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ckret2 · 2 months

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Chapter 60 of human Bill Cipher almost wasn't the Mystery Shack's prisoner but he's back here for some reason:

Everything you never even imagined about how Bill survived his execution.

(warning for cultists doing cultish activities in this chapter. and i don't mean "fantastical Blind Eye Society hijinks," i mean "discussing how to indoctrinate & isolate new recruits.)

####

"Hiya, Stan!" Bill Cipher beamed brilliantly. His gold tooth matched his new coat. "Didja miss me yet?"

Stan punched Bill in the nose.

Bill tumbled on his back, hand over his face. Voice tight with pain, he said, "Just so you know, I let you do that."

Stan's voice hit a pitch he hadn't been able to reach since puberty. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING ALIVE!"

Bill sat up gingerly. "Well, funny story—"

"NO! Nuh-uh, I'm finishing you properly this time!" Fists raised, Stan lunged at Bill.

Ford grabbed Stan from behind, one arm around his neck and one hooked up under his armpit. (Bill took the opportunity to scoot backward and get to his feet.) "Stanley! Stand down!"

"YOU!" Stan flung Ford's hands off and whirled around, pointing accusatorially at him. "You gave me your word! Tell me you didn't let Bill out."

"I didn't let Bill out."

Stan grabbed Ford's turtleneck. "Don't you lie to me!"

"I didn't let Bill out!" Ford ripped Stan's hands off his turtleneck. "He was already gone when I went into the kids' room."

"Then who— Who else would've known—"

Stan whirled around at a creak on the stairs. Dipper, halfway down the stairs, jumped when Stan saw him.

"DIPPER!" Stan stormed up to the stairs. "Did you help the demon escape?!"

"What, no!" Dipper took a step back up. "I don't even know how he got out! All I did was not say anything!"

"Well, who's left that could've helped him?!"

"BIIILL!" Mabel barreled down the stairs. "YOU CAME BACK!" She climbed on the stair railing, jumped off, and Bill—who'd crept inside behind Stan—was once more tackled to the ground.

Stan's hands twisted in the air like he wasn't sure whether he wanted to strangle someone, punch something, or pull out his own hair. He finally settled on curling them into fists and shaking them at God. "AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO DIDN'T KNOW THE DEMON'S ALIVE?!"

Soos, still sitting in the living room by himself, staring into space, voice hushed with horror, asked, "So who did I sweep into the flower vase..."

"Okay, family meeting!" Stan pointed at the living room, "Right now! You," he pointed at Bill, "upstairs! I don't wanna look at you and your—your stupid Las Vegas magician sequined coat!"

Bill sat up with a wince and grinned, "Oh, do you like it?" He took off his backpack and checked to see if its contents had been crushed when he was knocked down twice.

"You look like a circus clown!"

"I liked the Vegas magician thing better."

"GO!" Stan pointed up the stairs.

Bill raised his hands, rolling his eye as he started up the stairs. "Fine, fine—"

Stan grabbed Bill's wrist, making him drop his backpack. "STOP!"

"Make up your mind!"

Stan yanked one half of the enchanted friendship bracelets down over Bill's wrist. "You're not getting out again. Not on my watch."

Bill jerked his arm free, shot Stan a dirty look, and stomped up the stairs, umbrella clutched angrily in one hand and backpack in the other. Stan pulled the other half of the bracelet on.

In the living room, Ford, Dipper, and Mabel were lined up shamefacedly on the couch, like three students waiting to be lectured by the principal. Stan glowered at them each, fists on his hips. "Now, I wanna know why my own family all joined in some big secret conspiracy to help Cipher escape! Is it alien mind control?! Did you join a cult?!"

Mabel took a deep breath. "I saved him because he's my friend and I don't want him to die and he really is getting better and you'd all see it if you just gave him a chance to prove it and you just don't understand how he thinks like I do"—she took another breath—"and I promise he won't try to take over the world again just give him a chance!"

Stan's glare melted into something close to guilt. "You're... you're fine, pumpkin. I know you wouldn't have let your friend get hurt." He shot a glare at the other two conspirators. "Which is why we weren't going to tell her."

"Listen," Dipper said, "I still hate him and I don't trust him, but—but I heard part of a poem about Bill that I'm sure is a prophecy; which means he's important, we'll probably need him to save the town or something! So we can't let him die before then! He's already passed up chances to kill us and even saved Grunkle Ford and me, that proves he can restrain himself enough to be useful!" He winced, "Plus... I didn't wanna make Mabel sad. I have seen a future where she loses a friend, and it is not pretty."

Mabel leaned against Dipper. "Thanks, bro-bro."

Stan screwed up his face, but just muttered angrily under his breath about stupid prophecies and stupid life saving, and turned his glare on Ford. "Well? What's your excuse?"

Ford didn't answer, staring down at his hands, grimacing as he searched for an answer.

Stan pressed, "You told me that if you couldn't pull the trigger, you'd give me the gun. Why didn't you?"

"Because I could have pulled it! The situation was different, I—I only changed my mind because he wasn't there. If he had been, I'd have done it—"

"Would you? If you couldn't even tell me that he wasn't dead, do you really think that if he'd been right there, looking you in the eyes, you'd have done it?"

In his mind's eye, Ford could see Bill, hiding under a towel, grinning up at him with one bright eye. And Bill, collapsed beside the lake, shaking all over, sobbing so hard he didn't even notice he was clinging to Ford's stupid borrowed t-shirt like a lifeline. And Bill, staring tiredly across a chess board, telling Ford that the black king was taking the whole board down with him. And Bill, lighting up the room as he taught Ford's niece about his own long-extinct alien civilization.

And Bill, glowing golden, lighting up Ford's dream as he taught him about fifth-dimensional calculus.

Ford didn't answer.

Stan asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Softly, Ford said, "Because I don't want him to die."

Stan spread his arms in disbelief. "Well, why the hell not?!"

"Because—I'm—beginning to think that there might be a chance that Bill could..." he winced, "change. Maybe."

Stan's silence was deafening. Mabel leaned forward to stare around Dipper at Ford.

Ford rubbed his forehead. "I—it made sense yesterday, but it sounds stupid out loud."

Stan slowly shook his head. "Have you all lost your minds? You think he can change? You think he's part of some prophecy?! Y—Mabel, honey, you're the sweetest girl in the world, but you could do way better for friends than him."

Mabel sorta shrugged, sorta shook her head, sorta grimaced, and sorta nodded. "Yeah, but, I like him."

"WHY?!" Stan roared, making Mabel and Dipper both jump. "Why, why are any of you wasting your time on him?! Guys like him don't change! He's a dangerous, self-centered crook, and that's all he'll ever be. He's a rotten, greedy, lazy loser, he's only gotten as far as he has by conning guys smarter than him, he's got no regard for anybody but himself, all he does is cheat and lie, and if you let him stay in our lives he'll just ruin them! The best thing he could do for our family is—" Stan choked on a lump in his throat. "Is d-die."

The room was silent. Dipper and Mabel, leaning back into the sofa to get away from the rant, stared at him with wide eyes. Soos, over in an armchair bearing silent witness to this family drama, had his hands steepled in front of his face.

Stan couldn't look at Ford. He didn't know why Ford looked so sorrowful. Thickly, Stan asked, "All I want is to get rid of him—why don't you?"

He could hear Soos wince. "Oof."

Stan pointed at him. "Not a word. Not one word," he growled. "Fine—if none of you will deal with him properly," he cracked his knuckles, "I will."

Mabel flinched. Dipper moved to stand, "Grunkle Stan—" but stopped when Ford put a hand on his shoulder.

Stan stomped up the stairs. He'd wring that monster's stupid neck, and if it started the apocalypse then so be it—

He stopped halfway up the stairs. Bill was sitting on the steps, just around the landing corner, leaning against the wall, backpack in his lap. His soaked pant legs were dripping rainwater on the steps. "You," Stan snarled. "What are you doing?"

"What's it look like, genius? I'm trying to eavesdrop," Bill said. "So what'd they say?"

"What? What did who say about what?"

"About leaving me alive. Why did they say they don't want me dead?"

He asked like he was genuinely curious. Like he didn't know.

Stan stared at Bill.

"I have a good idea for Shooting Star, but the other two...?" Bill made an uncertain gesture with his hand. "I've got my top guesses, but I want to know what clinched the deal."

Stan couldn't kill him, either.

He'd already lost this fight. Pathetic lonely dead con artist who'd rather lose a tooth than look scared, how could Stan take him out? He understood too well. "Just—shut your stupid mouth, take off that stupid circus outfit, and get out of my sight, Cipher."

Bill bristled. "Hey." He stood. "What's that for? It's not like I did anything wrong. Sure, I got your whole family in on a conspiracy, but that's their mistake! I was just doing what I had to! You can't blame me for—"

"I don't blame you," Stan said.

"You d— You don't." Cautiously, Bill asked, "You... don't?"

"How can I?" He shrugged heavily. "It was self-defense. Ford should've known better—but I can't blame you. I'm not an idiot, I don't expect you to just lay down and die for us."

"Oh." Bill squinted at Stan, like he thought this was a trick and he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. "Oh. Okay." After a pause, voice uncharacteristically small and confused, he asked, "So I'm... not in trouble?"

Stan's face did a gymnastics routine. "Heck," he muttered. "No! I guess not! I don't like it, but I'm not gonna punish a guy for saving his own miserable worthless hide! Just... stay out of my way, I don't wanna see your stupid face."

"I'm just minding my own business," Bill said. He sat again and leaned on the wall, arms crossed, staring into space thoughtfully. (He didn't know what to do with a reality where he'd done something everyone hated, but nobody blamed him for it.)

Stan trudged back downstairs. Everyone was where he'd left them. He glowered at his family. They quietly waited. "Well," Stan said. "We're stuck with him now. Since somebody wasted the only bit of fuel we had that could kill him. Is everyone happy."

Nobody seemed particularly happy. Ford shifted on his seat. "Kids... you should go to bed. Stan and I need to talk."

Dipper and Mabel quickly took the opportunity to slide off the sofa and escape the room.

"Oh! Oh you bet we need to talk! You have no idea how much we need to talk—"

"Downstairs," Ford said firmly.

"What, you don't want everyone else to hear exactly what I think of your crazy stunt?"

Ford lowered his voice. "Downstairs where he can't overhear. It's important."

Stan's face twitched with the effort of suppressing more shouting; but then he growled, "Fine! But this had better be worth it. Lemme get my bathrobe, your stupid underground office is like a freezer..." He trudged from the room, grumbling. "Hey, demon! Take off your bracelet, I'm done being tied to your sorry hide." After a moment, the thread reappeared on the stair steps as they both took their ends off.

Dipper glared at Bill as he and Mabel passed him going up the stairs. Bill gave him a tiny, cheery wave. Dipper grumbled, "I can't believe you finally escaped like you wanted just to come right back."

"Hey, it wasn't my idea! Blame your sister!"

Mabel hugged him again. "Thanks for coming back."

Bill said, "Thanks for absorbing Stan's wrath for me!" He laughed.

The kids ran upstairs.

And Bill placed the tip of his broken umbrella on the stair step and quietly walked back down, winding the enchanted bracelets' thread into loops as he went.

####

Soos looked at Ford and shyly raised a hand. "So... when you said the kids should go to bed, did that include..."

"Yes, Soos," Ford said. "You should go too."

"Yes." He quietly pumped a fist. "One of the kids." As he left, he said, "Hey, Bill. Sweet coat."

Ford looked over. Hovering in the shadows of the entryway, almost glowing gold from the living room's light, Bill peered into the room. He was by the coat rack, hanging the bracelets back up. Bill said, "Fancy meeting you here."

Ford sighed irritably. "I'm not in the mood to talk, Cipher."

"Don't flatter yourself, I'm not down here for you." Bill gestured at the sofa Ford was on. "I want my bed back."

Right. Ford stood so Bill could retrieve the cushions.

As he grabbed the first cushion, Bill smirked at Ford. "So..." (Not here for you. Sure.) "What was it that swayed you?"

Ford just glowered at Bill.

Bill pressed, "Was it that handy list of starter spells I gave you? I doubt it was my chess prowess, that wasn't my best playing." He laughed, "What am I asking for! You humans are suckers for a life debt. You can consider it paid off—a life for a life, fair and square—"

"It wasn't any of those."

Bill's smile disappeared. "Then what?" he asked. "Don't tell me you did it out of the goodness of your heart, I've seen enough of yours not to buy that—"

"It was Mabel."

Bill dropped his first cushion on top of the second and awkwardly tried to get his arms around both. "What'd she say about me?"

"Nothing." Nothing that had changed Ford's mind, anyway. "It's how you treat her."

"How I—?" Bill was so baffled that he almost looked offended. "What are you talking about? I haven't been treating her any way at all! I'm just... just goofing around with her. She's a fun kid."

"Exactly," Ford said. "If you can treat just one odd little girl with kindness, for no reason—then maybe, just maybe, there's hope for you." He sighed; he felt the sternness in his face slacken. He felt tired. "At least... I want to hope there is."

There was a flash of something Ford couldn't recognize in Bill's face. Something like pain; something nearly like guilt. It was gone almost as soon as he saw it.

"Well, sure," Bill said flatly, glancing away like Ford had lost his interest. "Why wouldn't I be nice to her? I like weird freaks." He managed to stand with his awkward armload and turned away, cutting the conversation off. "Anyway. It's been a long night. I'm going to bed. You should too," he shot back over his shoulder from the bottom of the stairs, "when's the last time you got decent sleep? Your eye bags are more... bag than... eye." Bill cringed at himself. "Don— Don't say anything. I'm tired." He headed up the stairs, his umbrella hooked over his left elbow. They'd have to get that umbrella back.

Tomorrow. Ford couldn't be bothered tonight. Bill wasn't killing anybody before morning.

Ford leaned on the doorframe where he could still see Bill. "I hid your hoodie in the box of spare bedding in the loft. Under the spare pillows."

Bill stopped halfway up the stairs and turned back toward Ford. "You didn't incinerate it?"

"No."

"Why?"

"I assumed you'd be back here eventually. I thought you'd want it."

Bill's face was unreadable.

He turned away from Ford and continued upstairs without saying a word.

Mabel's crayon drawing of Bill—"YOU CAN CHANGE. I BELIEVE IN YOU!"—felt like it was burning a hole in Ford's pocket.

####

Saturday, 7:52 a.m.

Bill stole a handful of loose change out of a tip jar and timed his exit so he walked out of the Triple Digit Truck Stop just as a man walked in and kindly held the door for him.

Gravity Falls really was a charming little town. Behind the times. The Triple Digit Truck Stop had expanded significantly in the past decades to add a convenience store and additional amenities for travelers, but the diner that made up the heart of it had barely changed. Same patchy grassy parking lot, same giant lumberjack sculpture watching over the cars... same public pay phones around the left side of the building.

He put in a few coins, punched in the number he'd memorized, and leaned against the wall while he waited to be answered. "Hey, Sue! Guess who?" A smile curled across his face. "That's right. Hey, how many people can say they've been personally called by god?" He laughed. "My Star Boy told you what preparations to make, right? Good. It's time. Midnight. Just north of the county line. I'll see you there."

Then he hung up the phone, left the clearing around the diner, and vanished into the trees.

Unless something dramatically changed, he'd be meeting his dear devotee that night.

####

9:30 p.m.

Something had dramatically changed.

His disloyal devotee had saved him.

It was a long walk to the county line. If Bill wanted to make his midnight meeting with his cultist, he had to leave before sunset.

He was still up on the cliff when the last of the light left the valley, pacing restlessly back and forth—first toward the side of the cliff overlooking the town (he could see the Mystery Shack's roof through the trees), then toward the side aimed away from the valley, toward the county line.

He should go. He needed to go. He needed to go now. He needed to go two hours ago.

He'd spent three out of the last four days hiking all over this town's forests and caves. In the last thirty-six hours he'd barely gotten a quick nap. (In the morning, when Mabel heard that Ford had covered for Bill, she'd come straight here.) He told himself he didn't have the energy for the hike to the county line. (What if Mabel got here and couldn't find him?)

If he didn't show up tonight, surely his cultist would try again tomorrow night. He'd go tomorrow.

It was fine. Everything would work out for him. Everything always worked out for him.

####

Sunday, 4:10 p.m.

He'd been right. Mabel had come straight here. As the platform lifted him back up, Bill watched her wheel her bike through the trees, slowly heading toward the main road back into town.

For a midsummer day, it was chilly in the rain.

Don't you wanna be in the shack with your only friend on Earth? Would you really rather spend the rest of summer in some dumb old busted alien ship?

Interesting question.

####

8:30 p.m.

It was a long walk to the county line. Bill packed his supplies—he didn't have that much to pack, he'd only ever needed enough food and shelter to last him a couple of days. He flung one backpack over each shoulder, closed and concealed the alien ship fragment, and shrunk his floating platform with the height-altering flashlight so he could wrap it in a shirt and stuff it in his second backpack.

And then, under the cover of the rain and the falling night, he began the hike north.

####

10:45 p.m.

Even to Bill's eyes, the weirdness barrier around Gravity Falls was typically invisible. He could only see it where something touched it or passed through it, making waves travel out in circles from the point of contact. The circles glowed a dull coppery color at their peaks. Tonight, with the rain falling, the barrier rippled as though the rain were falling on the surface of a lake, and the whole thing glowed a faint filmy orange.

Precisely in the middle of the barrier was a sign marking the border of Roadkill County.

Ten feet beyond the barrier, just off the edge of the road, headlights and engine off and lurking beneath the trees, was a black car.

Bill walked straight through the weirdness barrier as though it wasn't even there. He didn't feel a thing.

The car engine started and the headlights turned on. Bill didn't even blink. The driver's door flew open and Sue popped out, fumbling to open an umbrella as she did. "Bill Cipher?"

"Hiya, Sue! You made it early."

"Oh, thank goodness." She hurried up to him. "I was so worried—I didn't know if I'd come to the wrong place, or if something had happened... And when I didn't hear anything from you the next day, and Gideon didn't know anything..." (Great, she'd gotten Gideon involved?) She started to offer Bill her umbrella, realized he was already holding a closed umbrella as a cane, looked up as she registered that no rain was falling on him, then stared at him in wonder.

"Yeah, sorry about that—an unavoidable emergency came up, I couldn't get out and couldn't call." And he'd gotten a pretty good night's sleep. "But look at you, loyal enough to come try again the next night! You're a rare sort of human soul, you know that? This world could use more people like you."

Sue flushed with pleasure. "Oh... thank you, I..."

Bill tilted his head toward the car. "Let's not talk out in the rain, huh? Another car's coming by in about a minute, I think we shouldn't be seen."

