#liam rys x m!mc

[choicesficwriterscreations]

Cinderfella’s Adventures in Cordonia

Chapter 16

Book: The Royal Romance Pairing: Liam Rys x M!MC Rating: Unknown Author: @justcallmefox89

[tessa-liam]

Royal Adventures

All Hallow's Eve

Chapter 1

Book: Choices, The Royal Romance Series Finale

A Smoke & Mirrors Series Alternate Universe

Pairing:

King Liam Rys x F!MC Queen Riley Brooks-Rys

Series Inspiration: Royal Misadventures Smoke & Mirrors series 1-shot 

Series Premise: 12-year-old Crown Princess Eleanor Rys of Cordonia has officially started her Royal education. Tutors that had been personally selected by His Majesty King Liam Rys and Queen Riley Rys were set to begin her royal lessons, and her days were packed full. The young princess was a natural leader, and the King and Queen could not be prouder.   

Rating:  M, not Beta'd-please excuse all errors    

Category: On-going series, fluff 

Warnings: swearing, drinking 

Most Characters belong to Pixelberry Studios 

Chapter Summary: Ellie enlists help from her uncles, Leo and Maxwell to pull off a Halloween prank on her uncle Drake...with two unexpected situations that may spoil her fun...maybe. 

Words: 2.0 k

Royal Adventures 

All Hallow’s Eve, chapter 1 

Cordonian Royal Palace

"Ellie, you're so funny," William howled in laughter. 

"It'll be great," Eleanor insisted, her eyes lighting up with excitement. After describing her plans to her brothers, she was determined to make her idea happen. 

"Drake will never see it coming," Stefan agreed, giggling. 

"Okay, now I need Uncle Leo and Uncle Maxwell." Puling out her phone, Ellie tapped -

Ramsford Country Club - Golf course, 11th hole

"Nice swing, Your Majesty," Drake smirked slyly. 

Liam chuckled, "I can't believe it took us so long to do this." 

"Yeah, well, ruling a country takes a lot of time," Drake laughed. 

Handing his club to his caddy, Liam sighed, "So, what do you think of the club? 

"I have to admit, it's pretty awesome." 

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself."  Liam took a swig of water.

"I could get used to this," Drake replied, sipping on a cold beer. 

"We should do this more often." 

"That would be great, Li" 

Liam's phone vibrated, and he pulled it out to answer a call from his daughter...

'Hi, Daddy, can you give Uncle Drake a message?' 

'What is it, Princess?' 

'Tell him - Gotcha.' 

Chuckling, Liam replied ...

'Okay, sweetheart. I will.'

He put his phone away, with a puzzled look, and decided not to question her. 

"Ellie ... wanted me to tell you ... 'Gotcha'." 

Noticing Liam's expression --"What is it?" Drake asked with hesitation. 

"I'm not entirely sure, Drake. Give her a call later. Riley is planning a surprise party tonight for the kids."

Drake looked puzzled. "What the hell does that mean?" 

Grabbing another club from the caddy, Liam shook his head. "Yeah, well ... she has a costume waiting for me to wear."

"Really? ...they are going to enjoy an American tradition...New York style."  Drake chortled, "Knowing Riley, she will pull out all the stops."

Snickering, Drake added, "I want to hear all about it."

Liam raised an eyebrow, "That's a hard NO! Now, let's finish up our round." 

"Sure, Your Majesty."  Drake continued to snicker.

Meanwhile, in the clearing behind Drake's cabin. 

"Okay, Ellie, you're the mastermind, what do you need us to do?" asked Leo. 

"We're gonna need a ton of fake spiders, some black cloth, and lots of fake cobwebs." 

"On it!" Maxwell cheered. I had all the supplies dropped off after he left for the golf course.

"And the fog machine!" Ellie looked pleased, as Maxwell uncovered a cage beside it.

"That's diabolical!" Leo sneered as he opened a box of plastic bats and spiders.

"...and ... la meillure partie."  (the best part)...

"Perfect," she giggled. 

"What else, Ellie?" 

"Hmmm. I know, we can add sound effects for the bats, and the fan will swirl and make the spiders come alive." 

"How'd you get these ideas anyway, Ell?"

"From the best horror movie ever made," she replied proudly. 

"Which one is that?" asked Leo. 

"Nightwing." 

"That's an old movie, isn't it?" 

"Yes, it is," she replied, "but it's the best." 

"I'm surprised the nanny let you watch that," said Maxwell. 

"She didn't. Mom did, though." 

"Oh, man, your mother's gonna kill me," Leo groaned. 

"Don't worry, Uncle Leo, this will be so worth it," Ellie giggled. 

"I'm still not sure about this, kid. You really want to pull this prank on Uncle Drake?" 

"Trust me, Uncle Max, I promise I won't tell anyone," She insisted. 

"If you say so, kid." 

"All right, Ellie, we're ready," Leo called out. 

"Awesome, let's get started."

They placed the fake spiders all around the cabin and draped the black cloth over the furniture. 

"What's next?" 

"We need to put the real bats in the rafters." 

"The real bats? How did you find those?" Maxwell gasped. "That is so cool!" 

"I ...may have asked one of the menagerie guards in Valtoria." she replied proudly. 

"Damn, Ellie," Leo cackled. "I am so proud of you!" 

"Thanks, Uncle Leo. Now, let's get started." 

After their plan was set in motion, they hid behind the bushes and waited outside of Drake's log cabin. 

As the fog machine began to create a thick haze around the cabin, the lights inside flickered on and off, and the sounds of bats echoed throughout all the rooms inside. 

"Holy crap," exclaimed Leo. 

"It looks like the set of a horror movie." 

"It's perfect," Ellie beamed. 

"Wait until he comes back." 

"What do we do then?" asked Leo. 

"Hide, of course. I'll tell you when to jump out." 

"Sounds good to me." 

***

Drake was exhausted after his round of golf with Liam. He couldn't wait to relax by the fire with a cold beer and some good music. Not paying particular attention to the fog outside.

However, when he walked into the cabin, his entire body went rigid. 

He was met by a sea of cobwebs and fake, moving spiders. 

The lights flickered, and the sound of bats echoed through the air. 

"What the fuck?!" 

Trying the light switch, Drake felt something flutter on his head. 

"This is not fucking funny!" 

He searched the cabin but found no one. 

"Come out, now!" 

Suddenly, the front door slammed shut, and Drake was trapped inside in the dark. 

"This isn't funny anymore!" 

"Whoever did this is going to be grounded until their kids have kids!" 

"I'm serious, now!" 

Drake's blood was boiling, and he was fuming. 

"I don't have time for this bullshit!" 

Suddenly, the music began to blare, and the fog machine created a thick haze. 

The sound of bats echoed throughout the area, and the lights flickered on and off. 

Drake was furious, and he stomped over to the stereo, slamming his fist on the button. 

The music stopped, and the cabin fell silent. 

But the real bats kept flying, and the sounds of bat chirps were all around him. He grabbed a broom and began to knock them down. 

"Fucking bats!" he screamed. 

"Who the hell thought this was a good idea?" 

"It's not fucking funny, Ellie! If you're watching this, it's not fucking funny! Your dad is going to hear about this!" 

Drake was so angry that he didn't notice the front door open, and he was oblivious to the footsteps approaching. 

"Drake?" Liam called out. 

"Fuck!"  Drake jumped at the sound of Liam's voice, and his heart nearly stopped. 

"What the hell are you doing here?" 

"I came to check on you. I heard your yells when I dropped off your clubs on the porch. You forgot them in the SUV." 

"I'm fine," he grumbled. 

"Why is it so dark in here?" 

"It was like this when I came in." 

"I see. So, you're hiding from the spiders." 

"Fuck no! I'm not afraid of fucking spiders!" 

"Okay, then let's turn on the lights and get rid of these." 

"Fine."  Drake exhaled loudly.

Liam flipped the switch, and the cabin was bathed in light. 

"Better?" 

"Yes, much better." 

"Good. Now, why don't we have a seat and relax." 

"Fine." 

They sat on the couch, and Drake poured himself a drink. 

"So, do you have any idea who could've done this?" 

"Not entirely sure," Drake sighed, taking a sip of his whiskey. 

"Well, it was a clever prank." 

"A clever prank? It's not funny, Li." 

"Of course not. But, come on, Drake. You have to admit, it was creative." 

"It was not fucking funny. Someone needs to ground her." 

"Who? 

"Eleanor."��

"My Ellie? She did this?" 

"That's it?" 

"I think she had some help from Leo and Maxwell. She sent that message 'gotcha' to me, and I'm sure they helped her pull this off." 

"Yeah, that's it. And I know for a fact that this was her." 

"How?" 

"Because she's the only one who can get away with shit like this."

"Drake, come on, she's just a little girl." 

"She's twelve, Liam, and she's too smart for her own good. She is just like her mother." 

"Hey, I resent that." 

"It's the truth. Your wife is always coming up with some scheme or another, and now, Eleanor is doing the same thing." 

"Look, Drake, I understand you're upset, but I'm sure she didn't mean any harm." 

"You're not the one that was almost scared to death by bats."

"It could've been worse." 

"Yeah, well, it wasn't. It was just a stupid prank." 

"Look, Drake, I'll talk to her. But, come on, it's Halloween, and she's only twelve. Cut her some slack." 

Drake breathed out loudly, hanging his head.

"I'll make sure she apologizes to you, too."

"Well, I can't argue with that." 

"That's all I ask... now, I need a fucking drink." 

As the two friends relaxed by the fire, Drake decided to let his guard down and enjoy the moment. 

He couldn't believe Eleanor was able to pull off a prank like that. She had to have had help. He knew she had a mischievous side, but he never expected her to be so bold. 

"Well, I'm glad you find this amusing," Drake grumbled looking at Liam.

Liam, on the other hand, was amused by the whole situation. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself at the thought of his daughter scaring Drake. 

"Drake, come on, the princess just wanted to have a little fun. And, let's face it, you can be a bit of a grouch sometimes." 

"Gee, thanks." 

"It's the truth. And you know it." 

"Fine, I may have been a bit grumpy. But that doesn't excuse the fact that she scared the shit out of me." 

"Again, she's only twelve, and you were in no danger. I'll talk to her." 

"Good, thank you." 

As the two friends relaxed by the fire, Drake couldn't help but wonder what else the princess would get up to in the future.

