#lily harvard

[littlemisswriter]

Saving London - Part 5

Summary:

Now with a gauntlet, it really seemed that the sky had been the limit for Jacob as he could reach new heights with his new gift. The mechanism was not accepted lightly, especially when presented from the woman he had admittedly grown quite attached to over time. Had she too begun to feel for the young man that showed nothing less than promise to her gang? Perhaps there was only one way to find out.

-

The night was clear and there appeared to be more people out on the streets than expected. A carriage had made its way through the streets, a pair of Rooks acting as its escort as Lily and Jacob sat inside. She hadn’t usually been the one perched on the inside, and truthfully told she hadn’t been on a carriage that had not been damaged in some way often. But the ride was pleasant, seeing as she had rather good company.

Her eyes drew from the window over to Jacob who sat across from her, attention on his new gauntlet as he inspected it on his lap. He appeared quite happy to have the new contraption, and that in turn had pleased Lily, even if she hadn’t voiced it so openly. There was no denying that the man had become a soft spot to her, but she didn’t know what to do with that feeling. So, she kept some distance and just admired from afar, it had been safer that way.

“Your gauntlet,” Jacob spoke up, catching Lily’s curiosity as he pointed to hers, “is there anything else other than a blade on it? Besides a hook that throws you atop buildings?” She chuckled as he bore a small cheeky grin, quite liking how relaxed he was becoming around her.

“It doesn’t just throw you atop buildings. It also flings you across them too.” Jacob blinked back as he ran his finger over the tip of the hook. “But that is something for another day.” Her body pulled to sit straight before him, both feet planting directly on the ground as she brought her weapon between them. “I probably shouldn’t show you every contraption I have. But,” she shrugged, “I guess no one’s particularly asked.” Once again, she flicked her hidden blade out between them, the sound of the weapon unsheathing had been nothing less than satisfying. “This is my blade, obviously.”

“Used often, undoubtedly.” Jacob joked, eyes tearing between hers and back to the glistening weapon.

“Undoubtedly.” She agreed sarcastically, the cheekiness in her tone flushing a touch of warmth throughout Jacob’s chest. Then sheathing the blade back into its compartment, she turned her left wrist upwards. “Then there’s the grappling hook beside it, and brass knuckles embedded onto it. The gold was a personal choice.” And gold did in fact compliment the look. “And this is a dart gun.” It had been across the top, the feature positioned well beneath the knuckles. “It releases poison against my enemies.”

“Poison?” The technology on this weapon seemed so advanced. Jacob had almost actually begun to feel sorry for anybody that crossed Lily’s path, unsuspecting of the weapons on her gauntlet. Almost.

“A hallucinogenic dart. Makes Blighters go mad and turn on each other so I don’t have to.” Fascinated, Jacob reached forward without thinking, wanting to touch such a weapon. And Lily could see how drawn he was to it all but had grabbed his wrist gently before he could go further. He looked up, not realizing he had physically insinuated a closer look without asking its holder. But she had not thought twice, just lightly smiling at him. “Careful there, wouldn’t want you to break it and start ripping out those glorious locks of yours.”

Jacob’s brow in turn raised at her compliment, the assassin not realizing the compliment as anything but a joke.

“So you think my locks are glorious?” He took his hand back to lift his hat and ran a hand through it. Luckily he had been easy to jump on the joke, though it was no matter none the less. “I would not fault you for noticing such a thing.” Lily laughed, a genuine laugh as she sat back, hands in her lap while shaking her head.

“A jokester I see. How refreshing.” Their playful banter eased the atmosphere around them. Jacob not knowing where they were going yet content to sit in the confined space with Lily just a little longer. Until a sudden knock on the top of the carriage pulled both of their attention.

“We’re here Miss Harvard.” Lily looked out the window once more to see the Rook’s words ring true. And she grinned before exiting the cart. Jacob was close behind, allowing his sights to set in on where they actually were. And before him stood the grand tower in all its beauty.

“Stay here until we return.” Lily instructed as Jacob looked back at her slowly.

“Big Ben?” She nodded, seeming all too pleased with herself as she came by his side, sharing the view of the Elizabeth Tower itself.

“Indeed. I remember you mentioning it once or twice.” She had actually remembered their short conversations before? Surely a woman running a gang throughout London would have better things to transfix her attention to. And yet here they were. “Well come on, you cannot stand here all night gawking at it. I have better plans.” With a swallow and a nod, he followed her past the gates and through the courtyard.

Wait… then what were they here for? It couldn’t possibly be…

“We’re going to climb that thing?” Jacob breathlessly asked, a shrill running through his spine as Lily looked to him humorously.

“No. But we will fling ourselves up the side of it.” His heart begun to beat out of his chest as Lily laughed, his expression was priceless. “Do not fear, Jacob. I have faith in you. Now come on.” She patted his shoulder as they continued through the arched walkway. “Now, getting to the first rooftop is easy enough, just like we trained. But alongside the tower will be a bit more difficult. Just aim a little higher and give it a tug. It’s a longer way up but if done properly, it’s just like any other building.”

Coming to their first stop, Lily stood across the wall and focused her attention onto Jacob completely. She had done this so many times that it seemed easy enough like jumping a top a train or into the river Thames. But Jacob looked as if some colour had drained from his face, a little terrified to be honest. And she realized that what was easy for her hadn’t necessarily been easier for others. She had adapted to being on her own for so long and eliminated the thought of being limited that she had almost forgot.

“Jacob,” she muttered, turning to put her hand to his shoulder, seeming to pull him out of whatever trance he was stuck in, “I believe you have the strength to do this. Not just out here,” she gestured to his physic, “but also in there.” She motioned to his head. His mind. “I’ve never brought anyone else here, and I didn’t really expect too either. You have what it takes, I know you do. But you also have to believe that.” He swallowed back hard as she looked between his hazel eyes, trying her best to calm any internal doubts he had. “It’s your choice.”

There had been a real possibility that Jacob would turn down the chance to rope launch up Big Ben, and thinking about it, Lily knew any sane person would. But deep down she had hoped that the hidden fire buried within the man would prove her wrong. She knew once he had overcome this obstacle, that there was a real possibility that he could advance into the Creed. But she had to be certain. She’d never taken a chance on anybody like this before, and hopefully her mind would agree with her heart when it was proved right.

Lily stepped back, aiming her grapple upwards. “You need to decide who you are.” He hadn’t known that she believed in him so deeply. What she was offering was overwhelming, sure. But it was also a chance. A chance to prove that there was more to life than what he knew. And for the first time, he could openly chase it without confines.

The assassin launched the rope with ease, pulling herself up to the roof and exhaling a breathe she was holding back. There she stood waiting. Hoping that Jacob would meet her up there. Her arms crossed her chest as she stood a moment, before hearing the clip of the grapple before watching Jacob pull himself up beside her. And she couldn’t help but smile.

She knew it.

Jacob’s heart beat out of his chest as he gazed up the rest of the way before looking back at Lily. She seemed genuinely happy to see him there, and it’s as if most of his nerves faded away. Who knew a person could have an affect on him as they did. It made his mind churn about everything including Lily. Why she had caught his eye and proceeded to infatuate his mind as she did. There was only one simple answer to it all, but could it be true? Was he able to feel for a person as deeply as he did so quickly? But seeing her smiled directed at him had confirmed all he had questioned, and a rush of adrenaline coursed through him in eagerness. This was who he was, and Lily helped him realize that.

“I’m glad to see you here.” Her body turned, eyes not tearing from his just yet. “Come.” They stepped forward, shoulder to shoulder as they looked to the top of the tower. The winds were easier to feel on higher ground, but they were about to get crazier. “Just watch and follow.” She crouched, eyes intent on her target as she took a moment, face focused as she withdrew a deep breathe before launching. The rope wavered through the air for a moment, the assassin offering Jacob a quick wink before suddenly pulling herself up. He watched in awe as she scaled up the building, losing sight of her eventually through the darkness.

Then a beat of silence, Jacob silently hoping she had made it up safe though there was no doubt she had. A moment where everything became silent, his heartbeat bumping through his ears. Until he heard her. “Come up, Jacob!” She called rather loudly, seeing as there had been quite the distance between them. His adrenaline rushed through again with a smile, copying as she did and doing his best to navigate through the dark.

“Come on, Jacob, you bloody crazy idiot. This is all you.” And with a similar exhale, he launched, holding steady to his gauntlet as the hook sored through the dark. A clamp followed by resistance told him he had landed it securely, swallowed the hardest breathe he’s ever taken before tugging at the mechanism.

He was thrown off his feet, both legs apart as he was taught while his feet slipped upside the building to steady himself. The wind rushed past his ears, deafening him to anything else as he ascended to new heights. His heart beat out of his chest as he came closer to the top, still unable to grasp what he was doing. But eventually he saw a dark figure peeking over the edge, and boy did he fling himself tightly to the side once he made it to the top.

“Holy shit!” He yelled, scrambling his feet as Lily helped yank him onto solid ground once more. He panted on his hands and knees, blinking back at the realization of what he had just done. Lily knelt beside the man, pride in her chest as she put a hand to his shoulder once more. “Holy shit…” He slowly lifted his head beside him, Lily smiling as she had done before. “Holy shit, Lily. Holy shit!” He began laughing as he pushed himself to his feet, running his hands through his hair before realizing his hat must have flown off at some point. But he wasn’t too worried in this moment. “I cannot believe I just-incredible!” He took both her hands in his as he laughed victoriously, running to the side to look back at where he had just been flung from.

But his sights slowly averted to over the city for the first time. He was gobsmacked by the view, the view he had been dreaming about witnessing first hand for a while. His breathe caught in his throat as he stood for a moment soaking it all in. And Lily slowly came by his side, grinning knowingly as she leant against the rest as she soaked in all that was London also.

It was a view she had seen before but having Jacob beside her had somehow made it all the better. She could finally share it with somebody. The pair stood in silence as they just looked across everything they knew. Lily giving it a short while before peeking at Jacob once more, the grin on the mans face was one she was coming to admire. Perhaps if he had followed her this far, then maybe it was time she had opened up a little bit. The man had surely earnt it.

“The first time I came here,” she began looking back over everything, “I was helping a friend of mine. He has this passion for freedom of speech, and ideas that will advance us into a new age.” Jacob turned, leaning on his forearm as he looked between the woman and the view. “It’s actually the same friend that helped me with this.” She lifted her gauntlet up to inspect it, smiling to herself as she did so. “He’s one of the smartest men I know, actually. And he deserves more credit than he’s given.” There was a glint in her eye, a recollection of the respect she held for her ally. “Coming up here had given me this sense of freedom I hadn’t felt in a long time. Something about being at this altitude is exhilarating.”

Jacob listened intently, seeming to be captured by every word she spoke. It was genuine and heartfelt. Truly it had been the first time that he had seen Lily so relaxed and honest since he met her. But as she processed her thoughts in her head, her smile slowly began to fade as she let her arm lie limp against the side once more, sighing in somewhat defeat as she lowered her guard. Jacob frowned.

“But the truth is, is that I always do things myself. Of course, I have allies that help me every step of the way. But when it comes to matters that actually need some form of action in changing the course of history, I do it all alone. And sometimes,” she took a moment, shrugging as she fumbled with her fingers, “sometimes I wish I had somebody alongside me. I know it sounds bleak with the life I live, but there are moments I wish I could share.” This raw emotion was new to Jacob. One he hadn’t imagined seeing Lily show, and even deep down, one he had been scared to show himself. He could make sense of her words though; running a gang alone and fighting oppression could become much. And it appeared that sometimes, someone could need somebody. A simple thing of companionship could go a long way.

