#mechanical engineering assignment help
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Affordability Meets Expertise: A Closer Look at Creo Assignment Help Expenses
In the dynamic world of mechanical engineering, mastering tools like Creo is essential for staying ahead in the game. As students strive to excel in their academic pursuits, seeking assistance in the form of Creo assignment help becomes a common practice. In this blog, we will delve into the basic idea of how much it costs to avail Creo assignment help, focusing on the affordability and quality of services provided by MechanicalEngineeringAssignmentHelp.com.
Understanding the Importance of Creo Assignment Help:
Creo, a powerful computer-aided design (CAD) software, is widely used in the field of mechanical engineering for creating, analyzing, and optimizing product designs. Assignments related to Creo often involve complex tasks that demand a deep understanding of the software's intricacies. Many students find themselves seeking external help to navigate through these assignments and ensure top-notch performance.
Title 1: The Affordability Quotient: How Much Does it Really Cost?
When it comes to availing Creo assignment help, cost is a significant factor for students. Creo Assignment Helper understands this concern and strives to strike a balance between quality assistance and affordability. The cost of Creo assignment help on the platform can range anywhere between 80 to 270 USD.
Title 2: Breaking Down the Costs: What Factors Influence Pricing?
To comprehend the variable costs associated with Creo assignment help, it's essential to consider the factors that influence pricing. MechanicalEngineeringAssignmentHelp.com takes into account the complexity of the assignment, the deadline, and the level of expertise required. Assignments with intricate requirements or tight deadlines may incur higher costs, reflecting the expertise and effort invested by the professionals.
Title 3: Quality Assurance: Investing in Excellence
While cost is a crucial aspect, ensuring the quality of Creo assignment help is equally vital. MechanicalEngineeringAssignmentHelp.com prides itself on delivering top-notch solutions crafted by experienced professionals. The platform's commitment to quality justifies the cost, as students not only receive assistance but also gain insights into mastering Creo for their future endeavors.
Title 4: Tailored Solutions for Every Student: Customizing Costs for Specific Needs
Recognizing that each student's needs are unique, MechanicalEngineeringAssignmentHelp.com offers customized solutions. The platform allows students to tailor their requirements, influencing the overall cost. Whether it's a comprehensive assignment or targeted assistance on specific aspects of Creo, students have the flexibility to choose services that align with their academic goals and budget constraints.
Title 5: Deadline Dilemma: The Impact on Pricing
One of the critical factors influencing the cost of Creo assignment help is the deadline. Urgency often necessitates more significant resources and faster turnaround times from the professionals. MechanicalEngineeringAssignmentHelp.com follows a transparent pricing policy, where students are informed about the additional costs associated with tight deadlines. This ensures that students have a clear understanding of the financial implications based on their submission timelines.
Title 6: Value-added Services: Beyond the Basics
Apart from the core assignment assistance, MechanicalEngineeringAssignmentHelp.com offers value-added services that contribute to the overall cost. These services may include detailed explanations, revisions, and consultations, providing students with a comprehensive learning experience. While these extras can add to the cost, they enhance the overall value proposition for students seeking Creo assignment help.
Conclusion:
In the realm of Creo assignment help, striking the right balance between cost and quality is pivotal for students. MechanicalEngineeringAssignmentHelp.com emerges as a reliable partner, offering affordable solutions without compromising on the excellence of service. The platform's commitment to transparency and customization ensures that students can access the help they need, tailored to their unique requirements and budget constraints. As the demand for Creo assignment help continues to grow, investing in a trustworthy and cost-effective solution becomes a strategic move for students aiming to unlock success in their academic journey.
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selenajones · 1 year ago
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Abaqus Assignments Made Easy: Unveiling the Top 5 Online Resources for Help
As a passionate mechanical engineering student, I have often found myself grappling with the complexities of Abaqus assignments. The world of finite element analysis can be both intriguing and overwhelming, demanding a deep understanding of the software and its applications. Thankfully, I've discovered a lifeline in the form of online Abaqus assignment help that have made my significantly more manageable. In this blog post, I'll share my top 5 online resources that have proven to be invaluable in navigating the challenges of Abaqus assignments.