"Right! Of course, my lord." She hurried back to the car.

"There's a terrific diner just a few minutes up the road. We can talk there, it's safe enough. Cute decor, too—have you ever seen a twenty foot tall lumberjack...?" He paused uncertainly by the car. "Hey, Sue? This'll sound silly—but I'm gonna need you to get the passenger door."

The car's interior lights flashed on as Sue opened the passenger door, long enough to catch the glittery purple nail polish on Bill's fingers. Sue gave it a curious look. Even though they'd just gotten painted three days ago, the polish was already scuffed again from his escape; but a few tiny flower stickers were still sticking to his nails.

Bill grinned. "There's a thirteen-year-old staying in the shack. Sweetest thing. She's a real artist."

"Oh! I see." A smile stretched across Sue's face. Bill suspected it wasn't for Mabel. That's right, your god's good with children. He lets little girls give him goofy manicures and proudly shows them off. Chicks dig that kind of thing.

When they were both buckled in, Sue hesitated, holding the steering wheel. "Lord Cipher... I wanted to say... if my... actions the last time we met were out of line in any way, I want to apologize—"

Bill placed a finger under her chin, turned her face toward him, and kissed her lightly. (He was so smooth. He mentally congratulated himself.) "Sorry if you got confused. I had to keep the outsider from getting suspicious, get it?"

She sucked in a small breath. "I... yes. Yes, of course."

"Don't trust anything I say or do when unbelievers are listening. The only time you can be sure I'm telling the truth..." his voice dropped to a near whisper, "is when we're alone."

He could see the goosebumps raise on her arms. "Yes, my lord."

He was so good—and his worshipers were so, so stupid. That was why they followed him. "Now, let's get to that diner, huh?"

As they got on the road, he studied his nails; to a normal human it was too dark to see, but to Bill's eyes they still glittered bright purple. The question Mabel had asked him earlier had been playing over and over in his mind all afternoon: Would you really rather spend the rest of summer in some dumb old busted alien ship?

Naive, trusting kid.

She really thought she was his best option.

######

"... And then, as if directly launching a psychic attack on my ethereal essence and forcing me into a mortal fleshly form wasn't bad enough," Bill said, "they imprisoned me! And get this: just to rub salt in the wound, they thought it would be funny to take a divine muse who's spent an eternity helping mortals build doorways between dimensions—and curse it so it can't open doors. I have to ask my kidnappers to open the fridge for me. Have you ever heard something so condescending?"

"Insane. That's just sadistic," Sue said. "After all you tried to do for them."

"You don't know what a comfort it is to hear a human say that."

They fell silent as someone approached. A waitress stopped next to their table. "Hey, I—Goldie!"

"Dani Miranda! Hey, how's it going! I see you found the treasure map I left you."

Dani was wearing two large gold earrings, two heavy gold necklaces each with a large gem-encrusted pendant, and four rings. "Yes, oh my gosh. I cannot believe you knew where a whole treasure chest was and you just gave it to me? That's the nicest thing ever?"

That's right, it was. "What are you doing working here! You can retire on that kind of money. Unless you want to rebury all that gold yourself?" He'd respect that.

"I'm still getting it appraised. Besides, I like talking to the late night travelers."

Bill ordered a strawberry banana shake, the monthly pancake special—which meant three quarters of the pile covered in stripes of strawberry sauce and cream cheese frosting and one quarter covered in a big puddle of blueberry sauce—floppy bacon, three eggs prepared "any way except scrambled," a cup of bleu cheese dressing, a cup of salsa, and a bottle of hot sauce. Sue ordered a water and a small grilled chicken salad.

(Bill tried to remember whether the Death Valley girls were one of his "purify the flesh by practicing harsh asceticism" cults or his "hedonistically revel in the pleasures of the senses" cults, in case he needed to make up a justification for why god was ordering pancakes instead of practicing what he preached—something something a human body containing a divine soul burns through much more energy, maybe—but no, he had the Death Valley girls on psychedelics, that was a hedonism cult. He kept them controlled through drugs, exhaustion, and poor air conditioning, not starvation. Small grilled chicken salad, indeed. The only thing stronger than cult brainwashing was diet industry brainwashing.)

When Dani was safely out of earshot, Sue lowered her voice and asked, "'Goldie'?"

"My captors decided to keep my identity secret so an angry mob won't execute me before they get the chance," Bill said. "The entire town's against the All-Seeing Eye named Bill; but only a handful know there's anything unusual about the handsome human in the Mystery Shack they've been calling Goldie."

She looked taken aback at the angry mob comment. "The entire town's against you?" Her gaze roved around the Triple Digit Truck Stop, taking in a lone trucker several tables away and a bored waiter scrolling on his phone behind the counter. "Is there anyone we can trust?"

"Gideon's on our side, of course—good kid—but, well... he isn't completely reliable. You know what happens with child celebrities. The fame and fortune spoils 'em a bit."

"I never would have guessed from his television appearances. He seems so... gracious."

Bill choked back a laugh. "He'll grow up all right—he's just going through a phase. But I'd rather not trust him with more involvement than necessary until he... matures a little."

"I understand." Sue sighed. "It's too bad the dawn of the new age didn't begin closer to us, where we could have assisted your work."

She didn't have the guts to question her god, but Bill heard the implicit question: why here? Why in some tiny tourist town that didn't even like tourists, buried in a forest in the middle of nowhere, amongst the ignorant ungrateful masses? "Yeah—too bad," Bill agreed with a shrug. "But hey, I didn't choose where the veil between worlds would be thinnest! There's energy in this town like nowhere else on your planet. It's the only place where a machine built with modern human technology is strong enough to punch through dimensions—and that's with the help of extraterrestrial equipment."

Besides, he didn't like Death Valley.

Dani returned from the kitchen. "One chicken salad, and one breakfast combo with the pancakes of the month."

"Great! I'm starving." Bill picked up the little plastic cup of salsa and dumped it into his shake. Sue choked on her water.

Dani's brows shot up. "Is—is that good?"

"What can I say, I've got the palate of an alien." (Sue choked on the sip she'd taken to recover from her first sip of water.) Bill poured the bleu cheese over his eggs, then started drizzling hot sauce on his pancakes. "Anyway, it keeps people from stealing my food."

"I guess so!" Dani laughed. She hovered near their table a little too long; and then she said, "Okay, I've got to ask: how did you know where to find buried treasure? I mean...!"

"I know lots of things." He fought down a smirk. "I happen to be psychic."

"No way." But she looked curious. She wanted to believe.

Bill had had a hunch that giving her that treasure would pay off. Nice to know his understanding of human nature was still sharp, even when he couldn't double-check the far future to see how his meddling would turn out. "If I wasn't psychic, would I have known your last name? Or where that treasure chest was?" he asked. "Or that you keep three pictures of tarantulas and a Canadian twenty in your wallet? Or that you have recurring dreams of trying to hide in sewer manholes from a fire-breathing dragon?" While he waited for her to process that, he triumphantly dug into his pancakes. He had a feeling he wouldn't be eating much more before his food got cold.

Dani's smile had disappeared. The blood drained from her face. "How...?"

"I'm... let's say, connected to a higher plain. I can see dimensions most humans can't."

"It's true," Sue piped up. (Bill took the opportunity to dig into an egg. Oh, the bleu cheese was a great choice.) "The insights h—she's offered me and so many others have been... life-changing. World-changing." Good girl.

"Insights?" Dani asked weakly.

Bill shrugged modestly. "You could call me a 'spiritual teacher,' I suppose, but that makes it sound like I'm preaching some kind of religion! All I do is teach people what I know and tell people what I see if I think it'll help 'em. Like if I see a bunch of buried gold that could change the life of a nice kid working minimum wage."

Dani reflexively touched one of her necklaces.

"You didn't think going to parties in togas was my full-time job, did you?" Bill laughed.

Dani laughed feebly too. She hadn't moved away. She was closer now, her thigh leaning against the edge of the table. "That's... wow. I've never met an actual psychic before. I mean—I went to one of Lil Gideon's live shows, but that was before the big scandal and his arrest."

"You hate to see a pillar of the community go down like that, don't you?"

"What..." Dani swallowed hard, lowered her voice, and asked, "What kinds of things does a psychic 'teach'?"

Got her. "It depends! Everyone's got different lessons they need to learn, right?" He slid out of his seat, nodded toward Sue, and said, "Excuse me ladies—I'd love to elaborate, but I'm afraid I need to hit the restroom. Sue, why don't you tell her what you've learned about, give her a concrete idea of what I do."

"It would be my honor."

As Bill passed Sue, he leaned over and whispered, "Don't mention triangles." And then he got out of her way, to let Sue do what his Death Valley girls did best.

####

When he returned to his seat, Sue leaned over the table and murmured, "I got her phone number and email."

"Good work. I bet she'd be an easy recruit."

"I bet. She's already asking how much lessons cost."

"What'd you say?"

"You offer your help to others for free, but cover your living expenses and travel costs with donations."

"Attagirl." It had been easier to use that line when he was a triangle—of course our great mentor and muse doesn't need money, he's above such earthly concerns; his mortal devotees who spread his word, though, subsist on donations... It was better for his image. They'd just have to modify their fundraising pitch for a while. "This is exactly what I hoped would happen when I invited you to this diner. I knew you wouldn't let me down."

The ghost of a smile flitted across Sue's face. "I'll follow up with her by phone. It's a pity we don't have enough time to really put the pressure on her in person."

"Why not? I bet we'd win her over in less than a week."

"I've already contacted the main compound in Death Valley. We've got plane tickets for first thing in the morning."

(Bill's blood ran cold. Somehow, it hadn't dawned on him until that moment that escaping Gravity Falls meant leaving Gravity Falls.)

"I have a motel room a few towns over, it was the closest I could find to Gravity Falls," Sue went on. "It's a straight shot to the Portland airport in the morning. Everyone's so excited—"

"Hold on," Bill said, figuring out what he was about to say next as he went. "There's been a last minute change of plans. I'm staying in Gravity Falls."

Sue stared at him. "But—my lord! You're a prisoner here, why wouldn't you come home to the people who love you?"

Love you, love you, love you. The word love alone was nearly enough to make him change his mind again. How he missed being revered. He could picture them now, these zealots who adored him so much they'd willingly bend their bodies into a throne to lift him up—and he didn't even need to turn them to stone first. It would be so easy to get away from all his human enemies forever...

Don't you wanna be in the shack with your only friend on Earth?

He shook his head. "Two reasons," he said. "One: no matter what, eventually I'll have to come back. The Age of the Triangle can only dawn in Gravity Falls. Staying makes it that much easier to get things started again. And two... I'm—working on a couple of potential recruits." He was? Wow. He was impressed at himself.

"You mean Gideon, or...?"

"No, others. One's the girl who helped me escape." He drummed his fingers on the table, calling attention to his purple fingernails. "She's a good kid. Lots of potential. Could be a real leader someday—she's a natural fit for our new world. She's got a few strings, but I'm working on helping her untie 'em."

Strings was a term that Mary, the leader of the Death Valley compound, had come up with and spread to the other girls: it meant petty mortal concerns that could tangle and tie you up, dragging you away from pursuing true spiritual growth and preparing for a better, liberated world. Your childhood religious beliefs were a string. The misguided ideas about morality you learned from the secular world were a string. Your job was a string. Your spouse was a string. Your family was a lot of strings. The intervention where your friends sat you down and told you they were worried about how much you'd changed lately and they were afraid you'd joined some kind of cult was a string. You had to cut them all.

And then Bill could tie on his puppet strings in their place.

"How old is she?"

"Thirteen. Fourteen at the end of the summer."

"Oh, wow—younger than I thought. That's great, kids are more open-minded," Sue said. "Though if she decides to join, it'll be hard to get her away from her family without a kidnapping charge..."

"Ugh, you don't need to remind me. I remember how we almost lost Karen and Jennifer. The legal system in this country is a mess." Bill had needed to torture that divorce court judge with nightmares for weeks before he caved and awarded Jennifer's mother sole custody so they could move to the Death Valley compound together. "But hey, got some good news: the other potential recruit. You remember the 'ex-cultist' who gave you gals my location. He turned on the humans who are pushing to execute me. He's almost back on our side. And he just so happens to be the girl's great-uncle. The family trusts him. If we can get 'em to pass her to him as her guardian, then she's ours. We can work out how to get her to the compound later." That was a lie. Bill was never handing Mabel to the Death Valley girls. She was better than them.

Sue looked less enthusiastic for this ex-cultist than she had for the girl. "Is he one of your captors...?"

Bill waved off her concerns, frowning. "Look. He's obviously been corrupted by the outside world. I lost contact with him for thirty years and he came back with more strings than a mop head. But I don't think he's beyond purification. He's already shown major improvement, now that he's once again under the shining light of my influence."

"But, this town..." Sue shook her head doubtfully. "Cipher, my lord, they nearly killed you once. You'd risk staying just to try to recruit two people? One who's already betrayed you—?"

"Yes!" Bill snapped. Sue flinched. "They're worth it." (He didn't question his own vehemence, his own anger at their value being doubted. He rarely questioned himself. If he asked questions, he might get answers.) "Don't you dare let this face fool you—I'm still your all-seeing god and I know what I'm doing better than you do. These two are perfect. The Age of the Triangle needs them. The traitor will repent. He WILL worship me again."

Sue stared at him with wide eyes; for a split second her breath froze in fear. She gave him a tiny nod. "Of course, my lord. My apologies."

Dani appeared at their table again. "Hey, how was everything?"

And Bill was immediately all good cheer. "Terrific, thanks!"

"Great!"

As Sue reached for her wallet, Dani waved her off. "Oh, don't worry about it—it's on the house." She winked. "I think I can afford to cover it."

Already making donations to the cause. Pretty soon all the profits from her treasure chest would be in one of Bill's bank accounts.

As they headed back out into the rain, Sue said, "So, we're staying in town at least long enough to pick up another three recruits?"

"Maybe four," Bill said. "There's another kid in town I think needs some help finding a direction."

"Another? Is this one old enough to leave home alone?"

"Not for a couple more years—but she's dying to get out just as fast as she can," Bill said. "I think you can handle her."

####

They parked just up the road from the Mystery Shack and turned the headlights off.

"Here's everything Gideon said you wanted," Sue said, handing over a paper bag. "Candles, matchbook, knife, pens, spare notebooks, five thousand dollars, a burner phone, new clothes..."

Bill pulled out a flashy golden sequin-covered coat. "Oooh!" He dug around until he also found a button-up shirt and a pair of black opera gloves. He shrugged on the shirt.

"That's... what Gideon said you requested, right?" Sue eyed the tacky, gaudy coat uncertainly.

"As long as I'm in this body, I don't have the benefit of showing up glowing in people's dreams when I have something they need to hear! I need to make them pay attention any way I can." Also, normal people had boring tastes and sequins were fantastic. He buttoned up the shirt.

"I also brought—I—thought you might want..." She held out a large pendant on a thin chain. It was an eye inscribed inside a triangle inscribed inside a circle; rays radiated out from the eye, as though it were the sun. Bill's heart leaped into his throat at the sight of it.

He realized this was the first time since his death that he'd seen his own face in any form other than a thirteen-year-old's artwork—and his own corpse. His face was ubiquitous on this planet; it was plastered on everything from money to buildings to common consumer goods. Its conspicuous absence in Gravity Falls was uncanny.

"I'm not sure if it's inappropriate—"

"It's perfect." Bill snatched the necklace from her and fiddled with the clasp until he got it on. "Exactly what I need. What did I always say about your intuition?" He considered the gloves, decided he wasn't ready to pull them on quite yet, and shrugged on the coat instead.

She restrained a pleased smile at the flattery. "Thank you, my lord."

She looked out the windshield. Just up the road was a flock of wooden signs and arrows pointing which way to turn to reach the Mystery Shack. Bill wondered whether Sue's eyes had adjusted enough to the dark that she could see their silhouettes. Sue said, "If you're not coming back to us yet, then I suppose it's time to..."

"Hold on a minute," Bill said. "You've been a bigger help tonight than you know. If it weren't for your loyalty and diligence, I wouldn't have been able to consider escaping." Blah blah blah. The truth was he'd been soaking in her reverence for the past hour and a half, like a dehydrated cactus under a cloudburst, and he wasn't leaving until he'd sucked every drop from her. "There isn't a lot I can do for you right now, trapped in this form, but you deserve a reward." He leaned toward her, his elbow against her car seat, hand on the headrest. "Let me express my gratitude the way I would have if we hadn't been interrupted during our last meeting." He tilted his head toward the back seat.

She froze as she processed the offer; and then she leaned in to kiss him hungrily.

####

"The tide's changing in this town," Bill said, pulling on his gloves, smoothing his hair back into place, putting his new coat back on. "The dawn is coming. You should stay in town now that our enemies are losing their teeth."

"Yes, Lord Cipher," she said breathlessly, still trying to get her wits about her.

(From what Bill had eavesdropped between her and Dani while he was pretending to be in the restroom, he was right that she'd been one of his "dissatisfied housewife" converts. This was probably the first time she'd ever been touched by somebody who understood anatomy. Unfortunately, she didn't know how to return the favor. But he'd been touched by reverent hands, he'd tasted tears, he'd heard a voice whine "Bill, my god, my god, my god—" That would have to hold him for a while.)

"And ditch the rental. Buy a used car," Bill said. "There's a place in town called Gleeful Auto Sales. Ask Bud for the best car on the lot, pay whatever he asks—and tell him Mr. Locke sent you."

"'Gleeful' as in...?"

"His father. My Star Boy was the only person in town who supported me—and the town's turned on his family for it. They could use our help."

Sue pursed her lips in displeasure. "Of course."

Bill gestured toward his door. "I think we've put this off long enough."

While he waited for her to get his door, he slung his two backpacks over each shoulder. Under his breath, he muttered, "'Coffee break's over; back on your heads.'"

Sue opened the door; he picked up his umbrella and stepped out into the rain.

As he walked back to his prison, he tucked his necklace beneath his shirt.

Bill reminded himself that he didn't have anything to be afraid of. Ford had thrown away the one shot that could have killed him. He was safe.

####

1:20 a.m.

As Stan followed Ford into his underground study, he shot a glance at the barren far end of the room. He grumbled, "Nice to see you haven't started putting triangle posters back up."

"I'm not..." Ford sighed in irritation. "Never mind."

"So what's so important that you had to drag me down to your nerd cave? If this isn't good—"

"I didn't waste our shot."

"What?"