“Perhaps,” he spoke up in a whisper, “you don’t need to be alone anymore.” His words making sense of the situation before his mind could. Lily tilted her head slightly, motioning that she was listening even if her gaze was elsewhere. “That maybe, there is somebody out there that wants to be by your side.” Her interest was peeked, slowly looking at him as she stood straight once more, turning her body to face his with her own. He held down his nerves, his sentences unravelling the truth of what he kept inside. He had come this far, so he supposed that there was no going back now.

Jacob was fond of Lily, that there was no denying. And with each day it seemed that his feelings had only grown with it, for his boss. She was an incredible woman, that was obvious. And he would be so lucky to be by her side if she gave him the opportunity.

Eyes now locked onto one another as he threw himself all in. It was all or nothing now. So he bit back his nerves and took a step forward, closing the distance between them. Lily hadn’t moved, seemingly glued to the spot as she watched the situation turn into something more intimate. Her thoughts ran just as wild as his did. The rampant images twirling through her head as she silently kept watch on Jacob eliminating the space between them.

It would be an adamant lie if she hadn’t admitted to herself that she thought about Jacob more than she cared to admit. There was no denying a connection between them, and how her spirits seemed to lift more often than not whenever he was around. Surely she knew that eventually this would happen one way or another, yet she couldn’t help but freeze all the same.

Their eyes looked between one another as Jacob’s would graze down to her lips every so often. It had been obvious his intent, and the thought had quickened both heart beats tremendously. She couldn’t initiate though she couldn’t pull away either, her emotions very prominent as they ran through her mind and right down to her body; her fingertips etching as her legs felt they would shake or give out if given the chance. Was it actually possible for the assassin to have caught feelings for the Rook?

“You’re very beautiful,” Jacob muttered, allowing himself to speak and feel what he had been hiding for a long time. His arm slipping out onto the ledge beside her, palm flat instead of balled as he noticed no sign of her retraction, it was a better reaction than what he was expecting though it seemed he wasn’t in the clear yet. “And I know I shouldn’t feel this way, but I cannot deny it any longer. You…” He swallowed back. “You have ignited this fire inside of me that itches for more. Given me a purpose that doesn’t make me feel helpless. It’s wonderful… you’re wonderful.” She was the type of woman you didn’t meet twice, so he would make it known now before he missed his chance completely to tell her.

It was all sudden, like a lump in her throat that rendered her speechless for the first time in a long time. He was so close and very open to the thing she hadn’t allowed herself to indulge in. It was exhilarating and terrifying all at once.

“I have grown feelings for you, Lily.” He finally mustered out. “And I wanted you to know,” his mind then took a turn as nerves flourished throughout his being, “but if you don’t reciprocate these feelings for me, than you can push me away and I will never try another advance again. I-I hope you won’t but I will not force myself onto you.” He was almost spluttering, now balling his open palm as he mentally smacked himself to return his focus onto what mattered.

So he swallowed back hard and pulled his face close enough where their breathes were felt against one another. Seeing Jacob this close had Lily truly look upon every inch of him properly. Jacob was attractive, there was no denying that, and every dint and crevice to him had him all the more appealing. Then, a brush of his fingers came to her arm, shooting a valve of electricity through her. She could feel a slight shake to his touch, his nerves driving him out of his own mind, but he was too captured in the essence that was Lily to pull away. His was mere inches, eyes slowly closing as he went to close the gap between them.

It had Lily think hard. It wouldn’t be terrible to let him press his lips to hers, but that would signify their union officially. Everything would change, and she didn’t know if she could do that with many words being unsaid between them first. Jacob hadn’t known her truly, of who she actually was and how deep her line of work actually was. There was nothing but pure temptation to kiss him as much as he wanted in that moment. But if she were to without being openly honest with him or even herself first, then it would be like it all meant nothing; like he meant nothing. And obviously he had not meant nothing to her.

She could not do that to him.

Jacob could practically feel his lips on hers, to enraptured in the moment that he might finally be able to do the one thing that he had admittedly been thinking of the moment his mind went elsewhere. But, much like a hidden blade to the chest, his heart sunk when he felt her hand to his chest. It halted his movements, his eyes blinking back at the sudden action to look between her own. They were so close, which made it harder for Lily to watch the hurt spread across his face. His eyes told all and it churned a pull in her chest knowing that she had been the one to make him react in such a way.

Embarrassment flooded through him as he leant his head back, clearing his throat awkwardly at how he had so clearly put himself out there to be rejected. It was a stab to the heart that had him freeze to the spot, much rather than throwing himself off the tower to the ground out of pure humiliation. But he could see it though, how he was not the only one that had been affected by the rejection. Lily too wore a regretful expression, not wanting to stop him as she had, and creating an awkward tension by her decision.

These emotions were all too much, especially running down her spine with a cold chill when Jacob had hesitantly step away, creating distance between them. She couldn’t deal with it all and turned her gaze back over to the city. The wind was suddenly louder and the breeze even colder now, there was no denying it. A silence sat between the two as she did her best to muster any coherent sentence in her brain to soften the blow. Like mental preparation for a gang war, she forced her expression to become flat and monotone, hoping her voice would match it.

“You deserve better.” She muttered, refusing to look at Jacob as he kept his stare on her. It was like he couldn’t look away, something of a statue as the hurt hadn’t even brisked the tip of how he felt in this moment. His mind began to justify her actions as best it could, relaying that he had been the one to initiate the awkwardness on his own free will. Still… it hadn’t seem to lessen the blow any better. “Jacob,” her breathe caught on his name, clearing her throat and mentally slapping herself for the slip up as she focused on delivering her words as plainly as she could, “there are things about me you have yet to know.”

Her delivery almost cold, and if it wasn’t for the crack in her voice, he would have believed it as such. Though that was all she could offer, nothing else coming to her that could deem worthy of an explanation. So he took a moment, swallowing back what felt like a lump in his throat as he finally tore his own eyes away and down to his feet. Lily noticed his solemn nod, brows drawing together in regret as she watched him lower his head as he stepped away further.

She couldn’t bear it, and without thinking had her hand reached out to grab his shirt. The movement itself had shocked her as much as it did him, the two looking at the limb before dragging their eyes over to each other once more. Lily fought the urge to pull him close once more and apologise profusely for what she had done. That in that moment she would say screw it all and latch her mouth onto his. But she couldn’t. And she knew that.

Her arm slowly pulled away, fingers etching from his shirt and back down to her side as she stepped away. With a louder clearing of her throat and a forced deadpan expression that she continued to wear, she decided to cut the loss short and side stepped around Jacob. His fists balling as his head lowered slightly again, eyes shutting as he silently sighed beneath his breathe.

With a stride in her step, she made way underneath the cover of the building and towards the bell centred in the middle. A trap door was latched down before it, Lily having seen it before but never having used it. But with a clip of the locks, she pulled the door open and stood back upright, briefly glancing over her shoulder to look at Jacob but halting herself as she did. No, it would only make it worse.

“Use that as a way down.” Jacob watched her walked back to the ledge, easily stepping up onto the rails and her eyes never meeting his as she did so. It was almost as if he had upset her, and it didn’t sit well at all. “It’ll be a safer descent to the ground.” Like a kick to his ego, finally finding the bravery to scale the building with his grapple hook only to be shown the way to walk down again. It was definitely a step backwards, especially in front of Lily. And the ache remained as he watched her jump off and out of sight into the night.

Jacob ran both hands through his hair and tugged his locks softly in frustration, leaning back as he groaned. What had he done?

[cowgrlcunt]

“ you called me lavender , you called me sunshine “🫧 🐚🍦 ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖࣪.𖥔 ݁ ˖

[harvardfineartslib]

This week is National Wildflower Week.

Gloriosa superba is a plant grown as an ornamental in warm climates the world over, but in India and parts of Africa it occurs as a wildflower. It is a species of flowering plant in the family Colchicaceae. Common names include flame lily, climbing lily, creeping lily, glory lily, gloriosa lily, tiger claw, agnishikha and fire lily.

In Zimbabwe, it is their national flower, and it is the state flower of Tamil Nadu state in India.

The plant is toxic, but also medicinal, and has been used to treat many ailments. Be alert, however. Every part of the plant is poisonous, especially the tuberous rhizomes. It is toxic enough to cause human and animal fatalities!

It is best to enjoy the flowers with your eyes only.

This image is part of FAL’s Digital Images and Slides Collection (DISC), a collection of images digitized from secondary sources for use in teaching and learning. FAL does not own the original artworks represented in this collection, but you can find more information at HOLLIS Images.

Gloriosa superba (Maharaja Serfoji's Sarasvati Mahal Library, Thanjavur) circ. 1802 Place of production: Thanjavur, Tamil Nādu, India Watercolor on paper Indian/South Indian Repository: Sarasvati Mahal Library, Thanjavur (Tamil Nadu, India) (inhabited place) HOLLIS Number : 8001550122

[paowintergral]

do you recall not long agoo

[th3pr3tti3stprobl3m]

[thebotanicalarcade]

n16_w1150 by Biodiversity Heritage Library Via Flickr: Revue horticole.. Paris :Librairie agricole de la maison rustique,1829-1974.. biodiversitylibrary.org/page/49665458

[monarchteen]

nancy wheeler is so rory gilmore coded who is so lily evans coded

[vivalahilton]

january moodboard

[starkwlkr]

Could you do fic for Mark Webber with wife reader? (He's Oscar's manager) And they both acted like dad & mom toward Lando and Oscar, especially. Just them spending time together and worries for the boys whenever something goes wrong. Mark does his best to comfort her. Just something fluff and cute. Maybe a little surprise for Mark at the end. I'll let you decide what it was. Tag me later!! Thanks!! :))

work parents | mark webber

thanks for the request!! @pear-1206

When you and Mark were dating, you supported him throughout his career in F1. Now that you were married and had a teenage daughter, you were supporting another person in F1, Oscar. He was young, talented and skilled. You were sure that in a couple of years he would be world champion. You tried to attend as many races as you could, mostly during the summer since your and Mark’s daughter was out of school. Your daughter was studying in Harvard at the moment meaning you and Mark haven’t seen her since spring break. She had secretly made plans to surprise you and Mark at the race. Oscar was the one that had gotten her a paddock pass.

It was Oscar’s first home race so you knew you had to attend. It was going to be a special one after all. You got up early to start getting ready while Mark was getting a few extra minutes of sleep.

Mark still asleep shirtless. He looked so peaceful that you didn’t want to bother him considering he arrived home late the night before, but you had a tight schedule to follow. You walked to the bed and gently placed a kiss on his cheek.

“Mark, you have to get up, honey. Oscar might already be waiting for us at the track. It’s race day.”

“Give me five minutes.” He mumbled.

“I’ll let you do anything when we get back—” You couldn’t even finish since Mark had gotten immediately.

“We wouldn’t want to keep Oscar waiting, hurry up, love.” He tried to give you a morning kiss but you stopped him. “What? Don’t act like you care about morning breath now.”

“I already put on lipstick—”

“And you can put it on again. I want to kiss my wife.” You rolled your eyes, but gave in.

As Mark got ready, you made sure you had your paddock passes. Eventually you made it out of the house and now you were on your way to the circuit. Mark had his hand on your thigh while the other was on the steering wheel. When you made it to the paddock entrance, Oscar was waiting with his girlfriend Lily.

