?
Remus doesn't see you for the rest of the day. Instead he spends the day worrying whether or not he's scared you away.
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“Oh Remus you're here! Come here!” You grab his hand and pull him into an empty room, similarly to the way he did to you yesterday.
“Um okay? Are you alright?” He asks quickly, as if sensing your nervousness.
“Yes I'm fine I just need to say something to you.”
“What is that?” He asks, pointing to the things you're holding in your free hand.
“Oh yeah this stuff is for you.” You hand him a box of his favorite chocolates and a scarf you spent the night making for him. “I made this for you because I didn't know how to say what I want to. I didn't mean to act like that yesterday, I just needed some time to think about how I felt.”
“And what do you want to say?”
“Yeah it's on the scarf actually.” You take notice of how your fingers are fidgeting, and your legs are bouncing in place.
“Did you make this? This is nice.”
“Last night, yeah.” You feel a little out of breath as you stand in front of him.
“In one night? That's impressive and insane.”
“I'm well aware. I didn't sleep last night.” He grins you a big grin, both at your words and the words he finally finds on the end of his scarf.
“You need sleep, angel.” He says, cutting off at the end as he finishes reading your sewed words. ‘I think I like you too ♡’ is embedded into the red fabric. “You think?”
“Is that acceptable for you Wolfboy?” You step closer to him, waiting for his answer.
“Yeah more than.” You can't stop your bright smile as he leans down to place his lips on yours.
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gabrielsbubblegumbitch · 11 months ago
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Hello again! LOVE op's posts about static moth so so much they are giving me ungodly amounts of serotonin ... It's genuinely been such a joy reading your interpretations of their relationship and what makes them work the way they do. Even with the limited amount of content we have of them I believe you've nailed their respective personalities and behavior patterns spectacularly and every single post has been extremely interesting to go through and to analyze off of!
Regarding the reasons as to why Valentino likes vox as a romantic partner, I also believe part of it has to do with some of Vox's more stalkerish tendencies as well? His (not yet canon but close) Voyeurism, his constant need for control, etc.
This is more of a head canon than anything else, but I do genuinely believe Valentino enjoys the obsessive attention he can get only from Vox as it does wonders to quell his constant sense of emptiness, his subsequent feelings of abandonment, and the anxieties that follow. The fact that he knows Vox enjoys stalking him, (probably) gets off on it and is actively deriving pleasure from simply watching him go about his day may be adding to the thrill and content as well. The thing is, as generally absurd and problematic it is, this behavior seems to bring a sense of security for both Partys involved: Throughout the show during all 4 episodes that feature Valentino's presence, we have yet to see a single scene with him without at least one camera tracking his movements. They are everywhere. They follow him wherever he goes, Vox can follow him wherever he goes whenever he so chooses, even to Vals own personal quarters. They are a massive, glaring red flag and quite frankly would bring a suffocating amount of pressure and sense of captivity to any other person under the same circumstance. But Val never brings this up, so I feel he either doesn't think he's in a favourable condition to complain, or he likes the idea of Vox always having his eyes on him. For me I think it's the latter, and I think for him to act so nonchalant around vox's cameras and his potentially constant, 24/7-hour surveillance, it has to have offered him some form of comfort. It has to have made him feel good, either about himself, about the state of their relationship, or both.
(apologies for the sloppy wording, hope you have a wonderful day!)
Awww, Anon, you are so sweet! Reading your question brought me so much joy <3 I think your perspective is spot on, and I wholeheartedly agree with it. I must admit I initially omitted this aspect of their relationship from my initial response because the question specifically focused on love rather than "sexy and toxic stuff." For me, voyeurism and stalking kink are more closely related to the latter category.
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That being said, Val undoubtedly enjoys having Vox's eyes always on him. Being a diva and a performer, he relishes performing for Vox, especially knowing Vox's likes all the deranged shit but desperately tries to hide it underneath his clean façade. So he’s basically like “I’m going to hit this bitch for you, Voxy. As a treat.” recognizing that Vox couldn't do it himself without tarnishing his image. In return, Val receives even more attention and admiration, perpetuating the cycle.
Since you've given me the opportunity to delve into Vox's voyeurism further, I'll add some additional insights (I've been meaning to write a proper post about it for some time now but that rabbit hole is just too deep). It's fundamentally about control, of course, and it's simply a kink. However, kinks are not merely about arousal; they involve complex psychological dynamics. People a lot smarter than me wrote a shit ton of essays about voyeurism, especially since it is a very relevant topic in the visual media era. One sentence about Lacan's interpretation of it grasps really well what I have in mind when I think about Vox:
By appropriating the other as image, the voyeur makes it an object of pleasure*, while remaining uninvolved in the other's intimacy.
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It’s a parasitic relationship. A voyeur gets symbolic control over their object and it gives them the sense of being powerful. And they don’t have to offer anything themselves – no effort that is required to gain control in situations with two subjects involved, nor the vulnerability necessary in consensual relationships. They can just freely feed on others without offering anything in exchange.
Without delving too deeply into philosophy, Vox's inability to live authentically stems from his obsession with his image, his guardedness, and his need for control. This sets a lot of limitations about what he can allow himself to personalmy experience. So he derives dopamine from "stealing" others' experiences and emotions, while avoiding the effort and vulnerability required in genuine connections.
*In a broader sense, voyeuristic pleasure isn't necessarily sexual; it can manifest as the thrill some people experience from watching macabre imagery in movies, eavesdropping on neighbors' drama, or even watching overly personal vlogs.