"Here's to Eleanor Rys and her sense of humor," Liam said proudly, raising his glass. 

"May she always find joy in life, even if it's at the expense of others." 

"And here's to you, Liam, for putting up with me," Drake chuckled. 

"Cheers." 

They clinked their glasses together and drank deeply, enjoying each other's company. 

They had no idea that their princess had already hatched a new scheme in her head, and she was determined to get the upper hand on her uncle Leo. 

It was going to be a long Halloween season. 

As Drake and Liam enjoyed their drinks, the princess and her uncles were having a celebration of their own outside the cabin. 

"Did you see his face?" Leo chuckled. 

"That was epic," Maxwell added. 

"You were brilliant, Ellie," said Leo. 

"Thanks, Uncle Leo," Ellie giggled and hugged her uncles.

"Happy Halloween." 

@choicesficwriterscreations

@choicescommunityevents

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[lorirwritesfanfic]

Break - Part I

Book: The Royal Romance Pairing: Liam Rys x MC (Jade) Rating: M Word count: 2124 Reading time: ~8min Summary: After dinner in Fydelia, Liam sent a message to Jade asking her to meet him so he explain why he didn't stood up for her and chose Madeleine to be fiancee. But neither of them were ready to face the outcome of their conversation. Based on the prompt: @kingliamappreciationweek day 4: Relationships

Author's note:

Jade Bourbon is a creation of this author. The other characters belong to Pixelberry Studios;

This year's KLAW brought me back to the days I wrote incessantly about Liam, so I decided to revisit some old fics and revamp them. This piece was originally part of Coming Back With a Bang, but because I've been frustrated with book two scene in the balcony with Liam since 2018 and my attempt to write a fix-it fic then lacked emotion, I'm rewriting it and hoping this time I can do justice to Jade and show how she felt;

There may be some lines from canon in here. I just don't know which ones 😅

Thanks to @lizzybeth1986 and @sazanes for hosting KLAW again. I don't know if a rewritten fic will be accepted, but regardless it is or not, thank you for once again inspiring me with prompts to write Liam.

While Maxwell waited outside the ladies room, Jade looked at herself in the mirror and heaved a sigh. She was a mess. Sure, she could fix her makeup and go back out there. But what for? Watching Madeleine snaking her hands over him? For more people to tell her how she became a pariah  in the kingdom and should just leave? What was the point of all this anyway?

Turning on the sink, she washed her hands and placed them on the back of her neck to freshen up. She was still resolute not to give up. But for the night, she had enough.

As she walked out of the ladies room, Maxwell stood up from the settee with his usual encouraging smile. 

"You seem better."

"Thanks..." She simpered. "Can I go back to my room now? We congratulated the happy couple, toasted, dined on their honor and blah blah blah..." Jade gesticulated as she twisted her lips in annoyance.

"Sure. I think the staff already has it cleaned. I'm kinda beat too."

"Let's go then."

Lacing arms with her friend, Jade and Maxwell walked towards the grand staircase.

"Wait, we don't have to go back and say goodnight to them, do we?" Jade made a face.

"Nah... It's okay. It's been a long day for all of us."

"Tell me about it..."

A soft knock on the door echoed in the room, waking Jade up. She had no idea how much time had passed or who could be knocking on her door right now. 

After getting out of bed and taking a quick look in the mirror, she reached for a robe and answered the door.

"Hey you!” Her eyes soften at the sight of Maxwell. “What’s with the flowers?”

“Special delivery!” Maxwell beamed as he walked in carrying a huge red roses arrangement. “Housekeeping sent over a new centerpiece for your end table.” 

"Now?"

"The staff apologized for sending it so late, but they thought it'd be nice for you to wake up and see the flowers."

"Aw, it really is nice..." She smiled, burying her nose on the centerpiece to smell the roses when she noticed a small envelope wrapped around one of the stems.

Opening the envelope, she picked up the note inside and her eyes rose in surprise.

“Oh, that’s Liam’s handwriting," Maxwell prompted.

"I wouldn't blame you if you're furious with me, but please meet me so I can at least explain. I'll be on the balcony outside my room in twenty minutes." - L.

As if pulled by a magnet, Jade walked outside to search for Liam's balcony.

Maxwell picked the note from the floor, read it while following Jade outside. "You're thinking about it, aren't you?"

"I shouldn't..." Jade bit down her lip as her eyes began to water.

“Hey..." Maxwell approached her, placing his hand on her arm. "I cannot imagine how much it stung to see him with Madeleine. But Liam wouldn't send you this if he didn't think he owed you an explanation."

"Should I go?"

"You're my friend, but I'm also his friend and I kinda want to say 'hell yeah! Go get your man!'" Maxwell enthused, making her giggle, but immediately his features grew a bit serious. "I'm rooting for you two, but if you say it's too much for you right now, I'll get it."

Jade chewed on a nail.

“Whatever you decide, I'll support you. Don't forget to get some rest, okay?”

"Thanks, Max."

"Have a goodnight, Little Blossom." Maxwell said as he left the balcony and then left her room.

Alone once again, Jade mulled over Liam's note and remembered their encounter earlier. The way he gazed at her, complimenting her, kissing her hand as gentle and passionate as ever, his eyes searching for hers throughout the dinner... 

Jade walked back into the room and searched for the nicest yet comfortable clothes she had in the closet. She needed to be ready to climb his balcony if necessary, but still look her best in case they end things. Maybe he did have an explanation. She just hoped it'd be a good one.

As soon as Jade stepped into the garden, her eyes darted to Liam's balcony. As one of his fingers idly ran on the rim of a nearly empty wine glass, Liam sat by himself, lost in thought. Ignoring her racing heart and dry mouth, she walked towards the pillar under his balcony and hoped she could not only climb it, but manage to tell him everything that was choked inside her.

“Jade!” Liam murmured in surprise as he rushed to help her get into his balcony.

Her feet barely had touched the ground when Liam swept her into his arms. His nose buried on her hair, tears fell down her cheeks as the inebriating scent of his cologne overtook her. It was so hard not to lose herself in his embrace. If there was any place she yearned to be again, it was certainly within his arms.

Yet, flashes of coronation night and the dinner earlier came to her, reminding her of her current situation. Reality always seemed to hit her as hard as a slap on the face.

After wiping her tears discreetly, Jade pulled away from his eyes and said, “You're engaged."

Liam swallowed hard and nodded.

"We need to talk."

“Yes, of course. It’s just…" Liam took a step closer, gazing into her eyes. "Damn, Lady Jade, how I’ve missed you.”

Jade averted her gaze for a moment to gather strength and say what she had to tell him. “Aren’t you going to ask me if it’s true?”

“No. I don’t need to ask to know it was a set up.”

“You knew?” 

Her eyebrows rose as she tried to process what he said. 

"You knew?!" As she repeated, a wave of anger took over her. “Then why? Why did you let me go?" Her eyes glisten with tears again. "Why didn't you try to reach out to me? Why did I have to hide like a criminal if you knew I was the victim? Why did you have to choose… her?” Her lips quivered, her emotions taking the best of her as she cried again. 

"Oh, Jade..." Liam whispered, pulling her back into his arms. "If only you knew how much I wanted to tell you that I believe you, that I always knew you'd never spoken more than a few words to Tariq because you were simply polite to him... But I couldn't."

Her hands balled into fists as she tried to push him away, yet Liam didn't let go. She continued, hitting his chest harder as hot tears streamed down her face. 

And in spite of it all, Liam didn't pull away nor tried to defend himself. He simply continued to hold her as tight as he could. When she finally hugged him back, Liam kissed her forehead in adoration. He waited for as long as it took her for her to calm down then led her to the settee so they could talk.

"Why did you say you couldn't?"

"Though I knew it was set up because Drake told me about the broken lock on your door, I had no proof. No one knows where Tariq is, who could've told him to go to your room. Someone had gone to great lengths to frame you." A muscle in his jaw twitches. "If I chose you that night or tried to remain in touch with you or the Beaumonts, I might have put you in greater danger."

"Oh?"

"I haven't told you about my mother."

"You mentioned she died when you were young."

"The details of passing weren't disclosed to the press, but she was poisoned."

Jade's mouth fell open.

"We still don't know who caused my mother's death. And if that person is still out there, walking freely into the country estate that was built to be secure..." He shook his head. "I can't think about the possibility of losing you, Jade."

Jade chewed on a lip, not knowing what to say.

"I'll regret what I did at the Coronation for the rest of my life because it hurt you and I'm sorry that it happened as it did. But in that moment, the only thing that I could think of to keep you safe was to make whoever is behind this believe that they won. But I am so, so sorry... This must have been miserable for you."

Liam reached for her hand and kissed her knuckles.

"You could've called..." Jade murmured.

"I had to make it seem like I had no more ties with you. But I knew you were safe at Ramsford. Bertrand kept you distracted with etiquette, ballroom dancing and Cordonian history lessons."

Her eyes widened. "How do you know that?"

"Bertrand and I talked briefly through a secure line. I told him to cut you slack so you could have time to go jogging. I heard you were playing the piano sometimes..."

"He did keep you up to speed," she concluded, still annoyed.

"In case you were wondering, we only had short calls. If I had talked to you, I wouldn't be satisfied with a one minute call every now and then."

"Me neither..." Jade sighed. "Okay... I guess it makes sense. But I still have one question. Why her?"

"Madeleine is different from the other suitors. We never really got along, she doesn't care about that I feel nothing for her. I couldn't ask any of the other ladies to go through an arrangement like this. I wouldn't want to hurt anyone else's feelings."

"But you don't care about Madeleine?"

"You've had time to talk to her."

"Unfortunately... Is she awful with you too?"

"To put it mildly..." Liam made a face.

"I thought she was mean to us girls because we were competition."

"Perhaps it was, but in my opinion, that's Madeleine being herself."

"This arrangement you have with her…" Jade pressed her lips together, struggling to think about what she was going to ask. "Does it make me your mistress?”

“Hardly. You’re the woman I love. The only one.” Liam locked his fingers through hers. “I know this is not what any of us hoped for, but all I could think about at that moment was finding a way to keep you in my life.”

“Liam, I—" She shook her head. “This is a lot.” 

“I know. But my hope is that it's all temporary. Just until we find whoever schemed against you. After all of this, if you still have me, our love won't have to be a secret.”