“Hi, I hope we didn’t keep you waiting for too long.” You said as you exited the car. “Lily, so great to see you again.” You greeted the girl.

“Hi Mrs. Webber, great to see you too.” Lily replied.

The group of four made their way into paddock, greeting fans and photographers. Mark held your hand making you remember the times when you were still dating and Mark was still racing. You followed Mark and Oscar to the Mclaren garage since Lily had excused herself to go to the Mclaren motorhome. It felt nice to be back.

“Mrs. Webber!” Lando greeted you as soon as he saw you. “Lovely to see you as always.”

“Hi Lando.” You hugged the Brit.

“No mini Webber today?” He asked when he noticed your daughter wasn’t with you.

“No, she’s in Massachusetts. She sends luck to both of you though.” Mark responded.

Oscar wasn’t one to spill secrets, but when he knew something that he wasn’t supposed to tell anyone, he would act nervous. He absolutely hated it.

“She is? Nice, right? Who would’ve thought that mini Webber would go to Harvard!” Lando and Oscar were both called by Zak so they excused themselves from the couple.

“Okay . . .” You brushed it off as him being nervous about the race. You scooted closer to Mark. “First home race must be getting to him.” You whispered.

“I’ll take care of him, love.”

“Don’t forget about Lando.”

The 2023 Australian Grand Prix was one big chaotic mess and you were there to witness it. It felt like a rollercoaster of emotions when the race was restarted again. After three red flags and 58 laps, Max had won.

“P8 for Oscar, what a race.” Mark said, sitting beside you. “You can let go of my hand now, honey, race is over.” He gestured to your hand that tightly held his. He couldn’t remember what lap you decided to hold it, but he didn’t mind.

“Thank fuck. I thought I was going to have a heart attack or something.” You let go. “I just wish my baby girl was here.”

“She’ll be home soon. Summer is just around the corner and then we’ll have a moody teen girl with a coffee addiction in our house. Doesn’t that sound fun?”

When Oscar got back to the garage, you and Mark were there to celebrate his points. “You did so well! Good job, Osc!” You hugged the driver.

“Thank you, Mrs. Webber.” Oscar smiled.

“Oh! Where’s Lando? Was it P6 or 7? Who cares? Points for the Mclaren boys!” You cheered as you left to go find Lando. Lando’s race engineer had told you that the driver was in his driver’s room so you walked to the room in search of the Brit.

As you were about to knock on the door, Lando and your daughter came out. Talk about perfect timing. . .

“Mum . . Hi.” Your daughter laughed nervously.

“Listen, I love you to death but what are you doing here? You should be in Boston!” You scolded the girl.

“This sounds like a family matter so I’m just going to go.” Lando tried to leave it you stepped in front of him. “Hi Mrs. Webber.” He innocently said.

“Good job on getting points.” You sighed and gave him a hug. “Now care to explain?”

“It was her idea! I am the true victim here!”

“You jerk!”

“Okay! Stop it.” You raised your voice. “Sweetheart, what’s going on?”

“I wanted to surprise you and dad by coming here and Lando and Oscar were helping me so I hid here. I’m only here for a couple days . . I missed you guys.” She explained.

“Yeah, what she said.” Lando added.

“We missed you too. I am definitely surprised and dad will be too. Come on, we have to celebrate the Mclaren boys scoring points!” You grabbed your daughters hand and walked together to meet up with Mark and Oscar.

Lando stayed behind a bit confused. “You’re not mad at me, right Mrs. Webber?”

[a-aexotic]

𝐛𝐮𝐛𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐦 𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡, chapter 5

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 ! 4.6k

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 ! typical gossip girl things, mention of drinking, FIGHTING!!!! (so much of it), making up ;)

➜ missing out on updates? ❪ navigation. series masterlist. taglist. ❫

You sat next to Charlene at the dining table, listening to Josie talk about the nursery for the new baby. You nodded along mindlessly, playing with your cereal as your mind raced.

Thoughts of Serena, Blair, Nate, and the tangled web of relationships swirled in your mind, each thread pulling you in a different direction. You felt torn between loyalty to your friends, the desire to maintain peace, and the need to address the underlying issues that had driven a wedge between you all. Lost in your thoughts, you absently stirred your cereal, the clinking of the spoon against the bowl serving as a distant echo in the sea of your racing thoughts.

"Y/N, did you hear me?" Your father spoke as you startled, snapping back to the present moment. You looked up, meeting your father's expectant gaze as he repeated his question.

"Sorry, Dad, what were you saying?" you asked, attempting to mask your distraction with a faint smile.

"I was asking you when the Ivy mixer is. I wanted to come by and help everyone out, I know Lily is in charge of it but I can't get a hold of her." Your father explained as he bit into his toast.

You nodded, recalling the details of the upcoming Ivy mixer. "Oh, right. I think we're finding out today at the assembly. I can double-check with Lily to make sure everything's on track, and I'll let you know if she needs any help."

"Thanks, Y/N. I appreciate it. It's always chaotic trying to organize these events." Your dad chuckled as he chewed, moving his gaze back to Charlene. "And uh... for the mixer, Josie was hoping that you'd stick with Charlene and help her get some networking done with the reps. She wants to go to Harvard, like you."

You glanced at Charlene with a faint smile but she ignored you, nodding along to what your father was saying. You resisted the urge to roll your eyes and nodded. "Yeah, sure."

"My two daughters at Harvard would be a dream." Your father grinned proudly and again, you resisted the urge to roll your eyes.

She's not your daughter, you wanted to shout but you bit your tongue and took a bite of your now, soggy cereal.

──౨ৎ──

"And then he was all like, having my two daughters at Harvard would be a dream." You mocked your father as you walked out of the assembly, Blair walking next to you as she scoffed, Kati and Isabel walking close behind you two. "And I wanted to say that she isn't his actual daughter but I didn't."

"You should've. I would pay to see his reaction." Blair smirked as you laughed, nodding along before Blair's expression dropped. She rolled her eyes and you turned to see where she was facing, finding Serena walking toward you. She was late, she wasn't at the assembly.

"Oh, too bad you missed the assembly." Blair feigned sympathy as she looked up at the blonde. "Brown doesn't offer degrees in slut," she continued with an amused expression as Serena offered her a sarcastic smile.

Blair walked away with a proud grin, leaving you and Serena alone. You and Serena both exchanged glances before bursting out laughing. It was supposed to be an insult but you both couldn't help but laugh.

As the laughter subsided, Serena shook her head, a smile still playing on her lips. "Leave it to Blair to come up with the most creative insults."

"Yeah, she definitely has a way with words," you replied, still chuckling as you glanced back at Blair, who was now chatting with Kati and Isabel.

Serena's smile faded slightly as she looked back at you, her expression turning more serious. "Hey, I wanted to talk to you about something about yesterday."

You waved it off, giving her a smile. "I'm sorry I blew up on everyone, I was just stressed out. And don't worry about it, okay? I'm sure Dan will come around."

Serena gave you a sad smile before shrugging. "I... I don't think so but maybe it's for the best. Dan doesn't wanna get involved in all this Upper-East Side bullshit and I don't blame him."

You gave her a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry, S."

Serena nodded, her gaze dropping slightly as she played with the edge of her sleeve. "Thanks, Y/N. It's just been a lot to deal with lately."

You reached out and gently squeezed her shoulder in a comforting gesture. "I understand. But hey, you've always been resilient. You'll get through this too."

Serena offered you a small, appreciative smile before straightening up, determination shining in her eyes. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Y/N."

But before you could reply, you heard Blair's voice ringing in your ear. "Y/N, hurry up we need to get to class." You couldn't help but roll your eyes as you quickly said bye to Serena, catching up with Blair and beginning to walk to class together.

The group was split up into two as you played field hockey. It was all fine up until Blair decided to keep targeting Serena and fouling her. Blair's aggressive targeting of Serena didn't go unnoticed, and it soon became clear that her fouls were deliberate attempts to hurt her.

"Blair, ease up!" you called out, frustration evident in your voice as you gestured for her to back off.

Blair shot you a defiant glare but made no move to change her tactics. Serena, on the other hand, remained composed despite the mounting pressure, refusing to let Blair's antics get to her.

"Enough, Blair!" Serena's voice cut through the tension, her tone firm as she finally stood up to Blair's relentless targeting.

"It's enough when I say it's enough." Blair snapped as she walked away, making sure to hit Serena's shoulder as she did. You and Serena exchanged looks before you sighed, continuing to focus on the game.

And finally, Serena had enough. She ran up to Blair, tackling her to the ground. Serena got on top of her and began pulling her arms as you ran up behind them, irritation on your face as you tried to break them up.

"Get off of me!" Blair shouted as Serena kept pulling on her arms. You tried to get her off of Blair to no use.

"Serena, stop!" you shouted, your voice strained as you attempted to pry her off Blair. But Serena was relentless, her anger driving her actions as she continued to grapple with Blair.

"Is that enough yet?!" Serena shouted back before she accidentally pulled you down with them, earning a grunt from you. She scoffed and got up, but not before Blair could get up. "So it's actually come to physical blows, huh?"

"Guys, what the hell?!" you exclaimed, your voice tinged with anger as you pushed yourself up from the ground, feeling the ache from the fall. "This isn't helping anyone!"

But Serena seemed oblivious to your words, her attention solely focused on Blair as she stood there, seething with rage. "You think you can just keep targeting me like this and get away with it? Well, not anymore!"

"Serena, Blair, this needs to stop," you said firmly, your voice cutting through the tension. "Jesus Christ, I mean we're friends, or at least we used to be."

Serena turned to face you, her expression still flushed with anger. "She started it, Y/N. She's been targeting me ever since-"

"I don't care who started it!" you interjected, your voice tinged with exasperation.

Serena looked back at Blair with a little bit of hesitation, sighing before speaking up. "Fine. Truce?"

Blair glared back at you and Serena before her expression turned to pained, a slight smirk on her face as she does so. "Ow! My leg!"

You couldn't believe it. Blair was faking an injury to deflect from the tension of the moment. It was a classic Blair move, but it only served to frustrate you further. You exchanged a bewildered glance with Serena, both of you realizing that Blair was resorting to her usual tactics to cause more issues.

"Blair, come on," you said, your voice tinged with irritation.

Blair winced dramatically, clutching her leg as she looked up at you with wide, innocent eyes. "I'm not faking it, Y/N! It really hurts!" Kati and Isbell ran to her side, helping her stand up as you glared back at her.

"Serena, you're outta here." The coach shouted as Serena walked off, throwing her hockey stick to the ground.

"I hope it's broken." Serena spat as she walked off the field.

You rolled your eyes as you watched Kati and Isbell help walk Blair to the nurse's office. You hated being in between them but they were your best friends, it's just what you have to do. It's part of the job but you were beginning to wonder if all of this was really worth it.

──౨ৎ──

You walked into the Ivy Mixer behind your father and Charlene, who was wearing a Harvard sweater; the same one that your father had also gotten you when you were younger. Your father seemed proud, chatting animatedly with Charlene about the opportunities awaiting her at Harvard.

You glanced around the room, taking in the prestigious Ivy League representatives mingling with students. Despite the elegance of the occasion, you couldn't shake off the tension that had been building within you since the recent conflicts with Blair and Serena.

Your father guided you and Charlene through the crowd, introducing her to some of the representatives and encouraging her to network and make connections. You watched as Charlene navigated the room with ease, her confidence shining through as she conversed with the representatives.

Meanwhile, you couldn't shake the feeling of being out of place. While you had once dreamed of attending Harvard, recent events had left you questioning everything. Did you even want to go to Harvard now apparently, Charlene had to attend too?