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redislazy · 3 months ago
Text
Deadly Attachments, Chapter 01
Chapter 02 >>
[EVENTUAL SMUT] - Minors DNI
> ao3 <
Pairing: Simon "Ghost" Riley x female!Reader
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Summary: As a skilled mercenary, you've navigated countless high-stakes missions—until one job puts you in the crosshairs of Task Force 141 and the elusive "Ghost." Now forced into an uneasy alliance, you’re drawn into a dangerous game of shifting loyalties and hidden motives. But as the stakes climb higher, one question lingers: how close can you get to the man who was meant to be a shadow in your path?
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Content Tags: Enemies to Lovers, Military Action & Romance, Mercenaries, Soldiers, Non-Canon Antagonists, Eventual Smut, Military Inaccuracies, Slow Burn, Will add smut-specific tags later as the story goes
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Author's Note: i've been wanting to write a multi-chapter Ghost x female!reader fic for a while now, and i'm excited to finally share it! i've already written a lot of chapters in advance, though they still need tons of proofreading; English is NOT my native language, so i rely heavily on tools like Autocrit, Grammarly, and ProWriting Aid to help me with grammar and flow + my bf, who's a native speaker, has been super helpful with this project. <3 a quick heads-up: there are likely some military inaccuracies;; sorry in advance! comments and feedback are hugely appreciated; they help me know if i'm on the right track! (10/29/24) edit: i made a playlist on both Spotify and Youtube!! it’s not exactly tailored to the story’s vibe, but more like the songs that kept me in the zone while writing. have fun!
You stare at the dingy wall of the interrogation room, your body weary from being bound to the chair for hours. You've always been pretty damn good at your job, but somehow, you finally met someone that matched your skills, managing to catch you. You—a mercenary who's been in the industry for ten years, and never once have you been in a bind like this. You let out a loud groan, your frustrations growing the more they make you wait in the room. Typical for the SAS to waste people's time like this.
The door swings open and in walks a tall figure clad in tactical gear, a skull balaclava covering his face. His cold blue eyes peer through the holes in the mask, scrutinizing you. The sound of boots echoing against the concrete floor is the only thing that fills the tense silence. He takes his time to observe you, noticing the signs of weariness and frustration etched on your face. He takes a seat across the table, his movements deliberate and controlled, making sure you know who's in charge here. He leans forward, arms crossed, and studies you.
"Alright," he says, his British accent sharp and authoritative, "let's cut to the chase. We know you've been working with those Russian bastards. What we want to know is why?" His voice is stern and unwavering, making it clear he won't tolerate any lies or evasion. He takes a moment to analyze your body language and reactions, trying to read you like an open book.
His hatred towards you isn't personal, at least not yet. But you represent everything he despises in this world—mercenaries who sell themselves to do dirty work without considering the consequences of their actions. He hates the fact that he has to deal with your kind in the first place. But he also knows that sometimes, information is more valuable than a bullet, especially when it comes to taking down the enemy. So, he'll play this game of cat and mouse for now.
You take a deep breath, stopping yourself from popping up a vein at his question. "I've been telling you this whole time! I'm not one of Kozlov's men. I'm a merc, okay? I was hired by a PMC." You let out an angry huff.
Once a decorated intelligence officer within Russia’s GRU, Viktor Kozlov became disillusioned with what he saw as the corruption and moral decay of powerful nations. After a covert operation went wrong and exposed him to the brutal lengths governments would go to maintain control, he vanished, presumed dead. In reality, Viktor spent years gathering resources, supporters, and arms to launch his own crusade against the "imperialist and morally corrupt" systems of the world. Now, he leads The New Dawn, a terrorist network dedicated to dismantling global powers through calculated attacks designed to destabilize entire regions.
The masked man raises an eyebrow at your response, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. He taps his fingers lightly on the table, the rhythm a silent countdown before he speaks again. "A PMC, you say? And yet, here you are, in the middle of our operation against Kozlov," he retorts, his voice still cold and calculating. In his mind, he's already running through various scenarios and possibilities, trying to piece together your story and find any holes in it. He leans forward once more, the dim light reflecting off his skull balaclava, creating an intimidating visage. "Who hired you? And what were your orders?"
You scoff at his question. "You think I'd just tell you who I work for? I may not look like it, but I have a decent work ethic."
Ghost chuckles darkly at your defiance, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Work ethic, huh? You do know we have our ways of making people talk, right?" His tone turns icy, making it clear he's not one to be trifled with. "Look, we're not playing games here. If you're truly not one of Kozlov's men, then you'll tell us who sent you. If you don't, I can't guarantee your safety. We both know how things can go south pretty quickly in our line of work." He pauses, letting his words sink in before adding, "And if you are lying, well, then it's just a matter of time before we find out anyway. So, what's it going to be?" His voice is firm, leaving no room for negotiation.
You take a moment to study the expression in his eyes, the only part of his face that is exposed. It's almost impossible to tell what he's thinking.
You sigh, recognizing that you no longer have the energy to prolong this game with the SAS any further. You've already been compromised. Hard. Is it truly worth it to hide details of your mission at this point? He's right; even if you don't talk, they'll find out eventually.
"Fine," you finally relent. "Aegis Black Ops. That’s who I work for. They’re a black-budget PMC; no official ties, just results. We take the jobs no one else can—stealing intel, sabotage, high-risk extractions. Founded by an ex-CIA agent, they run ops in total secrecy. Kozlov's been on our radar for a while now, and Aegis has a personal score to settle. We’ve hit his operations before, and my task was to steal data while he and his men are preoccupied fighting you SAS lot," you answer firmly, with no hint of any deceit in your tone.
Ghost listens intently to your explanation, his expression unchanging behind the balaclava. It's not uncommon for private military contractors to have their own agendas, but it doesn't mean he has to trust them blindly. After a moment of contemplation, he finally speaks up, "So, why didn't you just come clean from the start? We could've saved ourselves a lot of trouble." There's a hint of annoyance in his voice, but it's quickly replaced by curiosity. "What kind of data were you after? And what's so special about Kozlov that Aegis wants him out of the picture?" He leans forward, resting his elbows on the table and steepling his fingers together, studying you carefully.
