#love that they flew to london for like half a month for this

[clairedaring]

THIICHA ทิชา — 2024, dir. Koo Ekkasit Trakulkasemsuk

[lvnleah]

I've become obsessed with Dancing With The Stars and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders because apparently I'm a sucker for American reality TV shows despite being from the UK and them being impossible to find half of the time 🤦‍♀️😂

So how about Leah with American reader who is a part of one of those?? Either a dancer for the DWTS or a cheerleader and just a fic about their relationship with the time difference, maybe Leah introducing her to the team and them going to a live show/'football' game

distance | Leah Williamson

thank you for this request! I loved writing it <3

It was a typical night, but you weren’t complaining. The late-night FaceTime calls with Leah had become the highlight of your days, no matter the time difference. You were used to it now—navigating your schedules, adjusting to the reality of a relationship in two different countries. But tonight felt special. It always did, knowing you’d soon be together again.

You stretched out on your bed in Dallas, feeling the weight of a long day of cheer practice and events with the Cowboys. It was your third season, and even though the intensity had become second nature, the exhaustion still crept up on you. Your mind was running, though, thinking about the months you’d spent apart from Leah and the fleeting moments you’d shared over the phone.

You glanced at the clock. It was nearly midnight in London, but Leah’s face was already lighting up your screen as her call came through.

“Hey, you,” Leah’s voice came softly through the phone, a mix of warmth and exhaustion. It was late for her, too.

You smiled, propping yourself up against the pillows. “Hey, babe. You look good, even for someone who just got home from a match.”

She grinned, rolling her eyes. “I wouldn’t say good, but thanks. How was practice?”

You laughed, a little embarrassed, “It was good. We’re prepping for the big game next week, so it’s a lot of rehearsals and stunts. You know, the usual. But honestly? I can’t stop thinking about you.”

Leah’s smile softened, “I miss you so much. The time difference sucks, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. This time apart is just… it makes me want to hold you even more when you’re here.”

You felt your heart swell with her words. “I know. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it. We make it work. We always do.”

You and Leah had met last summer in Ibiza, you weren’t very clued up on women’s football so had no clue who she was. However, she knew exactly who you were. You both hit it off instantly and before you knew it you’d spent the whole holiday together and were parting ways. 

Both of you stayed in contact and late-night FaceTimes became a regular thing. After a month of being apart, you flew out to spend the weekend with Leah where she took you on your very first date together. It wasn’t long before you were being split up again and your life in Dallas resumed. 

You didn’t see Leah for two months after that but you two were constantly FaceTiming. Leah managed to fly over to Dallas in January where you were able to spend two weeks together and that’s when things became official. 

After those two weeks together in Dallas, you and Leah kept FaceTiming constantly. You had date nights over FaceTime and often fell asleep with each other on the phone. 

Early February rolled around and your season was officially over. You had until May off so decided to fly out to London where you spent four months living with Leah. It gave you a proper idea of what life with Leah would be like in London and you completely fell in love with it. 

When May came, you flew back to Dallas and didn’t see Leah until August when Arsenal came to Florida for a preseason friendly. You were able to get those two weeks off to spend with her. Since then you hadn’t seen her but that was all about to change. 

It was now October and you had a bye week, meaning you had no games whatsoever so was able to fly to London to spend it with Leah. 

A comfortable silence passed between you two. You could hear the soft hum of Leah’s apartment in the background. “You still coming this weekend?” she asked.

You grinned, nodding eagerly. “Yes. I can’t wait. I’ve got a few days off, and I’m flying out to London. I’m counting down the hours.”

Leah smiled again, a glimmer of excitement lighting up her eyes. “It’s going to be so good. I’m going to make the most of the time we have.”

The conversation flowed easily from there. You caught up on each other’s days and talked about everything and nothing. As usual, the call was filled with laughter, teasing, and the underlying knowledge that you wouldn’t have to rely on technology for much longer. 

Days later, the reunion finally arrived. You stepped off the plane at Heathrow, jet-lagged but buzzing with anticipation. Your suitcase rolled behind you as you made your way through the terminal, eyes scanning the crowd for the woman who had stolen your heart.

And then you saw her. Leah stood there with that familiar smile, her eyes locking with yours across the crowd. She was wearing a simple jacket and jeans, but at that moment, she might as well have been wearing a crown—because to you, she was everything.

You dropped your suitcase with a laugh and rushed toward her, your heart racing as you reached her. She met you halfway, wrapping her arms around you in a tight, relieved hug. The scent of her perfume, the warmth of her body, the feeling of finally being together again—it was better than you had imagined.

“I’ve missed you so much,” Leah murmured into your hair, her voice thick with emotion.

“I missed you too,” you whispered back, holding onto her just as tightly.

The warmth of her embrace made everything else fade away, and for a moment, all that mattered was the two of you standing there, holding each other.

The next day, Leah took you on a tour around London. The day passed in a blur of laughter and sightseeing, but Leah had something else planned for the evening. She led you to Arsenal’s training ground, where you were about to meet some of the people who meant so much to her. Despite being together for a while you were yet to meet them properly. 

“Ready to meet the team?” Leah asked as she guided you through the familiar halls of the facility.

You smiled, feeling a little nervous, but mostly excited. “I think so. I’ve heard a lot about them from you.”

Leah grinned. “They’re gonna love you.”

You followed Leah through the training ground, her hand warm in yours as she navigated the halls with ease. The faint sound of laughter and chatter grew louder the closer you got to the team lounge. Your nerves bubbled under the surface, but Leah gave your hand a reassuring squeeze, her calm energy helping to steady you.

As you entered the room, a burst of energy hit you like a wave. Teammates sprawled on couches, some laughing, others mid-conversation, all looking completely at ease in their home away from home. The sight of Leah caused a ripple of acknowledgement to spread across the room.

“Look who finally decided to show up,” Beth’s voice rang out first, a teasing grin on her face as she spotted Leah. 

Leah chuckled and pulled you closer. “Everyone, this is Y/N. Be nice, or else.”

The room erupted in laughter, and you couldn’t help but smile at how relaxed everyone seemed. The first to approach was Beth, her grin warm as she extended a hand.

“Hi, I’m Beth. I’m sure Leah’s told you all about me,” she said with a wink, pulling you into an unexpected hug before you could respond. “It’s about time we met. She talks about you constantly.”

You laughed, surprised but comforted by her immediate warmth. “Good things, I hope.”

Beth grinned mischievously. “Mostly.”

Leah groaned playfully. “Beth, don’t scare her off.”

The introductions continued, each offering their blend of humour and friendliness. The team’s camaraderie was palpable, and though you’d been nervous, their welcoming nature quickly put you at ease.

As the evening went on, you found yourself in conversation with Beth, who was easy to talk to and shared a similar sense of humour to yours. Leah watched from a distance, her heart swelling at how seamlessly you fit in.

“I can see why Leah’s so smitten,” Beth said at one point, nudging you lightly. “You’re good for her. She’s been different—in a good way—since meeting you.”

Your cheeks flushed at the compliment, but you felt a sense of pride, too. “She means a lot to me. I’d do anything to make her happy.”

Beth nodded approvingly. “Good answer. But you’d better get used to having all of us around. Leah’s family now, and we’re part of the package.”

By the end of the night, you felt like you’d known the team for years. Leah pulled you aside as you were leaving, “See? I told you they’d love you.”

You smiled, leaning into her touch. “I can see why you love them so much. And I can’t believe I clicked with Beth so quickly. She’s amazing.”

Leah chuckled, wrapping an arm around your waist as you walked to the car. “Told you. Now you’re stuck with all of us.”

You laughed, resting your head on her shoulder. “I think I can handle that.”

The weekend soon arrived, and with it came a sense of anticipation as you made your way to the stadium with Leah’s family. You had attended a few matches with them before, and each time, you felt more at home in the chaos of the crowd and the electric atmosphere of the stadium. 

Leah’s mum, Amanda, greeted you with a warm smile as you arrived at the box. You had always got on with Amanda, her kindness and openness making it easy to feel like you belonged. She had a way of making you feel comfortable, even in the most high-energy environments.

“Y/N, it’s so good to see you,” Amanda said, pulling you into a hug. “I’m so glad you could make it today. It’s going to be a great match.”

“Thanks for having me,” you smiled, returning the hug. “I’m excited to be here, especially with all of you. I’ve missed this.”

As you walked into the box, you were greeted by Leah’s grandma, Berny, who was already settled in with a cup of tea. Her eyes sparkled with warmth as she waved you over.

“Come sit, love,” Berny said, patting the chair next to her. “We’ve got a good view for this one, haven’t we?”

You settled into the seat, and the conversation flowed easily. You and Amanda chatted about life back in Dallas, while Berny made lighthearted comments about the match that had everyone laughing. It felt natural like you had always been part of their little circle.

As the match progressed, you found yourself absorbed in the excitement, cheering with Leah’s family and sharing in their joy when Arsenal scored. The atmosphere in the box was electric, and you couldn’t help but feel proud of Leah, watching her play with such intensity and grace.

During halftime, Leah’s brother Jacob joined you all in the box after running a bit late. You had met him a few times before, and the two of you had hit it off instantly. His easygoing nature made it easy to get along, and today was no different.

“Hey, Y/N,” Jacob said with a grin as he stepped into the box. “How’s it going?”

You smiled, giving him a quick hug. “Good to see you, Jacob. How’s everything been?”

“Same old, same old. Just here to cheer on the sis,” he replied, plopping down beside you. “Nice to see you here!”

You chuckled, “Wouldn’t miss it for the world. And, of course, Leah’s match.”

Jacob grinned. “Yeah, she’s got a pretty good track record. Can’t wait to see her out there. She’s been on fire lately.”

You both turned your attention back to the game, cheering along with the rest of the family. The match was thrilling, and by the time the final whistle blew, Arsenal had claimed a solid victory. The excitement was palpable, and you could see the pride in Leah’s family’s eyes as they clapped and cheered for the team.

After the match, Leah made her way up to the box, her face glowing from the adrenaline of the game. She immediately caught your eye, and her smile softened when she saw you there with her family. She waved and made her way over to join you all, her arms wide open for a hug.

“Hey, babe,” she said, her voice warm and filled with affection as she wrapped her arms around you. “How’d we do?”

“You were amazing as always,” you said, squeezing her tightly. 

Leah beamed, clearly pleased by your words, before turning to her family. “Did you all enjoy the game?”

Amanda gave her a proud smile. “We always do. You were brilliant, sweetheart.”

Berny raised her cup of tea in a mock toast. “Couldn’t be more proud of you, darling. You played like the champion you are.”

Jacob grinned. “You were on fire, Le. I swear, every time you step onto that pitch, you get better.”

Leah laughed, clearly humbled by the praise, but you could see the pride in her eyes as she looked at her family. It was obvious how much their support meant to her, and how much she appreciated having them there to cheer her on.

The rest of the evening was filled with laughter and easy conversation. You could tell Leah was content, surrounded by the people who loved her most. And as the night wound down, you felt a deep sense of happiness—being with Leah, in her world, surrounded by her family, felt right.

Later, as you walked back to the car with Leah, she took your hand in hers, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“You did great today,” you said softly, smiling up at her. “It was so good to see you in action again.”

Leah grinned, her eyes twinkling. “Thanks, babe. But honestly, it’s just better when you’re here with me. Feels like everything’s right when you’re by my side.”

You leaned in for a quick kiss, your heart full of warmth. “Well, I’ll always be here. You’ve got me for good.”

The days flew by far too quickly, and before you knew it, your last evening with Leah had arrived. You both decided to keep it simple—just the two of you, no distractions, making the most of your time together. Leah insisted on picking up pizza from a local spot she loved, and by the time she returned, the smell alone was enough to make your mouth water.

You had already set up the living room for a cosy evening, draping blankets over the couch and lighting a few candles. Leah walked in with the pizza boxes stacked in her hands and a mischievous grin on her face.

“I got your favourite,” she said, setting the boxes down on the coffee table. “And maybe a little extra because I know how much you love pizza.”

You laughed, pulling her into a hug. “You know me too well.”

The two of you settled onto the couch, Leah pulling you close as you both dug into the pizza. The TV played softly in the background, but the focus was more on each other than anything else. You talked about everything—plans for the next time you’d see each other, the little things you’d miss, and the memories you’d made during your visit. It felt bittersweet, knowing this was your last night together for a while.

As the evening wore on, you found yourselves tangled up on the couch, Leah’s arms around you and your head resting on her chest. She absentmindedly traced patterns on your arm, her voice soft as she spoke.

“I hate that you have to leave tomorrow,” she admitted, her tone laced with sadness. “It feels like I just got you back.”

You tilted your head up to look at her, offering a small smile. “I know. I hate it too. But we’ll make it work like we always do.”

Leah nodded, her lips pressing gently to your forehead. “You’re worth it, though. Every second apart, every long-distance call… it’s all worth it for this.”

The two of you stayed like that for hours, soaking in every moment together. By the time you made your way to bed, it was almost midnight, but neither of you wanted the night to end.

The next morning came all too quickly. The soft light of dawn filtered through the curtains as you quietly got ready, trying not to wake Leah. But as you slipped on your shoes, you felt her arms wrap around your waist from behind.

“Trying to sneak off without saying goodbye?” she murmured, her voice thick with sleep.

You turned around, cupping her face in your hands. “Never. I just didn’t want to wake you.”

Leah gave you a sleepy smile, her hands resting on your hips. “You could’ve woken me. I don’t want to miss a single second with you.”

Her words made your chest ache, and you pulled her into a tight hug, burying your face in her neck. “I don’t want to go,” you whispered, your voice breaking slightly.

“I don’t want you to go either,” Leah admitted, her hold on you tightening. “But we’ll get through this. We always do.”

The drive to the airport was quiet, the weight of your goodbye hanging in the air. When you finally arrived, Leah walked you to the security checkpoint, her hand firmly in yours. The moment felt heavy, both of you trying to hold it together.

“I’ll call you as soon as I land,” you promised, your voice trembling.

Leah nodded, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “And I’ll pick up, no matter what time it is.”

You leaned in for one last kiss, slow and tender, trying to pour every ounce of love into that moment. When you finally pulled away, you saw a tear slip down Leah’s cheek.

“I love you,” she said softly, her voice cracking. “So much.”

“I love you too,” you whispered, forcing yourself to take a step back. “Always.”

[wileys-russo]

blurb or fic idea: Alessia moves in with Leah when she’s first getting settled in at arsenal so she can take time to look for her own place, and Leah thinks of her as like a younger sister and wants to look out for her. Alessia has a secret girlfriend that only tooney knows about and one weekend when she thinks Leah has gone away she invites you to stay over. Leah comes home early and finds them together. just super soft and cute with some sisterly like banter with Leah and Alessia?

new house rule II a.russo

alessia instantly perked up the moment that she heard the three singular knocks, unable to get to her feet fast enough. the sounds of her hurried footsteps made you smile as you adjusted your bag on your shoulder and the door flew open.

"hi baby!" "hi love."

"you're here!" the blonde beamed, scooping you up into a tight bear hug making you laugh and wrap your own limbs around her taller form. "i missed you." you breathed out with a smile as she placed you back down on your feet.

"i missed you. just a week away from you felt like a year!" alessia groaned dramatically making your smile widen as you leaned up and pressed a few sweet kisses to her rosy pink lips, grinning as a slight blush coated her porcelain cheeks.

the two of you had only been officially seeing one another for around two months now, though had been on a few dates before the clumsy blonde had finally stammered her way through asking you to be her girlfriend on the fifth one.

you were keeping things quite private though, very much so enjoying the little love bubble you existed in together without anyone elses opinions, especially with your girlfriend being arsenals latest grab and a champion of europe.

the only person who knew was tooney and that was completely by accident when she'd answered alessia's phone for her when the blonde was in the bathroom, and was taken aback by the cheery hi baby that had sounded in her ear.

"are you sure its okay i'm here?" you worried as your girlfriend tugged you inside the london flat which was not hers. "of course." alessia grinned, pulling you into her body again and connecting your lips.

"leah's away all weekend so we have the place all to ourselves baby."

or at least, that's what alessia thought.

it was only hours later that leah sighed and thanked her uber with a tired smile as he dropped her off out the front, hauling her exhausted form out of the car with a deep sigh. murmuring another thank you as the man handed her her bags out of the boot, leah slung her bag over her shoulder and grabbed the handle of her suitcase rolling it up the driveway.

she glanced at the unfamiliar car parked on the curb outside but shrugged it off assuming one of her neighbours just had company for the evening.

the conference she was supposed to attend on behalf of toca social all weekend had been a complete disaster, poorly organised and incorrectly funded. it was all too easy for leah to flash a pearly white smile and a half concocted excuse before she slipped out a whole day and a half early.

though as she stuck her key into the front door the english captain frowned seeing it was already unlocked. stepping inside and dumping her bags with a relieved exhale, she made a mental note to gently remind alessia about locking up after herself.

she could hear the tv blaring down the hall in the living room and assumed thats where her blonde friend and newest teammate would be as leah made her way toward the kitchen.

she'd given the girl practically no choice in moving in with her while she searched for her own place in london, having always looked after her and several of the younger england girls like sisters, and secretly was quite enjoying alessia's company.

though leah couldn't help but roll her eyes at the state of the kitchen, dirty dishes piled in the sink and flour coating the top of the counter where the young italian had of course taken it upon herself to make pasta from scratch.

"such an overachiever." leah grumbled, wasting no time quickly wiping things down and placing stray ingredients back where they belonged, grinning as she saw the leftovers sitting in the fridge which were practically calling her name.

though as leah grabbed out the bowl and pulled her head out of the fridge her eyes landed on the two wine glasses abandoned on the counter, and the two sets of cutlery and two bowls in the sink, and let out a small chuckle as it clicked.

contrary to leahs assumptions and the younger girls insistence she would just enjoy a quiet weekend, alessia was not here by herself.

quickly placing the bowl of pasta into the microwave and flicking it on for a minute leah strode out of the kitchen and down the hall to the living room, shaking her head at the loud volume of her tv which had likely drowned out any chance of alessia even hearing leah was home.

she was right, of course.

as leah leaned in the door frame of the living room she folded her arms over her chest and quirked an eyebrow at the scene before her. her blonde roommate was sat back on the sofa, lips locked passionately with a mystery girl laid out on top of her who was straddling the strikers lap, rolling her hips into alessia’s as the italian’s hands gripped her waist.

the two would occasionally pull away and mumble something before giggling like lovesick teenagers and resuming their previous activity, movie on behind them seemingly just white noise as they remained infatuated with one another.

so infatuated they hadn’t even clocked they were being watched.

"thanks for the leftover pasta less."

alessia's head swiveled around behind her suddenly with wide eyes as she jumped to her feet, sending the poor girl on her lap tumbling to the floor with a yelp of surprise as leah had to bite down on her bottom lip to stop the grin of amusement which wanted to spread across her face at the scene.

"leah I- you're back early." alessia stammered out, face flushed red with embarrassment at being caught as she fiddled nervously with her hands. you quickly yourself up off the floor and refused to meet leahs gaze, staring down at your shoes as if they were the most interesting thing in the room.

"mm and you've got company." leah raised an eyebrow questioningly as you glanced up to meet her eye, cheeks rosy with the same mutual embarrassment of being caught out that was present on alessia's face as well.

"this is..." alessia trailed off as you gave her a firm look and elbowed the blonde at the lack of words which followed, only furthering leah's amusement.

"this is..." leah encouraged taking a few more steps into the room, arms still folded over her chest as alessia sighed. "this is my girlfriend." the younger girl admitted with a guilty wince, surprise registering on leahs face at the confession she thought she'd need to push a little harder to get.

"and does the girlfriend have a name?" leah allowed the amused smile to now settle on her features and the lack of any anger or annoyance present in her face made alessia exhale a quiet sigh of relief, reaching out to grab your hand.

alessia introduced you, more confident now as you sent leah a shy smile which the older blonde returned. "well i'm not thrilled it was behind my back but i'm glad you feel comfortable enough to bring her here, and i hope you know you could have told me less." leah chastised gently as alessia nodded in understanding.

"no one really knows except tooney, we haven't even told our families yet. we're just..." alessia struggled as she glanced to you beside her. "...enjoying getting to know one another?" you finished for the blonde who smiled softly and nodded her agreement, squeezing your hand gently.

"so i saw. the next time you want to swap salvia with a pretty girl less you can do it in your own bedroom instead of on my lounge thank you very much!" leah quipped teasingly only furthering the blush on the younger girls faces.

"leah!" alessia's eyes widened as the tips of her ears turned red. "what? new house rule, no making out or dry humping in common areas." leahs smirk grew as alessia groaned at the ribbing, leah sending a wink to you who was also smiling in amusement at the strikers embarrassed state.

"okay we're going to my room now. welcome home leah!" alessia smiled sarcastically and made a hasty escape, dragging you with her. "oh and you might want to cover up those hickies before training on monday!" leah sung out, watching both girls smack a hand to their neck where they sported matching dark red bruises, beginning to quietly bicker with one another.

"i told you no marks." alessia whispered as she closed her door sat down on the bed with a pouty frown. "you have one! look at my neck that you've mauled. less i have work on monday!" you whined quietly, touching at the tender hickies with a small wince as you gazed at yourself in the mirror.

"hey you weren't saying no before, quite the opposite if i remember correctly." the blonde pressed herself into you from behind, placing gentle kisses along the love bites as you rolled your eyes.

"could say the same for you russo. oh no just a little more, baby no please just five more minutes!" you mocked her accent as alessia stepped back with an unimpressed scowl. "watch it." the blonde warned and before you could even blink you were pinned on the bed with the striker grinning down at you.

but before your lips could even touch alessia's door flew open and leah strode in, you quick to shove off the taller girl who groaned at the interruption. "less i don't know what is in this but it is delicious!" leah complimented and held up the bowl of pasta as alessia sighed and a teasing smile tugged at leahs lips.

"thank you. is that all?" alessia asked bluntly, previous embarrassment now replaced with annoyance as she recognized leah was only doing this to wind her up. "no actually i do have a few more questions-" leah paused and held up a single finger, taking a seat atop alessia's desk and clearing her throat.

"so how did you two lovers meet then?" leah asked before shoveling a spoonful of pasta into her mouth. "at her work. can this not wait until tomorrow?" alessia answered before you could, hand resting on your leg as leah shrugged.

"why? you two aren't busy are you?" the english captain gasped mockingly and alessia rolled her eyes as you smiled, finding the older blonde reminded you a lot of your own older sister. alessia having only grown up with brothers had never quite understood the different sort of way a sister could get under your nerves.

well, until now.

"fine! fine! i know where i'm not wanted. but i hope you know the longer i am left to my own devices the more questions i will come up with and I will expect an answer to when the three of us go for breakfast tomorrow." leah announced, waving goodbye as she pushed herself off the desk and wandered out of the room.

"leah close the door!" "no it stays open when you have company, new house rule!" "leah for god sakes we're twenty four not fifteen!" "door stays open or each time it closes i'll just come open it for you!" "you're so annoying!" "i love you too alessia!"

[viesantewrites]

𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝

(𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧)

Robert Fischer (Inception) x Reader

note: Hey guys, I‘ve rewritten this story a bit and decided to post it on my sideblog. I've changed some of the themes and also that the main character is no longer an OC named Victoria, but the reader. I think this story is kinda difficult to write, which is why I've rewritten it several times. I love plots like Shutter Island and tried to do something similar here & it‘s also a story about parasocial relationships and unrequited love. I think this is my darkest story and the one that stays with me the most, even years after I wrote it…

summary: The reader is hopelessly in love with her boss Robert Fischer, but he doesn't seem to be interested in her. By an unexpected coincidence, they meet in the city and his sudden intense affection for her confuses her. The reader begins to suspect that something is wrong, and when she finally uncovers the truth about her encounters with Fischer the heartbreaking reality is revealed to her.

you don‘t have to watch the movie to understand the story.

age gap, but the characters are both adults. Robert is 37-39, is divorced and has a child. The reader is about 28/29.

word count: 5000+

warnings: topics like mental illness, depression, this is a quite dark and heavy story

It was just half past seven when she heard the familiar footsteps in the corridor approaching the office next door. A key was inserted into the lock and a moment later the door opened.

Glancing around to make sure her workspace wasn't too messy, she threw an old paper cup into the bin before her boss poked his head through the door.

"Good morning, Miss YLN, so busy already?" he asked with a tired smile. "It doesn't reflect well on me as a boss to have my assistant here before me. I'm sorry, Monday mornings are always a bit stressful for me."

"No problem, Mr Fischer. I've already sorted the mail for you, it's on your desk," she said kindly, watching him as he took off his coat and hung it on the coat rack, a little damp from the rain.