"And my daughter, Y/N is the Student Council president of the school. She is also second in her class." Her father spoke as you nodded along, shaking the hand of one of the Harvard reps.

You had worked hard to earn your position as Student Council president and to maintain a high academic standing, but now it all felt hollow. The pressure to live up to your father's expectations, to uphold the family reputation, felt suffocating. And now, with Charlene also vying for a spot at Harvard, it only added to the weight on your shoulders.

"I see you're running low on champagne, would you like me to find you another glass, sir?" You asked politely, offering to assist the Harvard representative in replenishing his drink.

The representative nodded appreciatively, offering you a grateful smile. "Yes, thank you. That would be lovely."

You excused yourself from the conversation with a polite nod and made your way to the refreshments table, your mind still consumed with conflicting thoughts.

You looked up to meet the eyes of Dan, a polite smile on your lips. You didn't know him well but you still felt gulity about the whole Serena and brunch thing, oh and the whole thing with Chuck and Jenny. The poor guy can't catch a break.

"Hey, Dan," you greeted him, setting down the champagne bottle. "I thought you were the Dartmouth usher?"

Dan returned your smile, though there was a hint of hesitation in his expression. "No, Nate is. I thought... actually never mind."

"I know. You deserved to get that position." You whispered as he nodded sheepishly.

Dan's expression softened at your words, a grateful smile tugging at his lips. "Thanks, Y/N. I appreciate that."

You saw his gaze wander to behind you, you turned around to meet Serena's blue eyes. She walked toward the table, irritation on her face.

"Let me guess, Blair?" You asked and pretended to be shocked when she nodded, Dan letting out a soft chuckle. "Would've never guessed. What did she do?"

"Well, you know how I wanted to go to Brown. And she wanted to go Yale? Well now, somehow, we switched. She's talking to the stupid Brown reps and I'm stuck with the Yale reps." Serena explained as you and Dan exchanged looks.

"Oh, yeah. I get it. I mean since you don't actually have to worry about getting into college, why not make the whole evening about screwing over Blair?" Dan spoke sarcastically as he tried to hand her a drink.

You looked in between them, concern etching your features. Dan seems pretty bitter about the whole thing but you couldn't even blame. And as if things couldn't get even more awkward, Nate walked up to the table, looking at the refreshments.

"Hey." Serena turned to greet Nate, only to be completely ignored. You couldn't help but stifle a laugh as you took a sip of your drink, watching the whole thing.

"Wait, you're seriously not gonna talk to me? Like literally not speak?" Serena's voice held a mixture of disbelief and frustration as she looked at Nate, who remained silent, his gaze fixed on the refreshments.

Nate finally looked up, his expression unreadable as he met Serena's gaze. "Hey."

"Oh, much better. Thanks guys." She sighed, looking in between the boys before looking back at you. You gave her a sympathetic smile before she gives you a thumbs up, walking away.

"That was cold, Nate." You spoke, slightly amusement in your voice as you finally began refilling the champagne.

He glared back at you and you put your hands up in mock surrender as you exchanged a glance with Dan, who looked like he was enjoying the scene. Silence settled in between them before Dan spoke up.

"So, um... what's he like?" Dan asked, referring to the Dartmouth rep.

"Like a Dartmouth English lit professor I have nothing in common with. Guess I could tell him how I got everything because I'm an Archibald." Nate rambled slightly as Dan's expression turned from amused to sympathetic. You took that as your cue to leave, nodding your head to Dan as you walked away.

You put all the drama in the back-burner for the night, deciding to just engage with the Harvard rep. You were slightly glad to see that Charlene began talking more to the Princeton rep, allowing you to focus on your conversation without distractions.

You couldn't help but keep looking through the glass door, watching Nate as he talked with Dan. You noticed when he walked away and when his father tried to pull him back, but he pushed him away. It looked tense but you couldn't afford to get distracted, you just focused on talking with the Harvard rep.

You thought the rest of the evening would go smoothly up until you and Blair got up to announce this year's local institution they were going to sponsor.

"Can I have everyone's attention please?" Blair spoke as she walked up toward the podium, a polite smile plastered on her lips as you followed close behind. "Welcome again to the Constance Billard St Judas Ivy Week Mixer. I'm Blair Waldorf, chair of the the community outreach committee."

You plastered on a polite smile as well. "And I'm Y/N Winfrey, Student Council President."

The crowd began to clap before you continued. "Every year, our schools choose to support one local institution that we feel benefits our community."

"This year, our schools have chosen to honor the Osteroff Center." Blair continued as the crowd applauds. "This semester our choice is a very personal one because the center has helped one of our own."

Your expression suddenly turns to a confused one as you turned to face Blair. This was what she was not what we planned to say. Your eyes scanned the crowd and they fell on Serena and her family and it suddenly dawned on you.

"It's because of their excellent program which aids so many young addicts and alcoholics that a student here with us today is clean and sober." Blair spoke, feigning concern. "At least for now. Can I please have Serena van der Woodsen join us on stage?"

Your jaw dropped but you tried to keep your composure. You couldn't believe Blair. Serena slowly walked up to the stage and glared at Blair, not even acknowledging you.

"Don't try to deny it, Chuck saw you." Blair whispered as you tried to keep a smile on your face, trying to hide the inner panic you feel at the moment. Blair pulls you aside, making sure that Serena is the main focus as the crowd begins to clap.

"Hi, I'm Serena van der Woodsen. I just want to thank my friend Blair Waldorf for recognizing the Osteroff center and all the good things they do. Thanks Blair. Oh, and of course our president, Y/N." Serena puts on a fake smile as she begins to clap, the crowd clapping along.

"At the center, one of the main things that we learn is forgiveness. About how in order to move forward with our future we must forgive those who have wronged us in the past. And we must ourselves ask for forgiveness from those whom we've wronged. Without this forgiveness, innocent people-"

"Alright, thank you Serena. Thank you." She cut her off with a smile as the crowd claps again, Serena walking off the stage. You gave her a sympathetic smile as she walks away, making sure to push Blair slightly so that the crowd could focus on you again.

With a forced smile plastered on your face, you stepped forward to address the crowd once again, trying to regain control of the situation. "Thank you, Serena, for sharing your story with us. And thank you, Blair, for your efforts in organizing this event."

You took a deep breath, pushing down the rising frustration within you. "As Serena mentioned, forgiveness is indeed a very important aspect of moving forward. And tonight, let's remember the importance of supporting each other, even in times of adversity."

The crowd responded with polite applause, but you could sense the tension lingering in the air. But before you could even address Blair, she walked off the stage.

You ran after her, pulling on her arm. "Blair, that was a low blow, even for you."

As you pulled on Blair's arm, she turned to face you, her expression unapologetic. "Oh, please. It's not like I said anything that wasn't true."

But you held on, your frustration bubbling to the surface. "No, Blair, I won't let you brush this off. What you did to Serena was cruel and unnecessary. You publicly humiliated her in front of everyone. And not just anyone, college reps! That is insane."

Before Blair could respond, Serena came up to her with a tired expression. "What the hell was that? So we good now? We square?"

"No because nothing I do will ever be as bad as what you did to me." Blair spat as she glared up at Serena.

"Look, I'm asking you, please. I'll stop if you will." Serena's voice was hurt as she looked down at the brunette.

"You're just saying that because today, you lost. And you're gonna keep losing." Blair's voice was sharp with bitterness as she glared up at Serena.

Before Serena could respond, you let out a groan as you looked in between your best friends. "I'm done with both of you. Are you serious right now? You are acting like a child, Blair. You have no idea what you did up there, it wasn't even Serena-"

"Y/N, stop. No." Serena stopped you before you could continue.

"Why do I even bother, I'm done. I am done with the petty drama and catfights," you exclaimed, frustration evident in your voice as you turned away from Blair and Serena.

Serena reached out, grabbing your arm gently to stop you from walking away. "Y/N, wait."

You pulled your arm out of her grip and walked away and out of the mixer, you were calling it a night.

"Even Y/N's done with your bullshit, Serena." You heard Blair scoff as you walked off. You didn't even know where you running off to until you were there.

You were in the back of building and you saw Nate sitting on the bench, a blunt placed perfectly on his lips as he took a drag. You knew exactly where to find him. He looked up and noticed you, taking him by surprise.

You didn't say anything, all you did was sit next to Nate on the bench as you put your face in yours hands. You looked up at Nate and he gave you a faint smile before handing you the blunt.

You took a deep drag and you felt your lungs burn up. It had been a while since you'd swore off smoking but you needed, especially after the day you had. And apparently, so does Nate.

As you sat there next to Nate, passing the blunt between you, a heavy silence settled over the both of you. It was a strange comfort, finding solace in each other's company amidst the chaos of your lives.

Eventually, Nate broke the silence, his voice soft. "You okay?"

You let out a humorless laugh, shaking your head as the smoke swirled around the two of you. "Not really."

Nate nodded in understanding, his gaze fixed on you. "Yeah, me neither."

"What's got you all stressed out?" You spoke, leaning back on the bench as you looked back at him.

"My dad." He replied and you weren't surprised. "He wants me to go to Dartmouth and I keep telling him I wanna keep my options open. But he just ignores it. And now he's making me stay with Blair because of-" He paused as his eyes widen, realizing he's revealed too much.

You shake your head, urging him to continue. "I won't tell."

"He said I can't break up with Blair yet because he needs the Waldorfs on his good side because of business." Nate's voice trailed off, his frustration evident in his expression. "It's just... everything feels so out of my control, you know? Like I'm being pulled in all these different directions, and I don't know which way to go."

You listened quietly, understanding all too well the weight of family expectations and the pressure to please others. "That's... messed up," you muttered, unable to hide the concern in your voice. "Your dad shouldn't be pulling strings like that, especially when it comes to your personal life."

Nate let out a sigh, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Yeah, tell me about it. But what can I do? He's not gonna listen to me."

You nodded in understanding, knowing all too well the weight of familial expectations. "It's tough, but you'll figure it out. I know you will."

He returned your smile, a glimmer of gratitude in his eyes. "So what's going on with you? I thought you gave up smoking."

"I could say the same for you, Archibald." You teased as he let out a little chuckle, his falling back but his gaze still fixed on you. "It's a long... long story. I wouldn't even know where to begin."

"Let me take a guess," Nate sat up and turned to face you fully. "You feel like you're constantly being pushed and pulled between Serena and Blair. And the whole daddy issues thing hasn't fixed itself either."

Your eyebrows furrowed at Nate's very true statements. Could he really read you that well or was it really that obvious? You were speechless for a second as Nate let out another laugh.

"I've known you since we were kids, Y/N. I can read you better than anyone else. And plus, it isn't anything new. Serena and Blair have always fought and you've always been in the middle." Nate's words hit home, and you couldn't deny the truth in them. He had always been perceptive, able to see through the facade you sometimes put up for others.

"Yeah, you're right," you admitted with a sigh, running a hand through your hair. "It's just exhausting, you know? Trying to keep the peace between them while dealing with my own issues. Trying to keep everyone happy while feeling like I'm constantly being torn apart. And now with my dad pressuring me about college while also replacing me with Charlene."

Nate listened attentively, his expression sympathetic. "I get it, Y/N. It's a lot to handle. But just know that you're not alone in this. I'm here for you, always."

You looked back at him, a sudden surge of gratefulness hitting you. And suddenly, gulit hit you like a ton of bricks. The whole thing with Serena and Nate, you completely shut him out. You let out an exhale, not really knowing what to even say.