“But what if we can't find who did this?"

"I'll still be all yours even if I have to marry Madeleine. But if you don't want it, I..." He trailed off, then took a deep breath. "I won't stand on your way."

As tears welled up on her eyes once again, Liam went down one knee and cupped her cheek, wiping a tear with his thumb. “Stay."

"Liam..."

"I'm talking about tonight. Stay here. I need to see with my own eyes that you’ll be safe.” 

Jade sobbed. This was too much. Becoming his mistress was a hard limit for her. Yet, how could she leave him if every part of being came alive under his gaze? Unable to find words to express what she felt, she just sat there and sobbed while Liam took a plce by her side again, pulling her close in his arms.

It was still dark when Jade woke up. Around her waist, one of Liam’s arms pressed her back against his chest. On the sleeve of his shirt, makeup stains. Signs of how much all of this has been tough on them.

She took a deep breath, taking in the scent of his aftershave lingering on the pillow, the warmth of his arm and chest protecting her. She knew deep inside he would do anything to shield her from insults, dirty looks and any threats. But it still was a lot for both of them.

“Liam,” she whispered, rubbing his hand.

He frowned a little before opening his eyes.

“Hey...” she turned to face him and gave him a weak smile.

Hey,” he said, stifling a yawn. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. I just have to go back to my room now.”

“Of course. Let me talk to the guards outside first.” 

He then got out of the bed, ran a hand in an attempt to fix his tousled hair and opened the door. A couple of minutes later, he returned.

“You can take the hallway. None of the guards will ask questions. As far as they're concerned, you were never here,” he said, placing his hands inside his pockets.

“Thank you.” 

Jade sat up, put her flats back on her feet and headed to the door.

“Jay...” he called, taking one of her hands before she reached the doorknob. “What about us? Will we be okay?”

“I hope so... But I need time to think. It’s a lot to process.”

Liam nodded, looking down at her hand as  his thumb stroked her mother’s ring on her finger.

“Hey," she uttered, cupping his cheek gently. "We're not over. I just..."

"I know."

Before they could think about it, her arms wrapped his neck as his hands clenched on the back of her sweater. Would things change between them if they stayed away from each other? Would life give them another chance? They didn't know. But as far as anyone else knew, there was no way back for them.

[choicesseptemberchallenge2023]

Choices September Challenge Masterlist

• OPEN HEART :

What Could Have Been (9/9) by @liaromancewriter [Day 7] (Ethan Ramsey x F!MC)

Public & Private by @liaromancewriter [Day 14] (Ethan Ramsey x F!MC; Sienna Trinh x M!OC)

Sadie's Self-Care Sunday#40 by @peonyblossom [Day 6] (Ethan Ramsey x F!MC)

Predictable by @jerzwriter [Day 9] (Ethan Ramsey x F!OC; Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

Her Secret Weapon by @jerzwriter [Day 18] (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

Shopisticated by @liaromancewriter [Day 14] (Ethan Ramsey x F!MC)

A Special One by @zealouscanonindeer [Day 3] (Ethan Ramsey x F!MC)

By Chance: The Morning After by @jerzwriter [Day 7] (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

Movie Night by @jerzwriter [Day 22] (Tobias Carrick x F!MC; Bryce Lahela x M!MC)

Love Bites by @liaromancewriter [Day 21] (Ethan Ramsey x F!MC)

Fairytales by @liaromancewriter [Day 22] (Sienna Trinh x M!OC)

Summer's Kiss by @peonierose [Day 3] (Bryce Lahela x F!OC)

What Could Have Been? by @zealouscanonindeer [Day 19] (Ethan Ramsey x F!MC)

High Seas (2/2) by @jerzwriter [Day 2] (Ethan Ramsey, Tobias Carrick)

Not Meant To Be by @zealouscanonindeer [Day 20] (Ethan Ramsey x F!MC)

What's Cooking? by @jerzwriter [Day 16] (Ethan Ramsey x F!MC)

A Quick Study by @jerzwriter [Day 5] (F!MC x F!OC)

Bookcase Corner by @potionsprefect [Day 19] (Ethan Ramsey x F!MC)

Know It All by @jerzwriter [Day 25] (Bryce Lahela, F!MC)

Celebrate by @jerzwriter [Day 22] (Ethan Ramsey x F!MC; Tobias Carrick)

Recovery by @jerzwriter [Day 25] (Ethan Ramsey, Tobias Carrick)

The Great Outdoors by @jerzwriter [Day 2] (Tobias Carrick x F!MC)

Produce-ing A Laugh by @jerzwriter [Day 22] (Ethan Ramsey, Tobias Carrick)

Our Little Girl by @storyofmychoices [Day 21] (Bryce Lahela x F!MC)

It Was A Date by @liaromancewriter [Day 8] (Ethan Ramsey x F!MC)

Private Matters by @liaromancewriter [Day 14] (Ethan Ramsey x F!MC)

Taking Care Of Business by @liaromancewriter [Day 25] (Ethan Ramsey x F!MC)

• BLADES OF LIGHT AND SHADOW :

Shadows of Hope by @storyofmychoices [Day 1] (Mal Volari x F!MC)

Go On, Feel It by @storyofmychoices [Day 1, Day 21] (Mal Volari x F!MC)

Her Legacy by @storyofmychoices [Day 1, Day 4, Day 7] (Mal Volari x F!MC)

The Quest For Daenarya by @storyofmychoices [Day 21, Day 30] (Mal Volari x F!MC)

Love Is Love Is Love by @storyofmychoices [Day 21] (Mal Volari x F!MC)

• THE ROYAL ROMANCE :

Smoke And Mirrors by @tessa-liam [Day 6] (Liam Rys x F!MC)

Turning The Page by @tessa-liam [Day 30] (Liam Rys x F!MC)

(Less Than) Noble Intentions: Chapter 15 by @karahalloway [Day 25] (Drake Walker x F!OC)

Marabelle by @tessa-liam [Day 4] (Liam Rys x F!OC)

• PERFECT MATCH :

Saffron Sugar, Turmeric Spice by @lizzybeth1986 [Day 14] (F!Hayden x Poly M!MC, F!Hayden x F!OC)

Harvest Moon by @lizzybeth1986 [Day 4] (M!MC x F!Hayden, Basil Park x Sloanne Washington, Kim Washington)

• CRIMES OF PASSION :

A Moment In Time by @jerzwriter [Day 4] (M!Trystan Thorne x F!MC)

[moodmusicmonday]

Another week, another great playlist! Check out the playlist above, and the story deets below!

As always, thank you all for your support. Whether you submit songs, like, signal boost or even just lurk, we are so happy and grateful to have you here! 💜

@ao719

"Let the New Begin" - CHPTRS; ...Sometimes Not, Part 4 (TRR; Liam Rys x f!OC)

@bebepac

"Favorite Song" - Toosii; The Rotten Apple, The Final Chapter The Wedding (TRH; Eleanor x M!OC)

@cariantha

"The Other POV" - Khloe Rose; Untitled WIP (OH; F!MC x Rafael, F!MC x Ethan)

@lizzybeth1986

"You Can't Hurry Love" - The Supremes; Out of the Chrysalis (TRR; Hana Lee x Multiple OCs)

@tessa-liam

"Simply the Best" - Sara Beth; Smoke and Mirrors, Chapter 8 The Mirror Doesn't Lie (TRR; Liam Rys x F!MC)

"Mirrors" - Justin Timberlake; Smoke and Mirrors, Chapter 8 The Mirror Doesn't Lie (TRR; Liam Rys x F!MC)

[springfeverpitch]

From the host... This was such a fun event! I can't thank our talented creators enough for making SFP such a success! I thought I was simply hosting an event, but rather, I got to chat and get to know know several of y'all, and in turn, you blessed me! Thank you for sharing your gifts and creativity! Hugs all around! 🖤

Please go check out these fics! Give them a like, reblog and/or a comment! You will really make someone's day brighter!

Also, don't forget to check out the stories from the Home Team!

⚾- Fic created with the help of the Concession Stand

🔞 These stories are intended for mature audiences only. 🔞

The First Kiss ⚾ - @twinkleallnight

Location: Domestic, Fun

The Royal Romance; Drake Walker x Olivia Nevrakis

Paint the Night (Colourblind) - @socalwriterbee

Location: Water

The Nanny Affair; m!Sam Dalton x MC (Marie Castro)

We're Still Friends - @txemrn

Location: Work/School

Open Heart; Ethan Ramsey x f!OC (Tatum Erikson)

Wildflower ⚾ - @peonierose

Location: Domestic

Open Heart; f!MC (Keiki Lahela) x m!OC (Koa Haulani)

Sweet Escape - @socalwriterbee

Location: Work/School

Witness: A Bodyguard Romance; m!Cassian Keane x f!MC/OC (Viviana "Ana" Marin)

Fever - @ofmischiefandmedicine

Location: Water

Open Heart; Ethan Ramsey x f!MC (Laura Levchenko)

The Lighthouse ⚾ - @socalwriterbee

Location: Fun, Water

The Royal Romance; Maxwell Beaumont x Olivia Nevrakis

Pearls - @txemrn

Location: Domestic

The Royal Romance; Liam Rys x MC (Riley Brooks-Rys)

Conquest - @the-pale-goddess

Location: Fun

Open Heart; Ethan Ramsey x f!MC (Tiffany Addams)

The Long Way Home - @cariantha

Location: Water

Open Heart; Ethan Ramsey x f!MC (Sawyer Brooks)

Sleepless in New York, Chapter 10: Darkfall - @karahalloway

Location: Domestic

The Royal Romance; Drake Walker x f!OC (Harper Gale)

Ti Amo Molto ⚾ - @tessa-liam

Location: Fun, Water

The Royal Romance; Liam Rys x MC (Riley Brooks-Rys)

A Wild Ride - @kristinamae093

Location: Fun

The Royal Romance; Liam Rys x MC (Riley Brooks)

~⚾~

[aprilchallenge]

Fics of the Week

Open Heart

Paring: Ethan Ramsey x (MC) Kaycee

Choosing you 🌺 @jerzwriter

Pairing: Sienna Trinh x Max Valentine (M!OC)

New York Moment 🌺 @liaromancewriter

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Kaycee)

A different fate… 🌺 @jerzwriter

Pairing: Tobias Carrick x F!MC (Casey)

Worth the wait 🌺 @jerzwriter

Pairing: Tobias Carrick x F!MC (Casey)

We’re having a baby… 1/2 🌺 @jerzwriter

Pairing: Tobias Carrick x F!MC (Casey) Feat: Bryce Lahela

Any day… 🌺 @jerzwriter

Pairing: Bryce Lahela x Olivia Hadley (F!OC)

An early morning 🌺 @storyofmychoices

Pairing: Bryce Lahela x Olivia Hadley (F!OC)

Other character: Malia Lahela (F!OC)

Our Future Doctor 🌺 @storyofmychoices

Paring: Ethan Ramsey x f!OC (Tatum Erikson), with special appearances by Tobias Carrick and Julian Santiago (m!OC)

Heads up 🌺 @txemrn

TRR & TRH

Pairing: MC is widowed, Past Pairings Riley x Nico (Riley x M!OC) , Past Pairing of Liam x Riley

Where do we go from here? 🌺 @bebepac

Series: Part 8 of the Cordonian Arrangement.