Mechanical Engineering Assignment Help
The first resource on my list is a game-changer for anyone seeking Abaqus assistance. Mechanical Engineering Assignment Help provides specialized support for students tackling the intricacies of Abaqus assignments. The platform boasts a team of experienced professionals with a profound understanding of finite element analysis. What sets this resource apart is its commitment to delivering solutions tailored to individual assignment requirements. The experts at Mechanical Engineering Assignment Help have been instrumental in clarifying my doubts, providing step-by-step solutions, and enhancing my overall comprehension of Abaqus.
AssignmentPedia
AssignmentPedia is another gem in the realm of online resources for mechanical engineering students. The platform offers comprehensive assistance with Abaqus assignments, covering a wide array of topics within finite element analysis. What I appreciate most about AssignmentPedia is the accessibility of its services. The user-friendly interface makes it easy to submit assignments, receive timely responses, and track progress. The expert guidance I've received from AssignmentPedia has been instrumental in elevating the quality of my Abaqus submissions.
Visit: https://www.assignmentpedia.com/mechanical-engineering-assignment-help.html
TheAssignmentHelper
For those seeking personalized attention and tailored solutions, TheAssignmentHelper is a go-to resource. This platform takes a collaborative approach to Abaqus assignments, ensuring that students actively participate in the learning process. TheAssignmentHelper's team comprises experts who not only provide solutions but also explain the underlying principles, fostering a deeper understanding of Abaqus concepts. Through one-on-one interactions and a focus on conceptual clarity, TheAssignmentHelper has played a pivotal role in enhancing my proficiency in using Abaqus for mechanical engineering applications.
Visit: https://www.theassignmenthelper.com/mechanical-engineering-assignment-help/
EduAssignmentHelp
EduAssignmentHelp is a versatile resource catering to the diverse needs of mechanical engineering students. When it comes to Abaqus assignments, this platform stands out for its commitment to delivering accurate and well-documented solutions. The experts at EduAssignmentHelp possess a knack for simplifying complex concepts, making Abaqus more approachable for students at various skill levels. Additionally, the platform offers a range of resources, including tutorials and reference materials, making it a comprehensive hub for all things related to Abaqus in mechanical engineering.
Visit: https://www.eduassignmenthelp.com/mechanical-engineering-assignment-help
TakeMyClassCourse
For those juggling multiple responsibilities and finding it challenging to keep up with their mechanical engineering coursework, TakeMyClassCourse provides a unique solution. This platform allows students to delegate their Abaqus assignments to experts who handle the tasks on their behalf. While some may view this as a last resort, I've found it to be a practical option during particularly hectic periods. TakeMyClassCourse has a pool of experienced professionals who ensure that assignments are completed with precision and submitted on time, offering a much-needed reprieve for students with demanding schedules.
Visit: https://www.takemyclasscourse.com/take-my-mechanical-engineering-class/
In conclusion, navigating Abaqus assignments in mechanical engineering can be a daunting task, but with the right online resources, it becomes a manageable and even enjoyable journey. The platforms mentioned above have not only provided me with expert guidance but have also significantly contributed to my overall understanding of Abaqus and its applications in the field of mechanical engineering. Whether you prefer hands-on collaboration or a more streamlined assistance approach, these resources offer a spectrum of options to cater to your individual learning preferences. As you embark on your Abaqus assignments, remember that you're not alone—these online resources are here to make your journey smoother and more successful.
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katemorrison211 · 1 year ago
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Unlocking Success in Mechanical Engineering: Your Trusted Mechanical Engineering Assignment Helper
Are you passionate about mechanical engineering but often find yourself struggling with complex assignments and projects? Fret not! You've just landed on the ultimate resource for guidance and assistance. Welcome to a world where your mechanical engineering endeavors become smoother and more rewarding. In this extensive blog post, we'll explore how a dedicated mechanical engineering assignment helper can be your key to academic and professional success.
Why Mechanical Engineering Matters: Mechanical engineering is the backbone of many industries, from automotive and aerospace to energy and manufacturing. It involves designing, analyzing, and optimizing mechanical systems and structures. As a mechanical engineering student or professional, you are on the path to shaping the future by solving real-world problems and making life-changing innovations.