"I'm sorry, Nate."

"Why are you sorry?" He muttered as he looked back at you, concern evident in his features. "I should be the one apologizing. I've been an asshole."

"And I've been a bitch." You replied as you both smiled. You both laughed softly as Nate shook his head.

"It doesn't have to be complicated, you know?" Nate started, his voice soft as he looked at you with sincerity in his eyes. "We've been through a lot together, and I don't want things to be so hard between us."

You sighed, not really knowing what to say.

"Look I meant what I said at the Kiss on the Lips party, I'll forget about my feelings if it means we get to stay friends." Nate whispered as he looked back you, his voice gentle.

"But what if-"

"There's a million what if's, Y/N. And they don't matter." Nate spoke, coming off harsher than expected. "The whole honest truth is the last six months you've been gone have been hell. I have no one who I can be honest with and-and no one I can call at 3 in the morning because I can't sleep. No one I can genuinely depend on to listen to me."

You felt a pang of guilt at Nate's words, realizing the impact your absence had on him. "I'm sorry, Nate. I didn't realize..."

"It doesn't matter, I just want you in my life." Nate's gaze softened as he reached out to squeeze your hand reassuringly. "And we'll stay completely platonic because that's what you wanted, right?"

No. You wanted to shout no but as you thought about Blair and the million other things keep you guys apart, all you do was nod. "Right."

A smile began curving on his lips as he let out a relieved sigh. "Then it's settled."

You smiled back at your best friend. "It's settled."

You guys both gazed at one another for a few more seconds before he spoke up. "We should shake on it. You know, our handshake."

You let out a laugh as you suddenly remember your guys' secret handshake. It had been a while but how could you forget it?

With practiced ease, you and Nate stuck out your hands and intertwined your fingers, executing the series of moves that made up your secret handshake. As you finished, you both laughed again, feeling a sense of normalcy wash over you.

As you finished the handshake, Nate gave you a playful nudge. "See? Nothing's changed between us."

"Nothing at all," you agreed, feeling a weight lift off your shoulders.

You both sat there in silence for a while longer, the weight of the evening fading slowly. In that moment, sitting there with Nate, you felt a sense of peace wash over you. Maybe things would be okay, eventually.

Or maybe they wouldn't. But for now, you had each other, and that was enough.

[littlemisswriter]

Saving London - Final Part

Summary:

Sometimes distance doesn’t heal estranged lovers. There was so much to say yet only silence from internal conflict. But when that conflict turns into real danger, will there be enough time for Jacob and Lily to put aside fears and speak their truths?

Hiya, I have FINALLY finished this AU series with this final part. It is definitely longer than the others as it wraps everything in this storyline up. I hope you have all enjoyed x

-

Time had dragged on agonisingly slow, being a little over a week since Lily had leapt from the clock tower alone that night. She hadn’t been any less preoccupied with her gang or leads that aided her against the Templars, but that hadn’t meant her mind had been elsewhere. Her last interaction with Jacob had left a heavy pull in her chest that she couldn’t shake no matter how she attempted to remedy it. In the time apart, the two hadn’t seen each other, with good reason. Well… that hadn’t been entirely true.

Only after the second day of the encounter with a tremendous amount of overthinking had the assassin gotten restless. She remembers fighting back and forth between her head and her heart as she paced through her carriage on what to do. She left Jacob so coldly, and the poor man didn’t deserve it in the least, especially when he had opened up his heart to her. It did not sit right. So against her better judgement, she leapt from the train and made way to his usual patrol spot. Her legs anxiously taking her through the streets, keeping to the shadows with her hood pulled up to avoid recognition; and to hid away her turmoil from those that glanced over long enough to notice.

Taking higher ground was a better alternative, knowing it would inherit a better chance of stealth when all she had intended to do was spy. Having intention to do just that would make anyone think she was mad, but Lily had to see him, even if for a brief moment.

And she had, finding him stood alone in the alleyway with a few urchins scarcely stood around a close bonfire in attempt to get warm. The assassin crouched down along the roof, brows furrowing as she lay eyes on the man watching over the area; his eyes turning to the children every so often before looking back out onto the street.

He kept to himself mostly, not engaging as much with his comrades as he usually did as his mind was helplessly elsewhere. It was hard to detect his expression, his face hidden under another hat he acquired for himself, though his body language in itself was very telling. And the guilt that seeped into her thoughts was heavy, inhaling heavily as she soon made way from the area through the rain that began to set in.

That night days ago hadn’t left her mind; Jacob hadn’t left her mind if she was being completely honest. She had really left an impact on him. And herself too. Lily did her best to push through it all and remain her usually cheeky, light-hearted self, but it was tough. There was no denying that she missed gazing onto his smile when they were together, or how they reeked havoc whenever they visited the pub to share a pint. Most of all it was his company she missed, how he was one of the very few that could reach a genuine laugh from the woman, and somehow always finding themselves in mischief in situations they definitely should not be in.

Expressing emotions wasn’t one of her strongpoints, having shut off that part of herself when she was very young. And now she seemed to be paying the price. Growing up as an assassin was very lonely, the lifestyle was hidden under an oath as well as her true identity. And the memories and experiences she had were vividly different from those of anyone else, yet she had to keep it all a secret; a lesson she had learnt very early in life. With all that in mind, it’s what made it difficult for her to create any real intimate connections with people. Yet her heart yearned.

There was something special about that man, something that ignited a fire in her after a long time. It was a feeling that didn’t come to her often. But this past week had her realise that she could not deny her heart anymore no matter how hard she tried.

The rain was incessant and the days long. That type of weather usually brought her a sense of peace, and now it acted as white noise that she found herself lost in. Her body swayed every now and then as Bertha tracked another mile along the tracks. The carriage that she sat in was warm with a golden hue lit by the surroundings candles. Her body slouched back into the lounge as she listened to Henry Green, her ally and friend, stand before her and speak of another endeavour about this Precursor Artefact he had been infatuated with since the day they met. His interest never differed from it, always so focused on this so called ‘shrowd’ and all the relentless study that came with it.

Henry didn’t feel fieldwork was his speciality, but rather being in the confines of a room with his nose in a book. He planned and strategized; it was what he was best at. So, a lot of the times, Lily had been the one to venture out on his behalf for these findings of his. It hadn’t been all bad however, it kept her busy as well as everything else she dedicated herself to.

“-a material that speaks of something rather interesting. The Kenway mansion, the original home of the assassin and pirate, Edward Kenway, that lived here right in London over a century ago!” He placed the book down that he was holding, putting his hands on his hips as he sighed, revelling in this new revelation he had discovered. “It’s all rather fascinating, and I will need your help to find…” He trailed off, turning around to look back at Lily, though she appeared deeply lost in thought. His brows furrowed as he stepped closer to her, the woman not reacting to his movement as her eyes loosely locked onto the safe across from herself. “Miss Harvard?” His call was enough to snap her out of whatever trance she was in, lifting her chin from her palm as she averted her wide-eyed gaze back onto Henry. “Are you quite alright?”

“Yes, of course. My apologies, Henry. Do go on.” She straightened her posture, sitting upright as to prove to her friend that she was now attentive. But Henry could see past it, slowly coming down to sit by her side as he looked over the assassin with a hint of worry.

“You don’t seem yourself, if I may be so bold.” Her demeanour wasn’t as well hidden as she thought. But then again, the assassin was quite perceptive. “Is there something bothering you?” Lily’s mouth opened to reply but she had not truly had an answer for him. So, she sealed her lips once more and glanced away, confirming with certainty what Henry had already suspected. “You know, it’s not best to keep these things cooped up, Miss Harvard. It won’t do you any good.” Henry knew she was bold and confident with most things, but it had become obvious overtime that important, more personal topics, were ones that she tended to avoid. He understood, but he still didn’t like to see his friend suffer so.

Yet she still hesitated, being close with the man didn’t mean that it made it any easier on expressing how she felt. It was not the assassin way. Not her way.

“You mustn’t worry, I am fine.” She attempted to deny his questions of worry with a small smile, but the man was not naïve. He could only give her a concerned look, tilting his head as if conveying the message that he knew her words did not ring true. And she knew he was a smart man, and to continue to feign contentment in front of him would almost be an insult t his intelligence. So, she sighed, dropping the façade as she leant further down into her lap, elbows resting over her knees as her fingers laced loosely together.

“You know I am always here if you wish to talk,” he coaxed her gently, “we can speak of business at another time when you tell me what bothers you so.” His words gentle and his patience astounding at times. But it seemed to be enough for the woman to concave, sighing as she took a moment, doing her best to rattle her thoughts together enough to explain it the best she could.

“I just…” She looked to Henry, the man easily sat waiting for her to speak her mind. She sighed again, “I believe that… I may have,” she looked down to her feet, “possibly grown affections for someone.” The last part was spoken quieter, almost like she was embarrassed to admit it. And she didn’t receive an immediate response which stemmed her worry, so she looked back up at Henry to see him offering a small warm smile. It had her blink back as she felt heat rush to her face at the confession. But she continued on. “But it’s all so difficult. I pushed him away.” Henry listened intently, as a good friend. “And now I’m tormented with nothing but regret.”

Her eyes slowly drew up to her targets on the board, each Templar tied to the Mastermind of it all: Crawford Starrick. It reminded her that there was an entire city outside this carriage that needed her, whether it knew it or not. A goal that she was willing to risk her life for in a fight against oppression. It was that simple, or so it had been. Now she was riddled with other prioritise other than herself, something very new to her. It was all overwhelming. Henry too had turned his sights onto the same thing, eventually looking back to Lily to see her mind whirring faster than she could comprehend. She looked lost and torn at the predicament.

But a hand placed gently onto her shoulder had it stop, her attention pulled back onto her friend. The two shared a silent moment, as if Henry was offering her a moment of peace with a reassuring look. It had done nothing less than confuse her, trying to salvage her thoughts the best she could as she had shown too much already.

“What is his name?” He took his hand back, the question unexpected. She couldn’t believe she had finally told him and that they were truly speaking of this out loud. Lily could have laughed if she wasn’t so pent up. Her eyes drifted elsewhere, and she couldn’t help but twinge a smile at the thought of the Rook.

“Jacob.” His name rolled off her tongue like silk, a reflection of her thoughts on the man.

Henry could see by her small smile that Lily had indeed held deep affections for this fellow. Her feelings deeper than she had realised, but to the watchful eye, it could not have been clearer.

“What a splendid name.” Henry nodded, doing his best to lighten her spirits. “You know, I understand that our Creed dictates us to disassociate from such feelings. I have even been told that having these personal feelings could compromise missions.” Lily looked up at Henry once more as he went on, “but I am not against one person loving another.” The way he saw it, you could train an assassin to detach themselves from people as much as you’d like. But the one element that no one could ever take away from you, was your humanity.

His words planted a new thought into her head, that maybe she had been looking at this all wrong; even going so far as being too harsh on herself. And especially too harsh on Jacob.

Henry wasn’t what most others would deem a true assassin. He was seen as softer than the others due to his hesitation of violence and fieldwork. But maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing; it offered a different perspective. And though she never would have believed it, her heart slowed as did the weight in her chest lift ever so slightly. She faced danger and even death quite regularly, so what harm would it do to indulge in your feelings every once in a while?

“Go to him.” Her eyes widened as he nodded, glancing towards the carriage door as if to encourage her to do so. “I am still gathering as much intel as I can on the Kenway mansion, so it can wait a little while longer.” Her expression was nothing short of surprise as he offered her his own kind smile. “Love like this doesn’t come across a person every day. And if you don’t try, you might spend the rest of your life regretting it.” That was certainly something she did not want.