At his metal worktable, Ford unlatched the Quantum Destabilizer's carrying case and opened it. "You said I wasted the only fuel we had. I didn't." He detached the NowUSeeitNowUDontium's fuel tank and held it out. The needle on the side indicated it was about a quarter full—nowhere near its full capacity, but enough for one shot, and just as much as they'd brought home from Fiddleford's.

Stan gaped. "But... hold on—we saw that shot through the walls. How the heck did you fake...?"

"Before he started developing a process to generate Dontium, Fiddleford came up with a power adaptor that could plug into the town's electricity." Ford picked up the power cord wound up in the carrying case. "He determined that it only gave the Destabilizer enough power to operate like a laser, not destroy matter and energy, so we still needed to develop the Dontium... but, I still had the cord on hand."

####

Saturday, 12:07 p.m.

Ford looked at the dummy. Looked at the note.

And then he lay the note on the dummy, knelt by the edge of the loft, opened his case, and removed the Quantum Destabilizer.

He slid out its fuel tank, returned it to the case, and pulled out the cord.

He climbed down to the bedroom; unplugged the room's air conditioning unit from its dedicated higher voltage wall socket; and plugged in the Quantum Destabilizer's cord.

In the loft, trying to figure out how to plug the other end of the cord into the Quantum Destabilizer, he was suddenly struck by the hair-raising feeling that someone was watching him. He whipped around; the eye on Bill's hood stared at him resentfully.

Ford stared back at it a moment; then he stood, pulled the hoodie off the dummy, and stuffed it into a nearby box.

He knelt. He plugged in the cable. He carefully lined up the shot with the dummy.

He fired.

####

12:09 p.m.

The atmosphere abruptly grew eerily quiet and still as the unplugged air conditioning unit fell silent. There was a shrill, whistling shriek and a blast of blue-white light so brilliant it pierced the cracks of the wooden boards in the attic bedroom's walls.

Every light in the house went out as the Quantum Destabilizer's power adapter drained every drop of electricity in town.

####

12:10 p.m.

The air was hot, stagnant, and stuffy. There was a pile of ashes three feet in front of Ford's knees.

Ford heard Dipper and Stan come into the bedroom and climb the ladder. He was seized by an urge to sweep away the ashes and the evidence of his trick before they could realize what he'd done:

The Quantum Destabilizer, at full power, completely destroyed all matter and energy.

It didn't leave behind ashes.

####

Monday, 1:23 a.m.

Ford said, "Bill left a letter in the attic asking me to help cover his getaway. If I didn't fire the gun, Bill would have known I'd told you he escaped. But if he could see the Quantum Destabilizer firing, he'd think I'd chosen his side. The only way to lure him back to the shack was by making him think I'd used up the only substance we have that could destroy him." He muttered, "Granted, I'd assumed he'd try to contact me secretly rather than knock on the door in the middle of the night, but..."

Stan gaped at Ford. Then he burst into loud laughter. "Sixer, you tricky sonova! I don't believe it!" He socked his arm. "I oughta retire from the conning business and hand it over to you!"

A smile slowly crept up Ford's face.

Stan pointed with his thumb over his shoulder at the elevator. "So we can go up there and finish him off now, right? Just wait for him to fall asleep, and...?"

Ford's smile disappeared. "No."

"N—What do you mean, 'no'?"

"I..." He took a deep breath as he chose his words. "I was serious, earlier, when I... said I want to give him a chance."

"Wh—? Still? Ford, come on, you can't think he deserves it?"

"No. Of course not. Not even close." Ford didn't hesitate. "But... does he need to deserve a chance to get one? I wonder if maybe Mabel's on to something. If he could be better, he can't show us unless we give him the second chance—before he's earned it." He sounded like a lunatic. "He can't earn it if he's dead."

Stan looked for a moment like he wanted to argue; and then something painful flashed through his eyes; and then he looked away from Ford, scowling to himself as he thought. He sighed heavily. "Yeah. Okay. Fine. Darn it, I don't wanna do it either. The creep's actually starting to grow on me. Like some kind of foot fungus."

Ford huffed. "What's important is, if we give him a chance and he throws it away, I haven't left us unarmed." He gestured to the unplugged fuel tank.

Stan looked at the tank; then looked at Ford. "You could've told us about the power cord trick yesterday, and you didn't." Stan crossed his arms. "Be honest. Do you really think, if it came down to it, you'd be able to pull the trigger now?"

"No." And again Ford didn't hesitate. "I want to believe I could; but I... don't trust myself. Yesterday morning, I never would have thought I'd decide against executing him for any reason. I know Bill's playing games with me, and yet I'm still playing along—so what else might I do?" He shrugged helplessly. He hated that Bill could still take control of his mind—even when he couldn't physically get inside it. "To some extent, he's gotten into all our heads."

Stan grimaced, but he didn't argue.

"That's why I think Fiddleford should keep the Quantum Destabilizer. He's never been taken in by Bill's tricks. If it becomes necessary, he won't hesitate."

"You know the situation's bad when Old Man McGucket's the voice of reason," Stan muttered. "But, I like that idea. We can drop it off with him in the morning."

Ford sighed. "He's probably spent the last two days thinking Bill's dead. He won't be happy to see us."

As they walked back to the elevator, Stan said, "Maybe leaving Bill alive isn't an end-of-the-world bad idea. How much trouble can he get in when he can't escape that magic barrier around town?"

"That's true," Ford said. "He's essentially harmless—at least to the rest of the universe."

Ford didn't have anything to be afraid of. Bill was trapped in the weirdness barrier; and he couldn't even leave the shack without help. They were safe.

####

As fancy as his new coat looked, Bill was was grateful to crawl back into the comfortingly formless body-obscuring shelter of his hoodie. He pulled his hood over his face, curled up on his usual cushions (sigh) in his usual spot (sigh), and quickly fell asleep.

And began to dream.

And, in his dream, saw through his nearby eyes.

In his sleep, he could see the attic from where he lay on his cushions. He sat up, realized his vision was crooked, straightened out his hood, and stood; and he began sleepwalking.

He crept silently downstairs. He walked backwards into the gift shop. He walked up to a spinning rack of keychains that Soos had set up on the display case, took off his necklace, and hung it from one of the hooks.

He pulled aside the curtain hiding the ladder to the roof.

Bill was very good at lying. Bill was very good at lying to himself. No, that wasn't true—Bill had never lied to himself in his life, and he was willing to kill anyone who tried to say he had. Bill didn't tell himself lies; he told himself what should be the truth. Believing in a new reality was the first step toward making it real. All you had to do was lie until you weren't lying anymore—and then, you'd never lied at all. It was very simple.

He'd spent billions of years swimming in and out of dreams, until he was more comfortable with how reality worked in dreams than he was with how reality worked in actual reality; and there was no other state of existence where the line between truth and lie was blurriest. Unlike the physical world, where altering reality tended to require a little more actual work, in a dream, lying until it came true really was as simple as thinking about your new truth.

That was all it took. One bright, lucid thought to shine order through the confused fog of the subconscious.

Bill was getting good at lucid dreaming.

Bill was dreaming now.

A couple of weeks ago, Bill had heard Wendy called the trap doors in the ceiling "roof lids."

No, that wasn't true. A couple of weeks ago, Bill had heard Wendy call the roof lids "roof lids," because that was what they were. Bill couldn't open doors, didn't have the first idea of what to do with a door, but he could open lids. Jar lids. Pot lids. Toilet lids. He'd practiced with toilet lids—they had hinges, that made them the most similar to roof lids. If he could open all those lids, he could open these lids.

As he stared, the trap doors changed, in the way that dream images had of swimming and shifting dizzily before your eyes, into roof lids.

He climbed the ladder, pushed up the roof lid, climbed through; and then opened the second one that led onto the roof. He moved so silently. The rickety rungs and old wooden boards didn't even creak beneath his footsteps. He climbed out, sleepwalked his way to the roof hangout spot, and jumped off the roof.

He descended, slow as a feather, to land lightly on the ground, as though gravity hardly touched him.

Almost a month ago, on his birthday, Stan had taken off his gold chain and chucked it off into the forest so he could put on his birthday gift instead. Bill had watched enviously from the window. Now, triumphantly, he scooped up the long-coveted chain and wrapped it several times around his wrist.

And then he went to the tree where he'd hung up his second backpack full of contraband and retrieved it.

There were several pine trees right next to the shack. As near-weightless as Bill was in his dream, it was easy for him to climb one of the trees and get back on the roof.

In the gift shop, the vending machine swung open as Stan and Ford returned to the house level. They went into the living room, heading toward bed. The All-Seeing Eye hanging on the keychain rack watched as the door swung shut behind them. After waiting a few more seconds to ensure they were gone, Bill slid down onto the ladder, shut the roof lid, and jumped noiselessly to the floor. He retrieved his necklace from the keychain rack.

This was a vending machine. It wasn't a door. It clearly wasn't a door. Bill punched in the vending machine's code and stepped back as it swung aside for him. He crept down the stairs.

This was an elevator. The elevator had doors, and he didn't know how to open them, but he wasn't worrying about those. The doors would sort themselves out somehow. All he cared about was the elevator. He was NOT trying to open the doors. He wasn't even thinking about opening the doors. He pushed the button to call the elevator.

The elevator doors slid open. See, just like he'd thought: the doors took care of themselves.

He pushed the button for the lowest floor. The doors slid shut.

As he rode down, he wove his new necklace's thin chain between the links of Stan's much thicker chain. Oh yeah. That looked much better.

The doors opened again into the interdimensional portal's control room.

He put on his necklace and stepped out. It was about time he made it back here. Bill really should have taken more time to check this place out at the start of summer. Why had he been in such a rush to kill the Pines? He'd had time travel. He could have rebuilt the entire portal by himself, won the lotto in Texas, spent a week in a seven star hotel, watched the Titanic sink, become President Trembley's First Lady, gotten Mysterious Mo's autograph, planted a NASA rocket in an Aztec temple just to give those ancient alien morons an undeserved but funny win, and then come back to finish the job.

Well, hindsight, whatever. At least he had a list of things to do if he ever got his hands on that time tape again. Anyway, he was back now.

He didn't think he'd need to be asleep to get back into the gift shop, and he probably needed his full brain turned on for the task ahead. He pulled his hood off, opened his eyes, and woke up.

The world looked so much less malleable.

He fished a notebook and red and black pens from his backpack, picked his way through the rubble of the portal, and began taking notes in Plaintext on how many parts were salvageable. Every few minutes, he flipped a page forward to begin work on blueprints for a new portal.

####

(And that concludes... season 1. idk out of how many seasons, but it sure feels like a season finale, don't it?

Next week's The Book Of Bill y'all! I'll be posting a chapter, but which chapter depends on TBOB. If TBOB is either compatible with the backstory I've got for Bill, or so wildly incompatible that there's no way I can reconcile my backstory so don't bother trying, I'll be posting a flashback chapter! But if TBOB is compatible enough that i MIGHT be able to reconcile it with my backstory with a lot of editing, I'll be posting the first chapter of "season 2" to give me time to edit the flashback. We'll find out next Tuesday!

In the meantime, a whole lot happened in this chapter, and I can't wait to hear what y'all think—about this chapter, about everything that's happened so far, about what's coming up, whatever!)

#bill cipher #human bill cipher #grunkle ford #grunkle stan #mabel pines #dipper pines #soos ramirez #(tagged mostly for the art but like they're in the chapter too lmao)#gravity falls #gravity falls fic #gravity falls fanart #fanart #my art #my writing #bill goldilocks cipher

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t1red-twilight · 1 month

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request fluff <3: everything has been going great since the wedding anniversary.

Art and reader are relaxed (like enjoy their time in the bathtub, in a couch or in bed, whatever you want ^^ ), they discuss everything and nothing, especially Art who declares all the reasons why he loves her so much (her qualities, her flaws, the feelings towards her, he knows everything like what she likes/love language/type emotions, what she makes him strong and what he makes her strong, the fact that they are there for each other...) and why he married her... this little discussion warms the reader's heart, moved, that she says nothing since she listens to him attentively, felt moved by Art's words :)

affection

content/warnings: gn!reader, fluff, cursing, non sexual nudity (bath)

notes: i imagined dilf!art, but there’s no kids. thank you so much for your request and your support! i followed your request closely, i hope you like it<3

word count: 1.2k

masterlist

you set down your things and took your coat off as you stepped through the threshold of yours and art’s home. the lights were dimmed, but you couldn’t find art anywhere.

as of late, art had become quite the househusband. he was taking a break from tennis to figure out where he wanted to take his career, whether that be continuing tennis, becoming a coach, or anything along the lines of just being a public figure. while he was straightening his thoughts out, he was really enjoying the domestic life.

“art?” you called out. at first you couldn’t hear him, so you repeated yourself. you proceeded to take off your shoes and walk further in. when you called out the second time, you heard him calling. you walked towards the sound of his voice, passing the flowers on the counter art had gotten last week for your anniversary.

it had already been three years since you and art had been married. you’d dated about five years before you both decided to tie the knot. everything had been, and was blissful. art was your person, and you liked to think that you were his.

art heard your feet softly padding down the hardwood down to the bedroom. you saw the light from the bathroom peeking out fro under the door. out of habit, you knocked before you entered. immediately, you heard art answer, “you can come in.”

he knew that you knew that it was okay to always come in, but you always insisted on knocking first. you know, just in case.

you opened the door to the bathroom and you were greeted with a quite content and pleasant sight. art was sitting in the balmy, warm bathroom in a bubble bath. the bubbles were just about up to his chin. on his face sat a cute little smile.

the floor was slick as you walked over to him. art spoke in a quiet tone, “hi.” you walked over to the side of the tub. when his body turned, the water swirled around him slowly.

“you look cozy,” you breathed. crouching down to his level, you brushed a piece of hair out of his eyes. “honey, how long have you been in here?” you chuckled, leaning down to kiss him on the forehead, noticing the thin layer of water on the edge of the tub.

he hummed while he thought for a second. “do you have the time?”

checking your watch, you stood. “it’s ten after nine.” you looked back down at him. he continued to think for a moment.

“eh, thirty minutes. give or take.” you chuckled lightly. how could the bathroom still be this warm after half an hour?

“is the water cold yet?” your voice held a playful tone; art just looked so blissed out and relaxed. you hoped he could stay like this forever.

“no. not even close. you want to come in?” you hesitated. you reached your hand into the water. just as he said, the water was just a couple degrees below scorching.

art wiggled his toes in what you thought was meant to be an enticing manner, but he just looked goofy more than anything. “c’mon, we’re not doing anything tomorrow.” he raised his eyebrows.

“yeah, sure. why not.” a grin spread across his face and you mirrored his gesture. “did you get a haircut today?”

“hmmm, perfect. i haven’t seen you all day. and, yes, i did. do you like it?” his response was casual, but he still had a slight furrowed brow.

your lips quirked up, “you look good with any haircut, art,” squatting once more to ruffle his hair as you spoke. his eyes held adoration for you that you only ever wanted to see from him. god, art was perfect. perfect for you, at least. and that was all that mattered.

“if you say so, i trust you. now get in.” he had a pleading look in his bright eyes, “please.” at his request, you began to strip yourself of your clothes. this was a casual act this far into your relationship. nudity wasn’t only sexual, but a calming act that brought you too closer every time. you set your clothes on the pile where art’s clothes sat.

you stepped into the bath with your left foot, then your right. art had scooted backward to make room for you. when you finally sat, you settled your body against his, your back

pressed against his chest. as soon as you relaxed against him, he wrapped his arms around your torso and held you close.

you leaned your head back onto his shoulder and sighed. god, if only every day could be like this. art leaned down and kissed your shoulder. “how was work?”

you chuckled sardonically. “same as usual. nothing super special or exciting.” you shrugged as best as you could. the warm water moved as art craned his head to look at you. “did you do anything today?”

he hummed in thought for a moment. “eh, nothing really. “i tried that new coffee place down the street. their lattes are pretty good. other than that, same old, same old,” art murmured.

you closed your eyes and just listened to him breathe for a moment. you could feel his heartbeat against your skin, it soothed you. you moved your arms to rest atop his. “the flowers are still doing good.”

“what flowers?” he questioned, pulling you impossibly closer to him.

“the ones you got for our anniversary?” you said coyly. maybe the slow life was catching up to him.

“oh, yeah.” he laughed. “my bad. i zoned out for a second.” you could feel him smile against your shoulder. “they were expensive. i hope they don’t die too fast.”

“i can’t believe it,” you whispered, “we’ve almost been together for a whole decade.”

art responded immediately. “i can. you’re the best person i’ve ever known. every day i get with you is more than i deserve.” he didn’t look at you; he didn’t need to. just being around you was enough.

“art, i-“

“i mean it.” the silence that followed was brief, until art broke it. “i love the way your nose scrunches when you laugh. i love how you always know what i’m thinking, and that you let me get you gifts even though i know you aren’t comfortable with being spoiled. i love that you love hugs, and that you’re always holding my hand.

“i love the scars you have even though you hate them. i love that you yell at shitty drivers. i love that you will always choose fast food over an expensive restaurant. i love the gleam in your eye when you’re talking about something you’re passionate about. you’re always there for me, bo matter what. i love that you love me. i love you, so much. that’s why i married you, after all.”

halfway through his speech, you turned to look at him. passion swirled in his eyes, and you knew that you didn’t need to say anything.

art always knew what to say; especially on days like this one.

you leaned in closer to him, and kissed him briefly. you felt his hand cup your jawline and he thumbed a tear off of your cheek.

yes, art was perfect for you. that you could never deny.

#lee’s writing <3 #dilf art donaldson #art donaldson #challengers #art donaldson x reader #art donaldson fluff #challengers x reader #x reader #fluff

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hgfictionwriter · 3 months

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Maybe This Time - Part Five

Jessie Fleming x Reader

Summary: Jessie can't sleep, and neither can you. Late night discussions ensue. Jessie and you unpack more of your past - and newly confessed feelings.

Warnings: None. Slight mentions of angst, but mostly tons of fluff!

A/N: Previous parts for this series can be found on my masterlist.

Jessie exhaled as she rolled onto her side, waking temporarily from her sleep. She hadn't even opened her eyes before a rush of recollections came to her from the night before.

You liked her in university. You liked her now. Or at least enough to agree to a date.

You were finally - finally - going on a date together. Jessie had waited for this moment for years.

Sure, she'd buried any hope for it for half of those years, but as soon as you came back into her life, everything she'd been distancing herself from came roaring back, and stronger so.

She belatedly realized she was smiling and she let out a contented sigh. She peeked an eye open to see it was still pitch black and she could hear Janine fast asleep.

Without warning, worry and concern started to encroach on the happiness Jessie was feeling.