The Challenges You Face: The journey in mechanical engineering can be thrilling, but it's not without its challenges. Assignments, projects, and exams can be daunting. You might encounter intricate concepts, software tools, and numerical problems that leave you scratching your head. That's where a Mechanical Engineering Assignment Helper steps in!
The Importance of Mechanical Engineering: Mechanical engineering is one of the oldest and broadest engineering disciplines. It plays a critical role in virtually every aspect of our daily lives, from the cars we drive to the machines that manufacture our goods. The field encompasses various sub-disciplines, including thermodynamics, materials science, and robotics, making it a diverse and dynamic profession.
The Evolution of Mechanical Engineering: The practice of mechanical engineering has evolved significantly over the years. Today, it's not just about nuts and bolts but also about cutting-edge technology. With the advent of digital tools and simulations, mechanical engineers can design and test complex systems with greater precision and efficiency.
Our Expertise: As a Mechanical Engineering Assignment Helper, I bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. With a degree in mechanical engineering and several years of industry experience, I understand the intricacies of the field. I've been where you are, and I know the importance of overcoming academic hurdles to achieve your goals.
How I Can Assist You:
Assignment Help: Struggling with a challenging assignment? I can provide step-by-step solutions, guidance, and explanations, ensuring you grasp the concepts thoroughly.
Project Support: Whether you're working on a design project, a research endeavor, or a prototype, I can offer valuable insights, recommendations, and assistance to make your project a success.
Exam Prep: Need help preparing for exams and quizzes? I can create study materials, practice questions, and provide tutoring to boost your confidence.
Why Choose Me:
Quality Guarantee: I take pride in delivering high-quality, error-free solutions that meet your requirements and academic standards.
Timely Delivery: I understand the importance of meeting deadlines, and I'm committed to delivering your assignments on time.
Confidentiality: Your privacy is important. All interactions and shared information will be kept confidential.
Exploring Mechanical Engineering Specializations: Mechanical engineering is a vast field with several exciting specializations. From robotics and mechatronics to aerospace and energy, there's a specialization for every interest. I can guide you through the various options and help you decide which path aligns with your ambitions.
Case Studies and Success Stories: Let's take a look at some real-life case studies and success stories in the field of mechanical engineering. These stories will inspire you and demonstrate how professionals overcome challenges and achieve remarkable results.
Case Study 1: The Mars Rover The design and construction of the Mars rovers, such as Curiosity and Perseverance, exemplify the cutting-edge work of mechanical engineers. These rovers are equipped with advanced systems to explore the Martian surface, collect data, and make groundbreaking discoveries.
Case Study 2: The World of Sustainable Energy Mechanical engineers play a pivotal role in developing sustainable energy solutions. Solar panels, wind turbines, and advanced batteries are just a few examples of their contributions. We'll delve into these innovations and discuss the challenges they address.
Case Study 3: The Automotive Industry The automotive industry relies heavily on mechanical engineering expertise. From fuel-efficient engines to autonomous vehicles, mechanical engineers drive innovation and efficiency in the world of transportation.
The Future of Mechanical Engineering: The field of mechanical engineering is constantly evolving. Advancements in automation, artificial intelligence, and materials science are reshaping the industry. We'll explore these emerging trends and how they can impact your career.
The Importance of Continuous Learning: In the world of engineering, learning never stops. We'll discuss the significance of continuous education, staying updated with industry trends, and networking with fellow engineers. This is crucial for staying competitive and ensuring a successful career.
Get Started: Are you ready to unlock your full potential in mechanical engineering? Whether you're a student or a professional seeking guidance, your trusted Mechanical Engineering Assignment Helper is here to support your journey. Feel free to explore my blog for more resources and tips. Don't hesitate to reach out with your questions or assignment needs.
Conclusion: In the dynamic world of mechanical engineering, challenges are inevitable, but so are solutions. With a dedicated Mechanical Engineering Assignment Helper by your side, you can tackle any obstacle and thrive in your academic and professional pursuits. Start your journey towards success today!