Her gaze tore over to the very door Henry insinuated at, conflicted as she did so. But he was right. If she didn’t take this opportunity now, she might very well miss it. So, with a hard swallow, she stood up to her feet and released a nervous exhale before slowly smiling with one last glance to the assassin.

“Thank you, Henry.” With that, she exited the train. The locomotive was not near a station, yet it didn’t deter the woman, jumping down onto the open tracks as her shoes squelched from the terrain beneath her.

Of course it was now raining harder than before. But she was determined, pulling her cowl from her robes over her face as she made haste to the Strand. She hadn’t known how long she was running, but her speed never slowed. She was on a new mission, and time only slipped away the longer it took her to reach the man.

The sight of the usual area Jacob would patrol came into her vision, weaving past two carriages along the cobblestone which earnt yells from their drivers. But she paid no heed. Her heart race sped up as she turned the corner to the alley with expectation to see the Rook there, though just as quickly as it sped up did it drop to find him nowhere in sight. Lily didn’t understand. Her brows furrowed as she instead set eyes on another two Rooks in Jacob’s place; she approached the brute and woman adorned in green. They seemed pleasantly surprised to see their leader, greeting her as such as she came before them.

“Well ‘ello Miss Harvard, we didn’t expect to see’s you out in such damning weather.” The two genuine as they attempted to converse with her, however her mind was elsewhere so she kept it brief.

“Glad to make your acquaintance. Now, I am indeed in a hurry, looking for a Rook as it may. His name is Jacob Frye, he usually patrols this area. Where is he?” The assassin was quite direct, looking between them impatiently as they looked sceptically at each other. It was an odd request yet very specific. But they could see time was of the essence and neither wanted to face the trouble of delaying her any longer.

“He’s been moved Miss.” The woman spoke up, an arm raised over her head to keep the rain from her eyes the best it could, though it had already saturated her head to toe thoroughly, so the attempt was in vain.

“Moved? Moved where? Why?” She hadn’t known of this and certainly did not arrange it as such.

“Well, it was an impulsive idea it was. There’s been trouble in the city for the past few days and our numbers are dwindling, ma’am.” She explained.

“It’s the Blighters,” the brute added, “they’s doing their best to seize back the burrow as we took all the rest, we ‘ave.” Lily cussed under her breathe. She had heard of a rally within the city but thought nothing of it, truly believing that the Rooks numbers would outweigh the threat. And her mind had been occupied elsewhere over the past few days that she hadn’t truly the time to orchestrate something more efficient to deal with it. Now it appeared to be catching up to her. “Miss?” She snapped from her thoughts and offered a simple nod.

“Thank you. I must make haste, but do continue your patrol here and kill any Blighter that so much as looks your way.” The tone was loud and clear; the assassin not messing about. With that, she turned and made way from the pair. The order of violence condoned by the leader herself momentarily silenced the two, the female Rook could only nod in understanding beneath her hand as she watched the assassin become but a figure in the distance. Her sights turned to her associate, the brute looking a little too chipper by the toothless grin on his face. Her eyes rolled as she smacked his shoulder and turned, the man confused as he followed after her.

“What?!”

Lily came to find a vacant carriage on her way through the street, slowing down to turn on her heel as she commandeered it without second thought. It had been too bad if somebody had needed it, but there were other important matters at hand.

She whipped the horses faster, doing her best to navigate from one burrow to another through the rain, using her eagle vision as aid every so often to avoid running into anything along the way. Lily’s mind was solely on reaching Jacob. Still nervous to face him and express her feelings, yet now there was another dire matter at hand; his safety. Torn in her mind between how she would even approach him after everything she had done, and worried to find him in some sort of conflict that left him helpless at the hands of the Blighters.

No, she couldn’t think that way. He was trained well enough to hold his own. Besides, if she knew anything about the man, it was that he was stronger than he thought. His will alone will keep him alive.

At this time, she could only rush to him, deciding that she would figure out her confession later. It was as Henry said, if she didn’t do this then the regret would weigh her down for the rest of her life. Lily simply had to reach him first.

Finally, she recognised the change of burrow, coming into the city though unsure of where to begin looking. Going back to her training, when in doubt or stuck, retrace your steps and use the resources around you. Somebody knew where he was, and she needed to find that somebody.

Meanwhile, the rain in the city from Jacob’s view was all the same. His eyes cast up to the skies as he felt the heavy droplets splash against his skin. His hat and coat had done a reasonable job at keeping him relatively dry. His eyes lowered back onto the area ahead, patrolling it with two other Rooks by his side. They appeared at somewhat ease despite being reinforcements for this trouble the Blighters had been stirring. There was yet to be a sighting of a redcoat, but that hadn’t meant they were out there lurking in the shadows.

“Lovely weather, isn’t it?” The muscled Rook of the three spoke up, looking back to Jacob as the young man could only nod with a brief forced smile. “Who’d wanna be inside when you could be drenched out here instead?” He walked ahead of the others, acting as a barrier to scare off any enemies that came their way.

“I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not, Barry.” The other Rook, smaller in size but just as reckless shook his head, his fingers latched together and sat snuggly against the back of his neck. His arms outstretched wide as he glanced over to Jacob as Barry chuckled. “Eh, don’t let him bother you. He’s a buffoon if nothing else.” He nudged Jacob’s shoulder with his elbow.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” A light tease that didn’t reach his eyes. Luckily no one could truly see them. Jacob’s head was elsewhere that night, seeming to be unable to focus properly on his duties since his last encounter with Lily. The glimpse of her face ran through his mind, quietly sighing to himself as he remembered that evening at the clock tower. Though another memory came by it next, the image of his sister, Evie, approaching him various times throughout the week with concern of his changed behaviour. A twin could sense it like no other, and each time she asked if he was alright, Jacob had only shrugged off her questions. It worried her to see her brother so quiet; he was anything but and his lack of enthusiasm had been consuming him as of recent.

Jacob shook his head at the thought, pushing past it back to the present moment. He had relived that rejection enough; the last thing he wanted to do right now was talk about it, let alone think about it. All it did was bring back those emotions. He was a Rook for god’s sake! He needed to pull himself together and let it go. He tried and failed on his own account; it wasn’t as if Lily owed him anything. She was his boss, that’s all it was.

The sound of a sudden gunshot was heard as it pierced through the rain. The three now repressed regret of letting down their guard earlier when trouble was near. “Stop, boy!” The Rook beside Jacob held his arm out, halting the two to a stop. Jacob’s eyes widened slightly as he lay eyes on the larger man before them. He had stopped in his tracks and made no response when he was called upon. “Barry?”

His head slowly tilted to the side before his body fell backwards. He was a hard hit to the ground, immediately rousing concern from the others. But as his friend stepped closer to inspect him, Jacob grabbed the back of his jacket to stop him in his tracks. “Don’t.” Jacob said, now on alert as his eyes stared directly at the hole in the man’s chest by the sounding bullet not mere moments ago. Blood had mixed with the rain, sliding down Barry’s abdomen as he looked up blankly at the sky. His expression of shock was his reaction before his life ended, and it was engraved into Jacob’s brain.

Then, another shot followed by another.

“We’re under attack!” Jacob yelled as he ducked for cover, the other Rook doing the same as he pulled out his own pistol. The sound of active fire became all he could hear, turning his head around the corner to now lay eyes on four Blighters that emerged side by side. It was a surprise attack, and there hadn’t been another Rook nearby that could be called upon as backup. It was now two against four.

They came into line of sight leaving the men no choice but to engage in a brawl. A knife clasped sturdy in Jacob’s hand as the first Blighter made contact. Swinging away with her own knife, the weapon larger than his own putting him at a disadvantage. “You fuckin’ savages!” His fellow gang member, now forced out into the open, shot openly though the bullets not seeming to hit the intended targets. The weather doing its best to cast haze and confusion over the few. Though one of those gunshots was met with a guttural groan, Jacob looking back to see his only other ally now following the same fate as his friend. His heart dropped as he came to realise he was now the only one left, and this woman swinging wildly at him would not let up her attack.

His head snapped back to her as she gained an advantage, kicking under his legs to have him land hard against the ground. Jacob groaned, not having enough time to catch his breathe as the Blighter began roughhousing with him. She jumped onto his chest, sitting on top of him as she attempted to violently murder the man. The madwoman screamed, trying to stab him viciously as he evaded her weapon every time by a whim. The rain and panic of the situation had done him no favours in this moment, and even if he were to push her off, there were three others waiting to snatch him up. It was nearly hopeless. Nearly.

He still had his own knife, taking hit after hit as he waited for an opportunity to inflict his own damage. So with a yell, he swung his arm around and pushed the blade into her side, another cry came from her, this one of agony as the weapon had imbedded itself deeply into her side. The assaults stopped, her body becoming stiff as he panted, pushing her off him and scrambling to his feet. He would have reached for the knife back if the other Blighters had not began making way at him; Jacob stumbling back now unarmed as he turned, running in the opposite direction into a nearby alleyway.

Hopefully he could lose them with sharp turns and tight crevices. His life depended on it. If he could just make an escape back to other fellow gang members than he would be safe to fight for another day. But his chances were looking slim. And then, impossible as he found himself at a dead end. He yelled out in frustration, attempting to climb the wall, but the rain had deemed it too slippery. “Christ!” He hissed, gaze than landing on his gauntlet as he promptly aimed it to the ledge. But luck was not on his side, the mechanism jamming and not doing the one thing he needed it to do. “Christ!” He smacked it a few times, half in hope to get the device working, and the other half in frustration that it had let him down as it did.

Dark laughs then echoed behind him as he spun on his feet, back against the wall as he watched the figures slowly come into light. It was like watching animals prey on their victim, enjoying the kill more than the feast. “Well, well, little flightless bird, are your wings broken?” One called out, mocking him as he swung a machete around. Jacob swallowed hard as his eyes narrowed, growling beneath his breathe as they closed in.

“Well if they weren’t before, they’re surely gonna be now.” This was it. Nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. It only left one option; to fight. If he didn’t try than he was as good as dead anyways, so why not go down with a hefty brawl?

Jacob pushed himself off the wall, stance straightening as his fists balled, standing ready for what was to come. His show of readiness gained a few more chuckles, one Blighter slapping the other across the arm as he feigned fear with a dark grin. “Looks like the little raven wants to fight. Shall we humour his last wish?” Jacob stood in silence, eyes moving between the three as they slowly put away their weapons before advancing on him. He needed to remember the basics of delivering a hard hit alongside countering any attacks. And though he fended himself off relatively well for a little while, he had taken more hits than he was ready for.

“C’mere you!” One yelled, jumping at him a moment too soon. Jacob took the opportunity and grabbed him by the arm, twisting it behind his back before slamming the Blighter into the ground. It was one hell of a fight, and sometimes the man forgot his own strength until he really needed it.

If only Lily could see him now.

“You lit’le bastard!” His attempt was however futile, being knocked off by another, yanking him over and onto the wet, muddy terrain. A fist was felt over his face, inducing a loud ringing to start throughout his ears, followed by another. The action was repetitive and Jacob knew that this was where he was beat. He hadn’t known what to do, if there was anything he could really do.

But then came a turn of events, and the hits stopped. He blinked back, coughing from the pain of the blunt force, feeling the blood from his nose slip down and over his lips. Not a pleasant taste.