What if it was really just a casual 'thing to do' to close out a funny story for you? What if you changed your mind? You didn't actually say how deep those feelings had gone way back when and certainly didn't say how deep they were now. Was she just setting herself up for disappointment?

She exhaled again in an effort to calm herself. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, but couldn't keep from reaching for her phone a moment later.

Her chest tightened when she saw a message from you. She didn't hesitate to open it.

"I can't sleep. And for the record, the feelings weren't short lived on my end either."

Jessie's breath hitched as she re-read your message and any lingering veil of drowsiness was now long gone. She swallowed and checked the time stamp. An hour ago.

Her thumb hovered over the screen as she debated whether to reply now or not. With a light huff she tapped out a reply.

"Tell me about these feelings."

She stared at your conversation for several moments, unknowingly holding her breath. She was about to turn off her phone and set it aside when you started to reply.

"You first, Fleming."

"Also. You should be sleeping. You have an early flight."

"Says you. I'm wide awake now. I can sleep on the plane."

"Why do I have to go first?"

"Lol. Hey, I took the first step here, so it's only fair that you tell me more.

"But I actually asked you out in the end. So I'd say we're even. It's your turn."

"It only took you - what - 8 years?"

"I'm teasing. I know it's more complicated than that."

"Slow off the line, but hey, at least you know I'm steady lol. And yeah, it's been complicated. But I don't mind."

"Are you trying to charm me?"

"Depends. Is it working?"

"It is. And it's worked many times before."

"Oh really? Now you definitely have to tell me more."

"Smooth. Well, I don't know, where do you want me to start?"

Start? There's that much? This was going to be way more interesting than Jessie even hoped.

"I guess we can start at the beginning. That art show - was that the first time a date ever came to mind?"

Jessie idly chewed on the corner of her thumb as her remained fixated on the screen and she awaited your response.

"Definitely not. I always thought you were cute and I found you really easy to talk to. So things just grew from there. And really, do you think I came to your games just because I wanted to watch football? lol."

"By the way. That reminds me. You never invited me to your games. I had to invite myself! So if you're wondering why I didn't think you had any interest in me - there's an example of why."

"Y/N. Come on. I didn't want to make a big thing out of it. It felt so cringy and showboat-y. I'm not like that and you know it. And you were busy. And you didn't like football! Why would I assume you'd want to spend 2-3 hours at a game?"

"Yeah, that's the part where you missed the whole concept that I liked you lol. That of course I'd want to show up and support you and learn more about what you're passionate about. Anyway, just saying, you played it awfully cool all the time. So yeah, after the art show incident, I guess it just felt like confirmation that I'd been trying too hard to read into things, so from there I just assumed it was a one-sided thing."

"I'm sorry. It definitely wasn't."

"I'm afraid to ask. But even when you were dating your exes, are you saying you liked me then?"

"If I'm being honest with myself, it's fairly obvious why my exes didn't like you. And it has nothing to do with you as a person - it was about my dynamic with you. I was upset with them at the time, but, truthfully, they had reason to criticize."

"Okay, your turn now."

"Wait – you didn't really answer. Are you saying you liked me when you were with your exes?"

"Yes lol that's exactly what I'm saying. I couldn't even admit it to myself at the time though. It just seemed pathetic when I knew - or thought I knew - that you didn't like me like that. I played it off like, "She's my friend! How dare you!" But, yeah, I came to you for things that I should've come to my girlfriends about. I'm sorry – looking back on this, it was really shitty of me to do that to you; counting on you for emotional support like a girlfriend might. Like when I was upset, when I was excited, you were the one I came to. That wasn't fair to you or them."

Jessie sighed. Those times did create a lot of angst for her. But, she also cherished being the one you trusted and relied on. It had been bittersweet, really. But this changed things entirely. You'd come to her like a girlfriend? Your words - not hers. It made her heart race.

"I really was your friend though. I mean, a friend who was head over heels for you, but a friend. And friends support each other. But I see what you're saying too. And it was hard sometimes being close with you, but not as more."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

Jessie couldn’t believe what she was reading. The revelations that were coming out challenged everything she’d known - or thought she’d known - for years. It was mind boggling and elation tingled in the tips of her fingers and toes. She had to be dreaming.

"I wish we were actually talking right now and not texting."

Jessie looked at the time before glancing over at Janine. She really shouldn't get up. But who was she kidding?

She carefully got out of bed and gingerly walked over to her things to slip on a pair of sweats over her shorts, grab a hoodie, shoes and the hotel key. She glanced back once more at Janine's sleeping form and tip-toed to the door, ever so slowly unlocking it – wincing when the deadbolt clicked open – and swiftly stepped out into the hall. She exhaled slowly as she kept the handle turned and softly closed the door.

She tied her hair back with the elastic around her wrist as she headed to the elevator and took it down to the main floor. A tight smile formed across her lips as she walked past the front desk on her way outside.

As the entrance doors slid closed behind her, she peered around and found a bench alongside the building, dimly lit by nearby streetlights. She took up a seat and called you.

The phone rang a couple of times before you picked up.

"Hello?"

Jessie smiled at your voice, hoarse with sleep.

"Did I wake you?" She asked.

"No, I just didn't expect you to actually call," you chuckled, your voice already clearing up. "How are you calling me, anyway? Did you go somewhere else?"

"Yeah," Jessie replied, stifling a yawn as she relaxed into the bench some. "I just went outside."

"Jess," you said, somewhere between chiding and impressed. "We could've kept texting. Or, you know, I could actually let you get some sleep."

"Sleep is for the weak," Jessie joked, twiddling with the tie of her hoodie.

"Since when? You were the one always keen to get a full night's sleep," you teased.

"Well," Jessie started slowly, feeling the push and pull of what she wanted to say next. "If it means I get to talk to you...I don’t mind losing a bit of sleep."

"Wow," you said, dragging the word out with a light laugh. Jessie's face flared with heat immediately. "I did not know you were such a charmer." As if you read Jessie's mind that had begun to swirl with anxiety, you went on, "Don’t get me wrong – I really like it. It’s just new, but in a great way."

Jessie huffed good naturedly as a small boost of confidence settled in. "That's fair. I mean, as we've covered, I didn't exactly make my feelings clear." She cracked a smirk. "Not such a loser, now, am I?"

"Loser?" You asked incredulously. "Why in the world would you say that?"

Jessie felt heat rushing to her face once more and she rubbed the back of her neck. "I don’t know. I just felt that way. Sometimes. Like – seeing all of these hot girls and guys hit on you whenever we were out, making you laugh, and swoon, and all I ever really could manage to do was offer to get a refill of whatever you were drinking or offer to let you copy my notes if you missed class."

"Jessie. You're ridiculous. You were the absolute farthest thing from a loser. My God. Let's be really clear about that. And 'swoon' is a strong word, okay? I did not swoon over anyone. Anyone that wasn't you, anyway," you finished with a faint lilt in your voice.

"Oh whatever," Jessie protested though her face felt even warmer now. "You most definitely didn't swoon over me. You don't have to pretend."

"Excuse me," your voice rising to match hers, "You were the smartest girl in class. And so cute. And witty. I know you think being shy was a bad thing - but I found you endearing for it. Made it that much more special when we became friends and you opened up around me. And, you know, jocks were never my type, but the fact that you coupled it with academic smarts and becoming one of the people I was closest to and trusted most – swoon worthy"

"Uh huh," Jessie dismissed though it felt like her head was buzzing now. She swallowed the excitement that was bubbling in her throat. "Well, all I can think about is that one night we were at that silly bar near campus and I got you a new drink – you took a sip, handed it back telling me to hold it for you, and then ran out on the dance floor with [another girl]."

”Oh my gosh,” you said, scandalized though both of you laughed. “Don’t you dare. Anytime I tried to get you to dance you always refused! You made it seem like torture anytime you had to! And it was my favourite song! I didn’t think you’d want to dance.”

"Right, sure," Jessie continued to tease, though your proclamations were accurate. "Well no worries – I held your drink and protected it with my life while you danced up on some other girl."

"Oh my God," you went on with a light laugh. "I'm sorry!" You clicked your tongue. "Listen, I can't change it, but what I can promise you is that next time we're out and I feel like dancing, we're dancing together. I won't take 'no' for an answer this time."

"Well hold on now," Jessie protested in jest, drawing another laugh out of you. She hummed and went on. "Kidding. I suppose I can put up with dancing if it's with you."

"You're making me blush," you told her. The way she laughed, she thought you were kidding, but it was true. "Well, I'd love that. Consider me flattered. I've been waiting a long time for it. Remember when [an ex] and I left abruptly during [a friend's] birthday because we were fighting?"

"Yeah," Jessie said, feeling a fleeting wave of aggravation at the recollection of that night. She remembered your ex storming out, you being in a foul mood and leaving shortly after.

"I mean, that was a shitty night. Too much drama. But anyway, [y/ex] was mad because she caught me looking at you from the dance floor one too many times. I never told you – for obvious reasons."

“Yeah right,” Jessie readily dismissed. She recalled maybe seeing you glance over now and then, but it didn’t mean anything.

"It's true," you refuted simply and unbothered. "I think you'll learn that there were a lot of moments like that."

"Well, I find that hard to believe. But I suppose," she relented. "And there are definitely a lot of moments like that from my side, too."

"Tell me one," you said before quickly adding, "Well. I want to know them all, but I'll go easy on you for now. Let's start with one."

Jessie shuffled down in the seat of the bench and played with the seam of her sweats. She pursed her lips together as she rifled through memories until her mind hitched on one, a twinge going through her chest at the mere recollection of it. She went to consider other options, but whether it was the desire to keep ensuring things were different this time or maybe it was just the lull of night lowering her inhibitions, she decided to stick with this memory. She cleared her throat.

"Uh. I guess graduation comes to mind. Not convocation itself, but, you know, that last night we saw each other before I moved," Jessie started, her eyes on the ground as she began now distractedly picking at the wooden slats of the bench.

"I remember that," you said, your voice more somber than before.

"Yeah," Jessie said simply before a stilted laugh escaped her. "That was a hard night."

"Tell me," you gently encouraged.

Jessie exhaled quietly, giving a listless shrug before stating very matter of fact, "I thought it was the last time I'd ever see you."

Her chest was tight and her body felt heavy as the memories and emotions flooded back. She knew every detail of you that night – she'd wanted to remember every aspect and hold it close. Despite the fact that all these other truths were being revealed now, it didn't undo how heartbroken Jessie had felt at that time.

"Don't you start – then I'm going to cry," you told Jessie as your eyes grew watery and you forced a short laugh.

Jessie tried to laugh, too, but it was feeble at best and instead she felt more tears welling. She tried to muster another laugh, but it came out as more of a sob as you watched her and your lip soon quivered.

"Come here," you said, voice tight as you opened your arms to her.

The two of you collided into each other as you both rushed into the hug. Much to her contempt, Jessie began sniffling immediately and her shoulders shook with sobs, pulling a watery laugh out of you as you gave her a squeeze. The squeeze was encouragement enough for Jessie to tighten her grip on you – clutching you almost desperately in her arms and terrified to let you go.

"Jess," you said, your voice barely audible as you waded through emotion.

Another sob escaped Jessie as she pulled you even tighter to her. She felt your body shudder as your own tears overtook you.

"I'm so proud of you," you managed to say through tears, your head resting against Jessie's. "You're going to do amazing things – even more than you've already done. I’m just going to miss you like hell." You finished with a sad laugh.

Jessie subconsciously dug her fingers into your back. "I'm going to miss you, too," was all she could manage through her tears. You sniffled.

"If you need someone to keep you grounded when you're an even bigger superstar than you are now, you just give me a call," you laughed.

Jessie felt words burning in her throat and she felt powerless to stop them. They were words she'd said to you before – more specifically, returned to you. Anytime you said them to her – flippantly or otherwise, regardless, never the way she wanted you to say them. This time, she allowed herself to say them the way she really felt them.

"I love you," she said, tucking her chin against you. "So much." She felt like her chest was about to explode and she bit down hard on her lip as she looked up to the sky and tried to fight off this persistent stream of tears.

"I love you, too," you returned, voice still thick with emotion, but a light laugh punctuating your reciprocation.

Jessie chest panged once more.

"Text me as soon as you land, okay?" You told Jessie as you pulled away from the hug. Jessie's touch lingered until she forced herself to let go.

She sniffled and nodded, wiping irritably at the next tear that fell. "I will."

"And I know you're going to be super busy, but let me know when I could come by for a visit," you said brightly through your remaining tears. You forced another laugh. "Look at me – I'd never been to a football game in my life until I met you. And now I'm offering to fly halfway around the world to watch you play."

Jessie mustered up a smile, blinking back more tears. "Yeah, I'll let you know." She knew she wouldn't and it broke her heart to lie to you.

"Okay," you said as you nodded, smiling bravely for her. "I know you have to go, so I won't keep you. We'll talk soon. Have a good flight tomorrow, okay? I love you."

Jessie swallowed and returned a brave smile of her own. "I love you, too."

She was startled from her thoughts as you spoke.

"Really? We said we'd visit each other."

"I know," she replied, wisps of guilt setting in. "I just-" She took a breath as she worked to find the words. "it was hard...being only your friend. I, I think I knew that moving to London, that I needed to move on. I'm sorry I didn't know a better way to do it," she finished quietly.

"Ah," you voiced, taking a couple of seconds. "I understand. I'm sorry it was so painful – the last thing I would've ever wanted is to hurt you."

"No, you don't need to apologize," Jessie assured you. "I know you weren't trying to hurt me." She took a breath. "I owe you an apology."

"Hm? Why?" You asked, perplexed.

"You know how you asked me recently why we stopped talking?" She asked. "I wasn't being fully honest with you. I knew I was pushing you away. And I'm sorry – for then and for now, for acting like I didn't know any better. I knew I was hurting you. I just...I didn't know how to move on if you were still in my life."

Jessie felt emotions rising in her chest and she continued.

"I know it probably doesn't mean anything. But, it broke my heart to do it. I was miserable. And it was so hard to not talk to you – to tell you about my day, big things and small, and to not hear about yours. To not know how you were doing. I missed you more than you know."

The line was silent for a few, heavy seconds and Jessie felt her anxiety start to build. Her throat was dry and she was about to speak when you cut in.

"Sorry. I just wish I was there. Or you were here," you said, relieving Jessie of her concerns immediately. "I just wish I could hug you, because you don’t need to apologize. I'm not upset with you. Thank you – for being honest with me. Maybe this isn't right, but it makes me feel so much better to know what was actually happening. I hate that you were hurting, and it hurt me too at the time, but, all of this just makes me excited for what we're trying to explore now."

A smile had spread across Jessie's face. "Good. Me too. And yeah," her smile grew and she picked at the bench once more. "I wish we were together right now, too." She meant to leave room for you to reply, but her nerves got the better of her and she talked on. "But anyway, next weekend will come soon enough."

You chuckled. "I guess that's true. It's been 8 years – what's another week."

"Exactly," she laughed, unable to fully quiet the smile on her face. She glanced up, idly noting the subtle change in the colour of the sky. "Shit. I hate to do this, but I should probably go. The sun's starting to come up."

"Oh my gosh, of course. Don't worry about it. Thank you. For calling me. You really didn't need to, but, I really enjoyed talking with you."

"Don't mention it," Jessie replied, cheeks starting to strain with how much she was smiling. "I love talking with you. You know that."

"I do," you told her. "I'm very lucky. Now go. This can't turn into those nights where we just keep talking and talking despite saying 'bye' a dozen times and then one of us just falls asleep at the other's place," you finished with a laugh. Jessie remembered those nights well.

"No, I'm not ready to answer the line of questions that would come up if the team found me asleep on this bench," she joked. She smiled further at the laugh it drew from you.

"No way. But you better brace yourself for the questions Janine's going to throw at you. It would just be way too easy if she sleeps through it all."

"Yeah," Jessie rolled her eyes affectionately. "You're probably right." She straightened up and slapped a hand down purposefully on her leg. "Okay, I'm going now. But, it was great talking with you. For the second time tonight," she added with a chuckle. Her face began to warm. "Hopefully you can still get some sleep tonight. Um, sweet dreams."

"Well, if they're of you, then they certainly will be," you teased, causing Jessie's face to flare up even more. "I hope you can get some sleep too. If not, then hopefully you can sleep on the plane. Text me when you can. Oh, and don't think I didn't catch that you said you were 'head over heels' for me," your voice light and teasing. "We'll unpack that next time we talk."

"Y/N!" Jessie exclaimed, but the line had gone dead. She glanced at her phone, mouth agape at how you'd hung up on her. A text came through.

"Goodnight! (morning?) Sweet dreams, Jess. 😘"

A/N: Part Six (finale) available here.

#jessie fleming #jessie fleming x reader #woso x reader #woso imagine #canwnt x reader #woso community #canwnt

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magics-neptunes-things · 10 months

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Hide And Seek

Hi guys!

Another request that you can find it here, even if I'm only going to write it at one part.

Resume : Two times you and your secret girlfriend almost got caught by your big sister and the time she caught you.

Warning : Fluff, swearing (because it's Lucy), a little bit of angst because I like it with happy ending. !BronzeReader

______________________________________________________________

You met Alessia thanks to your big sister Lucy Bronze. These two playing together in the national team, it was not difficult to meet her. You meet her several times even, whether at parties for their different victories or when you go to see Lucy at her training sessions. You always thought Alessia was beautiful, but when you heard her talk about her boyfriend with Ella a few years ago, you got used to the idea that it was better to give up.

The months and years passed and Alessia was single for a little while when you had the opportunity to have a moment of exchange just the two of them, during their final won at the Euro. After having celebrated this with the families, some of them decided to extend the party in nightclub and you accepted when Lucy offered to accompany them. Jorge being a father, he had to resolve to let his two sisters go without him, but you promised him to stay wise and not drink too much.

Lucy, on the other hand, just sneered at him. She is dancing in the middle of the track with several of her teammates, including a Leah Williamson in fire. For your part, you watch the scene with a smile, proud of what your sister and her team has achieved.

"What are you doing alone?"

You raise your head to realize that the person who asked you this question is nobody but Alessia. You joked that it could have passed for a lame line from a lame flirt and when she blushed while sitting next to you you found yourself falling for her even harder.

You discussed the rest of the night, interrupted only when the nightclub owners kicked you out. When you arrived home, you could see that Alessia had started following you on Instagram and your relationship started like that. You made the decision not to tell anyone, starting with Lucy. There are some implicit rules in family life, starting with not getting in a relationship with your sister’s friends.

********

The first time you almost got caught was during the winter football break.

"Raise and shine baby, your sister's here!"