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myassignmentsproaus · 1 day ago
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gradehood · 1 year ago
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This blog will help you learn about the remarkable advantages of acquiring mechanical engineering homework help. Learn how this helps simplify your academic career and provides expert guidance, time-saving solutions, etc.
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davidkehr08 · 2 years ago
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Engineering Assignment Help
Whether you're a mechanical, civil, or electrical engineering student, you've perhaps faced the burdensome nature of engineering assignments. From puzzling formulas to convoluted blueprints, you may often feel like you're navigating through a complex labyrinth with no end in sight. So, where can you turn when you're struggling? That's where reliable and proficient engineering assignment help steps in to offer a helping hand. Engineering Assignment Help is designed to empower students to ace their engineering subjects. Whether you're stuck with a challenging project or need valuable insights, this platform can provide the guidance that you need. By connecting with subject matter experts, you can open a pathway to quality knowledge and improve your assignment score. Simply put, they offer an extensive understanding of the subject. Leveraging their extensive technical knowledge and practical experience, these assignment experts provide precise solutions in a systematic manner.
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hhaechansmoless · 18 days ago
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LIGHTS OUT PT.1
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pairing: f1driver!haechan x PRmanager!femreader
genre: fluff, angst, romance
description: Haechan, bold, aggressive and unrelenting, is back after a narrowly missed opportunity to become the world champion in 2024. This time, he's set his sight on making it all the way to the top. You, as his newly appointed PR representative, are assigned with the task of keeping up with a world of high stakes, unpredictable twists and well, him.
warnings: strong language, stressful situations, descriptions of car crashes and physical exhaustion, slowburn, honestly quite f1 heavy
w/c: part 1 - 17.8k part 2 - 15.8k
glossary
a/n: its here after so long cries. I loved writing this so much!! it's heavy on the f1 technicalities and races and stuff so I hope I've done justice to that. So excited for this season to start (not a red bull fan so in no way am I manifesting max 5th but !!! haechan <3). The number of tabs and informatory articles and vids I watched to make this as authentic and real as possible will haunt me but I would not have it any other way. This is for all my f1 + kpop fans, but to those who are only a part of one, hopefully you will fall in love with the other. The glossary, I think, will help a lot for those who don't watch f1 so I'd suggest keeping that tab open as you read this. I truly hope you guys love this as much as I do! comments and reblogs are always appreciated <3 (if you want to be notified for pt 2, i don't have a taglist yet so u can just write a comment/dm/ask!)
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BAHRAIN, PRE-SEASON TESTING, DAY-1
 February 26th
Well, that Mercedes is fast on the straights, Haechan thinks as he swoops into the slipstream. The heat is already getting to him. He’s sure he had asked for the evening time slot. Maybe he’ll talk with his engineer about this as soon as he gets out of this godforsaken car. To be fair, it isn’t godforsaken, not really. In fact he has an inkling that it’s far from that as he watches his delta on the screen blink green— faster than his last lap— but nowhere near the times posted by Mercedes and Ferrari. 
“Am I good to overtake?” Haechan speaks into his radio.
“Let’s take it easy. No need to exert too much Haechan. Sector 1 and 2 look good, let’s shave a tenth off in sector 3 and we’ll box to check the metrics.”
Three laps later and fifteen minutes to lunch, the roar of the engine grows louder as the RB21 pulls off the main straight and into the pit lane. He comes to a stop and the mechanics swarm the car, taking off its wheels and pushing it into the garage. Haechan climbs out of the cockpit removing his navy blue helmet and balaclava, hair ruffled up. You think of walking over to him. You really need to introduce yourself and inform him about the media before he heads over to lunch, but for the moment you stay back, eyeing him. 
He looks pissed and it’s definitely the sandbagging. That’ll be one question the journalists will definitely ask and Haechan cannot respond in the way you think he will now. Helmet still in hand he walks over to the pitwall to discuss with his engineers. You look around his side of the garage and everyone looks drained. It’s been a long day and Haechan has had quite a lot of feedback on the car, which is good, you suppose. But the team is tired and it’s obvious that they long for the break before the grind starts again with his teammate.