The Blighter above delivering the hits reciprocated that of his muscled friend earlier. Lifeless. His arms dropped limply to his sides as his eyes rolled back into his head as his body rolled off and onto the ground beside him. It startled the others also as they all gazed down onto the throwing knife now lodged into the back of his head.

The remaining two Blighters seemed alarmed, looking back up the alleyway to now see a dark silhouette standing at its entrance. Jacob’s eyes widened the best they physically could, his heart almost stopping at the realisation of who it was. There was no mistaking it.

A shuddering breathe came as he could almost feel a wash of relief run through him. His eyes shut momentarily, thanking the grace of god, or whoever it was, that decided that tonight was not yet his time. The remaining Blighters that once held the upper hand now stood uncertain at their new opponent, and while they had been distracted, Jacob attempted to pulled himself back to his feet.

“Who the bloody hell are ya?!” The silhouette never answered but simply closed the distance slowly. Each heavy step they took was deliberate, an element of control as their identity remained unknown. The mystery to who exactly killed their friend with such precise aim did nothing less than embed fear through their stomachs. Neither Blighter would confess it, but they hadn’t a need. You could hear it through their racing heartbeats if you stood close enough. “Leave now! We’re warning ya!”

“Clive… you don’t suppose that’s…” The man originally wiped off his feet by Jacob muttered, looking over to his friend that did not dare to turn his eyes away from the silhouette. “I’ve only ever heard of her. Not from anybody that lived to tell the tale-”

“Shut you fuckin’ mouth!” A hiss came his response as the man pulled back out his knife as he stood ready, the hairs on the back of his neck standing as his fists clutched tightly around his weapon. “You ain’t know who that is!”

Her pace picked up, unsheathing her hidden blade as she did so. Slashes of blood dripped from the tip of the weapon, as if taunting its next victims of their fate. It was in that moment that they knew, the infamous Rook leader now found them and cornered them in their own trap.

“Ah! To hell with it!” The brute swung his knife above his head and charged toward the assassin. Her calm demeanour compared to his friend’s erratic one was enough to tell all of how this interaction would end. He swung first, arm wide to gain speed and strength to his intended strike, though it was all in vain as it never hit its target. His attempt was unmatched to her speed, the assassin finally picking up into a run to gain momentum. There she easily slid between his legs, digging her foot into the ground to gain traction so she could spin around and deliver horrible slices to the back of his knees. He cried out in pain, his legs giving way as she stood, face contorting into one of anger before lodging the blade into the back of his neck.

“Christ! Clive!” A takedown seeming so effortless yet so precise, and the last Blighter standing knew he was next. He looked back to Jacob now leaning against the wall with a hand to his face, anger stemming through him as he yanked out his pistol and aimed it at the gang leader. His hold had been the furthest from steady however, hands shaking as she pushed over the brute and kicked away his knife. “Take another step and I’ll put one right through you!” She turned, unmoving before facing her body toward him completely. He swallowed hard. “N-not another step or I’ll end you right now!”

Her neck craned slightly sidewards, huffing quietly under her breathe at the empty threat before daring to take a step forward. The Blighter’s reflex was fuelled by fear, pulling back the trigger instinctively. But to no avail. The gun had been empty. His eyes widened as he looked at his weapon before bringing his sights back onto the assassin that sheathed her blade.

“Seems like you’re all out.” She spoke, flicking her wrist into her robes and pulling out her own gun. It was too fast to intercept or even process what was happening. There was a gunshot, pain, and then nothing at all. A perfect bullseye between his eyes; the Blighter falling lifelessly into the muddy ground as a result. Jacob swallowed hard once more as he pulled his gaze up onto the woman. His expression softened as she scanned the area; there were no more threats in sight. She ensured it was absolutely safe before letting out a breathe she hadn’t known she’d been holding onto; so cooped up in anger at what they had done to Jacob and her Rooks. She had let off a little steam in what came to be a small massacre. None of it enjoyable, but no less satisfying.

Lily pulled her hood down, the rain hitting her face immediately as she locked eyes with Jacob. It had been the first time in a while they stood face to face, and she could have only wished it was under better circumstances.

His face and body sore, more likely to ache later, but for now it was durable as he set focus on the woman before him. She made way towards him, side stepping the body as he watched. His stance straightened subconsciously as he pushed off the fence, wiping droplets off his face as she came before him. Jacob’s arms now dropped by his sides as he watched her scan over his physic. Lily was assessing the damage those thugs had inflicted on the man, eyes catching onto a few droplets that he had missed. They started down his temple and along his jaw to his chin.

There were no words spoken, Jacob still believing that Lily was actually there in front of him. It had been too long, and he didn’t know what to do or say.

But he needn’t do anything as Lily made the first move, not wasting another moment as she closed the space between them to press her lips against his. Jacob was in shock, feeling her press against him as she did in a way he had been yearning for. His brain malfunctioned, comprehending what was happening. Yet despite the cold weather, he felt warmer with her against him. He came to, finally processing that Lily was kissing him, with a passion that conveyed more than words could in that moment. Humming in delight, he shut his eyes as he kissed her back, his hands coming to her sides as he kept her close.

The kiss lingered, telling how much needed it was between them. Though Lily had been the first to pull away, hands raising to cup his cheeks as she looked over his face once more. There was going to be bruises for sure, but nothing that would deter her attraction from him in any way. “I’m sorry, Jacob.” She whispered. It was the first thing to come from her. Her eyes fluttered down to his nose where a thin streak of blood caught her attention, her thumb lowering to wipe away at it. He flinched slightly, her touch immediately gentler though he hadn’t let her open the distance between them despite. He wanted her close, needed her. “I never meant to hurt you.”

“Lily,” he shook his head, “it’s okay.”

“No, it’s not.” She wouldn’t let him give in that easily. There was a need to explain herself to him, it was the least he deserved. “That night at the clock tower, I didn’t kiss you and I’ve regretted it ever since.” He raised his hands to hold onto her elbows, offering a form of comfort as she went on. “It wasn’t because I did not want to. I just could not let you because there is too much you don’t know.” She sighed, dropping her gaze from his eyes, earning a reassuring squeeze from him. “I just…” She lifted her head once more. “You mean more to me than to allow you to blindly get too close. It wouldn’t be right.”

“Lily-”

“Please,” she stopped him, “you need to hear it from me.” She was adamant to be honest and upfront before he made any kind of decision of their companionship. “If you want to be with me, and I mean, truly… want to be with me, then you deserve to know the truth. Everything. And then,” she sighed, “then you can make a decision.”

That was it, it was finally off her chest as she offered him every part of herself. Jacob looked between her gaze, cracking a soft smile as he lifted his hand to her cheek. His touch was exhilarating; her eyes fluttering momentarily as her hands ran down to his chest, still weary of his current condition.

“Look at me.” And she did, the man briefly pressing a soft kiss to her lips as he thumbed her cheek. “I have already made my decision.” He dryly chuckled, groaning as he did by the ache in his chest. Lily soothed it the best she could with her hands. “Truth be told, I made my decision the moment I laid eyes on you.” Her fingers loosely clutched his shirt as her heart yearned at his words. “No matter what you tell me, I’m not going anywhere. As long as it’s by your side.”

She was touched and knew that her feelings were in too deep with this man. It was all or nothing. And for that reason, she quite liked the sound of it.

“All right, Jacob Frye,” she mused, finally cracking a small smile of her own, “let us get out of this weather. There should be cover nearby.” Lily lowered her arms and went to step away, but Jacob grabbed her wrists softly and stepped forward closing the gap. He stole yet another kiss from the assassin, doing his best to make up for the one he had lost all those nights ago with as many as he could now. And Lily could only smile, her chest no longer heavy as she pressed into Jacob’s arms.

[cowgrlcunt]

♱ we are angels forever, forever angels 🪽 ♱

[yourstrqly]

★ . . . 𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐘!, 𝐍𝐃𝐕𝟐𝟏

pairing: nyck de vries x schumacher!reader

the second schumacher kid is trolling the paps with her new, still (seemingly) unknown bf

liked by ginaschumacher, sebastianvettel, yourbff and 50

y/nschumacherpriv break from uni never felt better !!

mickschumacher das letzte Bild? Ernsthaft? 🤢 the last picture? you fr y/n?

y/nschumacherpriv sehe kein Problem damit Zwerg ;) don't see a problem with it dwarf

nyckdevries 🖤

liked by y/nschumacherpriv mickschumacher love you too bro y/nschumacherpriv mick u annoying piece if shit, i'm not sharing nycky w u 🗡 mickschumacher he was mine first hoe nyckdevries girls there's enough of me for both of you lilymhe is there really little man? 🧐 nyckdevries oi alex stop using lily's acc for shitting on other people lilymhe NEVER y/nschumacherpriv #cancelalexalbon2023

daily mail — y/n schumacher and boyfriend passionately kissing in the streets of london once again!

at the beginning of july 2023 the middle child of formula one driver michael schumacher and his wife corinna started to tease the public by hanging out with a brunette man, who's yet to identify even through they're openly affectionate.

mick schumacher has shared in an interview with sky that the family already met the boyfriend and couldn't be more happy as he knew him before his sister dated him and trusted him — the youngest schumacher cheekily added that he hoped for the boyfriend to survive his messy loudmouthed sister.

this presented us with an idea: what if y/n is dating another driver? it could be possible as mick mentioned to knowing him first and being close friends.

as long as y/n and her mysterious man won't share their relationship with the public, we have to sit back and wait in anticipation — maybe they'll slip up in the future when trolling the paparazzi.

caption of the story: nyck came back and is still alive 🙏🏻

y/nschumacherpriv ey ich fahre sehr gut sebby :( ey I'm driving very well sebby sebastianvettel klar y/n . . sure y/n y/nschumacherpriv :((

monaco gossip ; EXCLUSIVE — y/n schumacher and boyfriend nyck de vries put on a loved up display as they're on romantic holiday in monaco

y/n schumacher, second daughter of sports couple corinna and michael schumacher, and her boyfriend nyck de vries put on a loved up display as they're on a romantic holiday in monaco, where de vries has lived when he was an active formula one driver.

the 25 years old student went all out with a chill afternoon date, followed by enjoying the sunny weather outside in the streets of monaco, gently kissing each other and holding hands.

schumacher's younger brother mick had shared that he knew his sisters boyfriend before the now cozy looking couple met — which makes sense as mick and nyck both drove for the prema team in formula two years ago. we come to the conclusion, mick had introduced his teammate to his sister and from there romance blossomed.

de vries, gotten dropped by alpha tauri for daniel riccardo, had announced last month to begin studying at the harvard university where his girlfriend also studies by the way!

y/n schumacher and nyck de vries were something we didn't expect but we surely wish them the best.

liked by pierregasly, ginaschmacher, arthur_leclerc and others

nyckdevries snoepje is a bit sad about the fact that the cat and mouse game has finished and our biggest fan dailmail wasnt the one to uncover us. to quote her at our dinner with the friends: they're a bunch of losers. love you snoepje little candy

oscarpiastri dinner was great, y/n should do a cooking class

y/nschumacherpriv thank you my aussie friend, i'd totally do it (you would be my first student) oscarpiastri i dont need cooking classes y/nschumacherpriv they video of rob and you cooking eggs tells me a different story . . . oscarpiastri :(

y/nschumacherpriv i love you hotstuff

nyckdevries 🖤

y/nschumacherpriv you're so hot 🥵

nyckdevries you're hot too aaaaand we could do some hot stuff ;) y/nschumacherpriv gimme ten mins hotstuff charloslestappen NOT THEM BEING HONRY ON MAIN load more comments

midnighcts my eyes ARE blessed. they're HOT, and STUNNING, simply AMAZING, SHOWSTOPPING

alblondos can't decide if i want to be with her, him or both

mickschumacher still can't believe you chose her over me nyck, I thought what we had was enough 😩

y/nschumacherpriv mick, shut up, I won't share him with you, get that in your small brain nyckdevries i'm sorry bro :( mickschumacher its fine, i'm slowly getting over it y/nschumacherpriv wdym with "i'm sorry"?! there's nothing to be sorry abt 😑 nyckdevries . . . y/nschumacherpriv we're done hendrick mickschumacher i have space for you nycky 🥰 ginaschumacher idiots. all of you are idiots

hamiltonslegend the schumacher siblings >>>>>

rina's masterlist ; i really enjoyed writing this and I miss the little man (who's a cm bigger than me but idc he's a smol bean !!)