Pairing: None - mostly Liam and Hakim bonding, mentions of Hakim and Constantine's friendship

Legacies 🌺 @lizzybeth1986

Chapter 1: The Statues

Pairing: Liam Rys x F!MC Riley Brooks-Rys, OTP ‘LiRi 

Cappadocia 🌺 @tessa-liam

Pairing: Liam x MC (Phoebe Summers)

The Start of Forever 🌺 @liaromancewriter

Wake the dead

Pairing: Eli Sipes; Jim, Florence & David Sipes (his family)

A Mother‘s Journal - Part 4 🌺 @jerzwriter

Red Carpet Diaries

Pairing: Thomas Hunt x Alex Spencer (F!OC)

Distraction 🌺 @theartoflovingthomashunt

Edits & Artwork

Olivia Claire Hadley

Yellow 🌺 @storyofmychoices

Characters involved: Cassie Valentine (F!MC), Max Valentine

Reminiscing 🌺 @liaromancewriter

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x Victoria Clarke

Chilled Sundays 🌺 @potionsprefect

Characters involved: Sadie Oakley and Sienna Trinh

Sadie‘s Sunday Self-Care #28 🌺 @peonyblossom

Characters involved: A Picta edit of Aru and her college friend (Monica)'s photo taken by another friend (Apoorva)

Purple Pals 🌺 @choicesfanaf

[choiceschallenge-may2023]

Week 3

OPEN HEART

A Different Fate (Series) | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC | fanfic | ex-love, love - @jerzwriter Part 4: Glass Door

A Forever Love | Sienna Trinh x M!OC | moodboard | falling in love - @liaromancewriter

Dr. Olivia Hadley | Bryce Lahela x MC | fanart | dream job - @storyofmychoices

Greetings from Hawaii | Ethan Ramsey x MC | fanart | postcards - @potionsprefect

The Starting Line | Ethan Ramsey x MC - @cariantha

Totally Tobias Tuesday - Text Fics | Tobias Carrick x MC | text fics | photographs, promises, love - @jerzwriter

We're Having a Baby: Part 2 - Here She Is | Tobias Carrick x MC | fanfic | baby, holding hands, love - @jerzwriter

THE ROYAL ROMANCE

Anytime, Anywhere | fanfic | love, engagement, finally putting self first, lust - @alj4890

Just Try | Liam Rys x Madleine | fanfic | lies, first heartbreak - @alj4890

The Rotten Apple (Series) | fanfic | engagement - @bebepac The Last Part

Sometimes Not | fanfic | old friend/love, first love, ex-crush/love | - @ao719

[txemrn]

@moodmusicmonday 🖤

~🖤~

You Still Have My Heart (Royal Roulette)

The Royal Romance (Book 1)

Liam Rys x f!MC

"Locksmith" - Sadie Jean

~🖤~

Like Ships in the Night: Come Back to Me

Open Heart (Book 1)

f!OC x m!OC

"Come Back to Me" - David Cook

~🖤~

Like Ships in the Night, There is No Cure

Open Heart (Book 1)

Ethan Ramsey x f!OC (former); Ethan Ramsey x f!MC

"Contagious" - Trapt

~🖤~

[choicesficwriterscreations]

Cinderfella’s Adventures in Cordonia - Chapter Fifteen

Book: The Royal Romance Pairing: Liam Rys x M!MC Rating: Teen Author: @justcallmefox89

[choicesficwriterscreations]

Throwback Fic #6

Skipping Across The Pond

This is chapter 4 of University Student Ellie to catch up on previous episodes please click: University Student Ellie

The Book:  Beyond TRH

Pairings:  Liam x Riley /  Ellie x Nic  (Ellie x M!OC) 

Word Count:  3664

Rating:  PG

Warnings:  Profanity, Adult language. Brief mention of sex. 

Liam, Riley, and Ellie belong to PB, all others are my own characters to help  tell our story.

Song Inspiration:  Wear Sunscreen by Baz Luhrmann 

I don’t own rights to the music.

A/N: I couldn’t help myself, being off and this being done, I had to go ahead and post it.  Hope you enjoy!

Original Post: 10/12/21 at 6:42PM  EST. 

Keep reading

[tessa-liam]

Royal Adventures 

Season’s Scrambles

Chapter 2 

Books: Choices, The Royal Romance Finale, Choices, The Royal Holiday 

A Smoke & Mirrors Series Alternate Universe 

Main Pairing: Liam Rys x F! MC Riley Brooks-Rys

Series Inspiration: Royal Misadventures, Smoke & Mirrors series 1-shot 

Series Premise: 12-year-old Crown Princess Eleanor Rys of Cordonia has officially started her Royal education. Tutors that had been personally selected by His Majesty King Liam Rys and Queen Riley Rys were set to begin her royal lessons, and her days were packed full. The young princess was a natural leader, and the King and Queen could not be prouder.   

Royal Adventures Masterlist 

Smoke and Mirrors Masterlist 

Rating:  M, not Beta'd-please excuse all errors    

Category: On-going series, fluff 

Warnings: swearing, drinking, sexual innuendo 

Most Characters belong to Pixelberry Studios 

Chapter Inspiration: National Lampoon’s ‘Christmas Vacation’ 

Katie Campbell – Theme Song 1989 

Royal Adventures 

Season’s Scrambles, chapter 2 

Chapter Summary: Olivia invites the Royal Family, Leo & Amalas, Drake & Delaney, Alex Cossoy, Hana and Maxwell to the Dukedom of Lythikos to enjoy the winter season for the holidays.  Ellie, along with Drake, Leo and Maxwell decide to have a sledding competition. In secret. Olivia and Ellie conspire to grease Maxwell's sled with a super slippery substance where his sled flies down the hill at an extremely fast speed. 

A/N: My submission for King Liam Appreciation Week 2024, Day 1 - Baklava 

A/N2: My submission for @choicesholidays, @angelascribbles -Week 5- Prompt: New Traditions 

A/N3: My submission for Choices December 2024 Challenge, Prompts: 4-Traditions/5-Baking/8-Spices/21-Tree/26-Hot Chocolate/10-Snow,      All I Want for Christmas is You (Mariah Carey) 

@lilyoffandoms 

Words: 2445

 Lythokis Keep, Lythokis, Cordonia 

Carefully laying out the phyllo dough, Riley hummed a Christmas tune as she started to layer the ingredients for Baklava for Liam. The sweet honey drizzle and cinnamon made her mouth water. The smell of his favorite dessert would draw him into the kitchens quickly. Luckily, he was off to fell a talon tree with Leo, Drake and Alex, having left at the crack of dawn, not expected to return until later in the afternoon. 

"Baklava?" 12-year-old Ellie asked, as she watched her mother gleefully preparing her father’s favorite sweet treat. Sitting on the stool next to her mother, Ellie sighed, “I love Baklava,” looking longingly at the sweet confection. 

"Of course you do," Riley chuckled, nudging her shoulder. "I'll try to save you some," as Riley continued to sprinkle chopped pistachios onto the dish. 

"Thanks, Mom!" 

"I want to lick the bowl." Stefan said, jumping up and down. 

"No way!" William cried. "You always get to lick the bowl, Steffie." 

"Stefan, you can't eat it all," Riley said, looking down at her youngest. "This is your dad's and he's going to be hungry after felling that tree." 

"But I love baklava," Stefan pouted, his eyes tearing up. 

Riley looked over at him, seeing the tears in his eyes. She knew that look anywhere. 

"Stefan, no..." she warned. 

"Please?" He begged. 

She shook her head, chuckling. 

"Go ahead." 

"Yessss!" Stefan cheered, leaping into the air. 

Riley grinned and finished placing the top layer. She took the pan and placed it into the oven. 

"So," she said, turning to look at her children. "What's on the agenda for today?" 

"Auntie Livie invited Micaela and I to go sledding," Ellie said.  

"Oh really? Okay, before you go, please help your brothers with their skates.” 

"Sure, Mom," Ellie nodded agreeably.  

Riley took a sip of her coffee and walked away to get herself dressed for the winter chill, leaving the kids to their own devices. 

"Alright, boys," Ellie said, walking over to them. 

"We wanna go sledding!" William whined. 

"I'll help you get your skates on," she said. "Then you can go sledding." 

"Promise?" 

“Yes, I promise." 

❄️❄️❄️ 

"Alright, boys," Maxwell said, standing in the middle of the ice rink with Hana and Amalas, holding his nephews' hands. "Are you ready to learn how to skate?" 

"Yes!" Stefan yelled. 

"No!" William cried. "It's cold out here." 

"You won't even notice once you get started," Hana said, kneeling next to him. 

"Really?" 

"Trust me." 

"Alright," William said, nodding. 

"Come on, you two," Riley said, taking their hands. 

"Mom," Ellie said, grabbing Riley's hand. 

"Hmm?" 

"When is Daddy coming back?" 

"In a few hours, sweetie," she replied, rubbing her arm. "He should be done by lunch time." 

"Ok." 

"Now," Riley said, standing on the ice and taking the twins' hands. "Let's go." 

"Wait," Stefan said, stopping. 

"What's wrong?" 

"How do we stay up?" 

"Don't worry," Hana said, sliding next to him and taking his hand. "We've got you." 

"I'm scared." 

"Just relax and don't think about it," Maxwell said. 