"Thank you, I can count on you."

He was a very elegant, handsome man, about ten years her senior, with dark hair, blue eyes, high cheekbones and an elegant black suit. She must have stared at him a little too long, because he turned to her with a questioning smile.

Immediately her cheeks flushed and she turned back to her computer screen, but by then Mr Fischer had already approached her and put some documents on her desk. "Please scan them all and email them to Mr Parker, he's been waiting for them for days," he said to her. "It would be best if we sat down together later and quickly discuss my tasks for today, there is a lot to do. If I'm not mistaken, I have a client meeting at three today."

"At two, sir," she corrected him, handing him a planner with today's date thickly underlined.

He started to grin. "You see, this is exactly why I have an assistant."

Fischer disappeared into his office.

She sighed slightly and went to work scanning the documents. She had been working for Fischer Morrow, one of the world's largest energy companies, for barely a month. Their headquarters had moved from Sydney to London after the death of their CEO, Maurice Fischer. Her current boss, Robert Fischer, was a direct descendant.

She liked Fischer Jr a lot. He was friendly, supportive and didn't get angry when things didn't go to plan. But in some ways he always seemed so unapproachable. For example, he never talked about his private life and YN had no idea who he was outside of work. Then again, he was her boss and his private life was none of her business. But deep down she admitted that she was very interested in him.

The days flew by and she finally felt as if she had been employed by Fischer Morrow for an eternity. But who Robert Fischer really was remained a mystery.

One evening, as she was about to leave, she quietly opened the door to Fischer's office. He was sitting in front of his computer, his chin resting on his hands. "Have a nice evening, Mr Fischer." He jumped slightly, obviously not having heard her come in, but then he smiled. "Thank you, you too."

YN looked at her watch. "It's almost half past seven, don't you want to finish your work soon? Don't you have a wife waiting for you?"

Mr Fischer shrugged. "I've been divorced for a few years now, and I only see my daughter at weekends. The only thing waiting for me is an empty, dark apartment."

YN held her breath. It was the first time he had told her anything about his private life. But in the same second, he seemed to regret his words.

"No one waits for me either," she said. "Except for my cat."

Fischer raised an eyebrow with a smile. "At least that's something."

Finally she said goodbye and left the office. But all the way home, she kept thinking about her conversation with Fischer.

Was he perhaps as lonely as she was?

Tired, YN lay in bed. She didn't even have the strength to change her clothes and remove her make up. Although she wanted nothing more than to get out of that itchy, uncomfortable dress and tights. A quiet meow sounded beside her and she felt something soft brush against her arm. Smiling, she pulled the cat closer and buried her face in its white fur.

Since leaving her small home village for London, she had no one to talk to. Her old friends had all left her and moved on with their own lives. Robert Fischer was the only one she spoke to regularly, though it was far from a friendship. With the cat in her arms, she turned to the other side. But what if she had feelings for him?

Maybe she should tell him. But wasn't that too much? He was still her boss, after all, and there were probably plenty of women who were interested in him.

She quickly pushed the thought aside and closed her eyes.

Robert Fischer turned curiously when he heard the quick clicking of heels in the corridor. Panting, his assistant opened the door and dropped her bag on the desk.

"Miss YLN, are you okay?"

Her hair was messy, her coat hung loosely over her shoulders as if she hadn't had time to put it on properly, and her lipstick was a little smudged.

"I… overslept," she said, panting. "I'm sorry."

Fischer looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "It's okay. But it shouldn't happen again."

"Of course not, sir," she replied immediately.

He quickly disappeared into his office and returned with a thick stack of papers and a folder.

"Would you be so kind as to sort these documents alphabetically for me? They've been on my desk for days and I haven't had a chance to get to them. I know it's not an exciting task."

She nodded and took the heavy pile from his hand. Fischer thanked her and hurried back to his office.

Sighing, she set to work. But with each page, she found her concentration fading and her mind wandering. Her head ached, her eyes burned and she felt incredibly tired. But she tried not to show it, kept working as hard as she could and finally put the sorted file back on Mr Fischer's desk.

Exhausted, she walked back to her office, sat down in her chair and buried her face in her hands. She was shivering and her ears were ringing. Was it because she had forgotten to take her medicine today?

"Miss YLN?" she heard her boss' voice.

She turned immediately and forced a smile. "Yes, Mr Fischer?"

"I have an job interview scheduled for ten, would you be so kind as to prepare the conference room for it?"

"Of course, sir."

He stopped halfway and looked at YN questioningly. "Are you okay? You look so pale." She nodded quickly, forcing a smile. "Everything's fine, Mr Fischer." Fischer looked at her, raised his eyebrows, then handed her the key to the meeting room and disappeared back into his office.

A strange feeling of dizziness spread through her head as she walked down the long corridor leading to the conference rooms.

What was wrong with her today?

When it started to get dark outside, YN finally turned off her computer and reached for her bag. The strange dizziness had improved during the day, leading her to conclude that she simply needed a break from work. Fortunately, it was Friday. She knocked gently on Fischer's door, as she always did before leaving, to wish him a pleasant evening. He was sitting there as usual, his chin resting on his hand, deep in thought. He glanced up briefly and nodded politely, noticing her in the doorway. He looked stunningly handsome today, even after this long and exhausting day.

"I didn't ask you how the job interviews went this morning," she asked curiously. Fischer shook his head. "Terribly," he said. "None of these people I'd want in my company." His voice was cold and dismissive, and for a moment she thought he was referring to her, even though she knew he meant someone else. She smiled awkwardly and shrugged slightly. "Well, maybe the next one will be better."

Fischer remained silent.

"Have a good weekend, Mr Fischer."

"You too, Miss YLN." He gave her a friendly smile.

"Do you have any plans for the weekend? I know a good restaurant, would you like to join me?" The moment she realised what she had just said, she bit her lip, her face turning red. Had she completely lost her mind? She desperately hoped he hadn't heard what she'd asked, but it was too late. She could see Fischer raise his eyebrows in confusion and stare at her.

"No, Miss YLN. I'm not interested. I keep my work and personal life strictly separate." She immediately looked down, embarrassed. Thoughts raced through her mind like a rollercoaster and her cheeks felt as if they were on fire. "I'm sorry, Mr Fischer, I shouldn't have asked you that." She finally grabbed her bag and left the office without another word, feeling Fischer's gaze on her back.

It was drizzling lightly as she walked through the busy streets of London. The cold air did her good and she felt her head clear a little.

Why had she done this? It had been clear from the start that a man like him would reject her. But the words had come out of her mouth as if she had completely lost control. She felt a tear roll down her cheek and quickly wiped it away. She didn't want to have a mental breakdown in public, even though it felt like Fischer had torn her heart into a thousand pieces. Suddenly the strange dizziness returned and her vision blurred slightly. The sounds of London became muffled, as if she were incredibly far away.

"Miss YLN, wait!" she suddenly heard a voice behind her that seemed to be getting closer.

She turned around. The dizziness had disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Startled, her eyes widened as she saw the person in front of her - it was Mr Fischer. What was he doing here? Had he followed her? She tried to speak, but all she could manage was a hoarse stutter.

"I wanted to apologize, Miss YLN. It wasn't very nice of me to brush you off like that," he said with a gentle laugh. His voice sounded strangely different, softer than usual. Wordless and spellbound, she stared into the pair of light blue eyes before her, apologetic and gentle in their expression. She knew Mr Fischer had blue eyes, but she'd never noticed how incredibly bright they looked.

"It's okay, don't worry," she managed to say, her knees shaking with excitement.

"No, no, Miss YLN. I'll think about the dinner offer, okay? Just because we work together doesn't mean we can't have dinner together, does it?" Fischer suggested, and she nodded slowly, then smiled.

Why this sudden change of heart?

"Well, see you soon." He waved goodbye and YN, still completely confused, raised her hand in response. But before she could form another thought, he had disappeared into the crowd.

Carefully, YN pressed the shutter on her old camera, focusing the lens on the small lake in front of her. Satisfied, she lowered it. She was confident that this snapshot would turn out well. This park was a place she often visited to clear her head and pursue her passion, photography, as it offered many beautiful subjects. Especially now, in autumn, when the trees were covered with colourful leaves and the silence was slowly descending, with only the occasional pedestrian passing by.

Her dizziness had eased a little, but not completely. Fortunately, it was Saturday and she had the whole day to herself. YN sat down on a bench under a tree that looked to be at least a hundred years old.

She sat there for a while, lost in thought. Eventually she got up and made her way to the West End. The streets of London were noisy and busy as she walked, looking for a warm place in a café and something to eat. Crowds of people rushed past her, music played from somewhere and loud voices filled the air. Exhausted, she rubbed her temples. Maybe she should have stayed home and rested.

Suddenly she held her breath as she spotted a familiar face in the crowd. Dark hair, high cheekbones and piercing blue eyes. Fischer. But before she could think, he had already noticed her and started to smile at her.

"Miss YLN, how nice to see you! What a coincidence!"

It was the first time she had seen him in his casual clothes rather than one of his business suits. But this was no less elegant and stylish. He was wearing a well-fitting black coat, a grey knitted jumper underneath and black trousers. It was so strange to see him outside his office at Fischer Morrow Company. Suddenly he didn't seem so unapproachable and distant anymore.

"What are you doing here?" she asked curiously.

He paused for a moment. He seemed to be considering whether or not to tell her.

"I took my little girl to her friend's house for a sleepover. She's been asking me for weeks because her mum won't let her."

"So you're a cool dad," YN replied.

Fischer rolled his eyes. "I'm the one who lets her get away with everything. We had to turn back twice because she realised she had forgotten her favourite stuffed animal and her toothbrush."

She laughed softly. In a strange way, she enjoyed him talking so openly about his life.

"Oh wow, that looks amazing. It's quite old, isn't it?" Mr Fischer pointed to the camera around her neck. "From the 1960s. But it takes incredibly good pictures for that time," she explained. Fischer seemed genuinely impressed. "Do you have more like it?"

"I have quite a few. From the 50s to the 80s, actually, and of course some modern digital cameras. Photography has been my passion since I was a child," she explained. Fischer looked at her with an interested smile. "So there's actually film in there that needs to be developed?" she nodded in confirmation. "Some photo shops still offer that service, yes."

Mr Fischer seemed genuinely interested in her hobby, asking her questions about it as they walked side by side through the streets of London. She felt incredibly comfortable in his presence and hoped he wouldn't leave so soon. Finally he pointed to the camera again. "Would you take a picture of me, please? I'd like a 60's style photo of myself." YN's heart began to beat faster in her chest. What had he just said?

"Of course, Mr Fischer," she replied nervously. "Robert. My name is Robert," he replied. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks, completely surprised. No one at Fischer Morrow Ltd called him by his first name, and outside the company she had only heard his uncle, Peter Browning, call him Robert.

"Let's find a nice spot for the photo," he said, letting his gaze wander until it settled on a beautiful fountain.

Carefully, she picked up the camera, took a few steps back and held it directly in front of Robert's face. "Smile, please," she instructed him, finally pressing the shutter.

A pedestrian who had just passed them looked at YN with a confused expression and shook his head. Frowning, she looked after him before carefully tucking the camera into her handbag.

Are you hungry?" asked Robert. "We could go to a restaurant."

Surprised, she looked at him. "I don't know…" she said hesitantly, biting her lower lip. In fact, she had never expected to be asked such a question.

He looked at her with raised eyebrows and she could see the disappointment in his eyes. Finally, she worked up the courage to say what was on her mind.

"It's just… To be honest, you told me yesterday that you were someone who kept your work and personal life strictly separate. Maybe it would be better if we did. After all, I'm your employee."

As much as she wanted to spend time with him, she was afraid of developing even more feelings for him. Robert nodded slowly and shoved his hands into his coat pockets.

"I really like you. I just never wanted to show it, that's why I was so reserved with you and told you I wasn't interested in you".

She closed her eyes and let out a sigh as a ton of thoughts went through her head. Robert finally nodded at her with a slightly disappointed look on his face and turned on his heel.

"Wait!" she called after him.

He stopped immediately and looked at her hopefully.

"Let's give it a try, shall we?"

"YN… is that a French name?"

Robert's voice sounded slightly tipsy as he grinned curiously at her, twirling his wine glass casually in his hands.

He had taken her to a rather fancy and expensive place, the walls were dark wood panelling, the chairs were covered in red velvet and soft jazz music was playing on one of the radios. Robert looked hauntingly beautiful that night. His skin seemed incredibly soft and flawless, his jawline even more prominent, and his blue eyes shone almost ghostly in the dim light, almost like he wasn’t real…

She smiled, nodded and took a sip from her glass. "My father is French. I grew up in France but moved to England when I was 15."

He nodded with interest, rubbing his chin with his finger.

"And you? I heard you're Australian," she asked curiously.

Robert laughed and ran a hand through his dark hair. "Well, my accent makes it obvious."

YN blushed and looked down at her plate. What a stupid question.

But Robert didn't seem to mind too much, because he started talking about his life in Sydney, how he had finally moved to London after his father's death, and she listened with interest.

But suddenly he stopped and looked at her thoughtfully. "But I'm probably just boring you."

YN immediately shook her head. "No, you're not," she told him. "I find it really interesting to find out all this about you."

At that moment a waitress came to their table with a smile and asked YN in a friendly tone if she had enjoyed her meal. But the waitress paid no attention to Robert, YN noticed with surprise. Perhaps she was just being extra polite to the lady.

Robert pulled out a black leather wallet and rummaged through it. Quickly, YN pulled a few notes out of her habdbag and handed them to the waitress. "Keep the change," she said.

The waitress looked at her with wide eyes, "Thank you, ma'am," she said gratefully, "have a nice evening.

Then she turned and left the table.

"You didn't have to do that," Robert said. "As a gentleman, it's actually my job to pay."

She shook her head in amusement. "I bet that's never happened to you before, has it?"

Robert shook his head and took the last drink from his glass. There was a moment of silence between them.

"Okay. So what's the plan for the rest of the evening?"

She looked at him in surprise. As soon as he said the words, she felt a tingle in her stomach.

The church clock struck twelve as she crossed the street hand in hand with Robert. It was freezing, and she had pulled her scarf so far up her face that only her eyes and nose were visible. Her date looked at her with amusement. "Are you going to rob a bank?" he asked, laughing out loud.

"Shh!" she snapped at him, putting her fingers to his lips. "You'll wake up the whole neighbourhood."

Although it was quite dark and she could only make out Robert, she knew that his typical mischievous grin was back on his face. She pulled him firmly behind her until they reached the small white building.

"Is this where you live?" Robert asked.

She put her finger to his lips for a second time until Robert stopped talking and looked silently into her eyes. Her heart was beating in her chest as she finally stood on her toes, put her arms around his neck and placed her lips on his. Robert returned the kiss without hesitation and gently pulled her into his arms. YN could hardly believe what was happening. It was everything she had secretly wanted for months. They remained like this for a moment before she finally let go of him and reached for her key.

She felt for Robert's upper arm and finally pulled him into her apartment, closing the door behind him. She immediately wrapped her arms around him and began to kiss him again. His lips were a little cold and tasted of wine. Together they stumbled backwards into her bedroom, taking off his coat, which she tossed carelessly to the floor.

Robert's fingers stroked carefully along her hip and fumbled a little with her belt while she was busy putting little kisses on his neck. With slightly trembling hands she pulled his jumper over his head and Robert took her hand.

"Are you nervous?" he wanted to know. She remained silent.

"Don't be," he whispered softly into her ear, taking her in his arms again and pulling her onto the bed. Breathing softly, she clung to his chest, leaned back and finally closed her eyes as she felt his warm skin against hers.

The sun shone through the half-open curtains, creating a narrow, bright streak across the floor. Blinking, she opened her eyes and stretched. But immediately a sharp pain shot through her head again and she held her forehead tiredly. Confused, she sat up and tried to remember what had happened yesterday.

But when she heard soft breathing next to her, she turned quickly and all the events of last night came back to her. Smiling, she looked over at Robert, snuggled up next to her in her beige blanket, sleeping peacefully. Tenderly stroking his messy hair, she lay down beside him again and then began to caress his bare chest. Perhaps what they had done was wrong. After all, they were two people who should never have fallen in love. But it had happened, and it felt so right. They remained in this position for some time, Robert asleep and YN lost in thought.

Her eyes swept through the bedroom until they settled on a small white box on her dresser. Quickly sitting up, she reached for it and put a small pill into her mouth. Eventually, Robert began to move a little beside her, opening his eyes tiredly. Smiling broadly, she gave him a small kiss on the tip of his nose.

"Good morning," she whispered.

"Good morning," Robert murmured in a raspy morning voice.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked.

"Yes, wonderfully." He yawned loudly and took her into his arms as she laid her head lovingly on his shoulder.

"Wait, what time is it?" he suddenly wanted to know.

"Quarter past ten, why do you ask?" she replied.

"Shit," Robert muttered as he let go of the hug, jumped out of the bed and started to pick up his clothes, which were strewn all over the floor.

"Wait, wait, where are you going?" she asked, looking at him in confusion.

"I should've picked up my daughter by now," he replied, hurrying to get dressed.

Sighing, she pulled the blanket around her a little tighter. "Can't it wait? Can't you stay for breakfast?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm sure she's already waiting for me.“ Robert dodged her questions, grabbing his coat on the floor and sighing when he saw her disappointed look.

He walked slowly towards her, stroking her chin with his finger, and finally whispered: "We can catch up later." Then he put a soft kiss on her lips before turning around and disappearing through the door. She sank back into the pillows and pulled the blanket over her head.

The rest of Sunday flew by. Mostly because her mind was on Robert and she could hardly wait to see him again tomorrow at work. She had probably never looked forward to a Monday in her life as much as she did that day.

The next morning, YN carefully applied her lipstick and looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. She noticed that the collar of her white blouse was a little crooked and quickly adjusted it. She wanted to look her best for Robert today, so he wouldn't change his mind and lose interest in her.

Humming softly, she put on her black high heels and grabbed her handbag. She quickly put another pill into her mouth and put the box in her bag. Her headache was completely gone and her head finally felt clear and light again. In a good mood, she breathed in the fresh morning air and made her way to work.

Her heels clicked on the floor as she walked down the familiar corridor of Fischer Morrow. The lights were on in Robert's office. She ran a final hand through her hair, smoothed her blouse and opened the door to her own office.

The air was stuffy and hot. Coughing, she ran to the window and opened it.

"Good morning, Miss YLN, I hope you had a nice weekend," a familiar voice sounded from behind her.

Startled, she turned to see Robert's face as he stuck his head through the door, as he always did.

Why didn't he call her by her first name? Confused, she stared at him, trying to form a clear sentence. "But… But… we spent it together…" her voice finally broke. Her head suddenly hurt again.

He seemed so different again. Not the Robert she had spent the weekend with, not the one who had apologised for being too rude to her, not the one who had made her laugh and told her about his life. He seemed more like the one she had worked with for months, the one who never revealed anything about himself.

"Miss YLN? I haven't seen you since Friday, when you left my office after… asking me that question."

Her heart almost stopped. Suddenly her knees gave way and she sank to the floor.

"Are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?" Concerned, he bent down to her. "Do you want to go home and rest?"

She nodded slightly and wiped a tear from her eye, which had turned her fingers black from the carefully applied mascara. Then she got up and left the office.

At home, she lay motionless on her bed, tears streaming down her cheeks. She couldn't think straight and her throat felt incredibly dry. The door to her room, which was only ajar, opened gently and something small and white slipped through. Sniffling, she stretched out her arms and lifted her cat onto the bed.

Everything that had happened that weekend had been fake. She had made it all up. And all of this happened because she had forgotten to take the pills against her hallucinations. Robert hadn't really followed her on Friday evening; it was all a figment of her imagination. While his real self was still sitting in the office, probably not thinking about her at all. Everything suddenly made sense: why Robert looked a bit different, why his voice sounded different, the waitress who ignored him on Saturday because she couldn’t actually see him, the pedestrian who gave her a confused look because she was talking to herself while taking the photo.

The photo.

She immediately got up, put on her shoes and ran to the photo shop where she had left the film to be developed. Her heart raced as the staff handed her the envelope with the photos. Trembling, she finally grabbed the Saturday night photo, without looking at it herself, and held it up to the staff's face. "What do you see?" she asked.

The young man looked at her in confusion, but remained polite. "The fountain at Piccadilly Circus. Great picture, it turned out really nice."

"Anything else?" she asked.

"No, ma'am," he replied, and it felt like a slap in her face. Fischer had never been there with her. Only her lonely and sad mind had led her to believe that he was interested in her and loved her. Tears welled in her eyes and she left the shop without another word. When she got home, she immediately took the white box of pills from her handbag, rushed into the kitchen, opened it and poured the pills into the bin.

Crying and with burning eyes, she finally lay down on her bed and buried her head in the pillow as her cat purred softly beside her. She must have stayed like that for hours, as the sun began to set again outside her window. When she finally lifted her head and wiped the tears from her face, she saw a dark haired man sitting beside her bed, looking at her lovingly with his pale blue eyes. A smile suddenly appeared on her face and she began to laugh, pulling the man into a tight hug.

some explanations because i know that story is kinda mind-fucking:

• Is Robert Fischer all a creation of the readers mind?

- No he actually exists, he’s her boss and she‘s in love with hin but she imagines dating him.

• When is he real, when is he fake?

- - The Robert Fischer in the office is real, he turns her down when she asks him out, leaving YN heartbroken. The moment she leaves the office, she starts to imagine what it would be like if he apologised to her, so the man who follows her is just her imagination. The real Robert Fischer is still in his office at Fischer-Morrow.

When she visits the city on Saturday and meets "Robert" and goes on a date with him, it's also just her imagination. That's why other people react to her with confusion, because she's basically talking to herself all the time. On Sunday morning, when she wakes up next to him, he's still fake. When she takes her pills, he quickly "disappears" (he says he has to pick up his daughter...) because they stop her hallucination.

On Monday morning, when she gets back to her office, the real Robert Fischer is there again, who hadn't seen her since he had rejected her on Friday evening.

When she gets home, she throws away her pills and her hallucination starts again. The man who sat next to her on the bed and comforted her is again the imaginary version of Robert.

[merrybloomwrites]

You Can Start a Family (Extra: Mitch x Reader Cockwarming)

Summary: Y/N misses Mitch while he's away on tour and can't get close enough to him when he returns home. He comes up with a solution that leaves them both content.

Previous Chapters:

Main Story: One ; Two ; Three ; Four ; Five ; Six ; Seven ; Eight ; Nine ; Ten

Sickfic Part 1 ; Part 2

Mitchrry Prequel

Fan Reactions

Holiday Blues

Mitchryy Reunion

Getting High

First Earthquake

Word Count: 2K

CW: smut, cockwarming, p in v sex

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One thing you absolutely hate is goodbyes. Whether temporary or permanent, you despise having to separate from the people that you love.

It’s been a difficult few weeks for you. Mitch and Sarah left for tour almost a month and a half ago. Harry was with you for most of that time, but that doesn’t mean you weren’t missing the other two. You and Harry went to Mitch’s show in New York City, but the four of you weren’t able to get a minute alone. You couldn’t even spend quality time with them after the show since there were paps and fans tracking you and Harry.

The next day you flew back home to Ohio, Harry flew to London for a couple weeks to work, and Mitch and Sarah continued on to the next city.

It was even worse then, being completely alone in your big, empty apartment. The upside was that it was only a few days until the show nearby in Columbus and you’d be able to see Sarah and Mitch again.

But even at that show you weren’t able to spend too much time with them. This time Mitch’s family was there so the three of you had to be careful. They don’t fully know the extent of your relationship with Mitch and Sarah, and though you all plan to tell them someday, now doesn’t seem like a good time.

You are able to snuggle up next to Sarah for a little while since that’s something you two have always done. It feels nice to have her arm around you, to smell her familiar shampoo, and it settles you just enough to get through the end of the tour.

They finish the last couple of shows, and Sarah comes home to you. Unfortunately, Mitch has to go back to LA for a couple meetings, and your separation from him continues.

You spend a few days hanging out with Sarah before she leaves for a girl’s trip with some of her best friends. For two nights you’re alone again.

Finally, it’s the day Mitch is set to arrive home. You’re excited to finally see him and actually spend some quality time with him, but part of you feels anxious. You’re not entirely sure why, but you can’t shake this nervousness.

He arrives home as you’re cooking dinner, one of his favorite meals. You hear the door open but don’t greet him at the door like you normally would. He finds you standing at the stove, and he wraps his arms around your waist, pressing against your back and saying, “Hi baby.”