You are awakened with a start, the voice of your sister causing you a start of panic attack. This is not the first time she comes at yours when she's home from Barcelona, usually to bring you breakfast and spend time with you. And you like it, as much as you love your big sister.

However, this morning, there is Alessia with you in your bed. An Alessia not fully dressed, hair in bulk and eyes still asleep. This doesn't prevent her from throwing you a look of pure panic. Lucy doesn’t know that you two share more than a purely friendly relationship, you know that she wouldn’t appreciate you dating one of her friends. Just as it would be perfectly reciprocal if things were reversed.

"Y/N are you still sleeping? It’s past 10am"

You have always been a big sleeper, you are constantly quarrelled with this in your family. You quickly get up from your bed and beckons Alessia to do the same.

"I’m coming! Give me time to get dressed and I’ll come" you answer.

She grumbles and settles on your sofa, turning on the television. You appreciate even more the fact that she feels at home when she is at yours. This will allow you to whisper with Alessia to get you out of this bad step.

"You have to hide" you mumble to Alessia while putting a t-shirt.

"Where? I won’t hide in your closet, I warn you"

"Get dressed to start"

Alessia’s blue eyes cast a reproachful glance at you, certainly linked to the tone of the voice you just used. You apologize with a look and watch her get dressed.

"Go find your sister instead of looking at me, creep"

You roll your eyes and gently open the door to find Lucy actually installed in the living room. When she sees you appear she jumps on her legs and hurries to join the kitchen. Maybe things aren’t going to be as complicated as you thought.

All you have to do is keep her from entering your bedroom.

Lucy sitting at your kitchen table, you exchange the latest news of your lives while you put what she brought on plates. You listen to her talk about her life in Barcelona and you smirks when you hear her talk about this famous girl who seems to take more and more in her life, maybe joining Barcelona this summer.

"What?" she asks you when she sees you smiling.

"Nothing" you answer before laughing and biting into your toast.

You change the subject of conversation, going back to your nephew’s next birthday hoping that she does not delay too much. You can’t help but think of Alessia still waiting to get out of your bedroom.

"By the way, I need my camera back. You have it, you know where you put it?"

Busy doing the dishes after your breakfast and a few games of Mario Kart, you start answering without really thinking.

"It's on the dresser in my bedr…"

Holly shit.

By the time you turn around, Lucy’s already headed to your room and opened the door. You run after her, ready to face Alessia lying on your bed, but she’s not visible anywhere.

"Thank you" Lucy smiles, not noticing your lost look. "I have to go, but I’ll see you later ok?"

"Sure. Can't wait to meet Ona though" you mumble, still looking around.

She gives you a light punch behind the back of the skull, puts a kiss on your cheek and left as fast as she came. The door of your apartment closes and you turn towards your room.

"Lessi?"

The door of your closet opens slowly to reveal your girlfriend, her eyes cold and her face closed. She is really not happy at all.

"I am so sorry"

She grumbles for any answer but accepts the hand you hold out to help her get out of the furniture. You tell her again your apology, applying yourself to lay as many kisses on her face as possible, until she finally offers you one of her smiles that you love so much.

"It’s an original way to get out of the closet, though" you joke softly in the pit of her ear.

She frowns and punches you in the back of the head, right where Lucy did it to you earlier.

"Ouch? I didn’t know you were in the category of abusive girlfriends?"

She rolls her eyes and leaves the room, making you smile when seeing her rush to the toilet. You go back to the living room and prepare a plate with what’s left of the breakfast, determined to make amends. And, sorry Lucy, but you can’t help but tell her about your sister’s confidences earlier.

********

The second time you almost got caught was during the World Cup. You made the trip for the entire tournament, officially to support your beloved big sister. Unofficially to spend time with your girlfriend, which you simply can’t live without. You spent two separate weeks for her training camp and that was enough for you. By an incredible chance you found a job in London to be able to follow Alessia without it attracting anyone’s attention. Maybe because you were in the confidence of Alessia leaving Manchester for Arsenal from the beginning and you were able to do things smoothly.

After resigning, you have almost two months free before returning to work and you decided to fly to Australia.

Alessia sharing her room with Ella, you have at first to show imagination to be able to see you. Even if you are in the stands every time, it’s obviously out of the question that she comes to kiss you as if nothing had happened. Alessia finally confessed that she was seeing someone, not to mention your identity. Ella tried to find out more, but the pretty blonde didn’t want to embarrass her best friend and make her life complicated. If Lucy finds out about you and knows that Ella also knows, Tooney might get scolded too.

Except it only lasted four days before Ella understood. After helping Alessia escape from the surveillance of their teammates for a secret date on a beach, Ella didn’t think much of anything anymore. Eager to change her mind, she proposed a little noctune ride to everyone and this was accepted by Lucy, always willing to discover the voisinnage, Mary and Maya.

It was only when they turned around a street corner that they had never explored to come across a small beach that an alarm sounded in her head. She easily recognized the silhouette of her best friend, sitting on the wall at the beginning of the beach. However, she didn’t have time to try to recognize who was with Alessia that Lucy’s incredulous voice resonated beside her.

"Y/N?"

When you heard the voice of your older sister, you jumped and hurried to get up. And Ella understood.

"What are you doing here?"

"We asked her to come see you, we made this with Alessia" the surprise passed, Ella quickly made her brain work. " You seemed a little down by your knee so we thought seeing someone from your family would make you happy. Lessi had to meet her here and I had to take you there."

Alessia’s panicked look quickly turned into a look of relief when Lucy seemed to gladly accept the answer. Especially since it is true that her knee worries her and that the idea that this World Cup is the last one works a lot.

So happily passing her arm around your shoulders, she takes you a little further away from the others. Luckily, Maya and Mary didn’t seem to doubt Ella’s story. But seeing her best friend’s eyes, Alessia quickly understood that she was going to have some explanations to give her.

In any case, fortunately your kissing session had ended a few minutes earlier.

********

Lucy is back from Barcelona for the training camps for the national team, like many of her teammates. With the latter taking place in London, Alessia doesn’t have much to do to join it on the first day. And fortunately, since the evening before you went out to see a concert and it’s possible that you will extend the evening by going for a drink somewhere. Alessia is not a stranger, but you are always careful not to be to intimate towards each other when you know you can be seen.

Except that last night, alcohol and the prospect of not being able to see you for a few days may have made you lose your mind.

And that’s why pictures of you and Alessia kissing each other appeared on the net. These kisses against a red brick wall on a London street certainly brought a very pleasant moment when you returned to Alessia’s apartment, but if the blonde could disappear underground now, she would. Her teammates obviously came across the photos and teased her with it since this morning.

By a miracle, it’s almost impossible to recognize you. They only see your hair and your back while Alessia’s face is perfectly recognizable. Ella tried to divert the attention of their friends by all possibilities, discovering herself a fan-girl side for your couple, but in vain.

Even worse, attracted by the giggles of the girls and the pink cheeks of Alessia, Lucy comes to mingle in the conversation.

"What did I miss?" Lucy asks while sitting next to Mary.

"Alessia has a secret girlfriend" sings Lotte maliciously.

A little surprise laugh escapes from your big sister’s lips, which Alessia avoids looking in the eyes since she realized that she and you have exactly the same color.

"I thought you were straight?" asks Lucy, curiously looking at your blonde.

"I’ve never stuck labels on myself" Alessia mumbles as she looks at her hands.

"You’ve only been with boys so far" Esme gently says.

"What do you want me to say? She changed my mind."

That was true. Without making a fuss, Alessia had always imagined herself as heterosexual before getting closer to you and realizing that it was not friendly hugs that she wanted to give you.

"Let me see the pictures"

Lucy reaches out to Maya's phone, who willingly reaches out. Alessia wince when she sees Lucy reading the article and enlarging the photos. You also saw the article, obviously. You tried to reassure Alessia by telling her that no one could recognize you and that it would eventually settle down.

"Can’t you leave her alone?" intervenes Ella, anxious to protect her best friend.

But Lucy doesn’t listen, distracted by the photos. Her eyebrows gently frown.

"Wait, I know this tattoo"

Oh no. Paling in s

ight, Alessia rises most discreetly from her seat but barely has time to take a few steps that a roar sounds behind her.

"Alessia Mia Teresa Fucking Russo!"

Rushing to hide behind Mary who innocently enters the cafeteria, Alessia barely has time to hide behind the goalie’s shoulder as Lucy is already with her.

"Mary please, she’s going to kill me"

"Lucia what the fuck?" asks Mary, moving Lucy away from Alessia, putting her hand on her chest.

"It’s my sister! It’s my fucking little sister she’s kissing in these fucking pictures!"

********

You didn't hear about Alessia that night.

You tried to call her at the same time as usual, but not seeing her answer you simply told yourself that she was busy and that she was going to call you back. When you saw that the hours were passing and that it was not the case, the worry that she was injured became too strong. So, despite your desire not to disturb people, you tried to contact Ella. She did not answer you either, increasing your anxiety.

With no one else aware, it was impossible to contact anyone else to ask about Alessia. So you spent a sleepless night looking at your phone screen hoping to get a message, but nothing. The day has passed and you have never been so ineffective in your life at work. Your fear turned into anxiety throughout the day, unable to distract your mind from Alessia.

It wasn’t until the evening that you received notification of a message from Alessia. Except the message you received was far from what you expected.

From LessiBaby 🧸❤️‍🔥 We are over

From You What are you talking about baby? Are you alright? I was really worried, what happened?

From LessiBaby 🧸❤️‍🔥 You and me. We are over I'm sorry Don't contact me again pls

And after that, Alessia had to block you since you couldn’t call her and none of your messages could be delivered to her.

A breakup with the woman you’re in love with is hard. But it’s even harder not to understand why. Everything was perfectly fine when she left for camp, she even took care to leave you several of her hoodies so that you can sleep with it in her absence, promising to see you as soon as she had the opportunity.

Then, finally, the infernal spiral of your thoughts made you understand that she had surely realized that she deserved better than you. A sportsman or woman like her, who surely does something more interesting than a simple job in an international compagny. Someone she could expose herself with.

On the third day of your breakup, you were unable to get out of bed to go to work. Feeling that something was wrong with you, your closest friend in London who is also one of your colleagues arrived at your house. She didn’t ask a question when she saw you in your pajamas at 2:00 in the afternoon, eating chocolate ice cream in front of the television.

Instead, she made you pack a bag and took you home for the weekend. The first day you refused to leave the guest room, only answering your mother’s messages so she wouldn’t think you were murdered in a dark alley in London. The second day you confided in Ashley about the whole story. She listened to you, didn’t judge you for a second and tried to give you some advice.

When Lucy wrote to you asking you to go for a drink, you refused on the pretext of having something planned with Ashley. You know that your sister would quickly understand that something is happening in your private life if she see you and you don’t want to talk to her about it.

The following Monday, you and your sadness returned to work under Ashley’s encouragement. Her boyfriend must have thought you were a psychopath but didn’t comment on your physical or mental state either. It allowed you to confirm to Ashley that he was a good man.

In the evening, you returned home, making a new night routine. Often just taking time to shower, you went back to bed quickly. The only news you have of Alessia is on England’s national team social media. Despite the pain of these images, you can’t help but look at them. She’s still beautiful. Tired maybe, but anyone is tired during these camps. You know they’re intense.

On Friday night, Ashley practically came to take you out of your bed to get out. She forced you to shower and put on something other than an Alessia sweater. However, you refused to wear make-up and fix your hair other way than a messy bun. You put on a ripped jeans and a white top with your black leather jacket and that’s enough.

You don’t know the bar Ashley is taking you to, which is not surprising since you’re still new to London. What you do know is that the hubbub that sounds as soon as you enter it will soon cause you a headache.

"Can you at least fake that you're not dying from the inside?" Ashley laugh softly after you had your drinks.

"Sorry" you mumble, well aware of your unpleasant company.

"I asked John to come to, is it ok?" Ashley asks, mentioning her boyfriend.

You mumble that it's fine, before the door open again leaving a group of about ten people to enter. You automatically glance at it before freezing to see who it is. There is at least half of the Lioness contingent. Mary, Milie, Leah, Keira, Lucy, Lauren, Beth, Georgia and Alessia and Ella closing the march. You shift on your seat, staring at Ashley.

"Did you do it on purpose?"

"No! Of course not!"

You don’t have to study her face long to understand that it’s not Ashley who did about it, but fate. Finishing your Daiqiri in one go, you turn towards your friend.

"You have five seconds to figure out a way to get me out of here without me getting noticed"

You didn’t respond to Lucy’s last messages with more than one sentence, also refusing a proposal to go for a coffee before one of her workouts. As for Alessia, you don’t have the courage to look at her now. You look at your fingers, fearing to turn into a salt statue or worse, to see her happy and smiling while you cried last night while not managing to open your new jar of jam.

Luckily, the small group chose a table at the end of the room, allowing you to think about an action plan.

"Your girlfriend doesn’t look very happy" says Ashley, who can’t resist observing them.

"Ex" you whisper, still looking at your fingers.

Ashley stay silent and you jump when someone falls between you on a chair. But it’s just John, leaning over to put a delicate kiss on Ashley’s lips. You greet him with a vague smile, happy to see that despite your breakup you manage to bear the happiness of others.

Ashley asked you if she could tell your story to John and you agreed, certain that the poor man didn’t care much about your problems. But you were wrong and he always show you kindness and empathie.

A grimace appears on his face when your friend informs him of the situation and you shrug your shoulders in return. It’s at this precise moment that you realize how much you miss your big brother and that you feel guilty for not having written to him these last days. John is friendly but he’s nothing like Jorge.

You end up looking at the players' table, automatically looking for Alessia’s figure. Sitting next to Ella, of course. If the latter seems in full conversation with Milie, Alessia is leaning against the back of the bench, staring at the table in front of her. It makes you frown, if she is at the initiative of your breakup, why does she seem sad too?

Your eyes slide down to your sister at the end of the table. Her head leaning on her hand, she also talks with someone you can’t see, her eyes going around the room to discover the decoration.

"I have to get out of here," you whisper as you turn to your couple of friends.

"I’ll help you."

John throws you his cap that you put on your head to hide yourself. You hope to sneak out discreetly. Getting up, you let yourself be carried away by John who passed a protective arm around your shoulders. You sigh of relief when he opens the door of the pub, before finding you nailed to the ground, facing Mary Earps.

"Y/N? Who’s that?"

Her eyes get cold when they lands on John and you quickly understand why. He also hurries to remove his arm from your shoulders, but you force the way out of the establishment. There’s no way you’re gonna get you spotted now.

"John, a friend. Don’t look at me like that, his girlfriend is inside and he was just helping me out."

After making sure he can leave you, John returns inside, probably impressed by Mary's icy look. You can understand.

"I’ll let your sister know you’re here" Mary informs you by grabbing her phone.

"No, no! please…"

Mary again raises her gaze on you and it’s your turn to find yourself in front of her icy gaze.

"Oh yes. Enough of your stories, I’m tired of Alessia looking at Lucy like she killed your whole family. And to see Lucy look at Alessia like she killed your whole family. And you look like someone who lost their whole family. If I don’t do it for you, I do it for my own sanity."

"I don’t understand what you’re saying "

Mary doesn’t answer, typing on her phone. You don’t have much time to think about it since Lucy comes out of the establishment, a questioning look on her face.

"Y/N?" makes Lucy gently before offering you a brief embrace.

You let her, determined to understand what’s going on before you get angry. You still missed her. A long silence passes, finally interrupted by Mary’s exasperated sigh.

"You’re not even trying. Okay. Lucy, explain why you made Alessia break up with your sister, please?"

"What?!" you jump.

You knew there was very little chance that Lucy would react well to this announcement, but between that and pushing Alessia to break up with you, there’s a world.

"I didn’t force her to break up, I told her what I thought of your relationship and the fact that you preferred to hide it from me rather than tell me."

"You told her that she was a traitor you couldn’t trust and that she should be ashamed of betraying her friends like she did."

Mary’s objection makes Lucy wince and makes you frown. You can imagine how much these words must have affected Alessia, it’s hardly anything that was thrown in her face when she left Manchester for Arsenal.

"What have you done Lucia?"

Even if she rolls her eyes when you say her full name, she still look embarrassed. And you, kinda angry.

"I messed up. I tried to talk to you this week about it, but you were always busy."

"I wasn't busy, I was fucking heartbroken Luce! You didn't have the right to get into my relationship!"

You're cold, but you can't understand how or why Lucy would make a move like this. You never said anything about her relationships, unless it was friendly teasing.

Lucy opens her mouth again to speak, but it is only Alessia’s sweet voice that you hear above all this hubbub.

"Y/N?"

"Hi" you sigh by sliding your hands in the pockets of your jeans.

You remember bitterly that a few minutes ago, you had hoped to leave here quietly. A new silence takes place during which each of you is observed thé others without knowing what to say. Mary finally reacts, taking Lucy by the arm to get her inside again, telling her that she will have time to reconcile with her little sister later.

So you find yourself alone in front of Alessia and you don’t know what to say to her. Worse, you realize you’re angry at her too.

"I’m sorry" said Alessia after a few seconds.

"I don't understand"

You can’t face her. While the only thing you wanted less than two hours ago was to be able to find her arms back, you now just want to go home and that the whole world leaves you alone.

"You don’t you understand what?" asks Alessia gently.

"Why didn’t you fight for me? For us? Lucy tells you to end our relationship and you did, without even giving me any explanations or reasons. Do you have any idea what happened in my head?"

Alessia swallows, apparently not expecting you to talk to her that way. Aside from the little arguments, you never got confused. You don’t even know if she saw you once angry. But now you feel it boiling in your veins. And, as every time you are angry, you feel tears in your eyes and it annoys you even more.

"I told myself that you had found someone else or that you had realized that you wanted someone with whom things would be easier. Maybe someone more athletic, smarter or even more available than me. That you might have realized you deserved better than me, after all who care about a simple accountant, huh?"

You see she wants to answer you, but now that you’re on the move, you can’t stop. You even take a step in her direction, pointing an accusing finger in her direction.

"I was in love with you, I would have done anything for you, Alessia. And it destroys me to see that it is not reciprocal."

Like you, Alessia has tears in her eyes. She looks like she’s blown away by everything you just threw in her face, like a boxer who just got hit in the face. That’s when Ashley comes out of the bar, freezing as she sees the scene. What a great timing.

"Can you please take me home?"

"Of course."

You need 20 minutes to get home. Meanwhile, as if to support the bad atmosphere, the clouds began to pour torrents of water on London. You had to promise Ashley several times that you were gonna be okay before she let you join your apartment alone. Despite the small hundred meters that you have to do to reach your building, you are quickly soaked.