You cross your arms, meeting his gaze steadily. “I didn’t ‘come clean’ because I know exactly how this works,” you say, keeping your voice cool. “You and the SAS might claim the high ground, but governments? They’ll weaponize any intel they can get their hands on. I’m not here to hand over data that’ll just end up as another piece on some political chessboard.”
You let out a low breath, fighting the urge to laugh at the irony. “As for Kozlov, he’s a threat, sure. But to Aegis, he’s also an opportunity—an unstable element that could bring a lot of secrets to the surface if we get to him first. I’m not here to play nice or pretend I’m on some noble crusade. I just know where my loyalty lies—and it’s not with any government.”
He maintains eye contact with you, a flicker of amusement crossing his mind. He nods slowly, acknowledging your position. "Understood." His tone is terse, showing no sign of taking offense at your blatant lack of trust.
He pushes himself off the chair, his military boots echoing in the cold concrete interrogation room. He paces around, his shadow looming over the data on the table. "We both want Kozlov gone," he finally says, stopping to look down at you. "That's enough common ground for now. But I'll need proof that you can deliver." He pauses, allowing his words to hang in the air. "Any proposals?" Ghost asks, his accent clipped and authoritative.
"I propose you untie me off this chair and send me home. I'm not going to get involved with whatever you're planning from here on out. I failed my mission already because of you, and that's where my role ended." You glare at him, each word sharp with irk.
He raises an eyebrow at your defiance, his jaw clenching slightly. He reaches up, running his gloved fingers along the edge of his balaclava. "Well, now that's a problem, isn't it?" he replies coldly. "Because I can't exactly let you go back to your merry little band of thieves after all this."
His eyes narrow, assessing your reaction to his words. "Besides, if you're half as good as you claim to be, then I could use someone like you. And it'd be a shame to waste talent like yours because of some misplaced loyalty." He closes the gap between you in a few short strides. Leaning in close, he looks down at you with an air of challenge. "So, what's it going to be? Are you going to be a liability...or an asset?"
You smirk up at him, not budging an inch as he closes in. “Oh, please,” you say sharply, mimicking his demeanor. “Let’s get one thing straight—‘misplaced loyalty’ isn’t in my vocabulary. I know exactly who I’m loyal to, and let’s just say it isn’t anyone waving a government flag.”
You tilt your head, meeting his stare without flinching. “And as for being a ‘liability’ or an ‘asset’? Let’s not pretend you didn’t decide to let me live because of my expertise in the first place. Maybe you’re starting to realize you need someone like me a little more than you thought, hm?”
You shrug, all casual defiance. “So, what’s your choice, skull-face? Going to trust a so-called ‘liability’ to get the job done, or keep playing it safe with your merry band of rule-followers?”
He straightens up, his gaze never leaving yours. "Skull-face, huh?" he replies dryly. "You think that name bothers me?" He leans closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "You're not the first to try to get under my skin." He steps back, his eyes glinting with a dangerous edge. He crosses his arms again, studying you closely.
You snort at his response. "Now, don't get me wrong, I simply just don't know what your name is. Until you introduce yourself to me properly, well, 'skull-face' it is." You give him an annoyed look, remembering how he just brought you in here with no pleasantries whatsoever.
He chuckles softly, the sound sending a chill down your spine. "Fair enough," he concedes, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He takes a deep breath, contemplating his next words. "Names aren't important in our line of work," he says finally. "But since you asked so nicely, you may call me...Ghost."
A loud, audible chuckle escapes your lips as he mentions his name. "Ghost? Really? You think that sounds cool or so—"
But then it hits you, and your laughter dies mid-sentence. The callsign is strikingly familiar, and suddenly, the pieces fall into place. You let out a heavy groan, frustration washing over you.
In this line of work, you hear a lot about the big players, whether they’re on the right side or the wrong side of the law. Whispers swirl around powerful individuals, and one name always stands out: Task Force 141. Rumor has it they’re a unit of some of the most skilled soldiers, and one particular figure has earned a notorious reputation. A man who wears a skull balaclava and goes by the callsign 'Ghost'. Stories of his exploits send shivers down the spine of those who hear them.
Now that you’ve connected the dots, your previous confidence evaporates. The realization that you’re in the custody of this man sends a chill down your spine. The idea of wriggling free from his grasp suddenly seems a lot more daunting.
"Ah, so you're that 'Ghost'," you manage to say, the cockiness in your voice significantly dimmed.
He watches as your demeanor shifts upon hearing his name, and a smug sense of satisfaction fills him. He nods slowly, letting you process the information. "You might want to reconsider your choices," he warns, his voice low and serious. "You're in, whether you like it or not." He cuts off your restraints, freeing you.
You stretch your arms, letting out a sigh of relief. You get up from the seat, and you walk towards him, stopping right in front of him. His towering figure does not intimidate you at all.
"Just this one time. After I'm done being your lapdog, I'm out of here. Give me your word," you say commandingly.
Ghost studies you for a moment, your boldness surprising him.
"Very well," he agrees, holding out his hand. "One job, then you're free to go. But know this," he adds, his gaze hardening, "if you try to pull anything, I will make sure your name becomes nothing more than a whisper in the wind." Ghost's voice holds an underlying threat, but there's also a hint of intrigue.
Now that you know who he is, you no longer find it in you to scoff at his threats. You just silently stare at him, not saying a word any further as you accept his hand.
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Ghost remains silent as he leads you through the dimly lit corridors of the base, his mind working overtime, processing the unexpected turn of events. He hates being cornered, but something about your tenacity intrigues him. Upon reaching your designated quarters, he opens the door and motions for you to enter.
"Get some rest," he orders gruffly. "We leave at first light." Once you're inside, he closes the door behind you.