You turn your head, smiling and saying a quiet hello before pressing a quick kiss to his lips. Mitch is taken aback by your less than warm welcome after so long apart, but then you say, “Sorry, I have to keep stirring this until it boils or else the sauce will congeal and burn and be totally gross.” It’s a valid explanation, but there’s something just a bit off about you at the moment.

“Dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes,” you say.

“Can I help?” Mitch asks.

“No thanks, I’ve got it. Why don’t you shower? I know you normally like to after flights,” you suggest.

“Ok, sounds great. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He turns and starts to walk out of the room, stopping when you call his name. “Yea?” He questions.

“I’m glad you’re home,” you say before shyly adding, “I missed you.”

His face softens and he replies, “I missed you too, so much.”

You smile at his response before jokingly saying, “Now go, wash off the germs.”

“I’ll be quick.”

“You’d better. Don’t want another minute without you.”

He steps closer, pressing another kiss to the top of your head before heading to the bathroom. While he takes a quick shower he assesses the way you’d greeted him and what might really be happening here. He hopes that maybe you really were just focused on not burning dinner. But Mitch knows you too well. He knows there’s something else there. Whatever it is, he knows he needs to fix it.

The food is ready by the time he’s dressed, and it smells delicious. The two of you sit down to eat, and though everything seems normal during the meal, Mitch isn’t convinced.

He suggests watching a movie and you agree. Before it begins you go to change into pajamas, seeing how Mitch is already comfy in his sweats. You wear an oversized T-shirt and a pair of boxer shorts, knowing that once you cuddle up to Mitch his body heat will keep you warm. You stop in the bathroom, deciding to do a quick nighttime routine so you won’t have to do it after the movie, but rather go straight to bed.

A few minutes later you’re ready and you join Mitch on the couch. He’s sitting on the corner of your L-shaped sofa, legs stretched in front of him. You waste no time, quickly sitting against him. Your head finds its home on his chest, where you can hear his heart, feel the rhythm of his breathing. His arm instinctively wraps around your shoulders, holding you close.

“This good?” He asks, referring to the romcom he’d pulled up on the TV.

“Yea, I like this one,” you reply, before tucking your face into the crook of his neck.

He presses play, but the movie doesn’t hold his attention. He’s purely focused on you, and your actions. You always love to cuddle, especially when you've been separated from your partners, but it’s like you’re trying to literally get under his skin. Mitch notices even the slightest movements as you continue to shift, never fully settling.

Halfway through the movie he feels your hand move to his shirt and grip the material tight. He can’t stand it anymore, he needs to know what’s going on in your head. So, he casually says, “You okay?”

“I’m good,” you quickly reply.

“Are you sure? You seem a bit, I dunno, upset maybe. I’m just not sure why.”

You’re quiet for a minute, unsure how to answer. Because he’s right, you are upset, but you’re not even fully sure what it’s about.

Finally, you reply, “I just really missed you.”

Mitch is quiet, hoping that you’ll explain a bit more.

After another moment you add, “It was just harder to be away from you than I’d expected. Don’t get me wrong, I am so happy for you and so proud of everything you’ve accomplished. But selfishly, I really missed you. And then I’d see all the pictures and videos of you hugging and talking to all those other girls.”

“And you were jealous of them? I promise, they’re just fans, baby. You and Sarah are the only girls for me.”

“I mean, I know that. And I know they weren’t coming on to you or anything. I was just jealous that they got to see you and hug you and I couldn’t. I wanted to be in your arms, and it like, physically hurt to not feel you for so long.”

“C’mere,” Mitch murmurs, pulling you so that you’re straddling his lap. He cups your face, encouraging you to look him in the eyes. “Those girls may have gotten a hug then, but you get me for life. Even if I’m gone for a while, I’ll always come back. And I’ll always hold you in my arms. Way tighter than I’d hug a fan.”

“I know,” you reply.

“But something’s still bothering you,” Mitch states, picking up on the way you continue to shift restlessly on his lap.

“I really don’t know what it is. I feel like I can’t physically get close enough to you. Like, I know you’re here, but part of me still doesn’t believe that,” you admit.

Mitch is quiet for a minute, thinking of what he can do to help you. He thinks for a minute and comes up with an idea. He’s not sure it will work, not sure if you’ll agree to it or not, but he has to try.

“You said you can’t get close enough?” he questions.

“Yea, it’s like I wish I could just merge us into one person,” you reply with a laugh.

“I mean, we kind of can,”

“Are you saying we could have sex?”

“Not exactly.”

You look at him for a second and say, “Explain.”

“Okay, you know how sometimes when we do have sex, you want me to stay inside for a bit after we finish?”

You blush and nod, knowing exactly what he’s talking about. You’re not sure why you like that so much, but it always makes you feel so safe and loved.

“Have you ever heard of cockwarming?” he asks, and you shake your head no.

“Basically, it’s that, but without the sex first. We just relax together but I’d be inside of you.” You take in his words and imagine doing what he described and a flush runs through your body. Mitch watches as your cheeks turn even pinker and your pupils dilate.

“Do you want to try?” he asks, needing to know exactly how you’re feeling.

“Yes, please, can we try that? How do we start?” Mitch smiles gently at your eagerness before leaning in to press a kiss against your mouth.

“Well first we have to warm up a little bit,” he says and leans back in for a deeper kiss. Your mouth moves with his, and you feel arousal building in your belly as wetness starts to seep into the boxers you’re wearing. Mitch moves his hands to your hips, and gently presses you lower so you can feel his length hardening beneath you.

He helps you maneuver out of your bottoms, and you shiver as the cold hair touches your sensitive center. Mitch then pulls himself out and wastes no time before running his tip along your folds.

“You sure baby?” He asks, checking once more for consent.

“I’m sure. I want you. I need you closer.”

At that he doesn’t hesitate. He gently slides inside of you, and you practically sob in relief. He fills you perfectly, feels so warm in you. You wrap your arms around his neck, shifting slightly to get comfortable and his arms wrap around your lower back, holding you to him.

Finally, you settle. No more fidgeting or restless movement. You’re perfectly content, physically attached to the man you love and missed.

You lose track of time, not noticing when the movie ends and another one begins. All you’re aware of is Mitch, how you can feel him everywhere. His hands gently caress your skin, his lips randomly press kisses to your face as he whispers how much he loves you.

Eventually Mitch is softly shaking you to wake you up. You breathe him in as you stir, slightly dazed, but it all comes back to you as you shift your hips and feel him still nestled inside of you. You let out a quiet moan, a new wave of desire running through you at the realization.

Without thinking, you lift your head to crash your mouth back to Mitch’s. He meets your enthusiasm with his own and what started out gentle earlier now becomes desperate. He carefully moves you so you’re laying on your back with him on top. He checks in again to make sure you’re on the same page before he begins thrusting.

It only takes a few minutes before the two of you are coming together, the feeling of him coating you making you feel even warmer inside than before. You whimper as he pulls out, feeling empty, but better than before. After a few more kisses, Mitch carries you to the bathroom to get cleaned up.

You both climb into bed, wrapped in each other’s arms. That night you sleep more soundly than you have in weeks, and Mitch knows this won’t be the last time you spend an evening with him resting inside of you.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AN: Thanks for reading! I have one request for this story that I'm working on but if anyone has more just let me know!

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[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Douglas Murray

Published: May 21, 2024

THE President of Iran died at the weekend in a helicopter accident – news that the BBC marked with the headline “President Ebrahim Raisi’s mixed legacy in Iran”.

“Mixed legacy” is an interesting way to sum up the life of someone better known as the “Butcher of Tehran”.

Raisi rose through the ranks of the revolutionary Islamic Government that overthrew the Shah in 1979.

And he made his name in the usual revolutionary Islamic way.

By killing his political opponents — including the leftists who the regime rounded up, imprisoned and murdered by the thousands in their jails.

Some of the obituaries have noted that Raisi helped speed up the backlog of trials in Iran.

That is true. He did it in the same way Stalin did — by killing his opponents fast.

The United Nations noted his passing in its own unique way.

At the Security Council, the member States were invited to stand and observe a minute’s silence for Raisi.

Those taking part shamefully included our own deputy ambassador to the UN, James Kariuki.

At the same time, Iranians were letting off fireworks and handing out sweets in their own streets.

There has been more mourning at the United Nations than there has been in Iran.

Perhaps that is because the Iranian people are the first ones who have had to suffer under the cruel rule of President Raisi.

It was on his watch that students and others who have protested against his regime have been abducted, tortured and killed.

It is Raisi’s regime which has overseen the harshest rule of Islamic law — which includes the hanging of women who have been raped.

That’s right. If you are a woman who has been raped in Iran, you are the culprit.

And you will be the one that is hanged.

Are the women who suffered that horror worth a minute’s silence at the UN? I would have said so.

Is their hangman? I’d have said not. Yet the UN and others continued with this gross spectacle.

Today, the organisation flew its flags at half-mast at its HQ in New York.

How morally sick can an organisation be?

We seem to have come to the stage where international bodies, as well as some sick people at home, will love anyone so long as that person hates us.

And Raisi and his foreign minister, who died with him, certainly did hate us.

Theirs is a regime which has, for 44 years, called for “Death to America” and “Death to the UK”.

It is a regime which has caused a numberless loss of lives inside Iran and in the wider region.

It is a regime which has been trying to expand its power in its own region and whose assassins have made it as far as New York and London.

Only last month, a member of the Iranian opposition was stabbed outside his house in London.

Almost certainly by assassins sent to the UK by the government in Iran.

All the time, Raisi and his friends have tried to make their regime invincible by gaining a nuclear weapon.

So far they have had that project delayed many times.

But they still seek the bomb and are one of the very few regimes on Earth that has said they would like to use it.

We should take them at their word.

It is the regime in Iran that has, for years, funded and trained terrorists across the region and indeed the world.

‘Mass slaughter’

In October last year, when Hamas terrorists broke into Israel and carried out the largest mass slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust, it was Iran which backed them.

It is Iran that has funded Hamas. It is Iran that has trained Hamas. And it is Iran that has armed Hamas.

Just as they have also trained, funded and armed their other terrorist groups.

Notably in Yemen. Where Iran’s Houthi friends have fired missiles and attacked British ships.

But also in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, where Iran’s weapons have killed British and American soldiers.

And that is before even getting on to the 150,000 missiles Iran has helped Hezbollah store up in southern Lebanon.

Or the drones and other munitions it has been giving to Vladimir Putin’s Russia as he tries to overrun Ukraine.

All of his foul life, Raisi hoped to start and win a massive regional war.

Why should the man who oversaw all this and very much more be given any respect?

You might say it makes political sense to keep doors open — as most of our Foreign Office seems to think.

But it is quite another thing to mourn, or lament, the passing of this man.

The BBC, Foreign Office and United Nations may not know what a tyrant is. But the Iranian people do.

If only we could show that we are on their side.

We could start by showing that we are also on our own.

==

Good fucking riddance. The Earth is a better place with him as a splatter stain upon it.

The absolute moral confusion that has infected our institutions is truly dire.

[viesanterieures]

Locked In Mind

Robert Fischer (Inception) x female Reader

note: Welcome to my third Cillian Character fanfic, hope you like it :) I love plots like Shutter Island and tried to do something similar here & it‘s also a story about parasocial relationships and unrequited love. I think this is my darkest story and the one that stays with me the most, years after I wrote it...

summary: The reader is hopelessly in love with her boss Robert Fischer, but he doesn't seem to be interested in her. By an unexpected coincidence, they meet in the city and his sudden intense affection for her confuses her. The reader begins to suspect that something is wrong, and when she finally uncovers the truth about her encounters with Fischer the heartbreaking reality is revealed to her.

word count: 5000+

Masterlist

warnings: mental illness, depression

you don‘t have to watch the movie to understand the story.

It was just half past seven when she heard the familiar footsteps in the corridor approaching the office next door. A key was inserted into the lock and a moment later the door opened.

Glancing around to make sure her workspace wasn't too messy, she threw an old paper cup into the bin before her boss poked his head through the door.

"Good morning, Miss YN, so busy already?" he asked with a tired smile. "It doesn't reflect well on me as a boss to have my assistant here before me. I'm sorry, Monday mornings are always a bit stressful for me."

"No problem, Mr Fischer. I've already sorted the mail for you, it's on your desk," she said kindly, watching him as he took off his coat and hung it on the coat rack, a little damp from the rain.

"Thank you, I can count on you."

He was a very elegant, handsome man, about ten years her senior, with dark hair, blue eyes, high cheekbones and an elegant black suit. She must have stared at him a little too long, because he turned to her with a questioning smile.

Immediately her cheeks flushed and she turned back to her computer screen, but by then Mr Fischer had already approached her and placed some documents on her desk. "Please scan them all and email them to Mr Parker, he's been waiting for them for days," he said to her. It would be best if we sat down together later and quickly discuss my tasks for today, there is a lot to do. If I'm not mistaken, I have a client meeting at three today.

"At two, sir," she corrected him, handing him a planner with today's date thickly underlined.

He started to grin. "You see, this is exactly why I have an assistant."

Fischer disappeared into his office.

She sighed slightly and went to work scanning the documents. She had been working for Fischer Morrow, one of the world's largest energy companies, for barely a month. Their headquarters had moved from Sydney to London after the death of their CEO, Maurice Fischer. Her current boss, Robert Fischer, was a direct descendant.

She liked Fischer Jr a lot. He was friendly, supportive and didn't get angry when things didn't go to plan. But in some ways he always seemed so unapproachable. For example, he never talked about his private life and YN had no idea who he was outside of work. Then again, he was her boss and his private life was none of her business. But deep down she admitted that she was very interested in him.

The days flew by and she finally felt as if she had been employed by Fischer Morrow for an eternity. But who Robert Fischer really was remained a mystery.

One evening, as she was about to leave, she quietly opened the door to Fischer's office. He was sitting in front of his computer, his chin resting on his hands. "Have a nice evening, Mr Fischer." He jumped slightly, obviously not having heard her come in, but then he smiled. "Thank you, you too."

YN looked at her watch. "It's almost half past seven, don't you want to finish your work soon? Don't you have a wife waiting for you?"

Mr Fischer shrugged. "I've been divorced for a few years now, and I only see my daughter at weekends. The only thing waiting for me is an empty, dark apartment."

YN held her breath. It was the first time he had told her anything about his private life. But in the same second, he seemed to regret his words.

"No one waits for me either," she said. "Except for my cat."

Fischer raised an eyebrow with a smile. "At least that's something."

Finally she said goodbye and left the office. But all the way home, she kept thinking about her conversation with Fischer.

Was he perhaps as lonely as she was?

Tired, YN lay in bed. She didn't even have the strength to change her clothes and remove her make up. Although she wanted nothing more than to get out of that itchy, uncomfortable dress and tights. A soft meow sounded beside her and she felt something soft brush against her arm. Smiling, she pulled the cat closer and buried her face in its white fur.

Since leaving her small home village for London, she had no one to talk to. Her old friends had all left her and moved on with their own lives. Robert Fischer was the only one she spoke to regularly, though it was far from a friendship. With the cat in her arms, she turned to the other side. But what if she had feelings for him?

Maybe she should tell him. But wasn't that too much? He was still her boss, after all, and there were probably plenty of women who were interested in him.

She quickly pushed the thought aside and closed her eyes.

Robert Fischer turned curiously when he heard the quick clicking of heels in the corridor. Panting, his assistant opened the door and dropped her bag on the desk.

"Miss YN, are you okay?"

Her hair was messy, her coat hung loosely over her shoulders as if she hadn't had time to put it on properly, and her lipstick was a little smudged.

"I… overslept," she said, panting. "I'm sorry."

Fischer looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "It's okay. But it shouldn't happen again."

"Of course not, sir," she replied immediately.

He quickly disappeared into his office and returned with a thick stack of papers and a folder.

"Would you be so kind as to sort these documents alphabetically for me? They've been on my desk for days. I know it's not an exciting task."

She nodded and took the heavy pile from his hand. Fischer thanked her and hurried back to his office.

Sighing, she set to work. But with each page, she found her concentration fading and her mind wandering. Her head ached, her eyes burned and she felt incredibly tired. But she tried not to show it, kept working as hard as she could and finally put the sorted file back on Mr Fischer's desk.

Exhausted, she walked back to her office, sat down in her chair and buried her face in her hands. She was shivering and her ears were ringing. Was it because she had forgotten to take her medicine today?

"Miss YN?" she heard her boss' voice.

She turned immediately and forced a smile. "Yes, Mr Fischer?"

"I have an job interview scheduled for ten, would you be so kind as to prepare the conference room for it?"

"Of course, sir."

He stopped halfway and looked at Victoria questioningly. "Are you okay? You look so pale." She nodded quickly, forcing a smile. "Everything's fine, Mr Fischer." Fischer looked at her, raised his eyebrows, then handed her the key to the meeting room and disappeared back into his office.

A strange feeling of dizziness spread through her head as she walked down the long corridor leading to the conference rooms.

What was wrong with her today?

When it started to get dark outside, YN finally turned off her computer and grabbed her bag. The strange dizziness had improved during the day, leading her to conclude that she simply needed a break from work. Fortunately, it was Friday. She knocked gently on Fischer's door, as she always did before leaving, to wish him a pleasant evening. He was sitting there as usual, his chin resting on his hand, deep in thought. He glanced up briefly and nodded politely, noticing her in the doorway. He looked stunningly handsome today, even after this long and exhausting day.

"I didn't ask you how the job interviews went this morning," she asked curiously. Fischer shook his head. "Terribly," he said. "None of these people I'd want in my company." His voice was cold and dismissive, and for a moment she thought he was referring to her, even though she knew he meant someone else. She smiled awkwardly and shrugged slightly. "Well, maybe the next one will be better."

Fischer remained silent.

"Have a good weekend, Mr Fischer."

"You too, Miss YN." He gave her a friendly smile.

"Do you have any plans for the weekend? I know a good restaurant, would you like to join me?" The moment she realised what she had just said, she bit her lip, her face turning red. Had she completely lost her mind? She desperately hoped he hadn't heard what she'd asked, but it was too late. She could see Fischer raise his eyebrows in confusion and stare at her.

"No, Miss YN. I'm not interested. I keep my work and personal life strictly separate." She immediately looked down, embarrassed. Thoughts raced through her mind like a rollercoaster and her cheeks felt as if they were on fire. "I'm sorry, Mr Fischer, I shouldn't have asked you that." She finally grabbed her bag and left the office without another word, feeling Fischer's gaze on her back.

It was drizzling lightly as she walked through the busy streets of London. The cold air did her good and she felt her head clear a little.

Why had she done this? It had been clear from the start that a man like him would reject her. But the words had come out of her mouth as if she had completely lost control. She felt a tear roll down her cheek and quickly wiped it away. She didn't want to have a mental breakdown in public, even though it felt like Fischer had torn her heart into a thousand pieces. Suddenly the strange dizziness returned and her vision blurred slightly. The sounds of London became muffled, as if she were incredibly far away.

Miss YN, wait!" she suddenly heard a voice behind her that seemed to be getting closer.

She turned around. The dizziness had disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Startled, her eyes widened as she saw the person in front of her - it was Mr Fischer. What was he doing here? Had he followed her? She tried to speak, but all she could manage was a hoarse stutter.

"I wanted to apologize, Miss YN. It wasn't very nice of me to brush you off like that," he said with a gentle laugh. His voice sounded strangely different, softer than usual. Wordless and spellbound, she stared into the pair of light blue eyes before her, apologetic and gentle in their expression. She knew Mr Fischer had blue eyes, but she'd never noticed how incredibly bright they were.

"It's okay, don't worry," she managed to say, her knees shaking with excitement.

"No, no, Miss YN. I'll think about the dinner offer, okay? Just because we work together doesn't mean we can't have dinner together, does it?" Fischer suggested, and she nodded slowly, then smiled.

Why this sudden change of mind?

"Well, see you soon." He waved goodbye and YN, still completely confused, raised her hand in response. But before she could form another thought, he had disappeared into the crowd.

Carefully, YN pressed the shutter on her old camera, focusing the lens on the small lake in front of her. Satisfied, she lowered it. She was confident that this snapshot would turn out well. This park was a place she often visited to clear her head and pursue her passion, photography, as it offered many beautiful subjects. Especially now, in autumn, when the trees were covered with colourful leaves and the silence was slowly descending, with only the occasional pedestrian passing by.

Her dizziness had eased a little, but not completely. Fortunately, it was Saturday and she had the whole day to herself. YN sat down on a bench under a tree that looked to be at least a hundred years old.

She sat there for a while, lost in thought. Eventually she got up and made her way to the West End. The streets of London were noisy and busy as she walked, looking for a warm place in a café and something to eat. Crowds of people rushed past her, music played from somewhere and loud voices filled the air. Exhausted, she rubbed her temples. Maybe she should have stayed home and rested.

Suddenly she held her breath as she spotted a familiar face in the crowd. Dark hair, high cheekbones and piercing blue eyes. Fischer. But before she could think, he had already noticed her and started to smile at her.

"Miss YN, how nice to see you! What a coincidence!"

It was the first time she had seen him in his casual clothes rather than one of his business suits. But this was no less elegant and stylish. He was wearing a well-fitting black coat, a grey knitted jumper underneath, black trousers and leather shoes. It was so strange to see him outside his office at Fischer Morrow Company. Suddenly he didn't seem so unapproachable and distant anymore.

"What are you doing here?" she asked curiously.

He paused for a moment. He seemed to be considering whether or not to tell her.

"I brought my little girl to her friend's house for a sleepover. She's been asking me for weeks because her mum won't let her."

"So you're a cool dad," YN replied.

Fischer rolled his eyes. "I'm the one who lets her get away with everything. We had to turn back twice because she realised she had forgotten her favourite stuffed animal and her toothbrush."

She laughed softly. In a strange way, she enjoyed him talking so openly about his life.

"Oh wow, that looks amazing. It's quite old, isn't it?" Mr Fischer pointed to the camera around her neck. "From the 1960s. But it takes incredibly good pictures for that time," she explained. Fischer seemed genuinely impressed. "Do you have more like it?"

"I have quite a few. From the 50s to the 80s, actually, and of course some modern digital cameras. Photography has been my passion since I was a child," she explained. Fischer looked at her with an interested smile. "So there's actually film in there that needs to be developed?" she nodded in confirmation. "Some photo shops still offer that service, yes."

Mr Fischer seemed genuinely interested in her hobby, asking her questions about it as they walked side by side through the streets of London. She felt incredibly comfortable in his presence and hoped he wouldn't leave so soon. Finally he pointed to the camera again. "Would you take a picture of me, please? I'd like a 60's style photo of myself." YN's heart began to race in her chest. What had he just said?

"Of course, Mr Fischer," she replied nervously. "Robert. My name is Robert," he replied. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks, completely surprised. No one at Fischer Morrow Ltd called him by his first name, and outside the company she had only heard his uncle, Peter Browning, call him Robert.

"Let's find a nice spot for the photo," he said, letting his gaze wander until it settled on a beautiful fountain.

Carefully, she picked up the camera, took a few steps back and held it directly in front of Robert's face. "Smile, please," she instructed him, finally pressing the shutter.

A pedestrian who had just passed them looked at YN with a confused expression and shook his head. Frowning, she looked after him before carefully tucking the camera into her handbag.

Are you hungry?" asked Robert. "We could go to a restaurant."

Surprised, she looked at him. "I don't know…" she said hesitantly, chewing her lower lip. In fact, she had never expected to be asked such a question.

He looked at her with raised eyebrows and she could see the disappointment in his eyes. Finally, she worked up the courage to say what was on her mind.

"It's just… To be honest, you told me yesterday that you were someone who kept your work and personal life strictly separate. Maybe it would be better if we did. After all, I'm your employee."

As much as she wanted to spend time with him, she was afraid of developing any more feelings for him. Robert nodded slowly and shoved his hands into his coat pockets.

"I really like you. I just never wanted to show it, that's why I was so reserved with you and told you I wasn't interested in you".

She closed her eyes and let out a sigh as a ton of thoughts went through her head. Robert finally nodded at her with a slightly disappointed look on his face and turned on his heel.

"Wait!" she called after him.

He stopped immediately and looked at her hopefully.

"Let's give it a try, shall we?"

YN… is that a French name?"

Robert's voice sounded slightly tipsy as he grinned curiously at her, twirling his wine glass casually in his hands. The plate in front of him was empty and he had now carefully placed the cutlery on it, waiting for a waitress to take it away.