Once at home, you hurry to get rid of your wet clothes to take a hot shower and put on a jogging bottom and a t-shirt much too big for you. This one also belongs to Alessia. Your phone stayed on your nightstand and you decide to leave it there. You just want the world to leave you alone. Armed with a hot chocolate and a plaid, you sit in front of the television and launch the first season of Friend’s.

An hour later, you jump when you hear someone knocking on your door. Fortunately, your cup has been empty ever since. You hesitate a few seconds to answer, before getting up sighing.

You don’t know what you expected, but certainly not that. Alessia, wearing the same clothes you left her in front of the bar, soaked from head to toe. Her hair is stuck to her face and her clothes are glued to her body. She’s dripping on your doormat, but that doesn’t seem to be the most important thing to her right now.

You might have found her sexy if you hadn’t been seriously worried about her health.

"Jesus Alessia" you whisper before you let her in.

The young woman tries to speak but she shudders so much that you cannot understand anything with her teeth colliding.

"No wait, hush, shut up" you mumble

Without giving her the choice or really explaining what you are doing, you drag her into your bathroom. There, you push her under the shower all dressed and turns on the hot water, determined to warm her up as quickly as possible. You’re genuinely afraid she’ll end up hypothermic.

"Did you walk from the bar to here?" You ask her after a few minutes.

Alessia crossed her arms on her chest, probably trying to warm up faster. She still trembles but nevertheless manages to make an understandable sentence.

"I had to know."

"Know what?"

Still under hot water, Alessia takes a step in your direction to be closer to you. Unlike earlier, your voice is calm and concerned. And no matter how much you think, you don’t see what she wants to know.

"Earlier. You said I was in love with you. You used the past"

"Alessia…"

It was obviously not voluntary and finding you immersed in the blue of her eyes take you back to every single good memory you had with her. You don't want to lie to her, you have always entrusted everything of your thoughts to her because you have full confidence in her.

"Please Y/N. I need to know. Do you still love me?"

Her voice trembles again, but it’s not because of the cold this time. You feel your heart break a little when you see that her eyes are full of tears and that some have even started to roll on her cheeks, mixing with the hot water.

"Of course I do" you end up whispering.

In less than two seconds, Alessia grabbed you by the shirt and you’re stuck between her and the wall. Two more seconds later and her lips are on yours. They’re cold, indicating that her body heat is still not at the right temperature. But that’s the least of your concerns. Her hands are all over you and you try to respond to the force of the kiss that Alessia offers you. This mixture of passion and despair is rather surprising and you must quickly catch your breath.

When Alessia looks back at you, her look make you wonder if she will tear your clothes off or start crying again. She ends up opting for a third option, pressing her forehead on yours.

"I never wanted anyone but you. I’m sorry that such ideas came to mind. I’ve shown you very badly, but it’s always been you. I don’t want anyone but you."

The fervor of Alessia’s words cuts your breath. Her gaze in yours confirms that she truly thinks every word she just said. You smile at her, stroking lightly her cheek.

"Let's get out from here right?"

You hurry out in the shower to wrap yourself in a towel, reluctantly removing the t-shirt you like so much. After taking out a towel for Alessia, you quickly get dressed, this time putting on a hoodie and an old shorts with the Manchester United logo. You also get something out for Alessia and when she’s dressed you slip under your duvet.

Alessia once again loses not a second before drawing you against her and you let her do it with pleasure, delighted to find your favorite smell.

"We need to talk to Lucy" Alessia whispers after a few seconds.

You let go of a little grunt for a simple answer. Now that you are reconciled with Alessia, you are not even angry with your big sister.

"Tomorrow" you answer before putting yourself on your stomach to be able to better observe it.

"Are you still mad at me?"

"No" you answer, smiling as you see the relief on Alessia’s face. "Lucy told me she tried to contact me to discuss this with me. You know what it was for?"

"I think a discussion with Mary and Leah made her realize she didn’t choose the right way. They must have seen that those few days were complicated for me. I think she wanted to see how you lived it."

You just hums, resting your head on her shoulder. But Alessia won’t let you do it since she gently raises your face in her direction. Keeping her hand under your chin, she gently strokes your cheek with her thumb while talking to you.

"I need to know what you’re thinking. You used to tell me everything without filter and now I feel like you’re holding everything"

"I’m just still a little confused" you explain with a frown, trying to formulate as best as possible what is happening in your head. "I didn’t know Lucy was the reason you broke up with me. It was so sudden… First you didn’t answer my messages, Ella neither and then you wrote me to tell me it was over and to stop writing to you. And then I realized you blocked me on all your social media. The only way I could make sure you were still alive was by the brief seconds you appeared on the Lionesses account."

"I am so sorry"

Alessia’s voice is strangled by emotion and you know perfectly well that she never tried to hurt you.

"I thought I’d lose you forever and now you’re back. I’m gonna need a few days to realise that I'm not dreaming."

"Would you like me to leave you alone tonight?"

"No! Never go again" you exclaim, supporting your words by wrapping your body around it.

Alessia’s laughter makes you smile and you close your eyes to well being when you feel that she puts a kiss on your hair.

It’s only at this moment that you realize that the screen of your phone turns on. Stretching your arm, you grab it and frown as you notice that you have ten missed calls from Lucy, as many Ella and other numbers that you don’t even know.

"What the fuck?" you mumble.

"What’s happening?"

You need two seconds to focus on what’s going on, Alessia’s lips being busy stroking your neck. You turn the screen in her direction to show her the notifications, making her frown too. You don’t have time to think any longer as your phone rings again, indicating Ella’s phone number.

Sitting on Alessia’s hips, you pick up, still so lost.

"Hello?"

"Y/N! Thank God! Alessia disappeared, she left without taking her bag or even her phone"

"Oh" you mumble, pinching your nose. "Don’t worry, she’s at my house. She’s fine."

"What?! We’ve been looking for her for hours, give her your phone!"

With a little smile of apology, you hand your phone to Alessia. She grabs it with a constrained air and you put a kiss on her cheek while seeing her startle when her best friend yells at her. You can understand every word Ella utters and carefully watch Alessia’s face go from pout to frown following the words spoken by the Manchester United player.

You take advantage of your position to observe Alessia’s face, in search of change. You can’t find anything, except that she looks tired. When your fingers begin to slide gently across her face, Alessia’s eyes look for yours. You simply give her a tender smile, to which she responds almost timidly, while continuing your caresses. It takes you a few seconds to realize that Ella’s voice has finished resonating at the end of the phone, taken in your moment.

"I’m sorry Ella, I didn’t think you’d panic like this"

You still hear some furious exclamations on the other end of the phone, making you smile softly.

"I’m sorry. Can you cover me with the coaches for tonight? I’ll explain everything, I promise."

Alessia smiles as she hears Ella groan something in return, making you laugh silently.

"Thank you. Love you"

After that, she gives you your phone back and you quickly answer Lucy that you will talk tomorrow.

"She’s not very happy," Alessia comments, sliding her hands on your knees.

"Didn’t you tell them you were leaving?"

"No. And now can I have a kiss please?"

You smile and put your phone on the bedside table, amused to feel Alessia pull you by the sweater. It’s obviously with great pleasure that you oblige, putting your lips on hers.

______________________________________________________________

alessiarusso99 and yourinstagram

iked by jorgebronze, yourInstagram, lucybronze, leahwilliamsonn, maryearps and 9,937 others

alessiarusso99 Time to let them know I’m yours ❤️🤍

view all comments

YourInstagram I love you SO MUCH ❤️🤍

↳ alessiarusso99 Love you

ella.toone Parents 🫶

lucybronze 😘

user1 Not Lessi hitting on Lucy's little sister 😂

liked by you

user2 It's as cute as unexpected

↳ user3 I saw them at England's last game. The alchemy was tangible.

↳ user4 she was wearing a Russo jersey too

#woso x reader #woso imagine #alessia russo #alessia russo x reader #alessia russo imagine

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batmansb1tch · 1 year

Text

BLIND DATING

summary: u get voted out in blind dating with sharky and he immediately regrets their decision

—

you’d been unbelievably chosen for a beta squad video after you and your uni friends jokingly signed up for it, not believing you’d truly get chosen. you’d immediately contacted your friends about it in extremely anxiety in which you purposefully signed up to be viewed by millions of watchers on the beta squad channel.

your friends calmed you down, claiming that this experience at least would allow you to meet some of your favorite youtubers, especially your huge longtime crush and favorite, sharky.

day of the shoot you’d figured that you’d wear something simple which meant a black skims dress dupe, of course since you were a broke uni student, and a pair of simple black heels. you quickly straightened your hair and applied a good amount of makeup before setting it for a few minutes and rushing off to the set as not to be late.

when you arrived, the production team quickly gathered you with the rest of the women. it was intimidating at first, being surrounded by such beautiful women, but it wasn’t hard to make friends with the bunch.

you were a bit nervous though considering you hadn’t been showing off as much skin as the girls around you, and you knew how the minds of men worked, especially after having watched previous episodes of this specific series. you’d considered yourself average looking, despite all the girls hyping you up prior to lining up.

—

you’d reached the final two girls left in the blind dating sequence miraculously. sharky and the others seemed to appreciate your prior knowledge of the beta squad, being a loyal member of the NDL. although, you’d started to become nervous whether sharky and the rest of the guys would find you attractive or not. you knew it wasn’t healthy to seek the validation of these men, or any men as a matter of fact, but you couldn’t deny the increasing heart rate.

the beautiful girl next to you had been wearing booty shorts, cowboy boots, and a tied up flannel with a revealing tank top under it, and you couldn’t lie, you wouldn’t blame sharky for wanting to take a ride, but some part of you hoped he’d choose you. it was silly you realized, but you still hoped.

after being asked where you were from and discussing your favorite foods, a final question was asked.

“what’s your main priority in your life?”

you had the misfortune of going first, winging your answer by answering honestly.

“finishing uni and hopefully fulfilling my dream job of working with animals.”

it didn’t matter what the next girl said because the overwhelming fear of dogs amongst the group immediately ruled you out.

“i’m so sorry to say, but number two, you’ve been voted out. come give papi a hug, yeah?” you’d assumed he was forced to say.

you sighed both in disappointment and relief as this anxiety filled journey reached its end, but you were still extremely nervous about meeting face to face with sharky. you took a deep breath and stepped away from behind the curtain and towards him. the clacks of your heels of the floor caused sharky to finally open his previously closed eyes.

he immediately lets out an exaggerated gasp, repeating the word ‘no’ multiple times before looking anywhere but you.

“no way, man. you guys ruined it for me.. nah nah nah… oh my days she’s gorgeous.”

there were screams in sharky’s ear regarding how much he’d fumbled and how he needed to get on his knees and beg for you to give him another chance, disregarding the girl who’d just won the challenge. surprisingly, sharky has done just that, getting into his knees and placing his hands around your waist.

“please forgive me.. truly it was them, not me. just give me another chance? i’d spoil you so good baby, please?” he begged, the rest of the squad hysterically laughing at how pathetic he was being.

you thought it was a prank at first, but when you’d locked up with sharky, you simply couldn’t rest his puppy-dog stare that bore into your soul. you motioned for him to get up before taking a sharpie out of your bag and tapping his arm. hw immediately understand and desperately rolled up his sleeves. you wrote your number down, before kissing him on the cheek before whispering something in his ear and walking away, making a slick ‘call me’ motion and walking away. you were unsure where this newfound confidence came from but it only fueled you on even more as you felt sharky’s burning stare following you.

“sharky?” chunkz yelled, no response.

sharky had been left in shock and silence, just watching you walk away. only after a few moments did he come back to reality to finish off the video.

“ya the fans are truly going to clown you for this one, i can’t lie.” aj mentioned to sharky after the shoot, unable to contain his desire to tease his friend.

sharky rolled his eyes and chuckled, because all that mattered was that he got your number and could make it up to you whenever you wanted.

—

BRO IDK THIS WAS SOO BAD 😭😭😭 WHATEVER I LOVE SHARKY SM ITS COMPLETELY FINE

#beta squad #sharky #niko omilana #chunkz #aj shabeel #king kenny #betasquad imagines #beta squad imagines #sharky x reader #sharky imagine #beta squad imagine

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ravenna-reid · 4 months

Text

Your Demons Know Mine (Part Two)

Jason Todd x fem!reader

Part One - Mentions of violence and some of Jason's trauma

“We got the files you needed, I don’t understand what the problem is –”

You were cut off by a stern voice. You’d never heard Batman so livid, and it was a cold sort of anger that you weren’t used to. It made you and Red fall silent.

“How many times am I going to have to discuss your antics with you Hood?”

Nightwing, who you assumed was the one to contact Batman, stood before you now alongside Red Robin, the pair of them quietly watching this argument unfold.

You wanted to cast a glance over at Red. The anger was practically radiating off of his suit. “Almost beating a man half to death? Again?”

“You weren’t there! The prick had it coming!” Jason snapped back, his voice full of emotion now that his helmet was off and all he had was that domino mask.

Batman merely scoffed at Jason in response. “That’s no excuse! You were all given one clear rule-”

“We fight crime, shits gonna get ugly sometimes! Yet you act like you’ve never hit someone that hard before!” Jason took a step closer to Batman as he yelled.

I've never seen you hit Joker that hard, and you hate him.

The words Jason uttered to Bruce so long ago simmered in the back of his mind. Back when he was bloody and bruised at the hands of his own ‘father.’

Batman stood, rigid and full of rage before his demeanour suddenly seemed to change. His body language telling you his attention had turned to you.

“[Vigilante name].”

You wanted to grimace.

“How did you gain access to that room so quickly? How did you know the pin?”

Soon enough, everyone’s eyes settled onto you.

Oh hell no. The last thing you expected after this shitty night was to be at the centre of the conflict. You did not think Batman and his little soldiers would end up interrogating you.

You kept your arms crossed against your body, your glare meeting everyones before falling back onto Batman.

“What?”

“The. Pin. How did you attain it?”

You fought the urge to fiddle with the knuckle duster that still sat on your hand. Fought the urge to shift your feet on the ground. You felt Red turn to look at you too.

You nonchalantly shrugged. “I don’t just work for you. I have my own cases too, and I’ve been investigating here and there.”

Nightwing and Red Robin’s line of sight switched from you back to the Dark Knight, but both he and Hood seemed unconvinced.

Tension settled over the room like a weighted blanket. Still, you held your stance. Held eye contact even though all you were staring back at was a bat-like cowl with white casing over the eyes.

“You work for them, don’t you?”

Batman’s words sounded more like a statement rather than a question, and it made your skin crawl. How long did you really think you could hide your identity from the Bat? Nevertheless, the breach of privacy made anger ring like alarm bells in your head. Especially given one of the rules Batman laid upon you when he first met you; never try to discover anyone’s secret identity. Ironic.

“What do you mean? Why would I bring back these files if I were working for the bad guys?” You spat back, clearly becoming defensive.

Batman responded coolly, “I never said you were working for the ‘bad guys.’

You swallowed hard, and it no doubt went unnoticed by the two stupid detectives standing before you. Your glare snapped over to Red Robin, but he seemed a little sympathetic. Like he was pitying you for what was about to go down.

“The use of potassium? Your tendency to use chemicals instead of weapons when on patrol? There have been signs for a while.”

Now, you shifted on your feet. Whether it was because you were slowly becoming nervous or weary, you couldn’t tell. The only thought that brought you peace of mind was the fact that it seemed they still didn’t know your identity. Just where you worked.

You supposed you could live with that.

Batman continued, assuming he was indeed right.

“If that’s the case, our best bet is to have you work undercover.”

Your brows knitted together. “What do you mean?” You said once again.

“We’ll try and gain access to the security cameras. Give you advanced contact lens’ so we can see what you see when you go into work.”

Your guard dropped and instantly you were glowering at him. “Come again?”

This time, Nightwing responded. “It would help with the case [vigilante name].” He reasoned oh so diplomatically. “We could get inside intel and more.”

“We can’t let this get any worse.” Batman interjected, adding onto what Nightwing said.

Your mouth was agape as you stared at them both. “So you want me to willingly give away my identity?” You asked, astounded.

Jason’s gaze hung onto you, taking in the betrayal that made its way into your expression.

“No one would use it against you.” Nightwing said calmly.

“No, but you would all go along with your day feeling safe behind your masks and I would be exposed. That’s not fair.”

“This is for the safety of others.” Batman’s voice grew stern again. “It’s not about you.”

You scoffed before stepping back, and it almost sounded like a bitter laugh.

You couldn’t believe it. But a part of you also wasn’t so surprised either. Of course they didn’t trust you enough to allow you to keep your secret identity, just as they were keeping theirs. Of course they were acting like there would be no other way to crack this case and bring these people down. You would apparently have to reveal who you really were so that they could discover what your company was planning. And now all four bats were watching and waiting for you to remove your mask. You shook your head, heavy with disappointment.

All you wanted was to be defended, to have someone have your back just once –

“You can’t ask her to do that.”

Your head immediately snapped to look over at Red. He was standing tall, his body language sure as he spoke those seven words to Batman and Nightwing.

“Hood, stay out of –”

“No. That’s bullshit. We can do this without her removing the mask. We’ve done it a million times before.”

Those standing before them looked befuddled, and Red knew Bruce was probably swimming in rage at the fact that he was shitting all over his plan, but Jason didn’t care. In fact, the thought of it kinda made Jason happy.

Red Hood turned to face you, dark hair falling above his eyes and demons apparently rid from his mind. He was his old self again. His usual self, but then again not so much. He was being…sweet?

“You go to work, snoop around. Find out what you can and report back to us.”

You gave a curt nod in return, grateful to have him sticking up for you.

You quickly ignored that warmth that was beginning to spread through your chest and turned your gaze back onto the Bat.

“So?” You asked, eager to see if Batman would agree with Red’s proposition.

Bruce wasn’t happy, but he let it go. “Fine, get as much information as you can. We’ll discuss your encounter with that guard later.” He said to Red before leaving the cave.

And you did the same.

Jason watched as you instantly turned on your heel and headed towards your motorbike. Instinct told him to reach out to you. Ask you to wait a second. But he let you go.

It was late. Later than you usually stayed out on patrol. But you were high on agitation and adrenaline, and you wanted to get it out of your system. The cold Gotham breeze brushed through your hair and against your skin, carrying the scent of rain. You sat atop one of the tallest buildings in Gotham, tilting your head back to look up at the cloud riddled sky. Maybe you’d be forced to go back to your apartment by the rain. You let out another annoyed sigh, flipping your dagger around in your hand before launching to your feet.