Relieved that the room includes a bathroom, you quickly take a shower, dressing in one of the spare outfits provided once you're done. You lie in the darkness of the room, attempting to ignore the creaks and hums of the unfamiliar environment, your mind drifting back to the mission, replaying every detail.
The plan had been flawless—or at least, that’s what Aegis led you to believe. They sent you in, banking on the fact that the SAS and Kozlov’s men would be too focused on tearing each other apart to notice you slipping in through the chaos. You'd timed it perfectly, darting through darkened hallways, avoiding the sounds of gunfire echoing down the corridors as you closed in on the server room.
The data was right where the intel said it’d be, and for a moment, you actually thought you’d pull it off without a hitch. You were halfway through the upload, the light on your drive flashing as it sucked in everything Aegis needed, little by little. The noise outside was just enough to cover the hum of the servers, your fingers poised, watching the data percentage tick up.
Then you felt it—that prickle on the back of your neck. Before you could even look, a shadow moved behind you, and the next thing you knew, a hand was on you, dragging you backward. You’d spun around, aiming to get the drop on him, but you barely managed a step before Ghost countered, deflecting every strike you threw. It was like hitting stone—unyielding, relentless. For every blow you threw, he responded faster and stronger.
You’d landed a few hits—felt the contact, heard his grunt—but it didn’t faze him for a second. Within minutes, you were pinned, arms behind your back, his grip ironclad. He didn’t even say a word, just hauled you up and marched you out, tossing your drive onto the floor like a discarded toy.
And now, here you are, lying in this cold, uncomfortable bed, running the event over in your head, wondering where exactly you went wrong.
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The following morning, Ghost knocks sharply on your door. When you open it, he sizes you up, noting your disheveled appearance. "Get changed," he commands, tossing a duffel bag at your feet, likely containing a fresh set of tactical gear in your size. "Mission briefing in fifteen minutes."
At the briefing, with everyone assembled on time, Ghost stands in front of a map, tracing a route over marked points as he speaks in a low, direct voice. “Alright, listen up. We’ve got a solid lead on Kozlov’s next location—a small compound just outside Grozny. Intel says he’s regrouping there with a skeleton crew. This isn’t one of his main bases, so we’re catching him at his most vulnerable.”
He glances around the room, making sure everyone’s focused. “We’re hitting hard and fast. The objective’s simple: we move in, locate Kozlov, and secure him. The area’s got minimal cover, but we’ll use the terrain to our advantage—come in from the east, using the tree line for our approach. Once we’re in, expect close-quarters combat. Kozlov’s men are few, but they’ll be armed to the teeth. Any questions?”
He pauses, scanning each face, his gaze briefly resting on you—a silent reminder of what’s at stake. “If we do this right, we’ll have Kozlov in cuffs by morning.”
As the briefing continues, your mind wanders to what comes next, once you’re out of SAS custody. You know that once this is over, things with Aegis won’t exactly be...friendly. They don’t take lightly to mercenaries who fumble, let alone those who end up in SAS hands. You’ll have to move fast, probably disappear, setting up somewhere under Aegis’s radar. Burn what few bridges you have left and start fresh—they don’t offer second chances to those who ‘compromise’ a job. Now, with the SAS using you as leverage, you’re as good as a loose end in their eyes.
Your gaze shifts back to Ghost, but he doesn’t notice, focused on the mission. To him, you’re just a tool—a temporary means to an end. Fine by me, you think. You just need to get through this. Once you’re free of their watch, it’ll be time to disappear.
As Ghost wraps up the briefing, Captain Price gives him a light tap on the shoulder, acknowledging a solid plan, then dismisses everyone. But Ghost’s gaze locks on you, silently signaling for you to stay behind.
When the others leave, he walks closer, standing tall over you. "What's on your mind?" he asks, his voice low and gruff, betraying none of the suspicion in his eyes. He noticed after all.
He leans forward, his gloved hands resting on the table, his presence imposing. He expects an answer, and he’s not accepting anything less than the truth.
You shift under his gaze, catching the intensity in his eyes. He’s watching too closely, looking for any sign of hesitation.
Your gaze drops to his shoulder, and you keep your tone casual. “It’s nothing,” you say, your expression unreadable. “Just keeping tabs on the mission, same as everyone else.” You shrug, crossing your arms, leaning back as if his scrutiny doesn’t faze you.
But the tension hangs thick, and his eyes stay on you, probing for cracks. He’s expecting something more, but you hold steady, giving him nothing. Just another merc playing the part—for now.
Ghost narrows his eyes, clearly not fooled. "Don’t play games with me. I don’t have the time or patience," he says firmly, a hint of a growl in his voice. "I’ve seen your type before—always thinking they’re smarter than the rest. But I promise you, testing my limits isn’t in your best interest." He leans in, his skull balaclava inches from your face. "I know you’re plotting something. If it’s against us, you’ll regret it." He straightens, his expression hard. Then, turning to leave, he issues his last command.
“Be ready in ten. We’re moving out.” He exits, casting one final, critical glance over his shoulder, leaving you alone with your thoughts.
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The night is thick with tension as you and the team approach the compound, faint lights flickering through the trees. You stick to the shadows, keeping a step ahead, while Ghost’s voice crackles in your ear, the only reminder you’re not alone. “Stay in formation,” he says in a clipped tone. “Just because you’re tagging along doesn’t mean you get to run off and play hero.”
You grit your teeth, ignoring his tone as you press forward. The plan is simple: sweep through, locate Kozlov, and secure him before he slips away. Gunfire erupts as the task force breaches the compound with their backup unit, everyone moving in sync while you keep to the edges, taking down guards with quick, silent strikes. But as the chaos unfolds, you catch sight of something—a narrow back stairwell leading out of the main area.