[f4iry-bell]

WHO AM I? | 2

pairing: nerd grayson x popular reader

warning: miscommunication? indirect mention of segs but nothing direct or explicit.

taglist (permanent) : @unnoodles @nqds @alwaysthefangirl @clarissaweasley-10 @benny1989fredd @imaseabear @never-enough-novels @elysianwayy77 @whatsamongus @sheisntyou @emelia07 @cassie6392

series taglist: @inmyheaddd

word count: 1.4k

a/n: hope you guys like it, next part will have grayson with GLASSES. JAMIE CAMEO AND MY JAMIE X NERD READER FIC CROSSOVER LOWKEY

part 1 | masterlist

Grayson tried hard not to think about her because he knew that she would have probably forgotten about him by now. There is nothing interesting about him anyway, unlike her. It was getting harder and harder for him to ignore her because they share a class, and well now his Instagram feed is filled with her because he made the mistake of stalking her page the night after their little disagreement. In defense, she was too pretty not to stalk, and everything about her was attractive.

_

Unlike what Grayson might think, Grayson was in her head. Everytime her ‘friends’ say something to her his words will be playing in her head like a broken record. She realised it first when she told her friend Lily that she got an A in her business class and Lily said “Thanks to Grayson. Don't you love being pretty and doing nothing?” in a mocking way. Lily didn't believe her when she said she actually worked on the project, and even caught up on the lessons. 

But Lily laughed “You? Stop joking. You barely know what is going on in class.”

“I do!” She protested but Lily just kept making fun of her for being dumb as if she is anything better. On top of this, the guys she's friends with acted like jerks making awful inappropriate accusations about her and Grayson. She denied them all, but she didn't like how they responded.

“Of course. You wouldn't go for someone with no social status in college.” One of them said. 

Everything after that evening was just proving Grayson’s point. She noticed how mad her friends get when she posts them and forgets to tag them in her story. Or how they'd always want her to post the best pictures of them and always post the pictures in which she isn't that great. It was tiring at one point. 

After two weeks of this realisation and madness she texted Grayson. 

Hey, I'm sorry for calling you a jerk. You were right about my ‘friends’ ;/ 

To which Grayson replied immediately.

G:It's alright. 

Are you mad at me?

G: Why would I be?

Because…I was rude to you.

G: It's fine. I forgive you.

Thanks xo

Grayson wanted to text further and keep the conversation going but he just liked the message and left. Truth is he didn't know what to text her. He knows her but he doesn't know her enough to keep a conversation going. But lucky for him she texted him. She double texted him. It must mean something, right?

Are you asleep?

G: No.

Me too. Also may I know why you're so anti-social? You are sort of cold but sometimes you even crack funny jokes, a VERY interesting person. If you just try, people would love to be friends with you.

G: I don't like people, they're annoying. Always in my business.

Oh! 

G: Yeah.

Good night, gotta sleep.

He didn't know what to reply to, so he just liked and left it. Did he do something wrong? Why didn't she keep the conversation going? He got comfortable in bed to text her for another hour or however long she wanted. 

_

It was the Harvard and Yale football match. Normally Grayson would look into crypto currency or read the newspaper but since his brother Jameson Hawthorne is coming to see the match he has no choice but to go. He wore a burgundy shirt paired with beige pants, he didn't exactly ditch his suits but his brothers forced him quit wearing suits to college, they said someone might mistake him for the professor. Grayson was sitting on the bleachers waiting for Jameson who was late. He looked around taking in his environment and his eyes landed on her. She always stood out from the crowd, she was sitting with her ‘friends’ but she wasn't talking, she was just on her phone. Her hair was done up to a high ponytail, and she was wearing a red sweater. She looked so beautiful.

“How long are you going to stare?” Grayson immediately looked up to see Jameson standing with snacks.

“I wasn't staring.” Grayson tried to deny it.

“Sure.” 

“I wasn't.”

“Look! She's looking at you!” Jameson pointed which got an immediate reaction from Grayson. He looked back at her to find her still on her phone. “So?”

“So?”

“Who is she?” Jameson asked.

“No one.”

“Didn't act like no one the way you looked.” Jameson smirked.

“A friend, I think.”  he wasn't sure.

“You think? Tell me what is it with her?” He asked.

“There's nothing.” Grayson told him.

“You sound like you want something to be there, though.” Jameson read his face.

“Stop analysing me, I thought you were skipping your psychology classes.” Grayson said.

“That was before.”

“Before what?”

“I'll tell you mine, if you tell me about her and what's with you and her.” He asked.

“There isn't anything, Jamie. We didn't hit off well at the start—”

“I'm shocked!” Jameson commented to which Grayson glared. “Sorry, continue.”

“And then we were assigned as project partners. We did more than just the project—”

“You said nothing!” Jameson interrupted.

“—As in we studied. Will you stop interrupting? And I told her that her friends I'll treat her, she was in denial, called me a jerk. She came to realise. She apologised, we texted and then suddenly everything was…off? I don't know why, I thought she wanted to be friends or talk. I don't exactly know what I was expecting but when she stopped texting me, I was disappointed” He tried his best to put everything together.

“Woah. Okay, show me your texts.” Jameson demanded.

“No.”

“I'll help you.”

“With what?”

“To get her! You clearly like her or else wouldn't fret about a girl not texting you!” He took his phone out and gave it to Jameson, Jameson read their texts and spoke.

“You told her you don't like people.” He said.

“I did. Which is true.”

“Idiot. She probably thought she was annoying you by texting you.” Jameson chuckled.

“What? No. I wanted her to text me.” 

“Well, you gotta up your game. Tell her that you like talking to her, ask her out.”

“No! She doesn't know me well enough for me to ask her out.”

“Well, just tell her that you didn't mean everyone, okay?” 

_

Grayson thought of texting her but he decided to tell her directly. He walked to her table in the cafeteria and waited for her to turn to him. Her friend noticed him first.

“Another group project, nerd?” Lily said, rolling her eyes.

“Stop it, Lily.” She stood up from her seat to talk to Grayson. “Hey.” 

“Hi.” He was so nervous.

“What is it?” She asked.

“Can…Can we talk?” God, did he just stutter?

“Uh, sure.” 

They both walked further away from the table and then he spoke.

“A few days ago when I texted you saying I don't like people…” His heart was beating so fast, she looked so pretty he couldn't focus.

“yeah?”

“I didn't mean you.”

“Huh?”

“You, I like you.”

Her eyes widened.

He immediately spoke. “As in, you're not bad, not like I like you romantically, I like you because you're nice. You're not everyone.” His words came out so fast.

She chuckled. “I got it, Grayson. No worries. Is that all?”

“Yes.”

“Well, thanks for saying. I actually thought I was annoying you.” She chuckled.

“Jamie was right.” He mumbled, which she heard.

“Who is Jamie?”

“My brother.”

“Oh?” She was so confused.

“He was the one who told me that you might have thought that I included you in the ‘everyone’” He chuckled awkwardly.

“You told your brother about me?*m” She asked with a smile.

“He sort of forced it out of me.”

Her smile widened. “I'm glad that you did. Because I kind of missed you.”

His heart stopped and started beating again. “You did?”

“Yeah. I missed how you randomly say random facts or one of your many talents.”

He blushed. He actually blushed.

She chuckled at his reaction. “Hey, do you want to hang out after college? There is a party.”

“Party isn't really my scene.”

“Oh, okay. Sorry.”

“Don't apologise. And I'll be there.”

Her eyes lightened up. “Well, okay.” She chuckled. “Have you been to one before?”

“2”

“Woah. Mine is like 20 times or something” she chuckled. “I'll send you the details. 

part 3 →

[carniferous]

dil do you have any spare thoughts on jegulus 🤲🏼

jegulus is like a years-long social experiment i keep expecting someone from harvard university to pop out of nowhere and be like Jegulus was a an engineered mass-hallucination for the purpose of seeing if a harry potter yaoi ship between two characters that have never interacted on account of being dead for years at the start of canon could make it to the top 20 most popular ships on ao3

lmao no but in all honesty jegulus is my favorite… if you couldn’t already tell from. the 100k+ words of fanfiction i’ve written about them. they’re the doomed love affair of All time to me. and like… the doomed aspect is very important and compelling to me. not to plug my own fucking fic but this will always be a core part of my jegulus thesis:

He worries that he’ll always wish to be back there, waiting for Regulus’s call. Decades will pass, a lifetime, and the wish won’t fade. He could love a thousand people and nothing will ever compare to the frightening, purposeful way he loved the first time. No one will ever know him so bare and uninhibited as he was at sixteen. The thought scares him so much that he almost throws up again.

it’s the first love and the first end of love that changes you so fundamentally. you can never love like that again bc you’re no longer capable of it. you are a fundamentally different person now bc of that love. it’s this

jegulus is also the love story that wasn’t meant to happen yk? i joke about this all the time but also it’s so serious to me. in a canon setting their love story is always woven through the gaps in the Narrative. they love each other despite the story they’re supposed be living out… and they have no choice but to live that story out! regulus has to take the dark mark. he has to die. james has to marry lily and have harry. he has to die. all in all their love changed nothing about their story but it also changed both of Them so fundamentally. just not in ways that are apparent to anyone but themselves

we also cannot ignore sirius….. sirius!!! sirius might be more important to jegulus than james and regulus themselves. he is the inadvertent crux the accidental catalyst. he would never ever dream of james and regulus falling in love he would actively stop it if he could but he CANNOT bc he’s the reason it happened. regulus and james are only aware of each other’s existence because of sirius. they’re bound to each other by the fact that they cannot separate themselves from sirius.

but i don’t think that james wants to save regulus because he saved sirius. i think james is aware of the fact that he Didn’t save sirius. sirius saved himself. and therefore james understands the differences between regulus and sirius and wants to save regulus himself. he wants to be the white knight rescuing the princess from the tower. he wants to give regulus a better life. and regulus wants that more than anything…. but he doesn’t believe in it. he can’t let himself hope that james is telling the truth bc if he is then it means that Sirius was telling the truth and regulus can’t bear that. it’s this endless misunderstanding……

i think a lot of jegulus fans make the point about how “love isn’t enough to save someone” and while i do think this is a correct statement… the only thing that can save regulus is love. there’s nothing else for him there’s nothing he’s been denied in life except love and connection and if he let himself believe he could have those things…. he could walk out!! james COULD save him!!! love CAN be enough

send me ships/characters !!

[thebotanicalarcade]

n13_w1150 by Biodiversity Heritage Library Via Flickr: The botanic garden ;. London :Simpkin & Marshall,1825-. biodiversitylibrary.org/page/52536096