He had taken her to a rather fancy and expensive place, the walls were dark wood panelling, the chairs were covered in red velvet and soft jazz music was playing on one of the radios. Robert looked hauntingly beautiful that night. His skin seemed incredibly soft and flawless, his jawline even more prominent, and his blue eyes shone almost ghostly in the dim light, almost like he wasn’t real…

She smiled, nodded and took a sip from her glass. "My father is French. I grew up in France but moved to England when I was 15."

He nodded with interest, rubbing his chin with his forefinger.

"And you? I heard you're Australian," she asked curiously.

Robert laughed and ran a hand through his dark hair. "Well, my accent makes it obvious."

YN blushed and looked down at her plate. What a stupid question.

But Robert didn't seem to mind too much, because he started talking about his life in Sydney, how he had finally moved to London after his father's death, and she listened with interest.

But suddenly he stopped and looked at her thoughtfully. "But I'm probably just boring you."

YN immediately shook her head. "No, you're not," she told him. "I find it really interesting to find out all this about you."

At that moment a waitress came to their table with a smile and asked YN in a friendly tone if she had enjoyed her meal. But the waitress paid no attention to Robert, YN noticed with surprise. Perhaps she was just being extra polite to the lady.

YN's date pulled out a black leather purse and rummaged through it. Quickly, YN pulled a few notes out of the bag and handed them to the waitress. "Keep the change," she said.

The waitress looked at her with wide eyes, "Thank you, ma'am," she said gratefully, "have a nice evening.

Then she turned and left the table.

"You didn't have to do that," Robert said. "As a gentleman, it's actually my job to pay."

She shook her head in amusement. "I bet that's never happened to you before, has it?"

Robert shook his head and took the last drink from his glass. There was a moment of silence between them.

"All right. So what's the plan for the rest of the evening?"

She looked at him in surprise. As soon as he said the words, she felt a tingle in her stomach.

The church clock struck twelve as she crossed the street hand in hand with Robert. It was freezing, and she had pulled her scarf so far up her face that only her eyes and nose were visible. Her date looked at her with amusement. "Are you going to rob a bank?" he asked, laughing out loud.

"Shh!" she snapped at him, putting her fingers to his lips. "You'll wake up the whole neighbourhood."

Although it was quite dark and she could only make out Robert, she knew that his typical mischievous grin was back on his face. She pulled him firmly behind her until they reached the small white building.

"Is this where you live?" Robert asked.

She put her finger to his lips for a second time until Robert stopped talking and looked silently into her eyes. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she finally stood on her toes, put her arms around his neck and placed her lips on his. Robert returned the kiss without hesitation and gently pulled her into his arms. YN could hardly believe what was happening. It was everything she had secretly wanted for months. They remained like this for a moment before she finally let go of him and reached for her key.

She felt for Robert's upper arm and finally pulled him into her apartment, closing the door behind him. She immediately wrapped her arms around him and began to kiss him again. His lips were a little cold and tasted of wine. Together they stumbled backwards into her bedroom, taking off his coat, which she tossed carelessly to the floor.

Robert's fingers stroked carefully along her hip and fumbled a little with her belt while she was busy planting little kisses on his neck. With slightly trembling hands she pulled his jumper over his head and Robert took her hand.

"Are you nervous?" he wanted to know. She remained silent.

"Don't be," he whispered softly into her ear, taking her in his arms again and pulling her onto the bed. Breathing softly, she clung to his chest, leaned back and finally closed her eyes as she felt his warm skin against hers.

The sun shone through the half-open curtains, creating a narrow, bright streak across the floor. Blinking, she opened her eyes and stretched. But immediately a sharp pain shot through her head again and she held her forehead tiredly. Confused, she sat up and tried to remember what had happened yesterday.

But when she heard soft breathing next to her, she turned quickly and all the events of last night came back to her. Smiling, she looked over at Robert, snuggled up next to her in her beige blanket, sleeping peacefully. Tenderly stroking his messy hair, she lay down beside him again and then began to caress his chest. Perhaps what they had done was wrong. After all, they were two people who should never have fallen in love. But it had happened, and it felt so right. They remained in this position for some time, Robert asleep and YN lost in thought.

Her eyes swept through the bedroom until they settled on a small white box on her dresser. Quickly sitting up, she reached for it and put a small pill into her mouth. Eventually, Robert began to move a little beside her, opening his eyes tiredly. Smiling broadly, she gave him a small kiss on the tip of his nose.

"Good morning," she whispered.

"Good morning," Robert murmured in a raspy morning voice.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked.

"Yes, wonderfully." He yawned loudly and took her into his arms as she laid her head lovingly on his shoulder.

"Wait, what time is it?" he suddenly wanted to know.

"Quarter past ten, why do you ask?" she replied.

"Shit," Robert muttered as he let go of the hug, jumped out of the bed and started to pick up his clothes, which were strewn all over the floor.

"Wait, wait, where are you going?" she asked, looking at him in confusion.

"I should've picked up my daughter by now," he replied, hurrying to get dressed.

Sighing, she pulled the blanket around her a little tighter. "Can't it wait? Can't you stay for breakfast?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm sure she's already waiting for me.“ Robert dodged her questions, grabbing his coat on the floor and sighing when he saw her disappointed look.

He walked slowly towards her, stroking her chin with his finger, and finally whispered: "We can catch up later." Then he put a soft kiss on her lips before turning around and disappearing through the door. She sank back into the pillows and pulled the blanket over her head.

The rest of Sunday flew by. Mostly because her mind was on Robert and she could hardly wait to see him again tomorrow at work. She had probably never looked forward to a Monday in her life as much as she did that day.

The next morning, YN carefully applied her lipstick and looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. She noticed that the collar of her white blouse was a little crooked and quickly adjusted it. She wanted to look her best for Robert today, so he wouldn't change his mind and lose interest in her.

Humming softly, she put on her black high heels and grabbed her handbag. She quickly put another pill into her mouth and put the box in her bag. Her headache was completely gone and her head finally felt clear and light again. In a good mood, she breathed in the fresh morning air and made her way to work.

Her heels clicked on the floor as she walked down the familiar corridor of Fischer Morrow. The lights were on in Robert's office. She ran a final hand through her hair, smoothed her blouse and opened the door to her own office.

The air was stuffy and hot. Coughing, she ran to the window and opened it.

"Good morning, Miss YN, I hope you had a nice weekend," a familiar voice sounded from behind her.

Startled, she turned to see Robert's face as he stuck his head through the door, as he always did.

Why didn't he call her by her first name? Confused, she stared at him, trying to form a clear sentence. "But… But… we spent it together…" her voice finally broke. Her head suddenly hurt again.

He seemed so different again. Not the Robert she had spent the weekend with, not the one who had apologised for being too rude to her, not the one who had made her laugh and told her about his life. He seemed more like the one she had worked with for months, the one who never revealed anything about himself.

"Miss YN? I haven't seen you since Friday, when you left my office after… asking me that question."

Her heart almost stopped. Suddenly her knees gave way and she sank to the floor.

"Are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?" Concerned, he bent down to her. "Do you want to go home and rest?"

She nodded slightly and wiped a tear from her eye, which had turned her fingers black from the carefully applied mascara. Then she got up and left the office.

At home, she lay motionless on her bed, tears streaming down her cheeks. She couldn't think straight and her throat felt incredibly dry. The door to her room, which was only ajar, opened gently and something small and white slipped through. Sniffling, she stretched out her arms and lifted her cat onto the bed.

Everything that had happened that weekend had been fake. She had made it all up. And all of this happened because she had forgotten to take the pills she was taking for her hallucinations. Robert hadn't really followed her on Friday evening; it was all a figment of her imagination. While his real self was still sitting in the office, probably not thinking about her at all. Everything suddenly made sense: why Robert looked a bit different, why his voice sounded different, the waitress who ignored him on Saturday because she couldn’t actually see him, the pedestrian who gave her a confused look because she was talking to herself while taking the photo.

The photo.

She immediately got up, put on her shoes and walked to the photo shop where she had left the film to be developed. Her heart raced as the staff handed her the envelope with the photos. Trembling, she finally grabbed the Saturday night photo, without looking at it herself, and held it up to the staff's face. "What do you see?" she asked.

The young man looked at her in confusion, but remained polite. "The fountain at Piccadilly Circus. Great picture, it turned out really nice."

"Anything else?" she asked.

"No, ma'am," he replied, and it felt like a slap in her face. Fischer had never been there with her. Only her lonely and sad mind had led her to believe that he was interested in her and loved her. Tears welled in her eyes and she left the shop without another word. When she got home, she immediately took the white box of pills from her handbag, rushed into the kitchen, opened the box and poured the pills into the bin.

Crying and with burning eyes, she finally lay down on her bed and buried her head in the pillow as her cat purred softly beside her. She must have stayed like that for hours, as the sun began to set again outside her window. When she finally lifted her head and wiped the tears from her face, she saw a dark-haired man sitting beside her bed, looking at her lovingly with his pale blue eyes. A smile suddenly appeared on her face and she began to laugh, pulling the man into a tight embrace.

some explanations because i know that story is kinda mind-fucking:

• Is Robert Fischer all a creation of the readers mind?

- No he actually exists, he’s her boss and she‘s in love with him, so she imagines dating him.

• When is he real, when is he fake?

- The version Robert Fischer in the office is real, he turns her down when she asks him out, leaving YN heartbroken. The moment she leaves the office, she starts to imagine what it would be like if he apologised to her, so the man who follows her is just her imagination. The real Robert Fischer is still in his office at Fischer-Morrow.

When she visits the city on Saturday and meets "Robert" and goes on a date with him, it's also just her imagination. That's why other people react to her with confusion, because she's basically talking to herself all the time. On Sunday morning, when she wakes up next to him, he's still fake. When she takes her pills, he quickly "disappears" (he says he has to pick up his daughter...) because they stop her delusions.

On Monday morning, when she gets back to her office, the real Robert Fischer is there again, who hadn't seen her since he had rejected her on Friday evening.

When she gets home, she throws away her pills and her hallucination starts again. The man who sat next to her on her bed and comforted her is again the imaginary version of Robert.

[g-girlshavingfun]

December Prompts

2) A broken teapot - Zach & Townsend

A year and a half after the events of UWS, Zach joins Townsend (and Abby) for Christmas at his parent’s house back in England. (3,241)

———————————————————————

Zach wanted to go home.

He had been here for almost a week now, here being the Townsend family home in some rundown town on the outskirts of London, and he had had enough. Enough of the country and their stupid beige food only, drive on the wrong side of the road, overly polite yet passive aggressive tendencies. Enough of the old house and how it didn’t keep in any heat, nor block any noise passing between rooms, how the walls were littered with loving pictures of the family throughout the years, how there were scratches on the doorjamb marking height marks for all 3 of the Townsend children. Enough of the family, his grandparents with their cheerful overfamiliarity, of his asshole of an uncle and overly judgey aunt, of the little kids who kept following him around and calling him cousin.

Enough of his so-called fucking father who invited him to this godforsaken place.

In fact the only person he could still stand in this place was Abby, and that was largely she kept slipping him sips of her stronger drinks in the evenings.

He wanted to see Cammie, to spend his days badgering her at work and his evenings curled up with her in the apartment she shared with Liz. He wanted to go to the gym with Bex, who was visiting the girls back in the states, and Grant, unload his frustrations by pummelling a sandbag rather than grinding his teeth to fangs. He wanted to sit with Joe on his deck, in the company of a man who he understood, who understood him, who would let him simmer in his silence as long as he liked.

He wanted to go home.

Instead he was due to stay another week, flying back with Townsend and Abby on the 27th in order to celebrate the new year with their family before they all disperse back to the Academy or College or Langley. Zach wasn’t certain he was going to survive the week.

It had all started a month ago when, over another awkward attempt at bonding encouraged by various women in their lives, Townsend asked Zach if he wanted to come to England with him and Abby this Christmas to meet the rest of his illustrious blood relatives. It wasn’t the first invitation of its kind. Last year, Christmas Day was spent at Cammie’s grandparent’s ranch in Nebraska, him and Townsend meeting the pair for the first time and Joe and Abby being welcomed back with open arms after years of avoiding Matthew Morgan’s parents. For new years day however, Townsend travelled home to see his own family, Abby in tow. Zach had been invited, but even Cammie conceded that the offer sounded forced and was likely only extended through a mix of politeness and Abby’s cajoling. As it turned out, this was for the best, as he heard from Cammie, who heard from Mrs Morgan, who heard from Abby, that Townsend had used the holiday to explain the whole I have an adult son I never knew about situation, and the fact that he was now permanently moving to the States. It hadn’t gone down brilliantly.

Since then, Zach and his father had bonded more, got closer. They were’t buddy-buddy or anything; it's not like Zach was running around calling him Dad, but the time spent together at work, with the Cameron-Morgan-Solomon family, and on trips out that Townsend awkwardly invited him on, had meant that they got on alright these days. Hence, since he managed to get out of Istanbul in time to celebrate thanksgiving with Cam and her family, he figured he’d finally bite the bullet and meet his father’s family.

He flew straight in from an op in Peru, exhausted from long nights of surveillance on a man suspected to be involved in a trafficking ring, frustrated from his orders not to intervene and the dressing down he know he’ll get when Agent Loxley finds out he did, and in pain from the bruised and broken ribs now lining his right side. Almost immediately upon leaving the airport, he was nearly knocked over as he headed towards the car that Townsend and Abby were waiting for him in.

“Watch out kid, the maniacs drive on the wrong side of the road here.”

“She was on the right side Abigail-“

“She was actively not driving on the right side.”

“-the correct side, it’s much more logical to drive on the left.”

“Then why is it only you lot and like, 5 other countries-”

“A third of the worlds population actually.”

“-Oh please that’s just because of India. And a third is still less than 2 thirds.”

“Wow, you should be a mathematician.”

Zach tried to tune out their bickering lest it worsen the headache he could feel building behind his eyes, tried not to listen to Abby’s airy laugh lest it reminded him of Cammie’s and worsen the ache he felt in his chest for her, tried not to look at the lovestruck expression his father wore lest he start remembering that he would never quite love his son that much.

After dozing off in the car, he woke up when they pulled up in front of a modest-looking stone building with two doors, a small fence separating the yard leading up to them. Townsend parked the car on the street and leapt out to grab Zach’s bags from the trunk, while the man in question to a deep breath, steadying himself.

Abby managed to catch his eyes in the mirror. “Their names are Bill and Heather by the way.” With that she threw him a small wink before stepping out the car herself, deliberately waiting until Townsend was about to open it for her, just to piss him off.

Before they had even reached the entrance to the Townsend semi-detached house, the door was thrown open by an older woman with white hair and a bright smile. She had Townsend’s eyes, though none of his imposing height, needing to reach upwards in her quest to grasp Zach by the cheeks.

“Oh look at you! You look just like your father, doesn't he look just like you Eddie?”

Eddie?

Townsends cheeks flamed slightly, clearing his throat while Abby huffed out a laugh behind them. “Mum this is Zach, Zach this is-“

“You can call me Nana, honey, or Grandma, whichever you prefer.” He caught Abby’s eyes as she stepped around them, Heather is fine, she mouthed at him. “Now come inside before you freeze, I’ll introduce you to everyone.”

If he hadn’t spotted the similarities in their appearance, hadn’t known coming into this that this woman was Townsend’s mother, he never would’ve guessed. The smile gracing her face was large and seemed to be permanently tattooed there, a stark contrast to her son’s serious and controlled demeanour. Warmth sept from her pores, honey dripped from her words, the welcoming scent of pine followed her around as she ushered him into the hallway. Her hands, weathered and wrinkled by age but soft and gentle, didn’t stray from his face, his arms, his shoulders, the entire time they walked, fluttering around him as though desperate to give him a hug but holding back. Zach could count on one hand the number of times Townsend had initiated such contact with him.

“Everybody, this is Zach,” she announced ceremoniously to a small sitting room filled to the brim with people, hands pushing him forward to present him to the gathering. “Honey this is you grandpa,” an elderly gentleman, tall like Townsend but wiry and frail, leant forward to vigorously shake his hand, “and your aunt Trisha.” The plump woman with bleach blonde hair lurking in the corner clearly tried to smile at him, but it spread across her face in more of a sneer. “Her husband is Mike,” the similarly plump man with an unshaven beard and a fully shaven head gave him a polite nod, “and Tony over there is your uncle, my youngest.” Tony bore the strongest physical resemblance to Townsend of the bunch, though he was clearly about a decade younger, and carried himself in a much less serious manner, dressed in a bright Hawaiian shirt and beer in hand. “Then these are your cousins, Janie, Tommy, and-“

“Abby!” - “Oof”

A small blur dashed past them and catapulted itself into Abby’s arms, legs tangled around her waist and head ducked under chin.

“That’s Mika, she’s very fond of your st- I mean of Abby.” Heather either didn’t notice the way all three of them tensed slightly at her near slip, or very valiantly ignored it. “Now come in, come in, make yourself at home. Eddie will put your bags away, you’re staying in his old room. It's the smallest in the house but he thought that was better than staying in the playroom with the kids. Poor Tony is on the sofa in the office, we only have four bedrooms so it’s hard to squeeze everyone in, but we’ll manage! Now sit, sit, I’ll fetch you a drink.”

“I’ll do that Heather, you take a seat. Coffee Zach?” He nodded at Abby, watching as she made her way into the kitchen, Mika still hanging from her neck like a limpet. “Does anyone else want anything?” A number of requests were thrown her way, and Tony didn’t hesitate in leaping up to give her a hand, a smirk dancing across his face that soured Zach’s feelings towards him quickly.

Taking a seat on the couch, Zach took a moment to scan his surroundings. The walls were a warm orange hue, and covered in framed photos. Two sets of wedding photos, Heather and Bill’s and Mike and Trisha’s, plus photos of all the kids, as babies, in school uniforms, at parties. Similar photos of Townsend, Trisha, and Toby were hung up as well, Zach even spied a picture on the windowsill of Abby and Mika taken what must’ve been last new years eve, next to one of her and Townsend taken at the ranch.

One photo in particular caught his attention. It was the three adults as children, Townsend, maybe 11, holding a baby he assumed was Toby, his sister, about 5, perched on the arm of the couch beside him. She was mid laugh, and even Townsend had a slight smile on his face, cheeks rounder and eyes softer than Zach was used to seeing. Fewer lines drawn across his face and no bags weighing his skin down. He looked like a happy kid.

Something like jealousy, like hatred, like hurt, bubbled up in his throat and burned through his chest. There weren’t any pictures of Zach as a kid. Catherine either didn’t take them or didn’t care enough to keep them; Zach has no idea what he looked like as a kid. He knew he was scrawny, probably due to a few too many meals missed, and he knew he wasn’t happy. He didn’t have a home filled with family pictures and love, where everyone was welcome and wanted. He didn’t have a warm mother who doted on him, who called him honey and wrapped him up in hugs whenever he wanted. He didn’t have any siblings to hold or be held by, to share in their struggles or their joy. He didn’t even have a fucking father.

Now he did though. Now he had a father who was kind of trying, Zach knew. He made an effort to learn things about Zach, do invite him to do things he might enjoy. He helped him pay rent the couple of times he’s struggled and he offered him a place to sleep when his last apartment fell through.

He was trying, now.

But he grew up in this home, with real parents and real siblings. With a street he could play on and a warm bedroom to come home to. Immersed in love and affection so vivid that it bled from the walls that boxed him in. He had this perfect life, this perfect family.

Why didn’t Zach get any of that?

That was the question the burned through him when Abby passed him his drink. When he took a sip and immediately registered a hint of something stronger lingering in the background, Abby’s wink and reassuring smile confirming what he suspected. It was kind of her to try help him relax, and it did help a bit.

But the questions, the rage, had been lingering in the back of his mind, in the pit of his stomach, in the heart of his chest, for the past week. Every time Heather soothed a hand over his head, or pressed a kiss to her son’s cheek. Every time Bill clapped Townsend on the back, called him son. Every time the kids latched onto his legs and asked him to play with them, leaving him floundering until Abby swooped in as a suitable replacement. Every time Trisha looked down her nose at him, or Toby tried chatting to him about women, its all Zach could do not to scream.

He wonders if he could’ve had this. If Townsend had stuck around long enough to realise Catherine was pregnant. If he took him from her, took him to this nice normal family. Would he be a happier kid? More normal?

Would he be happier now?

A week into his visit, and the thought was still keeping him up at night. He had tossed and turned in this bed that used to be his father’s what felt like a thousand times before giving in and heading downstairs for a drink.

Clearly though, theres no escape in this house, as he opened the door to the kitchen to find Abby perched on the counter separating the kitchen from the sitting room and Townsend preparing something on the stove.

“What are you two doing up?”

Townsend seemed to have short-circuited, starting at him as if he’d forgotten his son was supposed to be sleeping upstairs. Abby just grinned. “Jet-lag.”

“You’ve been here a week?”

A slight flush flickered across his fathers face.

“Okay then. We needed to stretch our legs.” Abby was clearly in a good mood, wide smile stretching across her face as she reached out to nudge Townsend with her foot. Flush spreading from his cheeks down his neck, his father chuckled and responded “We?” to which Abby stuck her tongue out at him.

Oh. Oh.

No doubt seeing his own face begin to heat up as he caught on to Abby’s innuendos, Townsend whipped a tea towel at her when she began to laugh again, asking him what he was doing up.

“Just couldn’t sleep.”

A wicked grin and a wink was sent his way. “Calling Cam?”

“-Wha-? No!”

“Please stop.” Townsend wouldn’t look at him, just staring dejectedly at Abby while she threw her head back in giggles. “You’re impossible.” But he pressed a kiss to the side of her head anyway, turning away before Zach could analyse the look on his face.

“Do you want a drink Zach?” He asked politely, tone switching from the exasperated affection he reserved for Abby to a neutral polite. Zach stared at his back, watching as he decanted tea from a china teapot decorated with pictures of the family into mugs he retrieved from the cupboard. The ones he picked out were plain, but he could spot one that said “best father ever”, and another with sloppily painted hearts in all shades of pink. He wondered which of the siblings bought the former, which of them lovingly hand painted the latter. Wondered again why his father got to have this perfectly normal family only to leave him with Catherine.

Why didn’t I get any of this?

His father paused, turning to face him as he set one of the mugs in Abby’s outstretched hands.

Shit did I say that out loud?

“What do you mean Zach?” His face was cautious, tone inquisitive, turning to face him fully. Over his shoulder, Abby cocked her head slightly, a single eyebrow raised. Zach would bet his career that she already knew exactly what he meant, has probably known he was going to blow up long before he did. It was a scary skill she shared with her sister, knowing what the people around them were thinking before they did themselves. “Get any of what?”

The anger built up in her chest again, pounding through his heart hot and volatile and fast. Snatching the offered mug out of his hands, ignoring the trickle of pain that burned down his skin as the hot water splashed over the rim, he slammed it down on the counter and threw his hands out to gesture at the mugs still in the cupboard. “That!” The picture of the siblings cuddled up on the sofa. “That!” The rooms upstairs where the strangers who were supposed to be his grandparents were sleeping. He threw his hands out at his father, “Fucking any of it!”

Suddenly, the jealousy and the rage and the pain were so overwhelming, everything boiled over and Zach thought he was going to explode. He reached out and grabbed the stupid teapot from the counter, hurling it straight at Townsend’s head. Luckily, the man had enough of his wits about him to duck, and Abby slid herself along the counter away from the wall where the pot shattered, fragments of china flying over the room and the remnants of the hot tea trickling down the kitchen tiles. Zach screamed, strangled out of his throat and hot in his mouth. Hands went to his hair, grabbing, ripping tearing, trying to feel anything but the splitting in his chest. Knees collapsing, back bending, he curled forwards onto the floor, legs slamming into the cool ground as he tried to keep his breath in his chest.

All he ever had was her, why couldn’t he have any of this?

A third hand was suddenly on his head, easing open his clenched fists and soothing back his messy hair. It found its way to the back of neck, bringing him forward as another hand found his back, and suddenly his face was buried in his father’s neck as the tears finally broke free. Harsh sobs drew their way out of his chest, trickling down his face and dripping down his nose, ripping open his throat and dribbling from his mouth. He wept openly, blubbering half formed words of apology and unfairness, hands dropping to his sides and gently reach out for Townsend’s shirt as he fell into the man’s chest. A single kiss was pressed to the top of his head, a small “I’m sorry” whispered into the back of his ear.

He fell apart.

In the back of his mind, he could hear Abby ushering the children away from the kitchen door, apologising for the bang and promising them a story to send them back to sleep. He felt Townsend rocking him slightly side to side, lost count of the apologies pressed into his head, sensed them shifting slowly so the man’s back was leant against the cabinets. No one tried to remove him, or reprimand him, or send him away for being bad or a bother or for simply not being enough. He ended up staying there the whole night, crying quietly in his father’s arms, still wanting to go home, but feeling much closer to it than he had this morning.