You slip through, already guessing where Kozlov is likely headed. If I’m right, I can cut him off before he even knows what hit him. You move quickly, your steps silent on the metal stairs, reaching the next floor and rounding a corner—only to nearly collide with Kozlov himself.
The second he sees you, he bolts, diving into the shadows. You raise your weapon, prepared to take him down. Ghost’s voice buzzes through the comms. “Report. Fall back to the main corridor.”
But you don’t listen; your focus is locked on Kozlov. He darts down a hallway, and you’re right on his heels, firing off a few shots that barely miss.
Suddenly, a strong hand clamps down on your shoulder, yanking you back. You spin around to meet Ghost’s glare, his jaw clenched in frustration. “You just couldn’t follow simple orders, could you?” His voice is ice-cold, and the disdain in his eyes is unmistakable.
You shrug off his grip, anger sparking. “If you’d just let me, we’d have Kozlov by now. I know his methods; he was one step ahead of your ‘perfect’ plan.”
“My plan doesn’t involve risking the mission for a mercenary who’s only here because she got caught.” His tone is biting, but before you can fire back, a gunshot echoes from the corridor ahead.
Both of you turn, watching as Kozlov slips through a hidden exit, vanishing into the night. Ghost swears under his breath, casting a look at you that’s a mix of anger and frustration. There’s no time to argue, and you both know it—but as Kozlov escapes, it’s clear Ghost won’t be letting this go anytime soon.
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The tension lingers all the way back to base, thick and unyielding. You can practically feel Ghost’s anger radiating as you step into the debriefing room. He barely waits for the door to close before he rounds on you, voice low and cutting.
“You just couldn’t stick to the bloody plan, could you?” he growls, his gaze cold. “You had one job—follow orders. But instead, you nearly compromised the entire mission. Kozlov slipped because of you.”
You cross your arms, not backing down. “Compromised the mission? I was the only one thinking on my feet. Your ‘perfect plan’ left Kozlov with an escape route I could’ve closed if you’d trusted me.”
“Trusted you?” He barks out a harsh laugh. “You’re here because you got caught, not because we need you. This isn’t a team exercise where you get a say. You don’t belong here—you’re only here out of mercy, and yet you keep acting like you know better than the people who do.”
Your jaw tightens, heat rising. “Unlike you, I’m not here for loyalty points, Ghost. You kept me because I know Kozlov’s methods. But when I try to use that knowledge, you shut me down.”
He steps closer, his voice dropping dangerously. “You think this is some mercenary gig where you’re the only one with skin in the game? Kozlov got away because you decided to act like a lone wolf. End of story.”
Your fists clench as you hold your ground. “Kozlov got away because you’re too caught up in hierarchy to recognize a good call when you see one. Face it, you’d rather let him slip than admit a merc might have a better idea than your so-called Task Force.”
Ghost’s jaw clenches as he glares at you, the air crackling with tension.
“You’re out of line,” he mutters, his voice low and full of warning. “Next time you pull something like that, I won’t bother hauling you back. You’ll be out there on your own—with nothing but Aegis breathing down your neck. Understood?”
You meet his glare, forcing yourself to stay steady. So he knows what fate awaits you after all of this. Of course he does. He's sharp.
“...Clear,” you reply, your voice cold. But you both know neither of you is letting this go.
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The morning drags on, with the wait for fresh intel on Kozlov stretching endlessly. Ghost’s words from last night still echo in your mind—“You’re here because you got caught, not because we need you.” As if you needed the reminder.
Stuck at the base with nowhere to go, you head to the training field. They won’t let you leave the perimeter, not while you're under their watch, so you decide to make use of the open space. You start running laps, each step an outlet for the irritation simmering inside.
The cold air bites, grounding you in the steady rhythm of your breath and the burn in your muscles. At least here, you don’t need anyone’s permission. A few passing soldiers give you curious looks, probably wondering why an “asset” like you is still around. But you push those thoughts aside, focusing on the field.
As you round another lap, you catch sight of Ghost by the railing, arms crossed, watching you with that unreadable gaze. You keep running, refusing to let his presence disrupt your focus. But it’s clear he’s not here just to watch. Eventually, you slow to a jog, then a walk, meeting his gaze with a silent, unspoken challenge.
“Working off last night’s steam?” he asks, tone sharp, as if testing you. There’s a hint of something else there—maybe curiosity, or that familiar Ghost-brand amusement.
You wipe sweat from your forehead, catching your breath. “Something like that. Figured I’d make use of the time since I’m not going anywhere.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Didn’t peg you as the type to sit around waiting for orders.”
You let out a dry laugh. “Not much of a choice, is there? Last time I did things my way, you made it crystal clear why I’m here—to do your dirty work and get out. I’m not wasting energy pretending otherwise.”
His expression hardens slightly. “As long as you’re under our watch, you follow our lead. Whether you like it or not.”
You glance away, jaw tight, staring out at the field. “Trust me, I’m not here for team-building, Ghost. I’m here because it’s the quickest way out of your custody.”
A flicker of something—irritation, maybe—crosses his face, but he holds his gaze steady. “Then don’t make it harder than it needs to be. Kozlov’s all that matters right now.”
You don’t respond, just push past him and keep running. He doesn’t need to say anything else; you both know you’re not about to play the compliant asset. And as long as that’s clear, you’ll do what you have to—your way.
The intel finally comes through a few hours later, and the team assembles in the briefing room. The air is tense, thick with the urgency that always hangs before a mission. Captain Price stands at the front, a holographic map flickering beside him, casting an eerie glow over the room.
He gestures to a marked point on the map. “We’ve got eyes on Kozlov. He’s holed up in a safehouse just outside Nizhny Novgorod. Remote location, minimal personnel—keeping it small to avoid detection. But make no mistake, he’s got backup on call, so we need to be fast and hit hard.”