You’d heard the footsteps from a mile away, and now they were close enough for you to confront them. The odds of it being a criminal or thug was low. You were expecting one of the men from the lab, maybe, but you were also expecting to see Nightiwng come and play devil’s advocate with you.

Instead, you were met with another one of those bright, red helmets.

“Someone’s a little tense.” He quipped as he still his movements so you realised he wasn’t a threat. He didn’t come to fight this time.

You lowered the hand that held your dagger before easily slipping it back into its sheath.

“You have a shelf full of those helmets?” You asked, nodding towards it.

You couldn't see it, but he was smiling. “Yeah, I got Batman to make about a dozen of them. Him being rich and all.”

Red walked across the rooftop, mirroring your movements as you began to slowly circle him.

“I wouldn’t know how rich he is, I don’t go around trying to discover everyone’s identity.” Bitterness laced your tone, but Jason could understand why.

“That’s just Bru- Batman.” He cleared his throat. “He’s paranoia and distrust incarnate.”

“Tell me about it.” You muttered, your eyes gazing back out to the skyline and city lights.

Something turned in your stomach, fluttered in your chest. “Thanks for standing up for me. I really didn’t want to blur the lines between my patrol life and work life.”

Red nodded, “Yeah…it’s fine. I get that.”

Fuck, now what was he supposed to say? He was too hung up on the fact that you had thanked him to think of a way to carry the conversation.

You both stood in silence, watching the city life below before you eventually side-eyed him. “So…how are you holding up?”

With the way he looked back at you, you just knew he had an eyebrow raised.

Not knowing how to bring it up, you had your dagger in your hand again as it turned between your gloved fingers. “The crowbar?” Your voice was quiet.

Oh, that.

Red faced away from you. “Yeah..” He moved his large arms as if to stretch them before eventually turning to face you again. “It was nothing.”

A part of you was so horrendously curious as to why the brash and fearless Red Hood buckled when he saw a crowbar, but you weren’t going to urge him. Push him to reveal something he so clearly didn’t want to acknowledge.

You shrugged. “We all have something we would rather not face.” With the cool breeze picking up you crossed over arms over your body.

Jason didn’t miss the affliction in your eyes as you stared out at that morbid city.

“You?” He asked, his body ever so slightly inching closer towards yours.

You looked back at him before looking down at his thighs. “Yeah, those things.” You said.

He looked down at the guns strapped to him.

Something ate away at Jason once he realised.

So he was using the one thing you couldn’t stand?

His main weapon was your crowbar…

“That why you would rather give people nerve damage with your chemicals?”

You rolled your eyes. “Don’t even Red.”

He gave a light snicker and it immediately made your head spin.

No, this was not how you two were supposed to interact with each other.

You eagerly ignored that feeling in your chest. “Well, I have work to do tomorrow. Chemical testing, snooping, etc, etc.”

Jason caught the hint it was time to go your separate ways and call it a night.

“Mm, come back to us with some intel and you might be able to earn some trust Dr.”

You narrowed your eyes at him but a smirk dusted your face at the mention of his new nickname for you. It started out just being shithead, then he referred to you as a fox.

‘Sly as a fox.’

Sometimes he’d call you alchemist, but now it was Dr.

You flicked your hand at him as if you were swatting away a fly. “Yeah, yeah, cause that’s what I aim for in life. Earning the Bats trust.”

And in a blink of an eye, you had dropped down off of the rooftop.

Now it was just Jason, the wind and car horns from down below.

He drew in a deep breath, letting the coldness fill his chest as he thought about how your ‘friendship’ had taken such a turn.

But as Jason romanticised what could be, you couldn't help but feel you needed to re-drive a rift between this growing friendship. Not because you disliked what was slowly growing between you two, it actually made you a little giddy...but that was the problem.

lmk what ya'll think cause I might make this a series :)

#jason todd #jason todd imagine #jason todd x reader #jason todd x y/n #jason todd x you #jason todd x fem!reader #red hood angst #red hood imagine #red hood x reader #red hood #red hood x fem!reader #red robin #nightwing #batman #dc comics #dc universe #dcu #angst #jason todd angst

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gffa · 5 months

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There is truly something to stepping away from the arguments on-line in fandom over stupid stuff (important matters still discussed, but the non-essential stuff can go) that has brought back my passion for Star Wars. I was so burned out on all the stupid fucking discourse, all the snippy vagueblogs aimed in the direction of fans like me, all the racing to the least compassionate take one could find, all the leaping to treat real people like crap over fictional characters. But I stepped back for a few months. I spent a couple more months in other fandoms. I took my time on-line down to a fraction to focus on IRL projects and recovery from family stuff. And when I wandered back into the thick of it again, I was going back with the idea that my time was more important than wasting it on stupid arguments or people who cared more about fictional characters than they do about real people. I have my friends that I vibe with, I don't need to care about what new Star Wars says or does, my only job with Star Wars anymore is to find the things I enjoy. If I don't like something, boom, it's gone from my mental landscape, it's garbage and I don't care if other people love that garbage, I don't want it in my house, it's outside now. As cliche as it is, taking time to step back, not even fully leaving, just distancing myself for awhile, then coming back with the mindset of "enjoy it or don't, I don't have to take any of this into my mental landscape of what Star Wars is to me", has allowed me to find that love again. Tell fandom to fuck off, but then you actually have to take that garbage out of your mind, too. It's garbage, you don't need to argue with it, you don't need to adapt it into your house decor, you don't need to acknowledge it beyond bagging it up and taking it outside, whether it's fandom nonsense or something stupid Star Wars itself did. Take a break, find something else to do for a month or two, and it might help you realize, oh, you can hit the bricks if something sucks. Even if you stay with the rest of Star Wars, you don't have to get into that nonsense over there, just like the movies you like, the shows you like, the books you like, and genuinely ignore the rest, it no longer exists. You can just stick with your five friends to discuss things with, you can just make your own content about the parts you do like, that's all fandom needs to be. And doing that has made me love Star Wars all over again.

#lumi.txt #star wars #fandom

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illym · 2 months

Text

Hi, hello, if you like reading about localization choices be sure to check below the cut because I Had Fun Here (not being sarcastic. It was enjoyable learning about vinegar in Japan).

Translation Assistance: @masked-and-doomed + @solradguy

ID in alt.

Cleaned and original comics below the cut.

Specific Assistance:

@.masked-and-doomed: transcribed what I couldn't pick up.

@.solradguy: Verified the translation of what the npc was saying in panel 4, offered a line for it.

Fun fact: The Japanese department of a college all got together to work on this one.

I hated redrawing the back of Ky's head. I'm glad I was able to hide most of it behind the text (lol).

Anyway, let's get on with the localization (and process) discussion!

In the original text of this comic, Ky was drinking vinegar.

"But Illym," you ask, face twisted in confusion, "Huh? Who drinks vinegar as a drink for fun? Is the joke that being compared to Robo-Ky made him go mad and believe that vinegar is delicious? Did you change the joke? Why are you writing me to be so verbose?"

I'm a very verbose person. To answer the rest of your questions, here's what DeepL gave me when I put the transcript in.

[

npc:

Captain… it's only the body that gets soft from drinking vinegar.

ky:

I… This is for your health!

npc:

If you drink it without diluting it, you'll get a stomach ache.

]

At first, I assumed that DeepL has misinterpreted some other drink as vinegar, such as cider, sake, or general alcohol. In this example, even, it translated Ky as saying "For your health" when within context he should obviously be saying "For my health".

I went to [ https://jpdb.io/ ] to check the line. Lo and behold, it still translated as vinegar. Hm. By this point, I'm fairly sure it's a cultural thing that I'll have to localize, but I try to be thorough in these things as, again, I don't understand the language and rely on machine translation. I search up vinegar in English in jpdb and find the Japanese character there immediately. So it's obviously the same word, not a messy translation.

My next course of action is to look up "drinking vinegar japan".

To summarize, according to the articles/blog posts I read, the process of making vinegar is just adding an extra step to the process of making sake. After that, if it's to be drinking vinegar, it's blended with sweeteners such as honey or fruit.

It's an extremely old drink in Japan, and it's seen as a health drink there (along with, I assume, being pretty tasty). You should go read up on it yourself.

But in the western world, drinking vinegar is... Not a big thing. While I could leave it as is and just write a translators note explaining the drink, I decided that given that Ky is French and Japan has been exploded for ~100 years, it would be more lore accurate to have him drink something else. If it was Anji or Baiken, I would have left it.

Also, it's more enjoyable and easier to understand to make it ambiguously alcohol instead of requiring a 4 paragraph explanation.

So to localize, I removed mention of vinegar and made the joke into Ky drinking too much alcohol. The NPC's worries apply to alcohol as well as drinking vinegar (drinking it makes you soft, it affects your body poorly, drinking too much is Seen as bad for your health) so it made for the smoothest change.

As I write this, I'm debating whether to add a translators note between panels saying that the bottle reads 'vinegar'... It'll get people curious, at least!

Original translation of the comic below.

#guilty gear #ky kiske #johnny guilty gear #robo ky #illym translation

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pikahlua · 6 months

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I hope this will be short.

I guess this line is the fandom drama of the chapter?

I understand a lot of you are really passionate about the accuracy of the English translation. I just want to encourage you to try to engage with the official translation in good faith.

Ojama shimasu literally means "I am disturbing you/I will get in your way." It's often spoken as a greeting where the "apology" is implied (hence the brackets in my translation), but as usual context is everything in Japanese. Izuku is saying this line in defiance of Tomura's wishes. It basically comes across as Izuku plugging his fingers in his ears.

Me personally? If I were the official translator, I'd have strongly considered translating the line as "I'm coming in whether you like it or not."

The purpose in my pointing out the "common greeting" nature of this line was to demonstrate Izuku's sassiness. This is Izuku doing his "meddling where you don't technically have to" thing. The level of formality in Izuku's speech doesn't necessarily translate to actual politeness (check out @bakuhatsufallinlove's excellent post on that here).

Does "You will let me in," mean the exact same thing? Technically no, but it's the sentiment that counts. From an official translator's point of view, "You will let me in," is shorter, punchier, fits in the speech bubble a lot easier, and still conveys the general idea of what's happening in the scene.

I don't know. I wanted to talk about this because I guess a lot of people are concerned about Izuku's characterization and how it reflects on Japanese culture and how the official translation may be misrepresenting Japanese culture to the English-reading audience, and I just...can I ask that everyone take a step back a minute? Horikoshi isn't writing his story for an English-reading audience. He's not considering at all how any of this sounds to English speakers. That's the translator's job, not just to translate what is said but to translate that into the context of who is reading it. Localization is not a dirty word--it's an important aspect of translation. And the notion that Izuku is being polite and respectful here as a Japanese person is just such a...take. Izuku is being hella rude here lol. Japan itself, not just the MHA Japan but REAL WORLD Japan, notoriously has a bystander problem where people will ignore others who are being harassed because they don't wanna get involved. They won't step in to help nor will they even testify as a witness against others for fear of what it means to speak out and break from the pack. Izuku is quite obviously Horikoshi's direct answer to that phenomenon. He's meant to be an example of the morally correct thing to do, which is to be "rude" in these cases.

So I mean, sure, we can talk about what is lost in translation by the line, "You will let me in." But to me what's lost may just be grammatical and pedantic (like the passive voice that switches the onus of action onto Tomura instead of Izuku and what that may do to the focus on Izuku's rise to action here). In any case, it's not a BAD translation that changes Izuku's perceived politeness, just one that may prompt new discussion--and I don't think that's a bad thing.

#my hero academia manga spoilers #final arc spoilers #linguistics fun #izuku midoriya

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p4p1l0nn · 9 months

Text

my sweet angel.

pairing: shy!hyunjin x fem!reader

genre: slow burn, friends to lovers, fluff, smut.

content warning: 18+ mdni.

a/n: first non-nct fic. happy reading!

kissing fascinated hyunjin.

the books he delved into and the movies he enjoyed depicted it as a powerful blend of unwavering love and primal longing. only during his most sincere moments of self-reflection did he acknowledge his curiosity about it.

he pondered the sensation, contemplating how someone else's lips might feel against his own. yet, he believed this curiosity might forever remain unfulfilled.

haunted by the ghost of a past heartbreak, the scars of love lost lingered, rendering him hesitant to unlock the emotions associated with intimate connections. the fear of vulnerability cast a shadow over his desire, and the prospect of reliving the pain stifled the courage to explore the pure euphoria that awaited him in your kiss.

lying together on the bed, the celebration of your three-year friendship took an unexpected turn as you found yourself sitting on hyunjin's lap, engaged in a steamy kiss.

your hands explored his bare chest, fingers tracing the lines of his collarbone with gentle caresses. hyunjin, cautious not to hold you too tightly, lightly gripped your hips. despite his efforts to control the intensity, each exchange of tongues caused a flurry in hyunjin’s mind, leading to a tightening grip as he grappled with the rising passion.

hyunjin, though still a bit reserved and unaccustomed to such intimacy, eagerly embraced the role of a quick learner, discovering the nuances of how you preferred to be kissed. moving away from your lips, he traced a slow path down your jaw, reaching the tender lobe of your ear.

a tender nip prompted a shiver in your embrace, and a broad smile graced his face as he observed the reaction he evoked. continuing in his exploration, he proceeded to tenderly kiss your neck.

an approving moan escaped your lips, and your hips began to grind against him. hyunjin couldn't help but hiss at the warmth of your center brushing against him. though longing for more, he patiently waited for your initiation.

in the past, your hand flirted dangerously close to his most sensitive area, gently stroking his inner thighs, but never going further — whether it was a playful teasing, or just being touchy-feely.

the unclear of your relationship status might have played a role, as the two of you had never clearly discussed where you stood. but in this moment, he felt the entirety of your body pressing against his erect member.

“hyunjin,” you said suddenly. your body stopped its movement against him, yet you remained seated firmly on his hardened. a sincere smile played on your face, though a seriousness lingered in your voice. “it's fine if you're not comfortable with it.”

hyunjin’s expression shifted, uncertainty clouding his features. a wave of insecurity washed over him, like a sudden chill on a warm day. “i just don't want to disappoint you, you know?” he confessed, his words tinged with vulnerability.

your hand gently brushed against his cheek, the warmth of your touch like a comforting beacon in his storm of insecurities. “hyunjin, it’s not about perfection or expectations. it’s okay to take things at your own pace.”

a relieved smile flickered across his face, like a flower blooming after a refreshing rain. “you make it sound so easy. still, i want it to be special for you.” he admitted.

“you make it special just by being you,” you reassured, a genuine smile reflecting the warmth of your connection. “we’ll figure it out, one step at a time.”

feeling the sincerity in your words, you pecked his nose and lovingly stared at your friend. with every passing heartbeat, you found yourself falling even more for him. the yearning for his warmth tugged at your heart, but your respect for his pace and the delicate dance of friendship held you back.

after all, you both were just friends. and patience seemed like the most precious gift you could offer.

as you prepared to lift yourself from him, hyunjin surprised you by pulling you down with a gentle yet firm grip, his arms enveloping your waist in a tender embrace. it was like the warmth of a comforting hug after a long day, a gesture that spoke volumes without uttering a single word.

confused yet pleasantly surprised, you met his gaze as he asked, “where are you going?”

a soft chuckle escaped your lips. “thought i'd give you some space,” you replied, your eyes reflecting a mix of playfulness and affection.

hyunjin tightened his hold, a warm smile gracing his face. “you're not going anywhere. stay with me.”

in that tender embrace, hyunjin felt a symphony of emotions swirling within him. nervousness gripped him like a fluttering butterfly in his stomach, uncertainty threading through the fabric of his thoughts. his heart pounded relentlessly, as if seeking an escape from the confines of his chest.

it was a moment of both vulnerability and longing, a juncture where words felt inadequate, yet the need for connection was undeniable.

uncertain of where to begin, he found solace in the simple act of holding you close. the warmth of your presence against him echoed the silent melodies of his emotions, each beat of his heart resonating with a desire to bridge the gap between friendship and the unspoken depths beneath.

as hyunjin’s heart raced, you, perceptive and playful, couldn't help but notice the rapid pace beneath your ear. teasingly, you remarked, “relax a little, your mind was pretty chatty.”

“didn’t mean for you to hear all of that,” he admitted, a touch of embarrassment coloring his expression. despite the awkwardness, he felt the weight of the moment, realizing it was now or never. wanting it to be special, he took a breath and said, “i’m ready if you are.”

“really?” you asked, genuine surprise in your tone. “i don't want to rush you, especially in a moment like this. we can take it slow, no pressure.”

“positive,” he assured, a newfound confidence in his tone. “i’m ready for this. if you’re comfortable, why don’t you take the lead?”

taking a moment to absorb his words, you flashed a wide smile, almost as if confirming the decision. “alright, i guess.” as you leaned in for a kiss, there was something different about the moment.

in the air, there was a palpable tension, electric and thick. it was the moment hyunjin had eagerly anticipated, one he'd daydreamed about more times than he cared to admit. this, for him, needed to be perfect.

truthfully, he wasn't entirely sure. there wasn't a foolproof test for readiness in these situations. he'd checked. yet, at this very moment, he felt as prepared as he could be.

as he realized this was his long-time dream, a question lingered: why did he suggest you take the lead? shouldn't he be the one guiding in this situation? a shift in dynamics unfolded as he carefully flipped you over, placing you beneath him.

moving slowly, he leaned forward, a mix of nervousness and gratitude filling him. he acknowledged the relief of not being able to sweat, imagining beads forming on his forehead if he could. pausing just millimeters away from you, he could feel the warmth of your breath against his lips.

his lips moistened, and he inched forward until he finally reached you. a simple kiss that hinted at the exciting start of something more.

the kiss engulfed him entirely, a warmth spreading through his body. though he knew he wasn't overheating, his skin felt hot and flushed. your hands encircled his head, pulling him closer. a gentle nibble at his bottom lip preceded the intimate dance of tongues.

hyunjin, unsure of where to place his hands, began by threading his fingers through your hair, offering a subtle tug he knew you enjoyed. cradling your face, his tongue brushed against yours in a shared rhythm. eventually, his hand ventured lower, tenderly touching your chest.

he sensed the firmness of your nipples beneath the fabric. cupping your breasts, he marveled at its delicate softness, his fingers delicately skimming over your nipples through the thin material.

a moan escaped you into the kiss, prompting hyunjin’s hands to slide underneath your shirt, making contact with your bare skin.

your warmth enveloped him, and your skin felt wonderfully inviting under his touch. his fingers danced, playfully squeezing and teasing your nipples, eliciting the most expressive reactions from you.

as you kissed, a rhythmic dance unfolded with each of hyunjin’s movements prompting you to grind against his stomach. the wetness seeping through your pants heightened the intensity, causing him to unintentionally bite into your lip, a move you welcomed with a moan.