———————————————————————

Authors note:

Once again, this was much longer than expected. Hopefully they won’t all end up this long or it definitely going to fall behind in the first week, but here you go.

Don’t know if I quite conveyed the build up and the cause of Zach’s anger right but I imagine Townsend coming from a completely normal family, which is obviously completely different to Zach’s upbringing, and there’s a lot of jealousy there mixed in with the feeling of abandonment, even if Zach know it wasn’t really his fault and he is trying. Was going to try write a full resolution where they talk about everything but it was becoming far too long. Plus, I think this suits them a bit better, neither of them are big on talking about their feelings anyway.

Abby pretty much spends this entire holiday getting tipsy, teasing the boys, and playing with the kids. She’s having a great time.

[michellemisfit]

Weekly Tag Wednesday Thursday

Thanks for the game @jrooc and thanks for the tag @blue-disco-lights @deedala @energievie @lingy910y @creepkinginc @crestfallercanyon

Name: Mys

What is the most listened to artist in your music app of choice this month?

The Libertines - They’ve just released a new album

What song do you know all the lyrics to?

Erm… most? Well, at least most songs I regularly listen to. Back in the day when we’d still buy CDs I would get a new album and sit in my bedroom listening to it beginning to end, while reading along to the lyrics in the booklet. And oooooh, I would get so furious when bands had a booklet that did not include song lyrics. Wtf is wrong with you?? SO ANGRY! haha

What song do you pretend to know all the lyrics to and sing along to even though you don't?

It’s the End of the World As We Know It by R.E.M. I get to ‘eye of a hurricane, listen to yourself churn’ and then I’m lost until we hit the chorus lol But it’s such a fun song to pretend to sing along to, and really just making vaguely appropriate noises at the right time, until the chorus kicks in again… and of course we’re all ready to shout LEONARD BERNSTEIN! Hahaha

If you were to be crowned Queen/King/Royalty of listening to a band or artist, who would that be?

That would have to be Dirty Pretty Things. I fell in love with The Libertines just as they were falling apart and a few weeks away from calling it quits for good, so when Carl Barât announced the first tour of his new band Dirty Pretty Things I wasn’t gonna miss out again. So I flew to Ireland and then to England and attended the first 5 gigs of their first tour. And that pretty much set the tone for the next couple of years of my life. I ended up flying to the UK so much and meeting so many people that in the end it only made sense to move to London. Dirty Pretty Things had a tour booked starting two days after my moving day and we were gonna go to a few of the gigs. Then the day before I got on a plane they announced it would be their farewell tour, so we bought tickets for every single gig, which meant that I moved to the UK and then spent all of October, November, and half of December on tour… I didn’t start job hunting and thinking about real life until January lol

So yeah. Them. They’re my boys. As coined by the NME in their ‘sad to see them go’ article… “They were well fit and nice!”

What band/artist surprises you the most on your frequently listened to artists?

I’m ongoingly surprised by how much I managed to trick myself into liking Taylor Swift

Favourite line from a song (or one you have been thinking about lately?

Fame and Fortune by The Libertines

The deal was done, the trade was rough, Doubloons down for a double bluff, Dip your quill in your bleeding heart, Sign there and there and there

Guilty pleasure band or song?

I don’t believe in guilty pleasures.

Liking what I like don’t make me a bitch.

Okay let's talk fandom music:

Fave band or song you've discovered from a Fan Fic?

The Libertines lol My friend really wanted me to get into this band she liked, and I just wasn’t massively into music at the time, so she sent me a Libertines fanfic, and that, as they say, was that. Oh, she knew me very well… hahah

Fave Fanfic Playlist?

Right now I’m REALLY into The Menagerie playlist!

Fave Gallavich song?

Do you listen to music recommended by the writer or an included playlist? 

Almost always, yeah. Though sometimes that can go terribly wrong. When someone’s like OMG THIS SONG!!! and you’re just like ‘eh, I don’t see it’ lol

What song do you think is Gallavich coded?

Well, thanks to @deedala this will never not be Season 5 Gallavich

What’s a bop you want to share with your mutuals today? 

Love the original, but I also love Darren Criss

And this, because I’m dying for the next season of The Bear!!!!

Oooookay… I’m late and I’ve been way too busy, so if you’ve already played and I didn’t see please tag me in yours so I can check it out!! If not, and you’d like to do it, I’m tagging @heymacy @heymrspatel @darlingian @too-schoolforcool @palepinkgoat @vintagelacerosette @crossmydna @captainjowl @mikhailoisbaby @rereadanon @the-rat-wins @tsuga-of-mars @loftec @sickness-health-all-that-shit @deathclassic @rutherinahobbit @faejilly (you can skip the Gallavich questions!!! Hahahahah)

[tomhardystories]

Part 13

When she stepped off the plane and took a deep breath of New York air, it was like the weight of the world lifted. But there was still one thing she had to do.

One person she had to see.

Jules pounded on the door, her other hand clutching the handle of her suitcase so tightly her fingers went numb. As the door slowly creaked open, she didn’t wait a second longer. “Samantha, I’m a crazy bitch, I…” and then, as the door fully opened, she found herself face-to-chest with a half naked man.

“Oh, I'm sorry” she stammered, her eyes darting to the apartment number on the door, double-checking she had the right place.

“Samantha, looks like you’ve got company” the man said, his smile widened with a look that clearly said are you lost, baby girl?

At that moment, Samantha appeared behind him, her hair messy as if she had just fought with her pillow. She was wearing a sexy but very wrinkled robe, and her lipstick was slightly smudged.

“I can come back later” Jules muttered, clutching the suitcase even tighter, her face flushing with embarrassment. “I didn’t mean to interrupt...”

“No need for that” Samantha said, patting the man on the shoulder lightly. “Matt’s just leaving. Right, Matt?”

Matt leaned in toward Samantha, but his eyes never left Jules, his smile taking on a mischievous edge. “Are you sure? Your pretty friend here looks a little stressed. I know some ways to help her relax. Maybe we could, you know, the three of us?” he said, his goofy grin making Jules feel an immediate wave of disgust, despite his undeniable good looks.

“Honey, really, it’s time for you to go” Samantha whispered, clearly irritated.

“Your loss” Matt muttered, sliding into his pants. He then walked toward Samantha, planting a kiss on her cheek. “See you next Wednesday.”

Jules stepped aside, just enough to let him pass through the door.

“You should be in Brazil” Samantha blurted out, her suspicious gaze narrowing on Jules. “Jules, if he’s done anything to you, I swear to God, I’ll…”

“I love Tom” she spilled out, breathing heavily. “I love him, Sam.” 

Samantha blinked a few times. Then rubbed her eyes. “Wait. Tom? You’re talking about the guy you’ve been friend-zoning for months? That Tom?” 

“Yes” 

“The one who looks like he could break your heart in six different languages and leave you grateful for the experience?”

“Yes, that Tom! Wait, what? Stop joking, this is my big confession moment!” Jules yelled, clearly not caring about the fact that her neighbor might be hearing all of this.

“So, just to be clear, you flew here, at night, to tell me that you’re in love with Tom Hardy?” Samantha sighed and scratched her head. “Wait, hold up. You were with Chris, and now you’re talking about Tom? Are we playing emotional ping-pong here or what? What’s the plan here? You’re just going to text him and be like “Hey, Tom, I love you now, okay bye“?” she leaned against the doorframe.

Jules froze, her face lighting up. “That’s actually... genius.”

Samantha rolled her eyes. “I was being sarcastic, girl.”

“Oh. Right.” Jules deflated a little, but then perked up again. “Okay, but I still need to do something about it. I need to go to his place.... No, wait.... I can’t just show up at his place..... He’ll think I’m crazy.... But he already knows I’m crazy, so who cares...” Jules waved her arms dramatically, pacing around the apartment now.

Samantha took a long pause, crossing her arms. She eyed Jules carefully.

“Well, first of all” Samantha said “you should probably not barge into his place at 3 am. I’m not a relationship expert, but I’m pretty sure that’s how you don’t win over a guy. And second, Jules, honey... you’ve got time.”

Jules gave her a confused look. “What do you mean I’ve got time?”

Samantha sighed, exasperated. “Sweetheart, Tom’s not even in town right now. He flew to London a couple of days ago. He told me when we bumped into each other that he was going to spend some time with his son and visit his parents. He’ll be there for two weeks.”

Jules stood still for a second, her mind trying to catch up. “What? London? He’s in London? He’s not even here?!”

Samantha nodded, amused by the realization slowly sinking in. “Yup. So you might want to cool your jets a little bit, okay? Maybe give him a couple of days before you send him a text that’ll make him reconsider every decision he’s ever made.”

Jules clenched her fists. Her voice was tight as she muttered “He didn’t even tell me he was going to London. He didn’t even reach out while I was in Rio. Not once.”

“Maybe he didn’t want to interrupt your beach sex sessions, darling” Samantha teased, her tone thick with sarcasm.

“But.. He’s in London? That London in England?” 

Samantha deadpanned. “No, the one in Ohio. Of course in England. You know, the one that’s across an entire ocean. The one that’s not in New York. The one that’s home to fish and chips, bad weather, and, apparently, Tom Hardy at the moment.”

Jules’s jaw dropped, her eyes widening. “So I paid eight hundred dollars to finally admit to myself and you that I’m in love with him… and he’s in London?!” She threw herself back dramatically on the couch, arms flailing. “Are you kidding me? I have feelings for him and HE DARES to be in London right now? Really?!” She sat up, staring at her in disbelief. “This is unbelievable. I get all this emotional clarity, and what does he do? He hops on a plane and leaves the country.” 

Samantha walked over to the kitchen, grabbed a glass of water, and sat down next to Jules. “Well, it’s not like you can just show up in London and be like, hey, I love you!”

Jules gave her a look. “I’m not that crazy, Sam.”

Samantha raised an eyebrow. “Right. Not that crazy. You just flew from Brazil to yell about it on my couch.”

Jules raised a hand. “I had to tell you in person. This is a big deal.”

Samantha yawned. “Yeah, sure, but it’s almost three in the morning. What’s next? You’re gonna shout this from the rooftops?”

Jules grinned sheepishly. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m a bit of a mess. But you get it, right?”

Samantha snorted. “At least you’re self-aware.”

Jules threw a pillow at her. “You’re a terrible friend” she groaned dramatically. “This is a disaster.”

Samantha grinned. “Yeah, but it’s your disaster. And I’ll be here for the ride. Besides, you've got two weeks to work on your speech and in the meantime, he’ll be across the pond. Probably having tea, dodging paparazzi, and not even thinking about your big confession.”

Jules groaned, slumping down. “This is the worst timing ever. I’m so emotionally invested in this man, and now I have to wait two weeks just to maybe tell him how I feel? This is torture.”

Samantha raised an eyebrow. “Maybe? Why maybe?”

Jules sighed dramatically, throwing her hands up. “Because, Sam, I’m still not sure if I want to destroy our friendship, you know? Like, I’m really weighing the pros and cons here.”

Samantha patted her on the back, her sarcasm practically oozing out. “Hey, look at it this way. You’ve got all the time in the world to perfect your lines. Who needs him here when you’ve got plenty of time to practice?”

Jules leaned in a little closer, her eyes scanning Samantha’s face like she was looking for a secret that had been buried there. “So... when you ran into Tom, what was he like? How did he sound when he told you he was heading to London? Was there anything... I don’t know, different about him?” her voice betrayed her.

Samantha shrugged nonchalantly. “He was fine, just like usual. Nothing special, really. He mentioned he was heading to London to visit his family and spend some time with his son, but it was just a normal conversation. He seemed relaxed, you know, like Tom.”

She bit her lip, trying to keep her emotions in check. “And his voice? Was there anything different? Any hint that maybe he was... I don’t know, missing me or anything?”

Samantha raised an eyebrow. “He sounded exactly like Tom, Jules. Calm, a little distracted, but that’s about it. He wasn’t over the moon or anything, just... regular. Just another day in Tom Land.”

Jules exhaled sharply, her frustration mounting. Regular. That was the last thing she needed to hear. She had hoped for some hint. “You’re supposed to be the supportive one. If I wanted sarcastic advice, I’d go to Miranda or even Tom himself”

“I am supportive” Samantha said, feigning innocence. “I’m just being realistic. Now, go take a nap or something. You’ve got a lot of obsessing to do in the next two weeks” she paused, then added with a smirk “and.. Jules… maybe take a shower too. Is that guacamole in your hair?”

Jules sat at her favorite cafe with Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda, glaring at her latte as if the coffee had personally betrayed her. She hadn't heard from Tom, and now she was left wondering if he had forgotten about her entirely or if she'd somehow messed things up. The silence was driving her crazy, but she refused to call him first. Not that she was checking her phone every five minutes or anything. Certainly not. She was above that sort of behavior.

“It’s been a week” Samantha announced, stirring her coffee with far too much gusto. “A week. Either he’s into you and he’s playing it cool, or he’s not into you and he’s playing dead. So, what’s the plan?” she asked, a smirk playing on her lips. “Is the I’m-in-love-with-Tom-Hardy crisis over yet or are you still pretending you don’t want to fly to London and propose?”

Jules groaned, sinking lower in her chair. “There’s no plan. I’m planless. I am a woman without a plan. I’m just… figuring it out.” she paused. “And it’s not Tom Hardy, thank you very much. It’s Tom. Just Tom.”

“Right” Charlotte said, tilting her head sympathetically. “Just Tom. Who just so happens to be a ridiculously attractive Englishman. Honestly, it’s like you’ve wandered into a Jane Austen novel by accident.” 

Miranda, the realist, looked up from her tea. “Well, if this were a Jane Austen novel, you’d have already declared your undying love and danced in a candlelit ballroom by now. Instead, you’re sulking in a cafe.”

“I’m not sulking” Jules snapped. “I’m strategizing. I don't know what to do. He’s not exactly the most predictable guy in the world.”

“Well, have you thought about doing something bold? You know, like showing up at his place unannounced with a banner that says I’m in love with you, Tom Hardy, and here’s why.”

Jules stared at her. “Are we 12?”

Charlotte, the romantic one, leaned forward. “What if you just show up at his place with something super meaningful? Like, I don’t know, a coffee from his favorite cafe or a book you think he’d love. Something small, but personal. That way, you’re not forcing a huge moment, but still saying hey, I’m thinking of you. Or hey, I’m not crazy. Just, you know, a little bit obsessed.”

Jules gave her a look. “That’s not romantic. That’s a breakup gift.”

Samantha raised her hand. “Okay, okay, forget the gifts. What about a surprise date! Something spontaneous! Maybe you could jus, I don’t know, show up at his place, pretend you’re in the neighborhood, and casually ask if he’s free for dinner.”

“What is this? A rom-com from 2003? This is not Notting Hill.” Jules considered this for a moment, tapping her finger on the table. “Yeah, I guess that’s… kind of cute. But still, how do I get him to know I’m actually in love with him? You know, without it being all weird?”

Miranda raised an eyebrow. “Weird? Sweetheart, you're literally in love with Tom Hardy. There's no such thing as not weird.”

Jules threw her hands up in mock frustration. “Ugh, you’re all impossible. I just want something that doesn’t make me feel like I’m an overexcited teenager.”

Samantha leaned back in her seat, glancing at her phone. “Okay, here’s an idea that could work. Call him. Just call him and act totally casual. Like you haven’t been thinking about him 24/7 or plotting some dramatic speech. Just call, ask how he’s been, and then, bam!, say you’ve been thinking about getting together. No expectations, no pressure. Just see where it goes.”

“What am I supposed to say? Hey, Tom, just thought I’d casually let you know I’m madly in love with you, no big deal. By the way, how’s the weather in London?”

“Just call him” Samantha repeated, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “And when he picks up, just be you. Be awesome, be Jules. If he’s your friend, he’s not going to bite your head off for being honest. And if he’s not? Then he’s not worth it.”

Jules groaned dramatically. “Can I just send him a carrier pigeon and call it a day?”

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous. Pigeons are so 2009” Samantha said, not joking. 

Miranda piped up, half-sarcastic, half-serious. “You could also just knock on his door and scream, I’m in love with you! He’ll be so surprised, he might just faint and save you the trouble of explaining yourself.”

“Right, and then I get arrested for public disturbance and spend my weekend in the holding cell with an angry pigeon” Jules shot back. “That’s how I end up as the subject of a cautionary tale. Remember that woman who scared Tom Hardy so badly he moved to a remote cabin in the Scottish Highlands? That’ll be me.”

Samantha rolled her eyes.

“Okay, but what if he doesn’t answer? Or worse, what if he does answer and acts like he doesn’t even remember the last time we talked?” Jules muttered, her worries creeping back in.

“Then you get creative. You send him a funny text” Charlotte suggested, “Like, I was just sitting here, thinking of something random and you came to mind. How’s your life in London treating you?”

“I like that!” Samantha chimed in, clearly amused. “And if he doesn’t text back, you can always send him a meme. Works every time.”

Jules rubbed her temples. “Okay, I see where this is going, but I'm not sure I’m ready to turn this into a meme battle.”

Miranda laughed. “Who says you have to, though? The goal is to get him to talk to you. And once that happens, you’ll know what to do next. The hard part is just breaking the ice.”

Jules thought it over. Maybe it was time to stop overthinking things. The “perfect” moment wasn’t going to fall out of the sky. If she wanted to take the plunge and see if he felt the same way, she had to start somewhere.

She sighed. “Fine, fine. I’ll do it. I’ll casually call him and pretend like I’m not dying a thousand deaths inside. I’ll be casual. I won’t overthink it. I’ll just… act like everything is totally normal.”

Samantha raised her mug. “To subtlety! And to Jules finally becoming a cool, calm, collected human being!”

Jules lifted her cup in mock surrender. “Alright, alright. I’ll do it. And if I end up crying on the floor of my apartment, I’m blaming all of you.” She grabbed her phone and took a deep breath. “Okay. I’m doing it. No turning back.”

Her phone buzzed.

It was Tom.

Everyone froze.

Jules stared at the screen in disbelief. “Is this some sort of sign? Am I supposed to….”

“Answer it!” Samantha demanded, nearly knocking over her coffee.

Jules, trying to act casual, picked up the phone.

“Jules” Tom’s voice was smooth, calm, and way too composed for the mess that was about to unfold.

“Uh, heyyy” Jules responded way too quickly, almost like she had been caught doing something illegal. “What’s up?”

Tom chuckled softly. “Not much, I'm in London. How about you?”

Jules stared at the ceiling, trying to come up with something... anything. “Uhhh, you know, same old. Work. Friends. I... uh, got some new plants.”

Tom sounded genuinely interested. “Plants?”

“Yeah, plants, man. Like, I’m practically a botanist now” she said, a bit too enthusiastically, trying to mask her awkwardness. “I’ve got this little fern I named Bob. He’s thriving. You know, I’m basically saving lives over here.” She felt like an idiot the second the words left her mouth. “Uh, anyway, that’s what I’ve been up to. Not much else. Just... thriving, I guess.”

Tom paused for a moment. “Right, right... You’re thriving. Cool. I mean, I’m happy for Bob the fern. But I thought you were, you know, busy with that Chris-thing in Brazil?”

“Yeah, yeah, that!” Jules said quickly, her voice way too loud now. “Brazil was fine. Boring. Oh, you know… sunny. Lots of… uh… coconuts.” She was rambling. Rambling like a lunatic.

A sharp silence followed, and her friends visibly winced. Samantha pinched the bridge of her nose while Miranda whispered to Charlotte, “What the hell is she talking about?”

Charlotte, whispering back “I don’t know, but I’m two seconds from calling an ambulance.”

Samantha nodded subtly, her lips pursed. “This is bad. What about being casual?”

Jules, oblivious to the chaos she’d just caused, added “I mean, the coconuts were just so fresh. Life changing, really.”

Tom chuckled, his voice tinged with amusement. “Wait, I thought you hated coconuts. Didn’t you compare them to eating the inside of a broomstick?”

“Uh, yeah, well... it’s complicated. I thought coconuts and I were just friends, like, a casual snack. But now? It’s like, “I love you, coconut. You complete me.”

Tom laughed harder, and Jules silently cursed herself as Samantha whispered “Oh my God, stop talking!”

Miranda muttered under her breath “For God’s sake, someone stop her.”

Tom laughed, probably thinking she was a little drunk, which was fair. Jules inhaled sharply, then quickly exhaled a puff of smoke into the phone, as if he couldn’t see her. Another awkward silence followed. Jules, desperate to fill it, blurted out “So, how’s London? Are you, like, hanging out with royals or… eating tea or whatever?”

“Eating tea?” Tom repeated “I don’t think that’s a thing, Jules.”

“Drinking tea. Obviously. I meant drinking.”

“Something like that, yeah.. But nothing too wild. Just the usual.”

“Uh-huh. Sure.” Jules muttered, taking another drag of her cigarette. She coughed. “Look, I gotta be honest. I didn’t really... I didn’t expect you to call me or anything.”

There was a pause on the other end. “Well, you know, I just figured I should check in. It’s been a while.”

Jules could barely contain the cringe that rose up in her chest. “Yeah. I mean, you didn’t have to. It’s not like I was, like, waiting around with candles or anything...okay, maybe I was, but whatever.” She immediately regretted saying that and hoped he wouldn’t catch it.

“Jules....” Tom said, sounding a little more concerned now “Are you okay? You sound off.”

“Oh, yeah, I’m just peachy” she said, trying to sound casual. “You know, just living the dream” She pulled the cigarette from her mouth and blew the smoke out, as if that would somehow make her sound more put-together. “And by dream, I mean it’s more like a nightmare, but hey, who’s counting?”

Tom’s voice softened. “You’re acting a little weird, though. Is everything alright?”

Jules panicked. He’s noticing. He’s definitely noticing. Think, think! “Weird? Pff.. I’m always weird, Tom. I’m like... charmingly weird. It’s my thing. You’ve seen it, right? You know, with the plants and... the ferns... Bob.” She felt like her entire face was on fire.

Tom chuckled again, but this time it was more of a nervous laugh. “Yeah, you’ve got your charm, for sure.”

“Oh, thanks” Jules shot back, sarcasm dripping from every syllable. “I just love when people remind me that I’m a certified mess. Makes me feel so... special.”

“Jules” Tom said finally, his tone even softer than before “I don’t know what’s going on, but if you need to talk...”

“Oh, no need for that” she interrupted, suddenly way too enthusiastic. “I’m good. Everything’s peachy keen! You don’t have to... you know... be all... helpful and stuff.”

Tom paused, probably trying to figure out if he’d lost her entirely. “Okay... if you say so.”

Jules sat back, feeling like a complete psycho. “So, you know, I’ll just... uh, I’ll let you get back to, like, your super exciting life in London. I’m gonna go... do something. Or nothing. Or whatever. Maybe I’ll just light another cigarette and think about Bob the fern. You know how it is.”

“Alright, Jules. Take care of yourself, okay?”

She hung up the phone quickly, threw herself back in her chair, and groaned loudly.

Samantha raised an eyebrow. “Well, that was... something. Now I feel like I need a cigarette.”

Jules took a long, dramatic drag of her cig. “Just kill me.”

After a few moments of awkward silence, Samantha raised her eyebrows with a devilish grin. "Okay, I’ve got it" she said, leaning in conspiratorially. "When Tom gets back to New York, you should just show up at his door wearing nothing but a big, fluffy coat and, wait for it, lingerie underneath."

Jules blinked at her, deadpan. "What."

“Oh, come on” Samantha said, undeterred. “It’s genius! You don’t even have to say anything. Just flash him the lingerie, smolder a little, and let the outfit do the talking.”

Jules stared at her for a long, awkward beat. Then she sighed. "Actually, you know what? I kind of like it."

Samantha’s eyes widened. "Wait. You’re... serious?"

Jules nodded, looking like she’d just solved the greatest problem of her life. "Yeah, because if I do that, I don’t even have to say the actual words. I can just... be all mysterious and, like, hot. And then, maybe he’ll get the point." She paused. "I mean, what’s the worst that could happen? He’ll think I’m insane and I’ll die of embarrassment? Fine."

Miranda raised her glass and grinned. "Okay, I’ll admit, that’s genius. But, are we shopping for lingerie, or do you already have something... special in mind?"

Jules immediately perked up. "Oh, we’re shopping. I don’t have anything sexy enough for this kind of move. I need to go full I’m confident and have my life together, but also please, for the love of god, don’t run away when you see me like this."

"Exactly!" Samantha said. "It’s the perfect plan. You’ll be that woman. The one who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go get it. The coat will make it classy, but the lingerie will make it memorable."