He pauses, letting it sink in before nodding to Ghost, who steps forward to take over. Ghost navigates through the map. “We’ll split into two teams. Bravo will handle perimeter control, keeping his reinforcements at bay. Alpha goes in through the main entry.” His eyes flick briefly to you, his tone unyielding. “That’s you. You’ll breach with me and clear a path. Once inside, we secure Kozlov. No deviation, no solo heroics. Understood?”
He doesn’t wait for responses, focusing back on the map. “Timing is critical. We’re on a tight window, so the moment we hit the ground, we move. Any questions?”
The room is silent, everyone aware of the stakes. Ghost’s gaze lingers on you a second longer, reinforcing his unspoken warning. This time, you nod curtly, already running through the plan in your head. The sooner this is over, the sooner you’re one step closer to freedom.
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The mission starts smoothly enough. Under cover of darkness, the teams approach Kozlov’s safehouse on foot, moving quickly and keeping low. Bravo team takes position around the perimeter, silently eliminating the sparse guards posted on the outskirts, while Ghost, you, and a few others on Alpha team make your way toward the main entrance.
As planned, you breach the door and slip inside. Ghost signals for you to split up, both of you sweeping the narrow hallways and checking each room. It’s quiet—too quiet, almost like Kozlov is baiting you. Your instincts buzz with a sense that something’s off, but there’s no time to dwell on it.
You clear the first floor quickly, then move up the creaky staircase to the second. Ghost leads the way, moving with controlled urgency. As he rounds a corner toward a reinforced door at the end of the hall, it happens—an explosion. A tripwire, hidden under a loose floorboard, detonates. The blast rips through the hall, sending Ghost flying backward. He slams into the wall, dust and smoke filling the air.
“Ghost!” you shout, ducking for cover, the ringing in your ears nearly deafening. Through the haze, you see him slumped against the wall, struggling to stay conscious, blood trickling down his forehead.
A flicker of movement catches your eye—one of Kozlov’s men, sneaking up behind Ghost with a knife. Your heart races, instincts taking over as you spring forward. Drawing your own blade, you lunge at the attacker, catching him off guard. You manage to twist the knife from his grip before he can strike. With a swift, decisive shove, you send him sprawling, finishing him off with one clean motion.
Breathing hard, you crouch beside Ghost, gripping his shoulder firmly. “You good to move?” you ask, your voice sharp but steady. His eyes clear just enough to focus on you, and he manages a slight nod, though he’s visibly shaken.
He takes a shaky breath, forcing out a half-growl. “Didn’t think… you’d bother.”
You roll your eyes, slipping an arm under his to help him up. “Yeah, well, we’re not done here. Let’s get you out alive first—then we can argue about it.”
With Ghost steadying himself, you both push forward, weaving through the remaining chaos to regroup with the others. The safehouse is cleared shortly after, but Kozlov is nowhere to be found—it was a decoy. Not the outcome you wanted, but you’re both alive.
And, at least for now, Ghost owes you one.
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Back at the base, the adrenaline from the mission has faded, leaving an unsettling quiet in its wake. You step outside, seeking a moment of calm in the cool night air. The stars flicker above, but they do little to soothe the turmoil in your mind. You can’t shake the image of Ghost slumped against the wall, blood trailing down his face.
Leaning against the cold metal of the building, you’re lost in thought when you hear footsteps approaching. You look up to see Ghost walking toward you, his gait slightly uneven, a fresh bandage wrapped around his head. His gaze is sharp, unwavering, all business.
“You should be resting,” you say, trying to keep any lingering irritation from your tone.
He shrugs, a faint, almost mocking smile visible beneath his mask. “Rest doesn’t come easy. Figured I’d check on you after today’s fiasco.”
“Fiasco?” You raise an eyebrow. “You nearly got yourself killed out there, and I had to save your ass.”
“True.” He crosses his arms, something resembling respect flickering in his eyes. “But you acted out of turn. That wasn’t part of the plan.”
“And what was I supposed to do? Watch you get stabbed?” You shake your head. “I’m not just some disposable asset.”
“Right,” he says, his tone hardening. “You’re still a merc, and I’m not sure where you fit in all this. Just curious—what makes you tick?”
You narrow your eyes, thrown by his sudden interest. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, why do you do this? You didn’t get into this line of work for the glory. What’s your story?” He leans against the wall, studying you like he’s trying to piece together a puzzle.
You hesitate, debating how much to let him in. “Does it matter? You don’t see me as anything but a pawn.”
“Maybe.” There’s an edge of sincerity in his voice that surprises you. “But you saved my life today. I’d like to know who I’m working with.”
You cross your arms, defensive but resigned. “Fine. I got into this for survival, for the money. Aegis found me on the fringes, and I’ve been making my way through the chaos ever since.”
He nods, taking in your words. “And what happens when Aegis finds out you’re working with us? Think they’ll just let you walk away?”
You shrug, a bitter laugh slipping out. “If I don’t find a way out soon, I’ll be in deep trouble. But I’m not worried about their opinion. Life’s unpredictable; this is just how things ended up.”
He studies you for a long moment, the weight of his gaze intense. “I know you saved me today, but don’t expect any favors.”
“Trust me, Ghost, I won’t be asking for any,” you reply, a mix of defiance and resolve settling in your voice.
The silence stretches, the night air heavy with unspoken words. You know you’ll have to carve your own path, but this unexpected exchange has shifted something between you. As you look back at the stars, you can’t help but wonder where this uneasy alliance might lead.
⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘ -
Author's Note: my upload schedule will likely be on weekends since I work full-time (rip). some updates might even come a few days earlier if I finish proofreading faster. hopefully, the first chapter has grabbed your attention! if you have any questions, feel free to submit them on my ask box, it’s always open!