"Just like when you're walking," Riley said. 

"Just don't fall," Stefan nodded. 

"Stefan," William groaned, rolling his eyes. "Don't say that." 

"Why not?" 

"You'll jinx us." 

"How would I-" 

"Hey," Maxwell said, crouching in front of them. "Look at me. Do you know who I am?" 

"You're Uncle Maxwell," Stefan nodded. 

"Do you know that I'm not going to let you get hurt? Or your mom or your Aunt Hana?" 

"No." 

"And you trust me, right?" 

"Yeah." 

"Then you have nothing to worry about," Maxwell said, winking at him. 

"Okay." 

"Good." 

"I want to go with you, Auntie Hana!" Stefan said. 

"Me too!" William cried. 

"Ok, ok," Hana chuckled. 

As the twins began to glde with Hana, Riley looked up at Maxwell and smirked. 

"Race you." 

"Oh, you're on, queen Riles," Maxwell said, smirking back. 

They sped off across the ice, the kids squealing as they picked up speed. Amalas slid next to Hana, smirking. 

"How much did you bet on this?" 

"1000 euro," Hana smirked. 

"Excellent." 

Riley and Maxwell were neck and neck, their kids cheering from the sidelines. 

"Last lap, Beaumont," Riley breathily laughed. 

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Ri," he responded cheekily. 

Riley laughed and sped up. She passed him and he tried to speed up as well but instead lost his balance and fell on his face. Riley burst into giggles, falling onto the ice as well. The twins cheered, hugging their aunt tightly. 

"You beat Uncle Maxwell!" 

"I told you, Mom's the best!" 

"Thank you, thank you," Riley chuckled, bowing. 

...Meanwhile, Olivia was preparing Maxwell's sled as Ellie watched closely.

"So, it's a secret sled?" Ellie asked.  "What are you spraying on the bottom of the disk? 

"This," Olivia said, holding up a can. 

"What's that?" 

"Graphite oil spray. It's not even for sale in the Capital. It's just something I had on hand." 

"Nice," Ellie grinned. 

"Now, we just spray it on the sled and voila." 

"It's not gonna look too obvious, right?" 

"Don't worry," Olivia said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "He won't know until he's already halfway down the hill.... and by then, it will be too late." 

"Perfect," Ellie said, clapping her hands together. 

"Now, we go over the plan again." 

"Exactly, good thinking." Olivia nodded. 

"And if it works, we get to win the bet with uncle Leo and uncle Drake? And they will have to be our personal butlers for a week?

"Yup." 

"But Uncle Drake and Uncle Leo will hate us forever." 

"Oh ... not forever," Olivia chuckled. "Just until the next competition. And they won't win that either. They will not be pleased." 

"This is mean." 

"It's a bit mean," Olivia cackled. 

"But I still think it's a great idea." 

"Good. Now, let's go over the plan again." 

❄️❄️❄️

As Liam, Leo and Alex was returning to the keep, the sun was setting and snow was falling gently from the sky. Riley and the kids were standing on the balcony of the grand suite, waiting for their arrival. 

"Look, boys," Riley said, pointing down the path. "There they are." 

"Where?" Stefan asked. 

"Right there." 

"Daddy!" William yelled. 

Liam looked up, waving to them. Riley and the kids waved back, the kids jumping up and down. 

"Daddy, Daddy!" They shouted. 

Liam walked noticeably faster, the other adults quickening their pace to keep up. He made it to the stairs, climbing them two steps at a time. Once he reached the top, the boys ran and leapt into his arms, hugging him tightly. 

"Hi, Daddy," Stefan said. 

"Hi, boys," Liam chuckled. "Have you been good?" 

"Uh-huh." 

"Yeah, Daddy." 

"I'm so glad." 

"Did you have fun, Dad?" Riley asked, leaning against the rail. 

"I did," he said, nodding. "Leo almost fell off a tree, but other than that, we had a lot of fun." 

"Uncle Leo almost fell?" 

"Yeah." 

"That's hilarious!" 

"You're telling me." 

"Come on, boys," Riley said. "Let's give your father a break and get him some hot chocolate." 

"Hot chocolate!" They yelled, running down the hall. 

"Ahhhh ... there is my beautiful bride." Liam placed a sweet kiss on her cheek as Riley wrapped her arms around his neck. 

"I can't believe this will be our first year spending the holidays here since after our wedding ... and that was our first holiday as a married couple." 

"What special traditions will you make this year, love." Liam wrapped his arms around her waist. 

"I'm ready to make some new traditions with you." 

"Oh yeah, I can't wait, love. So, what did you and the twins do while we were gone?" Liam asked. 

"Went ice skating." Riley grinned.

"Oh really?" 

"Maxwell taught the boys how to skate," Riley said. "He kept them occupied while Amalas, Hana and I had some girl time." 

"Sounds like fun." 

"It was. How was your time with the other men?" 

"It was interesting," Liam chuckled. "Alex and Leo tried to make a tree fort, but Alex fell through the roof." 

"Wow." 

"Yeah." 

"So," she said, stepping closer to him. "Did you bring home the prize?" 

"We did," he nodded. "A 20 foot talon tree." 

"Excellent." 

"Mm-hm," he murmured, leaning forward and kissing her. 

"Come on," Riley said, taking his hand and pulling him to the hall. "Let's get you warmed up. I have a surprise for you." 

"Ooh, what is it?" 

"If I tell you, it's not a surprise, your Majesty." 

"Fair point," Liam chuckled, following her down the grand staircase. 

Once they were in the kitchen, Liam's eyes landed on the counter. 

"Is that...?" 

"Baklava," Riley said matter of factly. 

"Really?" 

"Really," she nodded and smiled coyly. "Made it this morning. Our new holiday tradition: freshly baked, homemade baklava." 

"Oh, baby, you are the best," Liam sighed. 

"I know," Riley giggled. 

"Mom!" 

Riley turned and saw her sons walking into the room. 

"Daddy, do you want to come sledding with us?" William asked. 

"Can't," Liam said, picking up a slice of baklava. "I've got business to take care of." 

"Oh, please," Riley said, looking up at him. "Come play with us." 

"You don't have to convince me," he chuckled, popping another bite into his mouth. 

"Yay! Come on, Daddy!" 

"Ok, ok," Liam laughed. 

They put their jackets and boots on and walked outside. 

Olivia, Ellie, Micaela and Alex were standing on top of a snow hill planning the race, surrounded by lots of freshly fallen snow. Drake, Maxwell, Hana Delaney, were chatting and drinking Lythikos nog. Leo and Amalas met Liam, Riley, William and Stefan to take them to watch the race.

"Are you ready?" Olivia called, looking down the hill. 

"Bring it!" Drake yelled. 

"Oh, you're gonna get it!" Ellie shouted. 

"Alright, let's start this," Maxwell said, clapping his hands. 

"Who's racing?" Maxwell asked. 

"Me, you, Auntie Laney, and Uncle Drake," Ellie said, hopping up and down. 

"Oh," Maxwell said. "Then it's three against one." 

"Yeah," Olivia smirked. "I'm rooting for my niece." 

"Same here," Amalas chuckled. 

"Oh, boy," Maxwell groaned. 

"You've got this, Ellie!" Micaela cheered. 

"We'll win this," Delaney said. 

"Suurre, you will," Drake said. 

"Oh, we will," Ellie countered, nodding. 

Alex placed the circular discs in a line, 10 feet apart for Ellie, Maxwell, Drake, and Delaney.

Olivia and Ellie looked at each other, smirking. 

"On your mark," Alex said, "Get set. Goooooo!" 

They pushed their sleds down the hill, the cold air hitting their faces. Olivia looked over and saw Maxwell's sled was flying down the hill, far ahead of the others. She and Ellie looked at each other, laughing. 

"He's gonna crash," Ellie said. 

"He's not gonna stop," Olivia chuckled. 

"You're right," she sighed. "He's gonna wipe out." 

"Hopefully he'll learn his lesson." 

"What lesson?" 

"Never bet against us," Olivia smirked. 

"Yeah," Ellie chuckled. 

As they neared the bottom of the hill, Olivia saw Maxwell's sled skid off the side, sending him flying into the air.

Maxwell was having a blast, the speed at which he was barreling down the hill was exhilarating.

"Woo-hoo!" He yelled. "I'm flying!" 

"Not for long!" Ellie laughed. 

"Huh?" 

Suddenly, Maxwell's sled flew off the side, sending him tumbling into a snowbank. 

"Maxwell!" Riley cried out, running to him. 

"Ouch," he groaned. 

"What happened?" Liam asked. 

"I don't know. My sled just shot off the hill." 

"He's fine," Riley said. "I'm sure it's not the end of the world." 

"Yeah," Maxwell nodded. 

"Oh, man," Ellie chuckled, nudging Olivia. "Good thing they can't prove anything." 

"I agree," Olivia whispered. 

"You are a bad influence, Liv" Riley said, noticing their devious expressions 

"Maybe." 

"Alright," Drake said, stepping next to the snowbank. "Who wants a turn?" 

"I do!" Ellie cried, leaping into the snow. 

Liam stepped up and stopped his daughter from lifting the fast disc.

"Ellie, hold on a second," Liam said calmly. 

"Why, Daddy?" 

"Because that's not a toy, and it's dangerous." 

"I can handle it," Ellie said. 

"You need to be careful." 

"I will be." 

"No, Ellie. Just use the slower sled." 

"But-" 

"I won't tell you again." 

"Fiiinne," Ellie groaned, trudging over to the slower sled. 

"You know, Li, you never used to be so strict," Leo said, stepping next to him. 

"Well, times have changed." 

"True." 

"I can't risk her getting hurt." 

"Of course not," Leo nodded. "But she's your daughter. She's gonna want to try new things and get out of her comfort zone." 

"I'm aware." 

"So maybe let her have a little more freedom. It's not going to kill her." 

"I'll think about it." 

"Good. But remember, we did a lot of stuff we shouldn't have when we were kids." 

"Exactly.” 