"Alright, alright" Jules said, her voice suddenly very serious. "Let’s go shopping. We need to find the most ridiculous, over-the-top outfit. This is going to be a showstopper."

A few hours later, they were in a chic Manhattan lingerie store, Jules trying on various pieces. Samantha hovered nearby, offering commentary.

"Nope, that one’s too... vanilla." Samantha said, shaking her head after Jules emerged from the dressing room. "You need something that says - I’m secretly a superhero - but also - I’ll destroy you if you run away."

Jules rolled her eyes but chuckled. "Right, so, what you're saying is, I need something that screams I'm dangerous but also going to do your laundry? Got it."

Miranda popped in from the other room, holding up a ridiculously lacy red number. "What about this? It’s got a little sexy librarian vibe to it. Plus, Tom won’t be able to resist asking if you’ve been reading the Kama Sutra in between calls."

Jules stared at the outfit, then slowly nodded. "I think this might be it. It screams - I’m a hot mess, but in the best possible way."

Samantha gave her an approving nod. "Exactly! Now go grab that coat, and let’s make sure Tom never forgets this moment."

[apinchofm]

Requested by @angel-starbeam - Edwina is feeling homesick, so Friedrich gets Mary and Kate and they cook her favorite food.

Modern AU

Edwina loved her life in Berlin with her husband. Getting to settle in one place after all her travelling and marrying Freddie was certainly one of the best parts of her life. Her second book - a retelling of Emma set during 15th century India - would be coming out soon and there were already great reviews.

Five and a half months pregnant, she supposed she was truly beginning to feel the homesickness she had never felt before. She missed her mother and sister, particularly. Face timing was not enough but they were both busy. They were all so busy.

Edwina distracted herself by preparing for the baby - furniture deliveries came almost every other day and she went to baby boutiques.

"Liebling, what can I do?" Friedrich asked. The former navy man could come up with solutions for so many dilemmas - but he did not know how to help his wife.

He finished building a crib, the two sitting in the unfinished nursery. Edwina had a bowl of pistachio ice cream as she watched him

She sat down, pouting, as she ate, "No, I just want to nap. And eat ice cream."

"Can I have some?" Friedrich asked, amused and she smiled, feeding him some. He hummed happily.

"This is like from that place in London that we went to with Kate - you know the one in... Hackney?"

Edwina grew sad, "Yeah," She murmured and he looked at her. Friedrich put down his screwdriver, leaning over to her and kissing her bump, rubbing her stomach as he looked at her.

"Schatz?" He asked and she stroked his hair, "You miss your mother and sister, hmm?"

"Yeah, but I'm just being silly."

"That isn't silly."

"I'm an adult."

"A pint-sized one." Friedrich joked and she flicked his forehead, "It's okay to miss them. Why don't they come here? They are welcome anytime."

"Mama does not have any annual leave and Kate is so busy with her work. She had a baby just well." Edwina reasoned, "I don't want to keep asking them for stuff." She kissed him on the forehead.

—

Edwina did not think too much of what she and Friedrich talked about. She had a meeting at her publishing house and came home, tired.

She entered the house and could smell something delicious. Friedrich's cooking was always great, but this was familiar. Fragrant. Was that… paneer curry? Her favourite.

She walked into her kitchen, and was surprised to see her mother, humming to herself as she was cooking away. Multiple pots on the go of the curry, rice and she was making naan.

"Mama?" She gasped, so surprised to see her in her kitchen. In Berlin!

"Eddie! Oh, you look amazing." Mary complimented, turning down the hob. Edwina hugged her tightly, trying not to cry.

"What are you doing here?"

"Freddie called. He thought you might need a taste of home, and well, you cannot fly, so we flew to you!" She explained, "Why you did not call us sooner?"

"We?"

The front door opened and she heard her sister and Friedrich chatting.

"...I can't believe you think that the first one is better than the second!" Kate was saying as they carried bags into the kitchen.

"I did not say better - I preferred the first version." Friedrich said defensively.

Kate put down her bags and hugged Edwina, "Hello, you! Your husband has terrible taste in sci-fi."

Edwina really wanted to cry, "I can't believe that you are both here.

"Of course we are and I'm so angry for you not telling us that you were so down!" Kate scolded gently.

He brought a box of cupcakes from her favourite bakery, kissing Edwina, "I told you they would come."

"I didn't want to interrupt your lives." Edwina said apologetically, with a small shrug.

"You are a part of our lives." Mary said, "Or did you stop being my baby when you got married? Are you an orphan?" Kate rolled her eyes at her dramatics.

"Anyway, we are here for two weeks. We are going to get that nursery finished and you are going to relax." Kate listed, "And no protests!"

Friedrich looked at Edwina, "She has been bossing me around all morning." He received a punch in the arm from Kate.

"You are ex military, you should be used to it."

"Navy!" Friedrich corrected.

Edwina just laughed, so glad to have her favourite people around her.

[citrus-blade]

Meeting

Day 2 of Citrus Dreamnoblade Week with the prompt 'Meeting Parents'

Link to AO3 or read it under here!

Dream had everything he could have asked for in his life. Home, Job and a lovely fiance. But before his life could actually become perfect by turning said fiance into his husband he had to meet his family first. And let’s just say that Techno had talked about his family before, but meeting them was something completely different.

Story under the cut! Words: 1,534

Dream was the luckiest man in the world. He had a nice job in a firm where he had met his two best friends. Said job made sure he didn’t need to worry about money or the future, additional to that he also had a very nice home and a cat living in said home. Oh, and not to forget his boyfriend, or, since a few weeks, his fiance.

Techno was an artist working from home with his own studio in a room where most of the walls were made out of windows. The man with the pink hair always told Dream that he was is muse, ever since they met in college.

It was a normal day for Dream when he sat in the college’s cafe, trying to finish a project he had been stressing about for the last few weeks. His hair was messy, there were bags under his eyes and he accidentally wore his shirt backwards… with stains on it, cause he forgot to do his laundry.

In the middle of him panicking Techno had slid into the booth, immediately getting Dream’s attention. The student looked over his laptop at the man with a deep frown and mouth half open. “….what do you want?” He has asked in the hope that the stranger would notice that he wasn’t welcome and leave again.

“Sorry, I don’t want to bother your for long but,” the man started, voice monotone as he looked Dream’s face over, “you’re really beautiful, would it be okay for you if I’d draw you?” Dream felt his face turn red within seconds, no one had ever called him beautiful before. Handsome sure, sexy even, but beautiful? That one was new and despite himself he kinda liked it.

“Ehm, wh-what?”

“If I can draw-”

“No, I understood that part just- ehm- haha, it’s just,” Dream stumbled over his own words, a slight grin growing on the stranger. Only then did Dream notice the sketchbook in front of the man. “kinda direct, don’t you think?”

“Well, you have to be direct when you found your muse in a stranger you could lose, right?”

Muse?? Did this dude really just call Dream his muse? Damn. “Oh ehm, wow that’s, true I guess?”

The man chuckled then, holding out his hand. “My name is Techno and I’m an art student here.”

“Dream,” the blond answered as he shook Techno’s hand, blush still on his cheeks. “And sure, you can ehm, draw me, if you want to! I just need to work is that-?”

“Totally fine, don’t worry,” and just like that he opened his sketchbook and started drawing.

That was how they had met four year ago. Shortly after they became friends, then boyfriends and now fiances. Techno had asked him in a cafe the day Dream had worked on an important project for work. He did not miss what his lover did there.

No you’d think Dream’s life was perfect right? But you’d be wrong, cause there was one more thing Dream had to do and that was meet Techno’s family. And don’t come at Dream with ‘you should have met them already!’ like yeah, he should! It was just that all of Techno’s family lived in England while they lived all the way in Florida. And until a few months ago they simply didn’t have the money to just fly over there for a meet up.

Now that Dream had found a good workplace and Techno had boomed with his art and could sell it for a lot of money, they were wealthy enough for trips like that to be in their normal schedule. And today they finally flew over, eight hours of flight and they landed safely in London. “So, is your family picking us up?” Dream asked, fidgeting with the fidget spinner Techno had given him before the flight already.

“Yeah, I think Wilbur is,” Techno mumbled as he waited for their package. Dream knew who Wilbur was, he also knew who Tommy and Philza were, just because he hadn’t met the men yet didn’t mean Techno wouldn’t talk about them.

Wilbur was Techno’s older brother, a musician who tended to be overdramatic but also very romantic. Tommy was Techno’s younger brother who had just turned eighteen and still visited high school, he was pure chaos and apparently annoying as fuck. And then there was Philza, Techno’s father, apparently calm and level-headed but sometimes a little hypocritical and sassy.

So yeah, Dream was worried and nervous, you can’t fault him for that! Walking to the picking up part of the airport made Dream wanna throw up, he knew how they each looked thanks to pictures. Sometimes he wondered if Techno also sent them pictures of Dream and talked to them about him.

“Calm down,” Techno whispered to him, one hand on Dream’s lower back, “they’re not gonna eat you.”

“What when they don’t like me?” Dream asked back, glancing at his fiance before looking back to search for Wilbur.

“They will and even when not, it doesn’t matter. You’re part of me, rather they like you or not.” That was kinda reassuring for Dream, knowing he wouldn’t lose the love of his life no matter what. But still, he wanted to be liked so there wouldn’t be any complications during the wedding or future events like Christmas.

“Techno!” A voice called out, making both men turn to their left. There he stood, Wilbur, a young man with curly brown hair and brown eyes smiling at them. He wore a yellow sweater, standing out from the crowd. The fact that he was also tall and waving his hand wildly around helped as well.

“Wilbur!” Techno answered, his voice as monotone as most of the time. He walked over to him with Dream and Wilbur immediately pulled his brother into a tight hug. “Urgh, Wilbur, please.”

“Come on man, let me hug and look at you!” Wilbur said as he pulled back, hands on Techno’s arms to hold him still. “You look good, healthy!” Then his gaze wandered over to Dream, a soft smile back on his lips. “And you must be Dream, nice meeting you.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” Dream said, shaking the man’s hand with a gentle smile, trying to be polite. Wilbur pulled back and chuckled and only then did Dream notice how sweaty his own hand was, trying to dry it on his jacket. “Sorry about that…”

“No need to apologize,” Wilbur assured, waving it off, “you’re nervous, that’s completely normal okay? Meeting the family for the first time is stressful.”

“It really is,” admitted Dream with a deep sigh, earning a laughter from the other man. Techno also chuckled lightly before turning back to Wilbur, his hand founding it’s spot on Dream’s waist.

“Alright, let’s go guys, I bet Tommy and dad are waiting just as nervous at home.” And with those last words from Wilbur they left the airport, got into Wilbur’s car and drove. They were on the road for half an hour before arriving at the house. As they got out of the car Dream saw someone looking out a window, trying to hide behind a curtain.

“Oh my,” he whispered to himself, swallowing heavily before stepping to Techno’s side, taking his hand.

“It will be fine,” his partner said, looking down at the blond. “We’ll greet them and then flee upstairs to unpack and settle in before dinner in the evening, okay?”

“Okay,” Dream nodded, he saw Wilbur chuckle silently in his fist, hiding it badly. Then he pushed the key in and opened the door, two blond men already waiting. Dream took a deep breath before stepping inside with everyone. Obviously everyone greeted Techno first before the pinket gestured to Dream, introducing him as his fiance. “Hello! I’m happy finally getting to meet Techno’s family!”

“As are we! We didn’t get to see him for so long cause he didn’t want to travel without you,” Philza said with a strained smile, wrinkled obvious at the side of his mouth and eyes. Oh god, the man already hated him. “It’s funny that we meet now that you’re already fiances, right?”

“Dad,” Techno said in a warning tone and a frown, “Stop playing games.”

And all of a sudden the older man burst out laughing, shaking his head before pulling Dream into a tight hug. “I’m sorry, I had to do this,” he said, still laughing lightly. Dream was shocked and didn’t know what was happening.

When he pulled away Tommy started talking. “It’s okay, he does this shit with every partner someone brings home.”

Dream blinked at that before turning to Techno in shock. “Why didn’t you warn me?!”

“I thought he wouldn’t do this considering you’re not just a boyfriend!”

“Nope,” Philza said between them, “no one is safe here.” Dream took a deep breath in relief before he was invited into the living room, asked if he wanted to have a drink. It was still scary but the atmosphere turned more chill fast and eventually Dream was laughing with everyone as well.

Meeting his fiance’s – soon husband – family was as not as much a disaster as he had feared.

[jow99]

Tokyo-London-Barcelona-Girona-L’Escala

What a day! After a 13 and half hour flight we landed in London this morning and enjoyed the lounge for a few hours. Then we flew to Barcelona, a pleasant enough flight.

Next was a shuttle to Terminal 2 to catch the Metro into the city and then the train to Girona. Unfortunately being a Sunday the buses run on a reduced timetable. Having said that the train is way more comfortable.

Happily Martijn and Marjolein picked us up from the train station in Girona and drove us back to L’Escala. It was lovely to see them again and try to catch up on the last 4.5 months on the trip home.

As we approached L’Escala there was this weird thing going on with the sun’s dying rays. It looked like something out of a Monty Python movie (see photo). I think it was L’Escala welcoming us back.

Not only the sky but also the Tramontana was here to welcome us back 🙄. It was nice however arriving at the apartment to find the bed already made, a couple of bottles of our favourite rose and some lavender in a vase from Marjolein’s garden. This was all thanks to Charlie and Cathy our Canadian friends who have spent the last two weeks here and of course Marjolein ❤️

We dived into the clothes cupboard and pulled out some warmer clothing before heading out to dinner. I had felt like a total trooper but now I was starting to fade.

For dinner we went to one of our favourites, Cal Galan. It’s seriously only about a 3 minute walk but with the Tramontana in fine fettle it wasn’t much fun. Thankfully Cal Galan is very cosy and inviting. We love the couple who run the place.

For entree we shared our favourite, melted provolone with chorizo - heaven 😋 Tonight uncharacteristically we said no to the chupitos at the end of the meal. By now we were in serious danger of falling asleep at the table.

I did try to finish this blog before I went to sleep but my eyelids weren’t cooperating. So after a nice, long sleep here it is.

[cazzyf1]

My Favourite Quotes from: Niki Lauda Das Dritte Leben

So it's been 4 years since Niki has passed now. Over a year since I became so involved with Niki's life here. It's crazy how short of a time it's been.

It's been a while since I made one of these, but as I have brought two new Niki books recently, I figured I should make this to share. The book is fully in German, which I have had to use google translate on; so there will be grammatical issues in this but for the most part, I'd say this is accurate.

Enjoy

"Only Graham Hill and Chris Amon had private planes, and they were simple propeller mills. It had more to do with sport than luxury or gaining time when they came to the races in Fleger. Once they flew from Spa to London in Graham's Piper Actec, and because I was going the same way, they took me with them. Back then, you didn't travel 20 minutes after crossing the finish line of a race, but on Monday morning. It all started with Graham complaining about a headache that morning from drinking so much at the Grand Prix party. It was raining miserably and the runway was a grass runway. We barely made it over the embankment and darted rather noncommittally into the laundry room over the canal. Hill and Amon constantly argued and yelled at each other. Hill was a captain but only had a visual pilot's license, Amon understood instruments, and I think that's where the trouble came from. I sat in the back and had no idea of ​​anything. Anyway, we ended up in London. I didn't feel like I wanted to be a pilot or have an airplane." - 8

"The impression improved when my cousin of a clear friendly tone took me in his Cessna 150 for a sightseeing flight over the Inn Valley. Everything was nice and smooth and friendly, and flying so easy. The view over both sides of the Alps suggested a direttissima between Salzburg, where I now lived, and Ferrari. I became a student pilot and I loved practicing in Salzburg-Bologna. That's how flying got a meaning." - 8

"Stay in your own house on the edge of the forest. Breakfast with Marlene. Fifteen minutes drive to Salzburg Airport, Kemetinger has already fired up the Golden Eagle, an hour later she sails into Bologna. Sante Ghedini picks me up. Two hours at Ferrari's circuit. Enzo Ferrari himself comes over from his office. We're going to Cavallino for lunch, I can do Polsk at the old man's (unfortunately very important). Another hour of testing. Off to Bologna. At half past five I walk in at Marlene's door, like someone who comes home from the office happily. To imagine that day with a scheduled airliner was impossible to fit in twice a six-hour drive: a horror." - Niki's routine

"A few years earlier I had been a hopelessly incompetent loser in high school, in my apprenticeship as a mechanic and then again at high school, and now I was playing the great analyst of Formula 1. I had a good sensorium in my butt, I could feel it Car lived, also in details." - 10

"I met Marlene in the summer of 1975. She was Curd Jürgens' girlfriend and as such the lady of the house at a party in Salzburg. She has a Spanish mother and an Austrian father, was born in Venezuela and mostly grew up there. She has a lot more Spanish than Austrian character. The name Niki Lauda meant absolutely nothing to her. Marlene was infinitely far away from racing and asked the most hair-raising questions, like a child. A few months later she definitely didn't marry the racing driver in me, she took that with her without realizing what she was getting into. As a racing driver you need naïve optimism ("nothing's going to happen to me anyway"), otherwise you wouldn't be able to get into the car at all, and Marlene was willing to believe in it just as I said she would. She was endlessly carefree, and before she knew she was right in the middle of the horror. I was 27, world champion and on my way to my second title. Before I got into the Ferrari on August 1, 1976 at the Nürburgring, Austrian journalists told me that the Reichsbrücke in Vienna had collapsed a few hours earlier. It was a strange feeling: that the biggest bridge in the city, in the whole country, could simply collapse in a second." - p11

"Frank Gardner in a Cortina Lotus had won. At the podium he put down the wreath and descended with tears in his eyes. He had just been told that Jim Clark had died in Hockenheim. Jim Clark was also my big idol, so that also affected me. What particularly bothered me about it was that it was caused by a technical defect, back then there weren't safety bolts in the rims, and if you had a puncture, the tire could jump off the rim. So Clark simply took a turn on the long straight in Hockenheim and pulled straight into the forest without it being his fault. That kept me busy for a long time." - p16

"First, there were these microscopic slivers of burned face shield (balaclava) that had been transplanted with the fresh skin I had developed an allergy to. He got 70 such things out of me in a three-day ordeal with tweezers, carefully treating everything with peppermint oil. The ears, or what was left of them, were raw flesh and painful beyond belief. Willy called the surgeon, who said: The rest of it will probably rot off as well, then the pain will be gone." Willy marched down to Lake Fuschi and dug up some roots, to which he said things like: That helped the Crusaders. As a result, I was able to sleep for the first time in three days, and for 15 hours, and two weeks later I had skin again over what was left of my ears. Then it happened incredibly quickly, also because I was so eager to return to normal life. I soon started running and strength training, and I noticed the progress every day." - p25

"Hannes was a good conversation partner in my euphoria for the future Lauda Air, which was already going through my head in 1977. He had an idea for the "style" that we wanted to develop, for our self-representation and our self-image. We talked about flying, about upcoming planes and an upcoming airline. No detail was too small for us, no fantasy too big. It "It was just fun to sand the contours of a vision. Hannes sketched a jumbo tail and painted a red L in it. This is what the logo could look like. No type of aircraft was better suited than the jumbo, because of the corresponding slant of the towering tail. However, since there was no company yet, the corporate design of the Lauda Air could initially only be applied to my crash helmet: a double red L, lightly scripted, on a white background." - p31

"In the years that followed, Hannes Rausch accompanied me to almost every Grand Prix. Of course there was also Bertl Wimmer. Bertl lived in my (Salzburg) area, worked as a salesman for motorcycles and mopeds for KTM and, through his enthusiasm for motor sports, came into contact with Walter Wolf and finally mine. Our common interests were motorcycling, flying and all kinds of nonsense, and by about 1975 we were friends. Ideally, I packed a team of four as a Grand Prix accompaniment in the Citation or the Lear Jet: Marlene and Messrs. Willy Dungl, Bert! Wimmer, Hannes Rausch (one for the body, one for the heart and one for the brain", at least according to Hannes' interpretation)." - p31

"I only passed the theory part of the exam on the second attempt in Braunschweig. For the practical part, I needed a long-range flight, so I shipped the flight instructor and examiner to the Lear in New York and then flew on to the US Grand Prix in Long Beach. Bernie Ecclestone was already waiting there, saying he urgently needed to go to Las Vegas. So I flew him there. Before I left, I flipped through the messages that Bernie had brought me from the hotel. I should urgently call Frau Maier, our housekeeper in Salzburg. In the phone box at the airport I was told: "An Buam ham S', an Buam ham S'." Our first child was born: Lukas." -p44-45

"Of course, I also drove a full Formula 1 season. When I came home from the Monaco Grand Prix, our kitchen was slightly damaged. Did the dogs behave like that?" I asked Mariene. "No," she said. I had a tantrum" She had her fit during the TV broadcast from Monaco when she saw Didier Pironi try to pass me at Mirabeau, riding on the back of my Brabham and missing my neck by six inches before slamming into the guardrail . Pironi's maneuver was so bloody stupid that you could get angry about it. But that wasn't why Marlene dismantled the kitchen. She was just so incredibly angry because she once again had to watch what she had been doing since the Nürburgring in 1976 knew exactly: That racing is idiotic. Everyone who takes part is idiots, and I, right in the middle, played a brilliant leading role: Congratulations!" and a kitchen box was due. When I got back into the car six weeks after the fire accident, she didn't stop me because she basically allows everyone every freedom, but she thought I was stupid. She thought the whole racing sport was stupid, our rituals, the rush, the heartlessness, and that you can cripple yourself. Marlene never again had a relaxed relationship with racing. My selfishness was strong enough not to let that deter me. I believed, and I do the same today, that in a partnership, too, the free development of the individual must be out of the question. If there isn't room for it, it's just not the right partnership." -p47-48

"Back then, I actually wore beige lace-up velvet trousers every day that had a burn hole over which Marlene had sewn blue fabric in the shape of a fish. I also wore a beige Niki sweater and the shoes painted by Hannes." - p51

"Gilles Villeneuve died in Zolder on May 8, 1982. I liked him for his charm and naturalness, admired his willingness to surrender unconditionally to sweet madness (which, however, had nothing to do with his death fall). In the last hours of his life I had two typical experiences with him. Thursday night at the hotel: I was about to go to bed and heard the flop-flop-flop-flop of a helicopter gone mad. It was pitch black and a searchlight scanned the area in front of the hotel, trying to sort out pylons and cables. The thing did land, it was Villeneuve's Agusta 109, a nice twin engine with retractable gear, Gilles had an immaculate Clarification: "I flew away from Nice when it was still quite light." The next day, first training, first ride. I happened to come out of box right behind Gilles and saw him in the allerer. flew out of the first curve. When we stood together later, I asked him out of genuine interest why a person would throw themselves out in the very first corner of a training session. He said: "Niki, I can't do it different." There was something in him, that simply does not allow him to drive in a calculating or cautious manner, no matter what the track (at the beginning of a training session, the ideal line is not yet sanded clean, that only becomes apparent after a number of laps) That was the last thing I heard from him heard: "I can't help it." - p61-62

"Now, sitting still on the plane, sadness, worry, anger and the burning uncertainty, of course also self-pity seeped into me: What had I done that I had to be the center of such an oversized disaster? In Kennedy I was finished, physically and mentally. I trotted to the PanAm counter, handed over my ticket. The Man looked at it, looked at me, made two dashes through, gave me the ticket and said Stand By". I hadn't bothered with the ticket before, no- had no idea I was stand by to Washington. When the PanAm man said "stand by", I didn't give a damn for the first time in six days. I thought I did like me Out of. Tilt Then again: I have to go to Washington. But how? should i cry shouldn't I cry? I was remote controlled, but the helmsman was not at the post I turned and walked back into the hall and squatted down. I couldn't do more. As if I had been beaten and can no longer hit back. I stared at the ticket without any realization. I almost passed out, I didn't care, I couldn't take it anymore. I would sit here, just sit there I couldn't sleep either. Except for race fans, no dog in America knows me, but now everything was different. - p139

"I flew from London to Salzburg to see Marlene and the children. Marlene was still completely distraught. The ten days that had passed since the crash hadn't lessened her shock. Lukas also showed concern, only Mathias was quite relaxed, listened to a lot and said he was going to play tennis." - p149 (about the plane crash)

"Lukas then came out with the fact that jokes about it were already circulating at school. For example, if you don't love your wife anymore, then send them with the Lauda Air."" -p150