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comicaurora · 11 months ago
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These have been pent up for a while, so there's a whole list lol. Some are Aurora, some are not.
1) Can lacrimas carry out multiple purposes at once? Or will they blend them? I'm assuming that this is possible, considering that the automaton in the ruins was using a lacrima as a brain
2) Has anyone tried to make tools or weapons out of lacrimas? I'm talking like chisel that needs no hammer. Or maybe a Fire lacrima on a bow that sets your arrows on fire
3) Can you engrave runes on lacrimas to make them affect themselves?
4) Where can I read more about the Twins? If I'm not wrong they're the creator gods, aided by the Light dragon and the Void dragon to create life, but I might be getting a wrong read on that
5) Since we see Erin successfully become the first Void mage, does that now mean there's potential for him to make a Void lacrima? The dragon probably won't allow it, but still
6) What exactly does elemental corruption of each element do? Fire literally burns you up, as we saw in Arc 1. I can infer that Life likely makes you a chimera. Void corruption makes you a cave crawler. But what do the other one do? Does Earth make you a statue? Does Wind disintegrate you, Thanos style?
7) Now onto the non-Aurora questions, is your art vector or raster? I believe it's vector, but it's always better to confirm
8) What are your opinions on reading into the environment and the character design to infer things about the character themselves? In any type of media
9) Have you played Baldur's Gate 3?
10) Do you have any music that you'd recommend? I've listened to every song I liked so many times that I hate them now.
11) I'm new to Tumblr, anything that I should know? You don't have to answer this one if you don't wanna. I think I know some of the basics already. Reblog what you like, and avoid the terfs, right?
You might be able to tell that I like the idea of the lacrimas a little bit. Just a teensy bit. The artificer in me definitely isn't obsessed. I appreciate any answers you can give :3
Cheers!
Ooh, lots of stuff!
Yes, it's possible. A lacrima can be engraved with multiple spells, set in a casing engraved with commands, or some combination of the two. Typically, all spells engraved directly on a lacrima will activate at once when the lacrima is "switched on", but a spell can be quite complex, and conditional activations are possible - "if-then-else" statements, basically.
Yes, magic items exist.
Generally no. If the lacrima is disrupted or broken, the spell generally stops functioning, so a self-affecting lacrima will run only as long as it takes for the lacrima to distort or break.
There's an extra lore page about them!
He probably could if he wanted to (and the Dragon allowed it) but Void energy is very dangerous, so he likely doesn't want to.
Each form of elemental corruption agitates the presence of the element in the mage's body. Earth corruption can damage or alter bones, encourage unhealthy petrification of soft tissues, etc. Wind corruption can have physical effects but it often most obviously produces breakdowns in the person's ability to speak or understand language. Lightning damages, numbs or intensifies a person's physical senses.
Raster, I draw with CSP's digital pens. I've only very briefly experimented with vector art - I don't like how it simplifies the lines.
I think it's a fun school of analysis but, like all literary analysis, it runs into trouble if it tries to lock down exactly what the writer was thinking or intending (which is an objective fact that one can be incorrect about) rather than trying to analyze the story on its own and what meaning might, intentionally or unintentionally, be factoring into it.
Nope
don't trust my taste in music it's 90% nu metal and sonic OSTs
Like what you like, reblog what you want, generally it's considered dubious form to add a comment to a reblog unless you have something profound to contribute (commenting in the tags is fine), steer clear of discourse and callout posts and generally the sectors of the site that are constantly on fire, blocking someone for any reason is 100% fine
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yuan4i · 4 months ago
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yuan4i’s guide n tips on writing a smau! 
apps : (i use social maker, however, it's been deleted from the app store)
ios texting :  - memeimessage - fake all ios twitter :  - twinote - twimemo android texting : - fake chat android twitter :  - white bird - tweet creator more android : -  faked pictures (headers, pfps, posts) :  - pinterest  - irl photos 
tips & guide :
1) plot -  plan your plot in detail. this may sound silly, but you need to know what’s going on in your story. before writing, i make little jot-dot notes on docs for each act in my stories. as someone who reads tons of romance, i find it easy to come up with romance plots.  think of scenarios that i’d like to add to the story. if you’re having a hard time thinking of them, feel free to search something like “writing prompts” “dialogue pieces” and “romance troupes” online/on tumblr. those then to spark a lot of creativity. tip 1 : listen to music! music is a big inspiration for me! i usually analyze the lyrics and write with them. i tend to base a lot of my stories off of songs! 
2) characters - while deciding and making friend groups, i try to include different personalities (the extrovert, logical ones, the mom of the group, etc) . i find it important to have a character that is more “extroverted” or “chaotic” to move along the plot. i also like to add a character who has mutual friends with mc and the love interest.  tip 2 : when making the texts, i tend to give them each different texting styles that would seem to fit their character! (ex, a more serious character tends to text with correct grammar and spelling, etc) the way a character talks/texts would say a lot about them.  
3) writing - it’s okay if you don’t write down every single detail in the story. since it’s a smau, it doesn’t need to be as detailed! and don’t be scared to leave some chapters off on cliffhangers!! cliffhangers are a great way to continue the next chapter :) like i mentioned before, i jot down notes for the skeleton of the plot! as soon as you have an idea, write it down right away. i write the written chapters on docs, then paste it on tumblr in case the writing doesn’t save. another thing is to try to get ahead and prewrite chapters! it makes updating a lot easier.  tip 3 : if you find yourself having a difficult time finding motivation to write, try doing the 3-minute method. sit down, and write for 3 minutes. after those 3 minutes, decide if you’d like to continue or not (this works for pretty much anything! studying, drawing, etc. usually i get caught up in it so i choose to continue.) 
hopefully all of this helped :) good luck with writing your smaus and remember to have fun <3! there is no “right” or “wrong” way to write a smau; it’s creative writing!!  feel free to ask any questions or anything, i’d be glad to help ´͈ ᵕ `͈ ♡°◌̊
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let-us-cultivate-our-garden · 3 months ago
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I used to be part of the TOH fandom but left after the finale - I felt it was very lacking and was a huge letdown for all the reasons you said. Patting itself on the back and lore erasure. But I'd like to ask about something different.