@choicesficwriterscreations @choicescommunityevents @kingliamappreciationweek @choicesholidays @choicesmonthlychallenge @choicesdecember2024 @choicesprompts

📌tags in the comments

[choicesmonthlychallenge]

22: Pineapple

[July Prompt List] || [July Daily Masterlists]

⟢Open Heart:⟢

Oh, the Pets You Can Get *edit/social media post* [Bryce x F!OC, Keiki] by @storyofmychoices​

Keiki Lahela Moodboard edit by @storyofmychoices​

⟢Crossover: Perfect Match/The Royal Romance:⟢

Making a Home [M!Hayden x F!MC; Liam x F!MC] by @bebepac​​​

[ladysophiebeckett]

my predictable liam/mc baby headcanon is that it’s a girl and trr mc names her after Kenna Rys bc I miss that bitch.

[moodmusicmonday]

Whew! This playlist has a little bit of EVERYTHING! You're gonna get hyped to party, lost in your own heart-eyes, and then finally tripped up in your angsty-crying feels. It's pretty amazing, and we are so thankful to our writers for sharing their music inspo! So, go ahead! Check it out! Turn it on while you do your day! And don't forget to check out these fics when they come out! Like, comment and reblog these writers! Mention that you love their music inspo!

Dying to read a fic NOW? You're in luck! We have a newly released fic listed below! Look for the 📖, and click on the link!

We love y'all! We will see y'all in June! 🌞

🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶

@ao719

“Dusk Till Dawn” - Zayn ft. Sia; Vancross, Chapter 15: I’ll Be With You (multiple crossover; Liam Rys x f!OC)

“In My Veins” - Andrew Belle; Best Kept Secrets, Chapter 14, Everything Will Change (TRR; Liam Rys x f!OC)

@bebepac

📖 “When You Believe” - Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey; The Life of Riley Book 2, Chapter 8: Garden Party Photo Op [TRR; Liam x Riley]

@cariantha

Back to the Starting Line [OPH; Ethan Ramsey x f!MC (Sawyer Brooks)]

”Hard to Say Goodbye” - Ekali, Illenium “Crash” - Usher

@peonierose

Once, Part 4 & 5 [TNA/OH; m!Sam Dalton, m!Robin Flores, Ethan Ramsey]

“Once” - Maren Morris “Long, Long Time” - Linda Ronstadt “Already Gone” - Sleeping at Last “Just Breathe” - Pearl Jam “Blue” - Sigrid

@socalwriterbee

“Dive” - Ed Sheeran;  TBD, Part 3 [OPH; Ethan Ramsey x f!MC (Tessa Martinez)]

@tessa-liam

Marabelle, Chapter 5: Lights Out, Beaumont Bash 2 [TRR; Liam Rys x f!OC (Sophie Taylor)]

“Unchained Melody” - the Righteous Brothers “I Gotta Feeling” - Black Eyed Peas

@txemrn

“Pearls” - Samantha Gongol; TBD, a Royal Roulette (TRR; Liam Rys x Riley Brooks-Rys)

“8 Letters” - Why Don’t We; TBD, one-shot [TNA crossover; m!Sam Dalton x f!OC (Caroline Austin); m!LI x f!OC (Caroline Austin)] 

🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶

[phoenixrising0308]

Picktober Challenge: Falling for you

Picktober theme(s)- 

Flufftober: Sharing Clothes and Holding Hands,

Falltober: Pumpkin and Cider

Fanfiction (Choices The Royal Romance/ The Royal Heir & Perfect Match Fandoms)- Fictober prompt: I’m doing it, shut up.

Books: The Royal Romance 1-3 to Royal Heir and Perfect Match.

Rating: M (18+) Sexual situation and adult themes.

Trigger Warnings in this chapter: NS*W 🍋. Additionally, mention of miscarriage.

Pairing: Liam Rys x Jessica Garcia (MC), former. Damien Nazzaro x Jessica Garcia

Agent Phoenix Forged in Fire Series premise: This is a canon-divergent series set after TRR 3 Tariq is never found. Liam’s duty to his country forces him into marriage. Jessica and Liam enter into a Cordonian arrangement. Both of them wanted to have a life together. However, various obstacles prevent him from a divorce and having the life they both want together. With dreams of a future crushed, Jessica leaves Cordonia. Despite a five-year absence, they are still heartbroken and unable to forget each other and the life they once shared. When Jessica’s career path takes an expected turn, her duty to her country pushes her to Cordonia, back into the society that burned her, and back into Liam’s sights. Will she rise from the ashes or once again go down in flames? Catch up here

Disclaimer

A/N: This is my submission for the Choices Monthly Challenge: Picktober and Fictober.

*This is a oneshot that is a part of the main story, and events will occur in a later chapters and stories in between* in the meantime here is a companion piece to give you some background on the meaning of Koi in Liam and Jessica's life.

Chapter Summary: Jessica and Damien's friends-with-benefits relationship gets complicated.

Song Inspiration: Toothbrush - Dnce

Word count: 4,500 *, please excuse typos and grammatical errors*

Reading time: 10 Minutes

Damien Nazario apartment

Jessica jumped up from the couch and shouted, “Fuck yes! Thank you, Aaron Judge.”

Damien dug his head into the arm of his sofa and said, “Can we turn this off?”

“Why? Because the M-E-T-S are losing?” Jessica jeered.

“I just think I’m disgusted with my team at this point,” Damien mumbled while eyeing the tv remote.

“Damien, you are a sore loser.”

 Damien rolled his eyes. “Please don’t do that.”

“Do what?” Jessica said, knowing full well she was being obnoxious.

“You don’t have to rub it in.” 

“The fuck I do. All day long, you were talking sooooo much shit; look at this score. We have four more innings.”

Damien snapped back, “Tone it down, okay.”

Jessica rolled her eyes. “Such a baby,” 

Damien crossed his arms and huffed, “Just stop.”

 “Are you gonna make me, Sir…” Jessica said with a cheeky smile.

20 minutes later…

“Fuck” Damien murmured in a deep seductive tone; she moaned as Damien smacked her ass. She spread her legs, quickly aligning herself with him. Both of them are so hungry for each other. She was dripping while she slowly sank onto him, gasping as she felt him enter her inch by inch. She gave her body time to adjust to his length and thickness before she moved her hips in a figure-eight motion, arching her back in pleasure.

Damien reacted similarly, groaning her name as she got fully seated in his lap. Jessica began to rock her hips back and forth, moans mixing through the air as they were stimulated.

Damien held her hips, thrusting into her with determination. “Mmmm.” Jessica moaned, her head tilting back as Damien reached up to tangle his fingers into her hair again and tug. She squeezed her eyes shut as Damien’s thrusts up into her became rougher, his free hand reaching down to rub circles onto her clit, making her body taut and her pants of breath faster. Jessica could feel herself get close, her first orgasm of many barrelling toward her. She cried out as it hit her, the sound of her ass hitting his thighs becoming clearer and clearer. She heard him moan her name out in bliss.

Jessica stopped on top for a few seconds as she combed her hair with her hand before she laid her head on Damien’s chest and mumbled, “God, that was so fucken good.” They both gave a slight chuckle. Jessica lifted her wrist to look at her father’s watch and said, “So fucken late or so fucken early.”  

Jessica rolled off Damien’s side, gently brushing the hair away from her face while he whispered, “Preciosa, stay.”

Jessica pursed her lips. “I don’t know if that ruins our friends-with-benefits situation.”

“Worry when you’re leaving a toothbrush. You don’t have to work tomorrow. If it makes you feel better, just get some rest, and you can leave without waking me up.” Jessica responded by cuddling a little closer, allowing herself to relax; their two bodies were tangled in each other’s arms.

 “I’m gonna just close my eyes for a bit.” She murmured. 

Damien twirled Jessica’s hair and watched her eyes get heavy under his touch. When he was sure she had fallen asleep, he kissed her forehead and whispered, ‘Me Estoy Enamorado de ti (I’m falling for you).”

10 am …

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

Jessica and Damien both woke up at the sound of loud knocking. Damien wiped his eyes. “What the fuck?”

“What’s happening?” Jessica said, half asleep.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

“Sssh baby, go back to bed,” Damien said without thinking as he rushed to put his pants on to answer the door.

Jessica looked at Damien, puzzled, and whispered, ‘Shhh baby go back to bed?’ to herself, silently cursing for oversleeping and confusing their arrangement.

Damien closed the bedroom door behind him and answered the persistent knocking at his door. A woman said, “Ángel, ¿Cómo estás hijo? (Angel, how are you doing, son?)

Damien said in shock, “¿Mamá? ¿Qué estás haciendo aquí? (Mom? what are you doing here?) 

“Well, we wanted to surprise you.” Another woman answered with a sassy tone.

“Lucilla.”

“We came to visit Hope and her wife. We are gonna go pumpkin picking. We know you hate that stuff, so we thought we could force you if we showed up unannounced.”

Meanwhile, in Damien’s bedroom…

Jessica covered herself in Damien’s comforter. ‘I want to die. Maybe they’ll leave, and I could just pretend I wasn’t here. Yeah, no sweat. They won’t know I’m here. Crisis averted.’ Jessica silently thought, plotting her escape.

“Dames, since when do you carry around a Marc Jacobs tote?”

“Carina?” 

“Goddamn, is this the fucken Nazrio family reunion?” Jessica hissed as she got off the bed and started frantically looking for her clothes.

“Is she still here?” Another voice whispered.

“Yea, she is still here. Shirts on the floor.”

“Hope, come on.”

“Oh Dios mío. Perdóname hijo. Te estás protegiendo, ¿Verdad? (Oh my God. Sorry son. You’re protecting yourself right?”

¡Mamá!

‘Fuck my life hard.’ Jessica cursed at herself in her head.

“You didn’t tell us you were seeing anyone.”

“Is it serious?”

“¡Lucilla cállate!” Damien snapped. 

“Bring her out; let’s meet her.” 

“She can come with us pumpkin picking.” Lucilla chimed in

“Okay… Okay… can I just talk to her? I’m sure she hears all your loud mouths.”

Damien walked into the bedroom, and a pillow was thrown in his face as soon as he entered. He could see the panic and worry on her face.

“Your whole family is in the living room; they want me to go pumpkin picking with them,” Jessica said in a harsh, whispered tone.

“Preciosa, I’m sorry I obviously didn’t know.”

“Cool it with the pet names! Where are my panties?”

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

“Ohhh, nice bra.” Isabela teased from behind the door. Damien opened the door jar and collected Jessica’s bra.

“Just shoot me. Put me out of my misery.”

“Come on; it’s not that bad.” Damien mused as he held out Jessica’s bra. Jessica snatched it and put it on.