"Niki Lauda's wife loves the neighbors was the headline in August 1989. With a photo (not of the neighbors on Ibiza, but of me), the report took up half the front page. The lover was not only described ("he is 33, tall, blond, blue-eyed"), but also called by name. It was the partner, now husband, of Marlene's sister Renate and one of our closest friends So they didn't bother with even a minimum of research. Since Renate was pregnant at the time, we were able to win the lawsuit against "Bild", which is otherwise hardly possible in such cases in Germany. By and large, the tabloid writes what it wants." - p240

"When the first journalist somewhere heard that I had an illegitimate child, he confronted me about it. "That's right," I said, but it doesn't help anyone if it's in the newspaper, not the child, not the mother, not the father and his family." right Okay, said the journalist and didn't write a word. Over time, others found out about it, too, and I said to them: 80 Yes, it's true, but anyway, he's known about it for a long time. He doesn't write it because he's helping me with it." They didn't write it either, and at some point quite a lot of people knew about it, at least beyond the narrow circle. None of them developed the ambition to make a particularly nice headline with the private life of Niki Lauda. Until at some point a German writer from wind and put it boldly in his newspaper, then followed short confirmations in the Austrian newspapers, but Christoph was already in kindergarten age. That's how my mother experienced it, for example. In her slightly crumpled Schönbrunner German she said: Niiiki, did that have to be?"- and never a word of it again." - p241-242

"Christoph is a bright fifteen-year-old growing up in Vienna and with whom I have little contact. We see each other about three times a year, so of course no sensible father-son relationship can develop from that. I only have one family, it stays that way, married or divorced, it doesn't matter. I have a bad conscience that it happened," and I can't get rid of it either. The situation presents itself as unsolvable in the sense of a result that could make everyone happy. I don't want to cut myself in half, and I can't see a middle ground that I could reasonably walk. Christoph grew up completely differently than the children under Marlene's and my influence. I feel the difference very strongly, but of course it's okay." -p242

"Marlene is my life person. She has uncanny strength and security, and she rests in the midst of a chaos she beautifully crafts." -p242

"I had lived with a very disciplined young lady for seven years and married Marlene within a few months. I didn't take it that terribly seriously, I just wanted to know what it's like: being married, and Marlene was exactly the kind of person who could understand it well." - p243

"When I confessed the illegitimate child to her, she was hurt but decided that if I wanted that to happen, nothing about our family should change. Of course I wanted. If we did eventually divorce, she demanded, "I'll have the kids, the dogs, the camera." So we continued this weird kind of marriage that we were both comfortable with. A relationship can only be based on how two people understand each other, and we got along well. I remained stubbornly focused on my egocentric life, racing, company, and Marlene accepted that. Normally you can only choose between family and freedom, I could choose as much as I wanted from both. I could lean my head back when I felt like it and when I felt fit I could run away and do whatever I wanted. Everyone knows that I wasn't a saint anyway. But even there it depends on what is ultimately the case remains. It's easy for me because I can decide for myself in this constellation. We do not need to discuss the responsibility for the three. If Marlene pulls the lace and says, what now?, I'm there immediately. Just: She has never pulled the lace. I know exactly the limits. And if the boundaries need to be shifted, then we'll shift them against me too. But since Marlene gives me such freedom, thank God, I also live it. But when push comes to shove, she always wins. Just as we got married, we divorced in 1991. It didn't matter and it didn't change anything. The official in Thalgau asked about the reason for the divorce. ..There isn't one, I want a divorce." "It's impossible without a reason." ..What could be a reason, for example?" ..If someone wasn't at home for six months." I haven't been home for six months." ..Are you sure?" Yes, of couse." "The marriage is divorced." On leaving, Marlene said: "The children, the dogs, the camera." I was flabbergasted. It had worked the way she always said it would. And nothing changed. Of course I took all the steps to protect her, and also signed the house in Salzburg over to her." -p244

"For five years only the very closest circle knew about it. Marlene wanted to spare the children who went to school in Hof near Salzburg the public discussion of our private lives. So we kept quiet" - p244

"Accordingly, it turned out that Lukas had nothing in mind with cars and motorcycles. He just got comfortable with cycling, that was all. I resented how he grew up with no technical spark. I had to do something. When he was about thirteen, I bought him a small motocross bike for his size. He was super excited about it, but for two months he just started the thing up in the garage and went wrrrrmmm, wrrrrmmm. No, he doesn't want to drive, he doesn't want to. One Saturday the whole family was sitting at the Schloßwirt in Anif, it was a wonderful day. I said to Lukas, let's drive home quickly, I'll show you something. On the lawn in front of our house I put him on the front of the motorcycle, sat on the back, grabbed the handlebars, showed him how to use the gas and clutch. But he only stopped in the middle of the handlebars and wasn't willing to move his hand towards the accelerator. So we drove around in the meadow, two on a small bike. It seemed like a solid hour before he finally parted his hands enough to get the gas and clutch. I suddenly jumped off. He roared like crazy, made a slow giant arc, and I had to run alongside. In the end I had to catch him because he couldn't get his feet on the ground properly. Very slowly, in first gear, he trembled through the meadow and scolded me. Anyway, he was on his way. - p246

"The next time I came to Salzburg, Lukas said: So what?" Come down with me. I'm going to go motocross." "Come down." He dressed carefully. Leather outfit, boots, fall home, the whole fuss. I stood there bored and waited for him to shake his way out. He jumped on his motorcycle and sped out of the garage on the back wheel - an image I'll never forget become. I ran to Mathias.,,What's the matter?" The little brother then told me that the day after our first trip, Lukas had gone down to the farm boys on his motorbike, and he had driven with them until he could, becoming more and more ambitious, and in the end totally stupid." - p247

"With Mathias, the result was the same, only the way to get there was much easier. He wouldn't have gotten up on his own, so I put him on the bike, said that's the gas, that's the clutch, he said yes, I know. He drove away, made a detour, came back and drove unsharpened to the garage door. ,,Are you dumb?" "I don't know where the brake is." He was fearless. Full throttle from the first second. And his brother was such a protégé. Anyway, they started riding motocross together" - p247

"If you really aspire to a motocross career, you should start just after walk school. So it was by no means too early when Lukas and Mathias, aged 14 and 12 respectively, asked for decent motocross machines for further training. Marlene had a fit, but I told her to let her go: Motocross is the hardest thing there is. You will never get ahead. There's no money to be made, the sport is just exhausting, dusty and dirty, they'll soon stop doing it." Marlene accepted and I bought the boys two 125 Hondas. They drive it really well and there is no longer any difference between the two. They are equally wild and equally good. I hope that it doesn't turn into a motocross career, and that suggests that they're jumping around like crazy out of sheer jokes and frolics. But they lack the seriousness of cardio, running and weight training every day, so I believe I think the racing bacillus will eventually suffocate in the eternal dust of motocross. Marlene has now fully embraced the kids' hobby, drives the machines back and forth, checks in between Barcelona and Ibiza." - p248

"My mother survived him by eighteen years. I didn't see her very often either, but there was always a bond and affection, maybe there was also a hidden longing for the family that had been lost so to speak. Her last days were moving. She had cancer, only wanted therapy up to a point, and then no more. Brother Florian and I took turns at her bedside for the last week and never left her alone. They were important days for me and for this last remnant of family. I think after all our mother understood that she had sons who loved her. Now only Florian is left. We had always had little contact, but after the death of our mother we became closer again. He lives his life completely differently from me, hasn't done anything in all his 46 years that I would call work, but that's by no means criticism, on the contrary, I admire him for it. He studied but didn't finish, did this and that, was always happy, and because of them Family circumstances he could also afford it." - p250

"I never had a problem with my appearance after the accident. problem That's what I look like, that's it. I therefore only had the medical technically necessary operations on the eyes and ears chen, but no plastic surgery. James Hunt, my 1976 World Cup rival, said the accident was the best thing that could have happened to me: "You finally have a face to look at." - p253

"In the meantime, an Austrian brewery had expressed interest in providing me with a Gösser"-Kapperl, green of course. Practical and unsentimental as I am, I thought five million schillings is a lot of money these days, so why shouldn't I have one green Kappl marching around?” I really didn't have any major concerns and made a preliminary contract. Then I showed up at the company with the green Kapperl on a trial basis. The employees were stunned. They thought I wasn't quite tight anymore. Lauda can't wear a green cap, he can't have any other cap but this red thing, and the fact that it says Parmalat isn't an advertising message, it just happens to be written on Lauda's cap. Of course, I have so much respect for symbols and the opinions of the employees that I allow myself to be taught. So I canceled the Gösser lecture with difficulty, wept briefly and violently over the beautiful coal and politely put the red cap back on. It will probably stay that way, I think." P254

"I had just come back from Miami, with the flu, overworked, overtired, came to the Viennese apartment next to the Hotel Sacher and suffered a heart attack. I fell to the ground, unable to move. With the utmost effort, I crawled to the phone, but who should I call? Emergency call, ambulance? It was the time of my worst argument with the AUA, and even in my fear of death I couldn't give them the triumph that the red Kappl was being carried out of the Sacher-Haus on a stretcher. So Willy Dungl, but he wasn't there. I asked for a call back, extremely urgent. Meanwhile, still on the ground, I scribbled notes for Marlene, account numbers and so on, farewell. After hours I think Dungl finally called. I'm having a heart attack, I said, please take me to the hospital discreetly. Willy and his wife picked me up, took me out of the house and straight to the general hospital, where on the Cardiac station everything was already prepared. First check: everything ok. healthy heart, as in the last pilot examination. Infinite relief, however wrong with unchanged Pains. So it could only be a misaligned vertebra, a pinched nerve, which is Dungl's specialty anyway (actually it was the fifth thoracic vertebra, I think). I'll take you straight to Gars, where I can treat you properly," said Dungl. I was dragged to Willy's car in the hospital yard. It came to me like a rocket from the subconscious Remembering Willy Dungl's car skills. ..Who's driving?" I asked, suddenly wide awake. I'll drive," said Dungl. I whimpered, "Let me drive, Willy."- p272-3

"The greatest driver personality over my 25-year span has been Ayrton Senna. The strongest, the best, innovative, extremely sensitive as a driver and as a person. He dealt with racing perfectly and with unbelievable intensity. He had everything under control and was creative in all his ideas. He was warm-hearted and friendly and inspired me as a person, although his religiosity was completely alien to me" - p291

"At the time of the 1993 Spanish Grand Prix, I tried to lure him to Ferrari. I met him in his Barcelona hotel room and told him how great it was to immerse himself in the Ferrari myth. But he didn't give a damn about myth and said he was only interested in a car that he could win races in. We didn't even get to talk about money, and in the end he probably drove for Williams almost free of charge in 1994 because he basically had to buy Prost out." - p292

Hope you enjoyed the read! When I finish the next book I'll try to get it out. Also tagging @f1yogurt

[seriesxwriting]

It’s not just a holiday fling

- pairing - JJ maybank x reader

- series - outer banks

- warnings - swearing, kissing, underage drinking at a party , drug abuse (weed), fighting (kooks and pouges), degrading words (from kooks).

- summary - you and JJ meet while your holidaying, everyone treats you like a touron but him. You feared that when you flew back to England the relation would end there. But it didn’t and now you were flying back to the outer banks at half term. For one reason and one reason alone. JJ maybank.

- I met some cool people on holiday and they gave me this idea🫶

Part two here

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two months ago, I met this boy. It all happened out of no where, on what turned out to be a wild holiday in the outer banks.

He was standing there watching me from the safety of the sand, while I was swimming and messing about with my friends. I side looked him a few times and we made that awkward eye contact when you catch someone staring. Yeah that one…

I was way to anxious to go over and talk to him so it took a lot of convincing from them mates of mine but I eventually swam over to him.

We started talking, he began with a compliment and ended with asking me (and my friend) to join him on a night out. His smile was so sweet, his manner made my mouth just water. I jumped at the opportunity.

And that night we met and had the time of our lives. My friends were around the club somewhere and so were his but they let us get on. Nothing seriously happened, we kissed once or twice and that was about it.

We met again the night after and the one after that too. Again nothing serious happened, I believed it was just a holiday fling but the way he looked at me. I just melted every time.

Sadly it was soon time for me to leave the outer banks and go back to London where I came from. It was always abnormal, going back to reality.

I didn’t expect us to stay in contact for long once I was back, even unintentionally people drift but… somehow we didn’t.

School started back up once summer had past. Me and the boy were still talking every day and I quickly found my self liking him way more than I should’ve. I eventually confessed… what was the worst that could happen he lived thousands of miles away.

But he told me the same back… he liked me. I liked him. It was the perfect love story. Okay not love… yet.

But now I was in the October half term and that same boy had invited me to stay with him for the half term week. I didn’t fully know if I felt more- excited or scared or nervous or even awkward, maybe it wouldn’t be the same.

It was too late to go back now. I strode out of the gates and he was stood there, with a massive a sign between his hand and an even bigger smile on his face. My heart stopped and suddenly I wasn’t any of them negative emotions anymore.

The happiness and excitement took over. He started walking over and both our walks then turned into runs until we met embracing each other giggling.

“Fancy seeing you back here?” JJ looked down at me into my eyes. “It’s so surreal” I took a deep breath in looking around. There were lights in my eyes I still could hardly believe I was back here. Back in his arms. “I know… but I’m so happy your back” JJ grinned at me.

“Me too” I leant against his body wanting to be as close as possible. “How was the flight” the boy whispered softly as he leant in nearer to my face. “Worth it” I told him in the same tone and volume as I slowly tipped my head up to meet his soft lips.

Ugh it had been toooo long!

Our kiss wasn’t the same as it was on holiday before, that was a drunken rough kiss. This was softer more affectionate. This was an ‘I missed you’ kiss.

“Let’s get you back home then, I’m sure your tired” his hands left my hips and stretched out for my suitcase I’d abandon. “Oh I’m not tired, I’m ready for an adventure” I told JJ linking his free arm with mine. He chuckled down at me stroking my hand with his thumb. “good, because I’ve been planing” “I expected nothing less JJ” I laughed back.

We got out the airport into the scalding, shiny sun. I pushed down my sunglasses off the top of my head so I could see better. JJ walked us over to a van and put my luggage in the back. He even then came round and opened my door for me. Holding his hand out to assist in helping me up.

We got back to his house, deeper into the outer banks after catching up on the drive. JJ showed me around a bit pointing out his friends houses and his favourite restaurant. We even drove past his school and- did he have a lot to say about that place.

I wasn’t tired somehow there was no sign of jet lag, there was a beach party that started soon so me and JJ just put the tv on and made some food together. It was very entertaining as the blonde boy had absolutely no clue what he was doing.

“So after all that- is it actually edible?” I looked across at him trying not to burst out laughing. He started chewing the pasta we’d whipped up, in deep thought. “Where did you learn to cook?” he turned to me looking delighted with the result. “I live on takeaways”.

“My mother taught me everything I know” I shrugged taking a bite myself. “Well when I meet her I’ll remember to thank her”. My stomach twisted with excited butterflies at that statement. “I’m sure she’d appreciate that”, JJ looked over nodding at me with a little knowing twinkle.

He carried on finishing his pasta while watching whatever was on the screen. But I wasn’t paying any attention to that. All I could think about was how lucky I was to be sitting here with this boy. Never did I think I’d be back here with him.

When we had finished, me and JJ started to get ready for this beach party which had already started ten minutes ago. He said it’s better to go a bit later because no one ‘interesting’ would be there yet.

“Y/n, can you bring my phone out when your done please? It’s charging, love” he called out from where ever he was standing. I was all ready after spraying some perfume all over me. so I grabbed his phone off the charger and slipped out of the room. As I came down the wooden hall way of his home JJ turned around to look at me.

Ripping his attention from his phone, JJ mouth widened. “Is that a bit of drool there maybank” I smirked landing close to him. “Yes” he sucked in hard going pink in the cheek. “Want me to get it off?” I leaned up to him pushing my self on my tip toes, looking with innocent eyes. He nodded and met my lips, his hands slid down my body while pulling me into his.

“If we don’t stop now we won’t end up leaving for this party” I whispered with my hands on his chest, lowering my self down again. “That wouldn’t be the end of the world” JJ grinned kissing my cheek. He then reached for his shoes on the floor while I checked in the mirror at my outfit as one last time.

I felt his hand snake round my waist as his phone came out his jeans pocket. The camera on Snapchat was open, the Blonde boy pulled me in and snapped a photo. “What are you doing” I giggled watching him type on the photo.

“Posting my girl” he told me like it was nothing, he even slightly shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve- never been posted” my face scrunched up because I wasn’t used to this- at all. “and I’ve never been this lucky, so Imma show you how much I appreciate you starting with the posting”

JJ took my hand and started leading me out the front door back to the van again. We headed off towards the beach party this time, with tunes on full blast. It was going to be weird with out my girls this time but I didn’t plan on leaving jjs side tonight.

As he drove his ringed hand sat on my thigh while I texted the girl group chat about everything that had happened already. “Ready?” JJ looked over at me looking outside. “You won’t leave me will you” I swivelled around on the seat to the boy. “looking like that? It’s not happening” his head vigorously shook and his neatly brushed out hair fell.

“Let’s go hun” I smiled and my heart beat picked up as JJ kissed my hand. We both climbed out of the car and he pulled me closer by my hip when we reached the steps. I felt so safe next to him, embraced by him.

“Pope!” JJ yelled out. A group of teens sitting on the sand all spun their heads around to look at who was shouting. When they realised it was him they all jumped up and ran drunkenly towards us. Kicking sand left, right and Center. “Finally! We thought you two weren’t going to come” John B giggled with Sarah under his arm. He stumbled and they both almost fell but that was just amusing to them.

“Guys, you remember y/n” he introduced me again rubbing my side with his ringed hand. “How is it being back in the outer banks” pope quizzed me with a grin “amazing in all honestly” I shrugged looking around at all the people having fun.

“I can’t believe this is your normal, it’s nothing like England” “well we’re glad to have you back, it shuts this one up he’s been counting down the days until you were flying out” ki laughed childishly behind her cup.

“Oh has he now, that’s cute” I gazed upwards to the boy with pink cheeks, covering my laugh. “So should we go get some drinks then- we need to catch up” he adjusted his hat, gulping. “he’s changing the subject” John b pointed out while singing. “I’ll save you the embarrassment and take you up on that drinks idea” I wiggled my eyebrows.

“Good” JJ wiped his brow in a joking way and lead me to the bar after waving off his mates for a while. We had a few drinks of beer and a bit of a jig before going back to his friends. JJ also introduced me to some of the other poges that were dancing around too. “Are you sure you want to go back” jj reassured.

“I’m getting hot anyway” I threw my arms over his shoulders. I was pissed and JJ had brought weed with him too so I was also high. And so was he. Resulting in our behaviour. We smashed our lips together hungrily on the side of the crowd.

*cat calling whistle* we both pulled away to look at our surroundings. Three smug boys were lined up next to us with mean grins smacked over their faces. They didn’t look like they were from the cut, as JJ called it. “This is a cut party, no cocky cooks allowed” JJ slimmed his eyes but I noticed how he tensed up.

His body shifted undetected so he could get in front of me. “Or should I just say cocky wankers” he continued. “Who have we got here?” The middle boy nodded to me, though they did look older than us. “she must be a touron” another shrugged his shoulders. “Rafe just leave her out of it”

“Why she’s just a touron she’ll be gone in a week” Rafe roared with laughter, though I wasn’t sure what he was finding funny. “Or do you love her because she’s the only girl that’s ever showed you attention” topper chewed his lip in pretend deep thought.

“If you have something to say to me hun, say it” i scowled trying to walking in front of JJ, his hands automatic pulled me backwards not allowing me passage. “This isn’t england y/n” he whispered to me looking concerned.

“Aw he’s getting protective” Rafe pointed out slyly with a laugh. “Now, are you going to let me stay for the party or are we going to have a problem?”. JJ looked at me worriedly for a second and then turned back to them to answer. “looks like we’re going to have a problem” he sighed tensing his jaw.

I wasn’t expecting him to say that. “JJ- let’s just leave them” I whispered but Rafe was already coming forward. “Was hoping you’d say that” he grinned. “Stop it” I pushed in the middle but that meant nothing to Rafe. Before JJ could pull me back again rafe yanked my arm with force and a tight grip, so I landed in the cool sand.

I looked up shocked not being used to this but JJ had already began fighting out of anger. They swung for each other grunting when being hit. The two behind rafe just laughed at the scene but that pissed me off more. The boy went for JJs waist and slammed him into the sand too trying to land more punches when JJ was vulnerable. I got up dusting my self off, when Rafe stood up being done with JJ.

He turned to advance back to his friends.

And he landed in my fist. “OW! You bitch” he winced stumbling backwards holding his bleeding nose like a child. “Stay off the cut” I warned frowning.

Realistically Rafe could have beat me then and there but I think he was just so shocked he didn’t say a word. With out looking, so i could keep an eye on rafe, I tried to feel out for JJs arm so i could take him away. So he could take me away.

His hand warmly held mine and I dragged him quickly towards where his friends had been sat before Rafe changed his mind. Though no one was their now. We sat on the sand and straight away JJ pulled me into an intense kiss. His thumb rubbed my cheek. Breathlessly I pulled back wanting to laugh but couldn’t. “where did that come from” “fear… I don’t want to see you hurt I really like you JJ and this community”

“Rafe is a bully, he always has been he always will be” “JJ I don’t care about rafe” I giggled shaking my head once and then watching the three boys retreat after stealing a few of the pouges beers. “The outer banks can be dangerous” “so can I”.

“I noticed” JJ smirked, half shrugging. “I really like you to- but maybe we do England next time” “I don’t think there’s just going to be one next time”. JJ shook his head agreeing with me. “I hope not” he joint our hands.

“This party is a bust- and it’s a shit time but I want to make it official, us?” “As in- like…” “as in I want you to be my girlfriend y/n”. My face burnt red though thankfully the cover of the night saved me.

“I think you should take your girlfriend home so we can- officially make this official” i grinned mirroring JJs mischievous one, leaning in once again.

I couldn’t keep my hands off the boy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For more like this! Go to my Masterlist 🥰

[harrysmimi]

Not A Secret Anymore

Synopsis: One where Harry is being an amazing boyfriend and dad-to-be :))

More of my work

YN was visiting her parents in US after a long time whilst her boyfriend was back on tour.

Well, she was in New York for work but her parents lived there so she went to see them.

Work has been very hectic for YN lately. Being a daughter of Millionaire was never a perk for her. Whilst she worked for her dad, in the London branch of his firm, she was given a post with most responsibilities. She had to attend the meetings and handle everything that came with looking after the projects which the firm is working on. And being pregnant wasn't easy for her as well, it came with a shit ton of throwing up and nausea in mornings.

Harry and YN met four years ago at a business party she was attending with her dad. She was still in her twelfth grade and yet to go to college, her father wanted her to know how it was like to attend business parties. It was a huge ass business party with her Dad's Japan partners. That party was insanely amazing! The food was just— chefs kiss! To be honest, at that time, YN was there just for food. Really, she was young and still didn't really had the need to know how shit works in corporate world really. But it was still very fun.

YN found it very annoying because people thought she is older than she actually is. Harry was one of those people. He was scared that he was in serious trouble that night when her dad spoke about YN's age as he was hardcore flirting with her there (she wasn't a minor or he'd behind them bars now, or at least that's what he thought). But they still worked together. Started dating half a year later after they met. He still teases YN how she was low-key fangirling seeing him at the party, not wanting to come out as annoying she had to act professional. He said he noticed his face on her lockscreen and even back cover of her phone. It was embarrassing then, but is it any better now? He still keeps teasing her.

Harry was able to keep this relationship of his very low-key and it has a bliss for him. He took her to meet his mother after a couple of months and oh god, they're best friends now! Harry feels left out when his girlfriend and his mum are hanging out and he around. With Gemma it was a little difficult for her to get used to YN as she did not kind of approve of their relationship considering she is six fucking years younger than him. But she is fine now, and good friends with YN.

It was a recent thing YN moved in with Harry as she was still in college, she did not lived in London. She recently graduated so it was there was no point in living in the city her college was.

Now, her Indian parents never approved of their daughter and her boyfriend living together before they are married. But who was going to stop YN anyway? None of them wanted to get married any time. Her parents kinda had to just roll with it now. Both of them were happy though, knowing YN is now pregnant.

Harry has been nervous, he doesn't show it much but he has been so nervous to be a dad. It was YN acting upon on baby fever convincing they have a baby together now. Harry wanted his own kids but he was nervous, and YN here is like is she have had ten kids of her own. It is usually the other way around for others. She was just thirteen weeks in her pregnancy, still have less than thirty weeks to go and he is already fucking nervous to have a human being to take care of and love.

He knew his girlfriend is in New York for work. Be was in Nashville for his show and have four days to himself before his two back to back shows at the Maddison Square Garden. He flew to New York early to go and see her.