It's no secret Dana hates Disney. But saying it everywhere, the jabs at Disney in the actual show, the attitude of fans parroting her, especially when the news of the shortening was first out - it was legitimately intense. Disney the company has done bad things. But there was a period where I felt like a bad person for even remotely enjoying Disney movies and Disney-published books. I hated myself and felt I was 'betraying' the show, because I had been told Disney was the enemy and nothing more. Disney shortening the show was not a good decision. But it also provided fans with a convenient scapegoat to put every bit of blame on when the show had the tiniest flaw. Comics of beating up Mickey Mouse, 'Disney' being treated like a swear word, praising TOH as the holy grail of animation and saying Disney hated gay people - it made me feel I was a traitor to the show and to myself. (I'm still figuring out my sexuality, but I know I'm not straight.)
Do you think the Disney blame game was too much?
The toh fandom has this incredibly binary way of thinking; the show is the greatest thing in animation and if you don't agree then you're a bigot. Lumity is the best sapphic ship ever and if you don't think so then you're lesbophobic. Shipping non canon ships is tantamount to a war crime. And of course, any criticism of the show has the convenient Disney defense. Any and all flaws of the show is because Disney is evil for not letting the show reach its full potential.
Listen, getting your show cancelled or shortened sucks. But, unfortunately, it's not unique and writers need to prepare for that because it seems to be an occupational hazard in the entertainment industry. A lot of shows get cancelled without even having a conclusion (thank you Netflix for ending the Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance on a cliffhanger! even after the show won a got dang Emmy! 😤) so people should be thankful that at least the toh crew were allowed to finish the story.
I can give grace when analyzing a show's elements knowing what the writers had to deal with. But if they make decisions knowing ahead of time that they only have half a season and 3 specials left, and proceed to add more characters and plot lines that would require a longer season, then those are all fair game.
Dana knew of the Shortening around the production of Eda's Requiem, yet decided to add the Collector, because screw it! We like this little guy and want to see where it goes! They had Hunter get possessed and kill his best friend, yet barely any time is given to him to process that trauma. In the penultimate episode, Boscha, of all people, gets a mini sub plot despite not being relevant for a full season. Luz's angst arc gets 4. separate. resolutions.
None of this is Disney's fault. This all on the crew for not using their precious time wisely and tossing whatever they can to the wall to see what sticks.
So yeah, the Disney blame game is too much but it's also a blessing in disguise because now it's a convenient shield for whoever doesn't want to hear criticism about the show.
As for feeling guilty about liking Disney; listen, Disney has been foundational for literally millions of people for decades. Its presence and influence is seemingly inescapable. And the company has done some awful things in the name of corporate greed and profit.
But you should never feel guilty for liking something that brings you joy.
Remember that writers and artists are responsible for the shows you love. Many queer folks have seen themselves in Disney movies for a variety of reasons and there are many queer artists that have worked for Disney (hi Howard Ashman and Andreas Deja!)
So no, you're not a traitor for liking Disney.
The toh fandom has a very reactionary, us-vs-them attitude and it's incredibly toxic. So don't let the haters get you down!
I wish you well on your journey and hope you're in a better place.
Thank you for the ask!
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moonlit-dreamers · 1 year ago
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hot take but i dont think sun is suicidal
i dont think hes the one with the worst mental health in this show either
besides eclipse (bc thats obvious), id say solar has the worst mental health
hes already killed 2 ppl (didnt want to kill either of them and one was on accident), is insecure about his own identity (asked computer if hes like the other eclipses, and i also bet montys... "teasing" didnt help), has no hobbies of his own, refuses to actually acknowledge his own issues, doesnt communicate to ppl and tries to "not be a bother" to others, never does anything for himself and only ever does when someone tells him to, and probably more.
but i'll analyze solar and his shit mental health later; i wanna ramble about sun
i dont think sun has ever been actively suicidal, mainly passive. in case ur wondering wut the difference is:
being passively suicidal is having thoughts and "wishes" but never actually planning to do anything. a lot of ppl will think "i wish i was dead" when in reality wut they need is a break and they have no real desire to die (this is a common thought process to have when ur burnt out or generally in a mental rut)
being actively suicidal is actually planning to do something and seeking out ways to harm urself with the intent of being severely injured or dying. this is an immediate emergency
sun never went out in search of ways to die. he never planned out ways he could kill himself. the time we heard him say "i wish i was dead" was right after he hallucinated bloodmoon and old moon taunting him. he was tired and he needed a fucking break, so he expressed that through saying "i wish i was dead". now u might be thinking "but birdcage, he did go out and do risky things knowing he might die" yes, that is true. but that does not mean that dying was his intention. he went out and did dangerous things bc he wanted to help, not die.
but if we return to the current moment; he is absolutely not suicidal. his mental health is deteriorating, yes. but from wut i can tell he hasnt shown any signs of suicidal ideation. for a while sun said he had pretty stable mental health. it was only until eclipse came back did his health really start to deteriorate again. then if u add on to how hes constantly being pushed to the side and ignored by his own family (im more than mildly frustrated by that) that is absolutely a disaster brewing under the surface. but does that mean hes currently, at the very least passively, suicidal? no. probably not. at least, from wut we can tell there isnt much to back up the idea that he is.
wut sun needs is to be acknowledged and let in on the happenings of the family instead of being ignored. he also needs to learn how to communicate better bc the severe lack of it is wuts going to cause the downfall of everyone in the show
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