“y/n” he said, breathless, stealing another quick kiss before urging, “take these off.” his voice, a blend of pleading and yearning, expressed a desperate desire.

swiftly complying, you removed your shirt, revealing your naked breasts. hyunjin, who had glimpsed you accidentally in various states of undress before, now had the rare opportunity to openly appreciate your beauty.

“go on, get comfortable,” hyunjin instructed, and you promptly followed, understanding his unspoken desire, his shorts now discarded.

fully settled on the bed, hyunjin crawled on top of you. his lips found your neck, focusing on the spot behind your ear that he knew would elicit a response, and you couldn't help but moan in pleasure.

“good girl,” he murmured, the words slipping out before he registered his thoughts.

“good girl?” you blushed, teasingly. “that’s a new side. feeling a bit bossy today, aren't we?”

your tone carried a playful tease, yet hyunjin paused, unsure. “is that o—”

“it’s more than fine, hyunjin, actually,” you grinned mischievously. “what else do you want me to do? come on, give me my orders.”

a smirk played on your lips as hyunjin groaned at your words, a thrilling surge of excitement coursing through his entire being at your request.

“i’m not sure,” he admitted with uncertainty.

“you’ll figure it out,” you reassured, pulling his head down. once again, your lips met, and hyunjin found himself lost in the intoxicating kiss. there were now countless places he could explore with his kisses, and the possibilities felt endless.

his hardened cock begged for attention, aching to connect with you, yet he restrained himself, eager to provide more for you before succumbing to his own needs. his hand traced a path downward, tenderly exploring your stomach and thighs.

“spread your legs,” he urged, and you followed suit. the immediate response to his command and your ready surrender to his touch filled him with a sense of satisfaction.

“my sweet angel, so impatient,” he teased.

your response got stuck, morphing into a breathless moan as hyunjin slid his slender finger inside you. the warmth and wetness enveloped him, the pressure against his finger feeling heavenly.

“more,” you gasped, and hyunjin promptly complied, smoothly adding a second finger.

his fingers began with a deliberate slowness, but he keenly noted your responses, realizing speed was what you liked. observing your body's reactions and the rhythm of your hips, he adapted his movements to maximize your pleasure.

eyes closed, head tilted back, and breaths escaping in a steady rhythm, you panted in bliss. hyunjin, utterly focused, seamlessly added a third finger.

quickly thrusting his fingers, he curled them upon full immersion, while his thumb circled your clitoris.

your muscles tightened and released around his fingers, while hyunjin skillfully continued to stroke your clitoris.

gradually, your body eased in his arms, muscles transitioning from rigid to loose, and a blissful, content smile painted your face. lazily opening your eyes, you sat up and drew him into a deep, lingering kiss.

“hyunjin?” you softly uttered, your hand descending to caress his aching cock, eliciting a shudder. “need you inside me.”

in a struggle for words, he faltered as your hand cupped him. the contrast of his size in your small grip left him saying, “that can be arranged, angel.”

retrieving a condom from the drawer, he struggled with it, finding it tricky to unroll over his hardened. that’s when your hands stepped in.

“allow me,” you softly insisted, taking the condom and effortlessly rolling it over his shaft like a sleeve.

“thanks,” hyunjin mumbled, a sudden wave of shyness and embarrassment engulfing him.

you entwined your legs around him as he slowly entered you. it felt a thousand times better than his fingers. you were warm, wet, completely wrapped around him.

his movements were slow, cautious, fearing he might cause discomfort. however, your encouragement through grinding spurred him on. hyunjin followed with a thrust.

you set the pace initially, but soon, he gained confidence. rapid and deep thrusts followed, met with your loud panting and deep moans. it became evident that speed and intensity were what you most enjoyed.

hyunjin sensed himself nearing climax as your walls tightly embraced him, each thrust heightening his pleasure.

when his orgasm finally arrived, it took him by surprise. briefly, his heart raced, then he felt the release and shivered as you clenched around him. continuing to thrust until his cock softened, he rested his head beside you, inhaling your scent as he caught his breath.

“y/n?” he raised his head, peering at your face. “friendship celebrations don't usually feel like this, right?”

in your mind, you couldn't help but marvel at his adorable nature. one moment he's all tough, and the next, he's like a kid in need of constant reminders.

smiling, you gently kissed his cheek, your eyes filled with affection. “i think we need to talk because, honestly, i’m pretty sure i’m falling for you.”

“yeah, we should. maybe after the next round?”

#skz smut #hwang hyunjin smut #hyunjin smut #stray kids scenarios #stray kids smut #hwang hyunjin x reader #stray kids imagines #hyunjin stray kids

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vinvantae · 1 year

Text

Unmasked

7/16

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As the new year rolled around, the idea of leaving Monaco was a little daunting. It was another step, another place for you and Charles to become closer and the definition of your relationship was becoming unclearer by the day. You knew you needed to talk to the team about it but you weren’t sure how they’d react to the fact the fake relationship they’d made had started to shift into something real.

The day after New Years, you were flying out to Bali for the final stage of the itinerary. You and Charles would be posting simultaneous stories and posts of you both on holiday but still in the ‘soft launch’ format. Your teammate could tell that it was all taking a toll on you, whether you’d admit it to him or not. With all of the speculation about Thirty growing by the day, you were becoming more and more cautious about what you did - not wanting to leave a bad taste in people’s mouths when you finally did take off the mask.

And he realised, you were worried that your relationship would turn people against you. It was hard enough being a WAG of an F1 driver, people simply hating you for the fact you were dating a driver - but when you’d be revealed to be a driver yourself? You were scared, terrified even, that they would think the worse of you.

“…was I being too clingy at Pierre’s party?” You asked, zipping up your suitcase.

Charles remembered back to that night - you were no more affectionate than anyone else’s partner. If anything Charles himself was the clingy one, he wanted to have his hands on you at any opportunity, run his hands over your waist and hips. “No, I don't think so. Why do you ask?”

“People just said-“

“Who’s people?”

“Online they-“

He sighed softly, turning you to face him - your eyes were a little red. “They don’t matter, Cherie. What matters is how you think, what the people you care about think.”

You looked up at him, eyelashes fluttering a little. “And you don’t think I was too clingy?”

“If anything.., you weren’t clingy enough.” The Monaco native chuckled softly, bringing his hand up to cup your jaw - brushing his thumb across your skin. “But that night? If you didn’t notice, I found it hard to keep my hands to myself.”

The way you giggled made his heart leap, the two of you still hadn’t really discussed what you were to each other but he found himself wanting you more everyday. You had yet to share more than a kiss but he wasn’t going to cross any line you weren’t comfortable with. But he secretly hoped that maybe your trip would be the next step in exploring your relationship but you still seemed to have some walls up.

“Thank you. I honestly think I’d go insane without you, Charles.” You smiled softly, learning into his touch. “You’ve been such a rock for me.”

“You don’t have to keep thanking me, y/n.” Before you could protest, he leant in and pressed a sweet kiss on your lips. “Let’s go, we’ve got a plane to catch.”

You nodded and hauled your suitcase off of the bed, the two of you heading downstairs to greet Jean-Luc who would take you to the helipad and then to the airport from Nice. He was a quiet man, you'd met a couple of times before but didn’t know much other than his name.

Charles had originally wanted to take the Piasta but you’d convinced him that someone would have to drive it straight back here so it wasn’t worth it. He’d pouted a little but knew you were correct so didn’t fight you anymore. He helped Jean-Luc load your things into the trunk of the car before the two of you slipped into the back, sharing a quiet conversation about the itinerary for your trip.

During the party, Charles had let slip of your holiday plans so you discovered that a few other drivers were going to join for a few days - not what you wanted at first but your teammate reminded you that you had wanted to get to know the other drivers so perhaps it wasn’t the worst idea. And there would be other girls this time like the party so you wouldn’t stand out quite as much.

But for the first week, at least Monday to Friday, it would just be the two of you - soaking up the sun. Or so you thought.

You spent more than a good chunk of each afternoon or evening stuck inside, the rainiest month of the year in Bali was upon you - something the team clearly had not taken into account. Sure the days were mostly full of sunshine and swimming, but heavy downpour had you racing back inside more than you had hoped. Both of you squeezing on a lounger, you reading a book, Charles on his phone, turned into you both being hidden under the duvet in your pyjamas - hair and skin still damp from the sudden change in weather.

By Thursday, you had gotten more than used to checking the forecast - determined not to get caught out - so as the heavens opened that evening, instead of racing back to your room, you were already there. Charles traced his fingers up and down your spine as you napped with your head on his chest, your dinner reservations not until 7. The driver stared up at the ceiling, lost in his thoughts as your warm breath fanned across his chest.

All he wanted was the best for you - whether that meant being in a real relationship with him or not? He wasn’t sure. But as long as you were happy, that was what mattered. Your teammate knew his feelings for you were strong, that he was definitely falling for you and he hoped you felt the same but things were still fresh for you both. Going into the 2022 season, things would change - your identity as number Thirty getting closer to being revealed and he hoped, through it all, that the two of you might just make it.

He was brought back into the room when you yawned, sitting up and stretching your arms above your head - looking at the clock. “Wow, that was a good nap… I don’t know if I’m gonna have enough time to get ready!”

Charles chuckled. “It’s only half 5, you’ve got plenty of time. It takes 10 minutes to get to the restaurant.”

You looked back over your shoulder at him, the driver had his arm propped up behind his head - his eyes looking particularly green in the light that was pouring in from the sun beginning to dip behind the horizon. You honestly couldn’t believe your luck that someone like Charles Leclerc was in to you - he could pull anyone but he chose you and the thought made you giddy.

“Some of us have to put in effort to look good, Charles.” You hummed, running a hand through his hair. “You could go out like this and no one would even bat an eye.”

He practically purred into your touch, preening like a kitten. “Pretty boy.”

“Stop that.” He protested, cheeks flushed a soft pink at your words. “Get yourself ready.”

You giggled and slid out of bed, Charles couldn’t keep his eyes off of you as you pulled your T-shirt over your head as you walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind you. He groaned and covered his face with his hands - seeing you in swimwear everyday was torture, your bare skin against his as you relaxed on sunloungers together.

He was trying to behave, but you made it difficult.

The driver grabbed his phone as it buzzed, frowning a little when he saw Max calling - he always got on with the Dutchman, sure, but they didn’t exactly talk much outside of the season.

“Hey mate, everything okay?” Charles propped the phone between his cheek and his shoulder as he dug through his suitcase for something to wear.

“You with y/n right now..?”

The Monaco driver frowned. “No? Seriously, what’s this about?”

He heard Max sigh, he could practically see the look on his face. “Look, you don’t have to answer, but… is there something else going on with you two?”

“Max-“

“Okay, that’s not the question I should ask… and you don’t need to answer but I’d appreciate it if you don’t lie to me either.” Max cut him offs

Charles could his heartbeat in his ears, had Max figured you both out? Has he figured you out? “Okay…”

“I know you’ve got some NDA bullshit or whatever but even just… fuck…if I’m right, don’t say anything.”

Charles didn’t know what to do, he could just lie to his childhood rival but he knew Max would see right through him. It was that moment you decided to emerge from the bathroom, - hair and makeup done. You smiled at him softly and raised your eyebrow and mouthing ‘who is it?’ To your teammate.

“One sec.” He said into the receiver, pulling it away just enough so Max could still hear. “Hey, y/n, I’ll just be a minute okay?”

You nodded and started fishing through your suitcase for an outfit, letting your teammate return his phone call. “Still want to ask?”

He could practically see Max’s jaw clench and eyes narrow at the other end of the call. The Monegasque knew that he was playing a dangerous game - taunting Max with your presence. He felt like he was dangling you right in front of the shark, Max was ready to strike and Charles knew it.

“…look, I get it. I’ll drop it.” The Dutchman sounded defeated. “I just… I thought you’d trust me.”

Charles sighed and ran his hand across his face, stepping out onto the balcony - the rain easing up a little. “It’s not that, Max. It’s-“

“No, no. I get it. See you later.”

Before he could say another word, Max hung up. You saw Charles drop his shoulders as he looked at his now dark screen - you didn’t know who he was talking to but his whole demeanour seemed to have shifted. Cautiously, you joined him on the balcony and placed your hand on his lower back.

“Everything okay?” You asked, his green eyes met yours.

You could see the cogs turning as he tried to decide what to tell you - ideally the truth but you knew he’d do his best to protect you. He sighed and wrapped his arm around your middle, pulling you into him. “…max… max knows something. I’m not sure if it’s about the relationship or about you being Thirty but… I don’t know what to do.”

“…maybe… maybe we should tell him.” Charles opened his mouth to speak but you continued. “I know… it’s breaching the NDA but if people are going to find out soon anyway with all of these leaks, what’s the harm in letting someone else in? It’s Max, Charles. We grew up with him. I know I’ve grown apart from him but I feel like we can trust him, don’t you?”

“I’d like to think we could but what if-“

You pressed your lips to his in a chaste kiss to stop him rambling. “Then fuck it. I’m so done with this. I want the people, the drivers around me to respect me… see me more than just your girl, a Ferrari admin, y’know?”

“Only if you’re sure, I don’t want you getting hurt or in trouble or fired, sued… whatever.” He sighed softly, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “I… can’t see you getting hurt, y/n. You mean too much.”

You brought your hand up, brushing your thumb across his jaw - smiling calmly at him before leaning in to kiss him again, this time with more purpose. He pulled you closer, hands toying with the toggle of your robe. You smiled into the kiss before pulling back. “Behave.”

“Sorry, sorry.” His cheeks flushed a soft pink. “Hard to control myself around you.”

“Let’s get some dinner okay? We only have a couple more days of peace before the trip gets crashed.” A soft hum left your lips as you pushed some of his hair from his forehead. “We can figure out what to say to Max.”

Charles found it hard to keep to his word, keeping his hands to himself became even more of a challenge when you showed him your outfit for the evening, the soft expanse of your skin was complemented beautifully by the colour of your dress. He wanted to slowly peel it off of your body and worship you but he also wanted to do good by you.

Even if that meant spoiling you fully dressed.

*******

Charles_leclerc and yourusername added to their story

You and Charles sat in the restaurant on Saturday evening, the table opposite you empty as you waited for Max to arrive. The last few days before some of the drivers had shown up were truly wonderful - your teammate had spent every second making sure you had a good time and keeping you distracted from the pressures of the outside. But that didn’t mean you hadn’t prepared for this, that you hadn’t spent hours discussing how best to tell your childhood friend.

Charles tugged lightly at your hand to stop you chewing at the skin around your thumb nervously. He gave it a gentle squeeze before nodding towards the entrance of the restaurant- where you could now see the Dutchman stood talking to the host before pointing towards you both.

“Breathe.” You whispered, noticing the man beside you had stiffened up. “It’s just Max, we’ve got this.”

You stood up to greet the Redbull driver, feeling a little shocked as he pulled you into a hug like he would his guy friends - with the obligatory pat on the back, before doing the same with Charles.

“It’s good to see you both, you look well.” He smiled kindly, unlike the two of you he seemed totally relaxed. “Have you ordered anything yet?”

“Ah no, we were waiting for you.” You sat back in your seat, letting Charles’ hand rest on your thigh. “Thanks for meeting us… I’m not gonna beat around the bush with this.”

You paused for a moment whilst the waiter took your orders, silence settling over the table whilst you took a minute to find your words. “Before I say anything, you have to swear to take this to the grave…”

“Look, y/n, I know we’ve grown apart but I still care about you.” The champion cut you off, giving you a smile. “I wouldn’t purposefully hurt you, you can tell me the truth.”

The truth. He has figured it out.

“You’re gonna make me say it aren’t you?” You couldn’t help but crack a smile, his blue eyes twinkled at you and he raised a brow. “I’m Thirty.”

He burst out laughing, almost falling out of his chair with the way it wracked through him.

“Mate, why are you laughing?” Charles frowned.

The Dutchman wiped his eyes. “Sorry, I just… I knew what you were going to say but hearing you say it? I’ve felt crazy for months… I’m so relieved, you have no idea.”

“How did you figure me out?”

“Honestly? Your story about leaving F2 was always bullshit to me, I never believed it and then when the stories started coming out about who Thirty potentially was… you shot to the top of my list. I'm so happy it’s you, y/n. You deserve this greatness.”

Your cheeks flushed.

“Can I ask something? Why did you decide to tell me, of all people?”

Charles moved his arm from your leg to around the back of your chair, giving your shoulder a gentle squeeze - just showing he was there supporting you, not chirping in, just observing.

“Well, for starters, you were on to me.” You narrowed your eyes playfully. “But secondly, I know we’ve grown apart over the years but I know you, Max. Even as bratty little kids, you always had my back.”

“Still do… so, is it just me, Charles and Sebastian who know? Driver-wise.”

You nodded. “And for now, I’d like to keep it that way. Thanks for hearing me out.”

“Any time, uh… give me your phone? I wanna give you my number. Just in case.”

After exchanging numbers and enjoying dinner with your teammate and rival, the three of you left the restaurant- a driver either side of you as you approached the car. You turned and gave Max a hug.

“Thanks for not bombarding me with questions, I’m sure you had plenty.” You could feel his chuckle as he gave you a squeeze. “Maybe another time.”

“It was nice to see you again, properly. I hope someday soon everyone else gets to see you for who you truly are.” He pulled back just enough to look you in the eyes. “Just because I know it’s you, doesn’t mean I’m gonna go easier on you, right?”

You grinned. “You never did, Max.”

Even though he was just one person, telling Max the truth had lifted a huge weight off of your shoulders and all of a sudden you felt like you could breathe easier. He played the role of not knowing very well - continuing to treat you the same as before, not wanting to cause suspicion with the rest of the group that had joined you and Charles on the trip. No one seemed any the wiser.

And as much as you hated to admit it, Charles was right. Having some of the grid and their partners with you in Bali was so much fun, and getting to know them all was so relaxing. Sure, they didn’t know the full truth about you but for the first time in years you felt like you could truly be yourself around people.

Whether it was going shopping with Lily or playing cards with Pierre and Carlos, you had started to finally feel like you were a part of something. They really treated you like you belonged, that you were one of their own.

But it made one thought, one feeling, more intense than you could’ve ever imagined.

You had to take the mask off.

It was time to talk to the team.

********

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Here it is, again, sorry that the gap between parts has been longer recently. Had to add some filler chapters that I hadn’t planned for, hopefully will get back into the flow of it soon ❤️

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