“Yeah, this is bad,” Damien smirked. 

“Gee, thanks,” Jessica said as she rolled her eyes.

Damien went into his closet and handed Jessica a shirt. Jessica looked at the shirt and looked at Damien with an annoyed expression. “Really? A Mets jersey.”

“You want me to go back out there and get your shirt off the floor or what?”

“I want to throw up.”

Damien gave a cringe as Jessica put on the Mets Jersey and said, “So I will just tell her we are dating like a couple saying we are just seeing each other will lead to other questions. The usual ones about settling down.” 

Jessica roughly adjusted the jersey in disgust and hissed, “You can’t be serious. We’re not an item, Damien!” 

He shhed her with his hand while speaking low and said, “I know that, but they don’t. Please, Preciosa. I will never hear the end of it.” 

“That’s not my problem.” 

Damien looked ready to get on his knees and beg as he gave a pleading stare and said, “Please, Jessica! Just one day of playing the part and pretending. I’m not asking you to go to trader joes or some shit couples do on a Saturday morning; I just want a day of pumpkin picking and you pretending we’re together.” 

Jessica stared for a long moment before they heard one of his sisters through the door, “Are you coming out or not? Come on and bring her out!”

Damien gave Jessica a pleading look and sighed heavily while pinching her nose bridge. “Fuck…Okay, one day. One day of pretending, and that’s it.” 

Damien released a relieved sigh and smiled before Jessica adjusted herself, and Damien opened the door to greet them. Jessica came face to face with an older woman and four younger women with curious stares her way.

Damien put his arm around Jessica while introducing her as Jessica plastered a fake smile on her face. "Mamá, Hope, Isabela, Carina, Lucilla; this is Jessica Garcia." He gestured to Jessica before gesturing to each sister and his Mother. “Jessica, this is my Mamá, My older sister Hope and my younger sisters Isabela, Carina, and Lucilla.” 

Jessica was bombarded by both Spanish and English as everyone seemed to talk simultaneously to introduce themselves and ask questions about her. Damien held up a hand and said, “Guys, I’m sure we can talk plenty on the car ride.” 

The one sister Isabela gestured to Damien’s Jersey Jessica wore, “Oh, you’re a Mets fan!” 

Jessica forced a smile even though she thought, ‘Fucking Hell.’ 

Twin farms Orchards, Freehold, New Jersey 

Jessica inwardly cringed when Damien held her hand while walking through the grass to the rows of Pumpkins lining the field. She gave him a sideways glare as he leaned down and whispered, “Preciosa, couples hold hands.” 

Jessica hissed, “Yeah, but we’re not a couple.” 

“One day, Jessica. Please. “ 

Jessica rolled her eyes as Damien’s sisters ran ahead of them. As she whispered to him, “I’m doing it, shut up.” 

Damien gave her a smile with a nod and whispered, “Just…Try to enjoy the day pretending we’re together. After today, we can return to our strictly friends-with-benefits arrangement. I promise…Please, Jessica?” His dark eyes held an intense gaze she had seen so many times in her past with eyes as blue as the Mediterranean Sea.

She stared at Damien a moment and thought to herself, ‘Stop it. That life is behind you now, and it’s not like you’re betraying anything or anyone here. This is just a casual little outing with his family. You’re just doing a friend a favor.’ She reminded herself as she huffed and looked away while Damien squeezed her hand lightly.

Jessica couldn’t help inwardly smiling as she felt his hand in hers, but this time it wasn’t a momentary touch; it lingered, and she enjoyed the feeling. A slight warmth bloomed in her chest as his fingers interlaced her own. She almost felt guilty for enjoying it, even if her brain told her she shouldn’t.

The feeling was cut short by Hope saying, “Hurry up, lovebirds! We need Damien for the heavy lifting.” 

Damien smiled and retorted, “So that’s why you called me out of bed to go with you all, and here I thought you missed me.” 

Damien looked at Jessica right when his sisters and Mother looked over, and Jessica forced a smile even though all she could think of was, ‘Great. I’m spending my Autumn Sunday in a fucken Mets Jersey with a guy that is strictly friends with benefits, and his family thinks we’re a fucken couple madly in love or some shit…Perfect.’ 

Jessica sighed to herself when Damien pulled them both towards the pumpkin patch. 

Isabela said, “What? Hope, that pumpkin is downright sad. It’s tiny!… Now, that one, on the other hand.” 

Damien’s face sagged when he saw the large misshapen pumpkin Isabela pointed at, and Jessica couldn’t help but lightly chuckle as Damien gawked.

“You can’t seriously expect me to carry that thing the whole time, right?” He argued.

Lucilla walked over to their brother with her own pumpkin in hand, “Isabela, it’s not even round. It’s so ugly.” 

“So? It’s getting carved anyway.” 

Carina gestured towards a row of medium-sized pumpkins and exclaimed, “Uh, who cares about the size and roundness when those aren’t even that orange, and they have bad spots on them.” 

Jessica and Damien watched the sisters talking over each other in minor disagreements as Damien gave Jessica a sideways look and mumbled, “On second thought, if you wanted to bail, I’m sure I can come up with an excuse.” 

Their Mom chimed in, lecturing them in Spanish as Hope replied, “Sorry, Mamá, we’ll just pick one each. So it doesn’t matter who picks what.” Hope gave while shooting a mild glare to her three younger sisters, who all collectively nodded or shrugged and went off looking for their perfect pumpkins.

"Preciosa, which one?" He asked while scanning the pumpkin patch. 

Jessica shrugged, “Doesn’t matter to me.”

Damien sighed, “Come on, Jessica. Try to act like this isn’t killing you to be here, for my sake.” 

Jessica blinked at that and said, “I never said it was. I guess I’m just rusty.” 

Damien ran a hand over his temple with a cringe. “I know, I know. I didn’t plan this exactly, but I want to make a decent impression, so I’m not hounded with questions.” 

“You mean more than what was already asked? Carina asked me how our first date was, and Isabela asked if I planned on coming to Thanksgiving, and Hope and Lucilla wanted to know every detail imaginable.” 

Damien gave an apologetic look, “Sorry for dragging you into this mess.” 

Jessica eyed him for a moment. The way he looked at her and had her insides twist a bit. She released an annoyed breath through her nose before glancing at the pumpkins. 

She thought, ‘The least I can do is try. It’s one day. ‘ 

“Okay.” She mumbled before walking over to a pumpkin. She bent down to pick it up and examine it. Her hand ran over the smooth surface before nodding. “This one.” 

Damien looked slightly surprised, “You sure?” 

Jessica nodded at the modestly sized pumpkin and said, “Positive.” Before she handed it to Damien, who smiled relieved and took it. 

“Thanks for not picking the biggest pumpkin in this field for me to carry all day.” 

Jessica gave a cheeky smirk. She looked around with a hum and said, “Hmm…Actually, maybe that one way over there?” She pointed to a much bigger pumpkin on the other side of the field.

Damien rolled his head back with a groan even if Jessica could clearly see a smirk; he tried to hide, “Oh God, please don’t start acting like my sisters. You already see what I have to fucken deal with.” 

Jessica let out a huff-like chuckle, “Save it. I grew up with two overprotective older brothers. I don’t want to hear shit.” 

They both walked together, giving the same witty banter and snide remarks they always did with each other, and Jessica couldn’t help thinking, ‘This really isn’t so bad. Damien’s a nice guy, his family is nice, and so far, his sisters and Mom haven’t been bad to me, and it’s a good pumpkin patch… It’s really kind of…Easy to pretend.’ She thought with a slight frown at her mixed emotions as she and Damien walked side by side. 

Jessica paused when she saw the Apple Orchard a ways away on the other side of the field. Red apples hung from the faraway trees as a few people with buckets picked them. She stopped in her tracks to stare as a slow sinking feeling dropped in her stomach at all the memories an apple orchard could bring back.

A particular memory of her and the Crowned Prince sneaking off into the Applewood Manors Apple orchard for one of their ‘in-between’ moments. Laughing as he chased her before he caught her, kissing her deeply in secret while Jessica swore she would spend the rest of her life with him.

Damien instantly noticed her expression and stopped alongside her. “Jessica, is something wrong?” 

Jessica shook herself and said, “No, just watching….” 

Damien eyed her as she forced herself to look away. Analyzing her as she had on her poker face. 

Suddenly, they were interrupted when Lucilla walked over to them and said, “Dames, Mamá, and Carina need help with their pumpkins… Jessica, if you want, we can go to the shop together and snag some cider and donuts for everyone. “ 

Jessica didn’t get to answer as Lucilla grabbed her hand, all while Jessica gave Damien a sideways glance as she was practically dragged away. 

Damien nodded, “Sure thing. That’s my job here, apparently, Pumpkin carrier…Try not to keep Jes- my Girl, too long.” He gave Jessica a slight cringing smile as he left.

"No promises, Dames." 

Jessica gave Lucilla a look as she let go of her hand, “... You’re gonna interrogate me, aren’t you?” 

Lucilla shrugged, “It’s not an interrogation, just…Just Girl talk. About things about my brother.” 

Jessica released an exasperated sigh as all she thought in her head, ‘Fuck my life.’ 

A short while later, Jessica and Lucilla had cider in their hands as they sat on a bench. Lucilla wasted no time asking, “So, how long have you known my brother?” 

“Long enough. A year.” 

“And we never heard about you because?” 

Jessica shrugged, “We were friends first. I actually never expected…This, but here we are.” Jessica laughed slightly, trying to come off as genuine as possible.

“And uh, how did…This happen? Like, was it endless crushing on one of your parts, or did you both just randomly decide?...” She asked while trailing off. 

Jessica shrugged, “I think it just kind of happened. A snarky remark here, a dig there, and before you know it, we hit it off.” Jessica gave a small smile. “I guess it was our way of flirting.” 

Lucilla watched Jessica intently as Jessica sipped her cider and asked her, “So, do you know everything about Damien?” 

“Um, yeah. I’m pretty sure I do.” 

“Do you? Because my brother plays this cynical tough guy act to protect himself. “ 

Lucilla continued, “He’s had a lot of heartbreak. He won’t tell us, but this one woman he claimed was only a ‘colleague’ on the force messed him up pretty badly. The minute she ‘left’ work and was gone from his life or whatever, he became bitter and depressed. We couldn’t even say Alana’s name without him getting the biggest frown on his face and looking like a kicked puppy. There was Kai Parks; she had led him on for months. Now she is getting married. Dames has never really found his ‘Perfect Match.’ He’s become such a pessimist about relationships. 