Haechan and his senior race engineer walk back into the garage and you overhear a part of their conversation as you pick up your work phone and your small notepad before trailing slightly behind them.
“At least Mercedes remembers how to build a car again,” His engineer tries to lighten him up, “Don’t worry, our simulations predict our raw times will be faster anyways.”
Haechan mutters something and finally sets his helmet down on a desk next to his car. You take this moment to walk up to him.
“Hello. It’s time to go to the media pen.” You smile slightly as he turns around to look at you for a second before nodding and following you out. 
“The media will definitely ask about the comparatively slow pace. You should probably-”
“I mean, why would they even ask about pace during testing, really?” He interjects, and you realize the bite of irritation is still present.
“Look, they’re not looking for the truth, they’re just looking for attention grabbing headlines. You don’t have to give them this energy. Play it cool please, it really matters what you say in there.”
Now you think he’s annoyed with you as well, as he finally tilts his head to look at you, “So what do I say?”
“You’re supposed to look like you know something they don’t. Keep it simple, confident, and let them wonder. Say something like…” You glance at your notes and repeat your carefully crafted line:  “‘Testing is about data, not lap times. We’re happy with the direction we’re heading in, the team is constantly making improvements, and the real test will be race day.’”
You come to a halt outside the pen and stare at him. For a moment he seems to want to push back, but to your good luck he sighs, “All right, I’ll play along this once. Get your mic ready Ms….” He trails off , already ahead of you, “Wait, who are you again?” Haechan looks over his shoulder and you shake your head. 
You exhale, “Your new PR rep.” But he’s already gone and you scramble for your phone to record him as you push past others to make your way to the journalist he’s talking to.
God may the whole season not be this way.
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AUSTRALIA, ALBERT PARK GRAND PRIX CIRCUIT
Thursday, Media day March 13th
It’s a pleasant day, Haechan thinks as he steps out of his motorhome. A little too early in the morning but pleasant nonetheless. Johnny, his personal trainer, closes the door behind him, shutting out the chilly air from the air conditioning inside. 
“So, what’s the plan for today?” Johnny whistles, swinging an arm around Haechan’s shoulders.
Haechan shrugs, “Same old, to the hospitality and then I think I have a meeting with the engineers before media duties start.”
Johnny watches as Haechan taps his ID against the scanner at the entrance, the soft beep barely audible over the sudden clicks of cameras. A few photographers are stationed near the barricades, lenses focused on the driver as he enters the paddock. He watches as Haechan subtly straightens his back, unconsciously adjusting the collar of his polo.
“Smile a little man,” Johnny teases, “Don’t want them thinking you already regret your choices.” 
Haechan scoffs, shaking his head but it works as the corners of his lips lift up slightly. “Would be surprised if they haven’t already decided that, seeing our testing results.”
“Oh yeah, about that. I heard you’ve got a new P.R manager now. Seems like the team’s going about a different plan for this season eh?”
“Can’t say I like it very much,” He sighs, “And yeah, I met her during testing. Think I have a meeting with her team as well. God help me escape from the bullshit I’m about to say in the press con today.”
“She’s that bad?” Johnny raises his brows.
“No, I mean. The team strategies aren’t up to her, are they?” Haechan breathes out as they make their way to the Red Bull hospitality centre. Climbing up the stairs, he notices the Mercedes hospitality beside theirs, Kim Doyoung standing outside conversing with his manager. He catches Haechan’s gaze and waves making Haechan walk over to him. Johnny waits outside, pulling out his phone to make sure Haechan’s practice sessions are scheduled timely for the weekend. 
Haechan jogs back over in a minute or two. Johnny holds the door open when the younger speaks again, “It’s just that, I know the car is quicker than we expected and a lot better than last year but at the same time, I haven’t driven at my full potential yet and it’s giving me a hard time seeing where I stand.”
Johnny can’t do anything but nod in sympathy.
“And honestly? Doyoung seems quite confident. He’s more laid-back than usual, you know? Was joking around with me. It’s been a while since I’ve seen their team like that.”