"Hello, Mummy!" Harry greeted YN's mum who was in kitchen preparing for lunch. He was very spoilt by his girlfriend's parents really. YN's mum was excited to see him like always.

"Hey! What a surprise!" She chuckled and hugged Harry back.

"Where is YN?" Harry asked. She is usually up before eleven,  ut she was nowhere to be seen.

"She's in her room, she was throwing up a lot today. I told her to go and take a nap." YN's mum explained.

"Oh! I'll go and check on her." Harry said.

"Of course!" The lady smiled.

"You want me to take your bag, Mr. Styles?" It was Katharine, the lady who works st YN's parents' house, asked.

"Thank you, but it's just one bag. I can take it." Harry politely declined.  The lady smiled as she got back to her work. Harry went upstairs. Her bedroom door was wife open as she lied there under her blankets. He knocked leaning in to get her attention, she was busy scrolling through her phone, he bets she's on Instagram. Finally he was able to get her attention.

"Hi baby!" He walked in dropping his tote to a side and closed the door as he went to her.

"Oh my god Harry!" She exclaimed already trying to get out of bed so she can go and hug him.

"Stay there." He went to her and crawled on bed next to her. He pulled her in his arms.

"I— you were in Nashville!" She hugged him back tightly.

"I flew in early to give a surprise." He announced. "I missed you!"

"I missed you so much!" She sighed relaxing now that he is holding her close.

"You feeling good now?" He enquired.

"A little bit yeah." She nodded, "Mumma just made me eat toast and omlet again." She was complaining.

"Yeah, she told me that. You have to eat even you're going to throw up, you can't stop eating now, can you?" He pulled apart enough to look at her.

"I know, I just don't feel like eating!" She whined.

"It's okay. I saw your favourite dishes are being prepared for lunch though." Harry excitedly, she just came from kitchen. He wouldn't lie, YN's mum is an amazing cook Harry leaves before at least having one meal made by her.

"Yeah, she told me that!" YN chuckled. "How was your show last night?"

"It was amazing!" He smiled. "How is our little angel doing?" His hand was already on her tummy, she wasn't showing much, her tummy still looked normal to people who doesn't know her. But there was a tiniest bump there. And he was obsessed!

"They're doing just fine!" YN shrugged saying as a matter of fact. "I just opened Twitter to see the pictures from last night before you came in." She shared.

"Yeah? Let's cuddle and check them out together." He suggested.

"Yeah, you can go get fresh if you want. I'll go bring something for your eat." YN planned out.

"You don't need to go anywhere, just stay here. I need to wee real quick." He smiled sheepishly as he rushed to her bathroom. YN went and got them both some snacks anyway and a black coffee for Harry.

"I told you not to—"

"It's okay!" She shut the door with her foot as her hands were occupied with a tray of goodies.

It was very entertaining to watch YN going crazy over pictures and videos from last night of him performing. She was obsessing over the blue flowery button down he was wearing.

"You still have this? Please tell me you still have the shirt!" YN exclaimed.

"Yeah, I have the shirt." Harry chuckled knowing that's going to be gone from his wordrobe soon.

"Can I wear it?" She asked sweetly, leaning onto him.

"I know you're going to take it anyway so yeah, of course you can wear it baby!" He placed a kiss on her forehead. "You want to go out tomorrow to this music festival?"

"Who is performing?" She asked.

"I don't remember many, I am sure your favourite Billie's brother is going to be performing there." He said.

"Finneas?" YN was shocked.

"Yup!"

"Then were going!" YN hugged him out of excitement.

....................................................................

YN and Harry always had a lot of fun with their outings. It was always usually Harry planning out their outings and their trips, YN really sucked at that because she hardly liked to get out of the comfort of her home. This was the first ever music festival she was attending, few of her favourite artists were performing there

Looked like Harry had the entire day planned out. People never bothered Harry unless it was planned and he had to make paparazzi appearances. Harry thoroughly enjoyed himself that way. He took YN to the food stalls, he was a little hungry okay!

"You enjoying you day, love?" He enquired now that they are seated at a table.

"Very much! Thank you for taking me out today!" She smiled.

"Of course darling!" He pulled his chair closer to hers so that he could lean in and kiss her cheek. "I love you so much."

"I love you so much too Hazza." YN leaned on her side on his chest resting her head on his shoulder. She felt his hand creeping up to her tummy over the hoodie, which looked like she was wrapped up in a blanket because of how oversized and comfy it looked. (Harry might have stolen it from her a couple of time before like she steals his clothes).

"Harry stop we're in public!" She scolded him. "At a music festival."

"So what baby? I don't care if anyone sees us really." He sighed with a sweet smile on his face. None of them were fans of PDA but Harry was being extra touchy-touchy today with her, she wasn't complaining though. Who would complain about their boyfriend giving them the attention?

"Can I have a kiss, please?" He asked, for a split second he looked around. No one was giving a fuck about them both so it was nice!

"Yes!" She nodded. He leaned forward and pecked her lips gently.

"Did you finish reading the book you got?" He asked.

"Oh, I haven't made past page five." YN grinned sheepishly. "Come on, it's a diary of a poor thirteen year old. I feel like I'm invading her privacy." She explained herself when Harry started laughing. She wanted to start to read so he doesn't think she's a dumbo because he likes to read. He recommended the Diary Of Young Girl by Anne Frank because it was easy read.

"It's okay baby. You don't have to read it if you want to. I still don't think you're dumbo for not reading." He assured her taking a bite of his hot dog.

"I am still going to read it though, might take me a couple of months to finish it. Feels like her and I would be besties if I were born in her time or vise versa." YN sipped on some sugary drink she got.

"I bet!" He agreed.

"Harry!" A few squealing girls approached their table. "We are so extremely sorry to disturb you." That girl started. YN was about up and go somewhere else for a little while like always she hated to be all over social media, but Harry was holding her hand tightly with his fingers laced with hers under the table.

"Awh! Thank you so much!" Harry said.

"Do you mind if we take a picture?" The other girl asked. Harry looked like he was contemplating to say no but YN gave his hand a squeeze. She didn't wanted him to disappoint his fans it happened super rarely when they were out together that his fans would approach him. YN felt lucky no one gave a shit about her on the social media and she does not have any of her pictures circulating all over the internet with Harry. He would usually politely declined, which YN doesn't have a say on much. He have full rights to his own privacy as an individual so she doesn't say anything about it.

"Of course!" He agreed.

The girls looked at YN for a second. Her heart beat picked up it's pace to one faster. She have encountered his fans, she always found his fans scary as hell. Especially on social media!

"Would you mind taking the pictures for us?" The blonde asked politely.

"Yeah sure." YN agreed hesitantly, she didn't mind though. It was just the first time for her. She took her boyfriend's pictures with his fans on their phones.

"Oh my god, I love your hoodie!" The other blonde started talking to YN whilst the other one gave Harry a pen her diary to sign it for her.

"Awh! Thank you! You have pretty hair." YN really liked the girls hair, the rainbow on the ends of her blonde hair was just pretty. She had sparkly tinsels in her hair as well.

"Thank you so much. Do you mind telling me where you get the hoodie from?"

"Oh, I am sorry, I don't know where it's from. I got it from a second hand shop." YN smiled awkwardly. God she needs to learn to social out side her professional world!

"Oh it's fine. It was nice meeting you." She shook hands with YN and left with her friend.

"Looked like you both were both Besties." Harry commented sitting back down on his chair after YN did.

"She was asking where I this hoodie from." YN still had her cheeks flushed red from the encounter. She felt so awkward. She literally looked like she rolled out of her bed. Not wanting to put an effort into dressing up for the music festival was something she was regretting. She had a blanket hoodie on, with rainbow heart on it, a pair of black leggings and white sneakers Harry got her Just 'cause.

"Why are you embarrassed baby, it's fine." He wrapped his arm around her neck to comfort her.

"I look like I just rolled out of bed!" She whined, and blamed her pregnancy hormones for feeling insecure all the time.

"You still look pretty though. Prettiest infact!" He kissed her temple. "You can dance freely in this outfit."

She chuckled, "I love you so much, Harry!"

"I love you more babe!" He kissed her lips again, with his hand rested behind her neck.

"Okay, no kisses until we get back to your hotel now Harry. You fans just approached you. Please?" YN was very self-conscious of being in spot light. It had happened just once and the articles called her a "just a friend" of Harry.

Also, they were staying at Harry's hotel. He felt a little weird staying over at her parents. It was like they were invading her parents privacy for him, even though they have said multiple times they don't mind both of them staying over at their house. At it was disrespectful (in Harry's opinion) for him to be having sex with his girlfriend at her parents place. For god's sake he is grown ass man it felt weird to him now, it shouldn't, but did it... He couldn't keep it in his pants when he was around his girlfriend, yeah, that would be the reason why he wanted them both to stay over at his hotel room.

"One last kiss and I'll stop." He demanded. YN just shook her head complying to his demands with kiss on his lips.

"God, I can't believe we have to wait twenty-nine weeks now to hold our baby!" He sighed holding her close to him again. "Thank you!"

"For what Hazza?" YN asked.

"You're about to make me a father!" He announced to her. "I have always wanted kids and you're making it happen baby. Thank you so, so, so, so fucking much!"

"Aw Harry! It would be happening without you." She chuckled.

"I know, but you're growing them from scratch inside of you." He smirks cheekily, "My job was done that night."

"Oh god!" YN sighed rolling her eyes. "I love you!"

"I love you more!" He reciprocated.

"Oh my god did you hear that?" YN heard rhe announcement of Finneas taking over the stage. "I don't want to miss this! Let's go!" She got up and dragged Harry along with her.

"I wish you'd be this excited my concerts." He said dramatically wiping off his non-existing tears.

"Oh stop it! How many concerts I have attended of yours?" YN kept a hold on his hand with her fingers laced with his.

"I can count on my fingers!" He said holding out five digits of his vacant hand, closing and opening hand two times to tell her that she's been only ten of his shows since they have started dating. He doesn't blame her, she was in college and now she have a full time job, she is slowly taking over her dad's business as he is retiring. Handling a whole company is really like looking after a child, like it is really said a company is like an artificial person made by law. It sounds very freaking tiring so deal with so many things. Which Harry finds very stressful and he doesn't know how she does it, but she loves her job that's all that matters.

"I— you want me to quit my job and follow you around like a PR girlfriend to every show?" She got offended.

"I am just kidding baby!" He wrapped his arms around her middle from behind. "But I want you to to come to my show tomorrow with your family. I'd really love to have you there whilst I perform. Please?"

"I'd love that!" YN enjoyed his shows not just because he is her boyfriend but also because he is a great performer.

"Yeah? You can watch the show from VIP booth. I'll have it cleared up for you baby, how does that sound?"

"I—" YN smiled sheepishly, she already had a pretty fucked up pregnancy brain. She forgot she got Pit tickets for her and her parents and her brother to his show and she was going to surprise him with that, going to his show without his knowledge. She did that one time and he was so happy to see her in the pit dancing with his fans. No one suspected anything. After the show she told him how his fans thought he had gotten a concert crush on her as to how much he kept staring at her. She even posted him on her story that day.

"Hmm, what love?" He enquired.

"I already might have gotten the cherry pit tickets and I ruined my own surprise." She smiled sheepishly. Harry giggled awing.

"It's okay, baby I'll act surprised for you yeah?" He teased, leaning in closer to her face. He was teasing her, not kissing her. She got frustrated and kiss him herself, pressed one small peck on his lip. Harry pulled away with his weirdly adorable big smile teasing her making her blush.

"You're so cute!" He commented pulling her close to him. He was being real adorable and touchy-touchy and lovey-dovey today.

Later that day, they went to this cafe because Harry wanted to get coffee. YN never drank coffee so she didn't get anything as the place solely served caffeinated drinks. YN saw a few flashes going off when Harry was ordered his coffee inside. YN saw ten paparazzi people out there taking pictures of them, not even bothering to be sneaky.

"Harry did you know there would be paparazzi here?" YN tugged on his sleeve two times.

"Hmm?" He didn't listen to her as he was reading the menu trying to find something she can have.

"There are paps outside." She pulled up her hood over her head. Paparazzi scared her. Though she never had an encounter with them but she was scared.

"I— what are they doing here?" He was confused himself. "Can please you go and sit at the table by the wall, baby?" He asked. YN hummed and went to the side where she wouldn't be seen.

Harry ordered YN her favourite muffin which this cafe served. He waited by the table where YN was calling Jeff. The paparazzi weren't called and they had no idea who gave them the tip. Luckily Harry parked his car just by the cafe.

"You want to wait for a while or should we leave immediately love?" He asked.

"How are you so calm? They're taking your pictures and shouting for you." YN started panicking.

"Hey, hey, I don't want to panic baby. It's okay, yeah? I'm with you, won't let anything happen to you yeah?" He assured her.

YN was close to starting to shake. It was very new experience for her, those fuckers don't care about Celebrities, she worried about something happening to their baby if they happen to get out of there. Usually called paparazzi are more lenient and try to act sneaky these were not being sneaky at all, it was completely opposite of being sneaky!

"You kids can wait here for as long as you want." The lady who owned the cafe came to the table with Harry's order.

"Oh, thank you so much." Harry smiled at the kind middle aged lady. She nodded and left.

"Hey, YN! Don't cry it's alright?" Harry hugged her to comfort her.

"I— I am sorry, I don't mean to cry." She mumbled against the fabric of his hoodie over his chest.

"No, it's okay. I promise. Will get you back home yeah? We can go to your parents place it's closer from here." He suggested, "you want to call them and ask if they're home?"

"Mummy is home always." She told him sniffling.

"Yeah? Let's get out of here then. Try not to give them any attention if they ask you anything, okay?"

"Yeah." She nodded.

"I love you." He reminded her with a kiss on her lips.

"I love you!" She reciprocated.

Harry didn't think it would be great idea to carry his coffe with him out. He popped a hundred dollar bill in the tip jar by the cash counter and apologised to the lady for leaving the muffin and his coffee untouched there. The lady was very understanding.

Harry literally had to escort her out of there. There were more people than he expected, both fans and Paparazzi there. His fans were asking for pictures with him, usually he'd stop for a second and take a selfie but his girlfriend was scared right now of all this ruckus. He had his arm wrapped YN's waist guiding her through the crowd. He luckily found a mask in his hoodie, he handed that to YN. It wasn't ideal for any of them to be sharing same mask like that but he knows how much YN hates to have her face all over the internet. He remembered her talking about the few people screaming names at her when she was leaving the restaurant in LA after her business meeting with her clients. She lost the deal and she was so upset as her dream project was delayed because of that. After that people just forgot about her and everything went back to normal for her again. YN winced feeling a hard tug on her arm by the screaming fans, she was almost pulled back and fell on her face but Harry had a grip on her.

"Hey, hey, please don't!" Harry couldn't help snap there. "You alright baby?" YN just nodded in yes. Now he was scared. He quickly opened the door to the passenger seat and letting YN get in.

"Lock the door." He told her and shut the door. Once he made sure her door was locked he scurried his way from the from his car and got in drivers seat. He pulled out of the parking lot and drove away fast once he was in clear that he won't be running over anyone. He had to stop at the red light. No one was following them luckily.

"Hey, baby it's okay! You're safe now!" He rubbed her back with his vacant hand soothingly. That tug really scared the shit of her as she was about to fall down. Luckily Harry had a firm hold on her. She had to be extra careful just for the sake of baby's health.

"Our angel is fine too darling." He assured her, "you feeling alright?"

"Hmm, just a little shaken by what happened." She nodded with tears threatening in her waterline to slip out again.

"Don't cry, baby I'm here with you." There was still time for the red light to clear up, he slip off his seat belt to lean over the centre console just so he can press a kiss to her forehead.

"Can you hold my hand please?" She asked, he held her hand lacing their fingers together.

"These fuckers!" Harry saw two people now being sneaky taking pictures from the car in front. "It's okay we'll go to hotel, don't want your parents address to be all over the internet as well."

"Mhmm!" YN nodded.

He just drove back to their hotel not wanting to bother her parents in mid afternoon, and disclose their address as paparazzi were following him in a car in front. He played the playlist he made with all of her favourite songs on the way.

YN was having an amazing day but it was ruined. But her boyfriend tried to make it easy for her. They watched her favourite murder documentary and cuddled after a long warm bath and just stayed in hotel for the entire night.

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Twitter

harrymylove : apparently harry is dating someone!!! DAFUCK?

32 replies  78 retweets   297 likes

*quote tweet Daily Mail article*

randomuser : oh! Shut the fuck up with kindness. This is another PR stunt!

valentina : SHE'S MY BOSS! MY BOSS IS DATING HARRY STYLES! OH MY GOD! DO YOU HEAR ME SCREAMING?!?!!! THAT'S MY BOSS!

HarrysKiwiBaby : valentina you sure you aren't going to get in trouble after tweeting that is your boss? 👀

valentina ; HarrysKiwiBaby OH FUCK! But I seriously didn't know my boss is dating Harry freaking Styles! I'm gonna cry, because that's the closest I'll get to him! 😭

bananarry : STOP! Why is her race and nationality mentioned in the article? Dafuck you racist fuckers? # canceldailymail

ThatHarrie : bananarry IKR! That pissed me off so much!

BabeCoucou : STOP! They were so freaking cute! They were at this music festival yesterday. She is so freaking sweet! Took pictures of me and my girlfriend with Harry! I'm going to cry! Finally he found someone! 😩

KaylieSksk : BabeCoucou you said she took pictures of you with Harry? 💀 Harry you savage fucker! This is yet another PR Stunt!

BabeCoucou : KaylieSksk wot? She isn't a celebrity for fucks sake. SHE DOESN'T WORK IN HOLLYWOOD. If you don't know her, she is well established business woman. And someone did mentioned she is their boss. Go get some help.

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Article

Daily Mail

Harry Styles spotted on a date with mystery girl at Music festival

Watermelon Sugar singer was spotted at the music festival with a mystery girl.

Singer, 27, is on tour with his thrid album out. The "Falling" singer last had his concert in Nashville two days before his outing with the Mystery girl.

The sources informed Daily mail that the former One Direction member looked "love drunk" with this girl.

Sources who were at the festival also told Daily Mail that this girl appeared to be South East Asian. The Adore You singer is dating a non-celebrity brown girl from India. Caught up all lovey-dovey by the food stall at the festival.

What do you think about this relationship? Let us know on our Social Media sites.

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YN had to cancel the plans to go to Harry's show that night. For two reasons, One, she had a last minute meeting to attend and two, Harry wanted her to be safe. He can always have at his shows whenever he wants

It was too much for YN. She was reading articles and still didn't know who gave paparazzi the tip. But Harry was on a call with his manager. She was at the venue visiting him before she went to her meeting. He just got off stage after his sound check.

"We don't know who gave the tip to the paparazzi. Don't read those!" He took her phone away watching her get visibly upset. "Come here!" He pulled her in a bear hug.

"What happens now?" She asked.

"Well, it's not a secret anymore." He breathed, "I can just confirm it in next interview. Only if you're comfortable though."

"What's wrong love?" He cooed seeing she's still upset.

"Nothing..." She shook her head.

"Come on, be honest. Is anything bothering you? Did you read hate comments on twitter?" Harry enquired.

"No, most of your fans are really sweet and nice. But umm... I just don't like how pictures from yesterday are circulating everywhere." She cuddled into him as she explained.

"I am sorry baby. I don't know how have those taken down, the best we can do is just try to ignore it the best we can, yeah?"

"Mhmm!" She hummed nodding.

She have grown a thick skin working in corporate world now that hate and bad criticism doesn't bother her that much. All she didn't liked was her pictures being everywhere now. Of course it would come with dating a pop star, but her privacy is going to be fucked up. This affected her work last time. She doesn't want that to happen this time around as well.

"I love you!" He reminded her, "so much!"

"I love you more!" She reciprocated.

"I'll try and talk to my PR team yeah? We can see if they can do anything to take those down." He assured her refering to the paparazzi pictures.

"Hmm thank you."

"Anything for you darling." He smiled nuzzling his face into her hair.

"I have go to the meeting now." She told him.

"I can drive you if you'd like YN." Jeff offered.

YN and Harry were in the green room where rest of the band was there too, getting ready stuff. They were just standing in a corner.

"Yes, please!" Harry sighed in relief, "thank you!"

"I can go, my dad is with me. But thank you for the offer Jeff." YN smiled. "Papa is going to the meeting with me don't worry, he'll be picking me up in a few."

"Alright, see you tonight yeah?" Harry kissed her forehead. "Go ahead and have you dinner, please don't wait for me like you do, okay?"

"Yeah, I will." YN nodded.

"Oh, YN your dad was coming to pick you up?" Jeff asked, he was on a call.

"Yeah." YN nodded.

"Oh okay. Just recieved a call from security head that your dad is here, I'll ask them to let him in." Jeff explained as he went out to get her dad.

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In a few hours Harry was on the stage, on this second song he walked down to the stage B singing. The man was finally provided with a wireless mic!

He saw YN there dancing away with her elder brother and mother on Adore You in VIP pit section. His mum and sister were there too! He stopped waiting to get YN's attention. He laughed when her brother hit the back of her head and pointed at the stage, she was in her own world dancing to her favorite song by her boyfriend. Harry loved YN and her brother's bond. He waved at her with his iconic open mouth smiled. She waved back, obviously.

"I'd walk through fire for you, just let me adore you. Oh honey!" He waved at her again as he ran main stage again.

YN got off meeting early so she called Jeff to see if she can still go to see her boyfriend perform. Jeff went to make sure her and her family was sent it. YN was so happy to see Anne and Gemma there too!

Harry was constantly looking over to where his family was. Watching his girlfriend, her brother and his wife, and Gemma making a circle to dance in true Indian fashion. YN, her brother and his wife were teaching Gemma a few steps as they danced together making their own choreography. YN was very entertaining some time with her weird and adorable antiques.

"Hey!" She complained seeing Harry mock her dancing from the stage. YN was actually a really good dancer, she took professional classes until she got into college. She was offended very easily. He was just teasing her, for some reason he liked to annoy her some times.

"YN, how are you feeling?" Anne finally got to talk to YN as Harry was busy joking around with his fans in the audience on the other side of the stage.

"I'm really good. Thank you." YN smiled when Anne rested her hand on her tiny bump.

"That's good, Harry was saying you're morning sickness is getting worse. Did you talk to your doctor?" She enquired.

"Haven't got to do that. My doctor is in London." YN explained. "I'll be going back tomorrow so I'll make sure to get an appointment."

"Oh you're going back tomorrow? We can go together." Gemma said.

"Sure!" YN agreed. Anne was going to stay for a other day and spend time with her boy and Gemma had some work so she have to go, she explained. The ladies were too busy talking to pay attention to Harry. He was actually singing the last song.

"YN!" Her brother's wife called her, and gestured at the stage. YN almost had a heart attack.

He changed up the lyrics of Kiwi from I'm having your baby to I'm having a baby as he danced around. (Even the band seemed excited about it as all of them screamed Aye louder than it's actually supposed to be.) His iconic feet stomping dance with his head thrown back. YN now felt gazes on her. Both of them were planning to announce their pregnancy some time soon, that would lead their relationship to be public as well. But it was all planned out how YN would have all her dear privacy. They both lived in London and people are very respectful there. Also, Harry have restraining orders on the major paparazzi there so they were both very safe there. Even their unborn baby. Harry wanted to keep it a secret until last two months. And YN did not expect him announce it like that!

Harry did his whale ending the show. He blew kisses to fans. His family was being escorted to back stage as Harry was getting down the stage.

Harry being Harry (dramatic) he grabbed YN's hand and ran behind the curtain dragging her with him. That is going to make such an inappropriate buzz! Why is he weird like that?

"Harry, why are you like this?" YN said panting as she just ran with him.

"I don't know!" He shrugged as he started making his way back to the green room. They could hear their family laughing and talking behind.

"Hey!" YN complained grabbing fist of his shirt to steady herself as he draped his heavy arm around her neck, pulling her close to him and planting a kiss to her head. "You're sweaty!"

"Let's shower together then, you're sweaty too!" He proposed.

"Stop it! Our parents are right behind." She hit him gently.

"Like they don't know what we do. You're pregnant baby!" He pointed out making her blush.

"I thought you wanted to keep it a secret." YN pointed out.

"It's not a secret now. But technically it is." He contemplated his answer making her chuckle.

She kept both her hands on her tiny bump over her oversized sweater (which she stole from Harry) and smiled. She's going to be a Mum soon!

Harry found her really adorable, kept his hand on hers.

She's really going to be having his baby and it is going to be his business!