Jessica opened her mouth slightly to form the words. “I…I didn’t know.” 

“Yeah, well, that’s Dames. He hides everything because he doesn’t want to burden people.” She sighed and swirled her cider in her cup. “I just want to ensure he’s not dealing with another heartbreak.” 

“No, I would never do that to your brother Lucilla.” 

She gave Jessica a skeptical stare. “Yeah? Then can you actually see a future with my brother? He doesn’t need a fling; he needs a woman who will love him as much as he loves her. Long term.” 

Jessica sighed and sat her cider down to turn to Lucilla on the bench. “Listen, Lucilla. I get it. I have two brothers of my own and my own issues with the women they’ve dated. I don’t know where this is going with Damien and me, but we’re just testing the waters now. But I can tell you I have no intentions of hurting him.” 

“Then what do you love about him?” 

“What?” 

She sat back to stare at Jessica and replied, “I want some proof. Do you really give a shit about him, or are you just stringing him along?” 

Jessica groaned internally and thought, ‘God, I’m getting grilled by a teenage.’

Jessica cleared her throat and muttered, “Well, he’s… He’s actually the most annoying jerk but in an endearing way. He’s competitive, and we clash, but we also get along just as much…Um, He’s family oriented; I can tell that already … He’s kind and passionate…Responsible… He’s protective and puts others before himself… He’d be a great Dad if he wanted that.” The more she spoke, the more her voice trailed off as her mind wandered. 

Lucilla had a smile slowly stretched across her face as she said, “...I believe you.” She patted Jessica’s knee, “And I think he’s in love with you too. It’s why I grilled you so much just now, just to be sure he’s not going to get burned.” 

“Uh...You think so?” Jessica cautiously asked, taken aback and blinking at Lucilla.

Lucilla exclaimed, “Of course! Have you seen the way he looks at you? Every time we looked at you two, you were both laughing at something, and he had this dumb, goofy smile every time he looked at you. Trust me; a sister knows when her brother’s in love…Right?” Lucilla nudged her a bit.

Jessica felt a strange mix of emotions she couldn’t quite place as she slowly nodded. She cleared her throat and changed the subject, “So if the interrogation is over, I think we should get these donuts for everyone before we eat them all.” 

 “Or we could tell them they ran out and talk some more….” 

“I think the cinnamon sugar dust is a dead giveaway,” Jessica muttered as she wiped some dust off Damien’s Mets Jersey. “Besides, I told you everything so far. You want my social security number, too, in case?” Jessica chuckled.

Lucilla laughed and said, “Fine. Besides, I think that Damien’s like a prized possession you’re wearing. He’d instantly know you got something on it, and then the secret donuts would be a giveaway, and I know Isabela she’ll complain till we go back and get her some, and then Dames would cry all day that his prized shirt is ruined or some shit like that. “Lucilla gave an eye roll. “I mean, you’re a Mets fan too, obviously.” 

Jessica had to hide the grimace as she forced it out. “Uh yeah. I totally love that team…Just love them.” She lied as Lucilla got up with the bag of donuts, and they walked back.

Lucilla smiled at her and said, “Well, he must love you to let you wear his prized Jersey.” 

‘More like he thought it would be hilarious.’ Jessica thought. 

Lucilla continued, “I like you so far.” 

Jessica raised a brow, “Well, I like you too. So did I pass the test?” 

Lucilla laughed, “Yeah, I think Dames finally got someone.” She gave Jessica a smile, and Jessica gave a smile back.

‘You made it. You’ve been questioned; you did the cute couple thing like holding hands; you picked the stupid pumpkin together and lied through your teeth that you liked that shitty team…After this, you can just stop and go back to the arrangement you both have. No feelings, no romance, no future together. ‘Jessica reasoned with herself as she walked behind Lucilla.

They made it back to everyone as Lucilla handed out donuts and cider. Damien came up to Jessica with a donut in hand, and she couldn’t help noticing how he looked at her, whether it was just realizing it or paranoia from Lucilla.

He asked, “So, did you get to state your case to the judge, or were you thrown the book?” 

“I got my ass handed to me by a teenager.”

“Good. But hold that thought because the jury is still deciding the verdict.” He mumbled as both their gazes landed on Lucilla, whispering something to her sister Hope as they both not so subtly glanced at Jessica.

Jessica softly groaned. “Fucken great.” 

“No, I actually think they like you. I mean, they haven’t said one insult to you all day. For my sisters, that’s saying something.” 

Jessica gave a slight smirk as Damien bit into a donut and had sugar on the side of his mouth. Jessica pointed. “You have some on your cheek.” 

Damien raised his brows and swiped his hand over but missed it twice. She finally sighed and said, “Oh jeezus, here. “As she wiped his cheek with her thumb. 

Even after she got it, her touch unintentionally lingered. Both of them stared at each other as Jessica pulled away, and Carina said, “No, no! Hold that pose!” 

Jessica froze as she saw Carina trying to take a picture. Damien quickly wrapped his arm around the small of her back as Jessica smiled while turning towards Damien.

Carina scoffed, “Come on, be more romantic than that!” 

Jessica glanced at Damien before leaning up and hissing in his ear, “You owe me. Big.” 

Damien cringed and said, “I know, fuck, I know.” Before he leaned down to hold Jessica close and plant a kiss on her cheek while Jessica gave a big smile for the camera. Years earlier, gaining experience from posing for royal media paid off as she effortlessly made it look natural.

“Perfect! God, you’re so photogenic, Jessica. Where did you learn to pose like you’re on a red carpet?” 

Damien released her as Jessica shrugged, “Just practice, I guess.” 

Jessica started walking with everyone who all talked amongst each other, including her in the conversation here and there, before a body of water caught her eye. Some benches and a stone Koi pond were among the red and orange trees.

She felt her heart tightening at the sight of the koi fish swimming around and a couple with their little boy watching the fish.

Damien noticed first as he asked, “Hey, Preciosa?” 

She walked towards the pond away from the group as Damien looked concerned and asked again, “Jessica?” 

“I’ll just be a moment.” Jessica softly gave as she watched the koi fish. 

Damien stopped to watch her from afar as his sisters walked over to the koi pond. The only one behind was Damien’s Mom, who stood beside him watching the beautiful Koi pond, and Jessica.

Damien watched Jessica as she looked curiously at the Koi pond. He was falling for her hard, and there was just a softness about her when she fed the fish. His sisters were quite taken with her, with remarks here and there to Damien throughout the day about how she seemed to fit into their idea of who Damien should be with.  

“Ángel, I want to talk to you about this girl.” 

“Si Mamá dime (Yes, mom, talk to me).” Damien scrunched up his nose and listened to his Mother.

“I’m not a fool; this girl isn’t your girlfriend.”

Damien blinked at that as he looked down at his Mother and asked, “How do you know?”

“You look at her like you want her to be yours.”

“That obvious?” Damien gave a sigh.

“Si Hijo. What makes her special to you?”

“Mamá, when I’m with her, the nightmares go away. She makes me smile and laugh, and I can tell her anything, and she won’t judge me. I’m falling in love with her. I don’t know when it happened, but it’s happening.” 

Damien looked over at Jessica, laughing with Lucilla about something as Lucilla pointed at the water. “I want more with her; I’m just afraid to ask.”

“I like her. I like her for you a lot. She is hilarious, and you can tell she is very bright. Hope likes her a lot too, and she is hard to win over.”

“Wow, Hope doesn’t like anyone.” Damien chuckled.

“This girl, is she a family girl?”

“Yea, she has two brothers she is very close to. They are cops; one is Captain, the other a Lieutenant. I actually know the older brother.”

“What about her parents?” 

“They passed away. Her father was a detective, and her Mother was a Social Worker.  

“I see she knows what it’s like for you and your work.”

“She is a cop too. Don’t worry; she is nothing like Alana.” 

“Oh, that I can tell. Alana cared about herself. If she were like Alana, she wouldn’t be here.”

“Mamá, what do I do?”

“Sometimes you have to be willing to lose.”

Damien gazed at Jessica as she turned to give him a soft smile from the koi pond. His Mother’s words rang out in his head as they both stared at one another. Jessica’s smile slowly faded as she stared back, some unspoken conversation going on as they both struggled with what they wanted and what they allowed past the walls they built up.

Damien calmly walked over to her as she returned to looking at the koi fish with his sisters. Damien looked down at the fish as he stood beside her.

“They’re pretty, aren’t they?” Jessica finally said as Damien hummed in agreement.

They watched a bit longer before Jessica released a long sigh. Thinking to herself about her unspoken past. Of the child she lost, they nicknamed Koi, of the life she could have had with Liam.

Jessica frowned slightly as she thought, ‘Look at you, Jessica. You have a great guy standing next to you with a family that already accepts you. You have the opportunity for something here that you didn’t have in Cordonia if you just let it go and move on.’ 

Jessica sucked in a breath with a tight-lipped smile and thought, ‘I already said my goodbyes to Liam but not to you, Koi. I’ll never stop loving you or who you could have been, but I think I need to start learning to try and find some happiness in all of this.’ She almost felt tears in her eyes, but she closed them and held onto the sad smile on her face before walking away from the pond.

Damien watched her intently, a frown in place as he studied her. He followed her as his sisters and Mother started walking, pumpkins in hand, to pay and call it a day.

“...are you alright?” Damien asked.

Jessica nodded and replied, “Yeah, I think so.” 

She and Damien hung back as he spoke in low tones, “Thanks again for this.”

“No, it was…It was fun. I actually enjoyed today with your family.” 

Damien released a hearty chuckle, “Oh, don’t deny it. You secretly love my team.” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah, I did…But you owe me for wearing a stupid Mets Jersey in public, and now Carina has it on camera.” 

“Is that why your team ate shit last night?” 

Damien lowered his head to whisper as he slung an arm around her as they walked, “Remember what else happened last night?” 

Jessica smirked, “Remind me again later…You do owe, after all…SIR” 

“All night if you need.” He promised as they walked side by side, Jessica leaning into him for the first time openly in public as Damien smiled to himself and held her close. 

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