“Well,” Johnny laughs, softly pushing him into his meeting room, “Good for him, he hasn’t had a car worthy of his potential for a good few seasons, has he?”
Haechan hums, slightly unconvinced and cautious before he shakes himself out of it, “Where will you be until I get out?” He shoves his hands in the pockets of his hoodie as he turns around to face Johnny.
“I don’t know. I was thinking of making new friends. Maybe that new PR lady of yours if she’s around.”
“Now, coming to you Haechan. Last season was quite a close one, I mean, you managed to keep the fight up till the last 4 races. At a point I’m sure we all thought we’d see a new world champion in 2024. How do you suppose this season will turn out? Do you think that you have a car that can challenge for the drivers championship again? Where do you think the improvements have been made compared to last year?”
“Well, improvements have been made everywhere… That’s the aim, is it not? Last year, towards the end it got a bit hard. We had issues with the floor and made a few strategic mistakes. But I think over the winter break, the team’s been working really hard and we’re confident that we can put up the fight this season too.”
“You have a new teammate this season, Lee Jeno. How will the team dynamics work out between you two? Do you think that, apart from other teams, your teammate could be your biggest opponent?”
“Yeah, Jeno’s done a great job at VCARB so it’s nice to see him here now. I mean, we’re both here to push the team forward. At the end of the day, we both want the same thing. If he’s my biggest opponent then that just means we’re doing something right.” Haechan laughs.
As the moderator moves on, Haechan zones out, fingers unconsciously tracing the outline of the two bulls on the can in his hand. He’s pulled back in when he's mentioned in one of Mark's questions.
“Towards mid season last year it was almost a three way championship fight. It was quite exciting to see Haechan and you pit against each other. After all, we've been seeing the two of you compete with each other in all the junior series too. How did it feel to reach that high rung with a friend?”
“We spoke about it during that time, actually.” Mark grins, “We've basically grown up competing with each other but to do it in F1 really felt like we were close to making it. I look forward to it this year too.”
“We should bet on it!” Haechan winks at Mark making the other drivers and the reporters chuckle, “It's about time one of us gets used to losing, you don't think?” 
Walking out of the press room, Haechan is slightly surprised when you appear right beside him.
“How'd I do?”
“Not bad,” you answer absentmindedly, scrolling through your notes, “The question about Jeno, you handled very well. The one about Mark, though? I think it's a very easy opportunity for these journalists to twist your words.”
“I was just joking, he knows that.”
You hum, “He does, but really, these people are out for drama and you just gave them a nice headline.”
Haechan scoffs, “They should thank me then, don't you think? First media day of the year and it's probably the most interesting thing they've heard.” 
He turns towards you when you laugh. “See! you do think that I'm funny.”
“I met your trainer this morning, by the way. Don't know why he suddenly came up to me. But you have some blind fold challenge to do for the F1 youtube channel and he's told me to tell you to be careful. Do not bump into anything, please. And try to be yourself there, I guess.”
“Woah, I've never had a PR person tell me that before. You're kind of nice, ____.”
“And you remember my name. We’re both making progress, I suppose.” You've come outside now and there are significantly more photographers than there were when you first came. 
Haechan, slightly ahead of you, stops and turns around, walking backwards. “Hey! That was once and you didn't even introduce yourself to me.” 
“Didn't have the time,” You shrug, “All the best. The challenge is being filmed near Alpine’s hospitality. You're doing it with Lee Chan. I have to head back to the hospitality for a second but I'll be there by the time you're done.”
Sunday, Race Day March 16th
The red bull garage looks quite empty without the cars and the mechanics. The pit walls are a bit too high for you to see from the garage but you’re sure they must be setting the car up on track. This isn’t your first gig in the PR industry, but it’s your first time in this sport and you can’t help but observe the remaining strategists and engineers in awe as they move around with calculated aim. There’s still about 15 minutes until the race begins but the air crackles with excitement and expectations. 
You hear clattering behind you and panic for a second. You did make sure to stand in a corner where you wouldn’t be in the way of anyone’s job. But upon turning, you notice that it’s Haechan who accidentally drops his phone.
You still as he catches your eye. What are you supposed to do at moments like this? You don’t have any important information to tell him, but you feel like you’re meant to be saying something. Would he want you to speak to him at such a crucial time? You stride over anyways.
Haechan slides his headphones off when he sees you approaching.
“Hey. Aren’t you supposed to be outside for the national anthem soon?” You quip.
He checks the time on his lockscreen and grimaces, “Well, yeah, shit. Don’t want to get fined on the first race, do I?”
You purse your lips before nodding. He takes his headphones off and thrusts them in your hands. You stare back at him, confused. 
“Give them to Johnny when he gets here, please. My phone too. He’ll be here in a few minutes, I suppose. I need to go.” He points at the garage door. You nod again, slowly, and he does too before inching towards the pitlane.
“Hey!” You yell as he’s almost out the door, making him turn around, “Win this thing, yeah? I’d rather hear questions about that than listen to another round of ‘holding back’ narratives.” You think you might pray for him, although you doubt he needs it.
Haechan simply winks.
When the helmet goes on and the overalls zip up, Haechan becomes an entirely different person. The transformation is almost immediate — he’s focused, determined. On the screen inside the garage, you’re a little stunned at how his eyes, the only visible part of him, are incredibly hard and intense. His gloved hand pushes the visor down and he steps into his car. The crew around him is finalizing the last of their car checks and as they move away and back into the pitlane, the crowd almost quietens for a moment.
“Radio check.” Haechan hears through his earpiece and the final step is complete. Like clockwork, he feels his mind clearing up, revising last minute strategy. He fires up his engine, hears the muffled roar of the others around him.
“Loud and clear,” He responds. The green lights come on near the starting line.
“Formation lap begins.”
The next two minutes go by in a flash, and before he knows it, Haechan lines up to the second grid position. To his right and slightly ahead at P1 is Choi Seungcheol’s Ferrari. Behind and next to him are the Mercs of Joshua Hong and Kim Doyoung. He knows that Seungcheol is already being considered for the season’s favourite before it even starts. With the insane qualifying lap that he put up yesterday to the driver’s championship wins from the last four seasons, it’s obvious that he’s the one Haechan should be aiming for.
The grid falls silent as the last car positions itself. Haechan’s hands tighten around his steering wheel. The first red light flicks on.
One…two…three…four…five.
He's always thought that the following two seconds before the start are the most cruel and crucial. The final preparation.
“And it's lights out for the first time in 2025, here at Albert Park circuit! Seungcheol successfully manages to keep his lead, heading into the first turn there, and OH! Haechan comes close but it is not quite enough as he slips back into 2nd position.” The commentator begins.
In the garage, the team, you notice, has already set up the tires for both drivers. The mechanics have set up chairs and are beginning to settle down, helmets on and ready for the show. You inch a little closer to the screen, eyes flying to the pitwall once to look at Haechan's race engineer already beginning to talk and check in with him.
You don't know the specifics of what goes on behind the scenes, honestly. So you can only imagine what goes on at the pitwall. 
Lap 15 comes around in no time and you hear the other cars pitting to change their tyres. Looking at the screen, you realize the Ferrari and Haechan are still out, within a second of each other but a good 5 seconds ahead of Doyoung’s Mercedes and Jeno’s red bull. The mechanics have been watching the fight between Doyoung and Jeno for third place, but they get up now and rush over to where the tyres have been kept, pulling them out and preparing themselves for a pitstop, Haechan’s, you assume. 
By lap 37, everything seems to be going fine for you. There hasn’t been anything notable and you’re glad for it. Haechan and Seungcheol, known for being aggressive drivers, are surprisingly keeping in clean, which means less awkward questions for Haechan to deal with. It’s only the beginning of the season, you think. People won’t question him too much if he doesn’t win. Right now, you know there isn’t much that can happen to prevent him from getting on the podium. 
By lap 37,  things are not going fine for Haechan. He was supposed to get ahead of the Ferrari in the first ten laps, but God, Seungcheol is making it hard. Three times now, he’s tried to overtake him on turn 13 but every single time he comes up short. 
“How are the tires feeling, Haechan?” His engineer asks.
“Fine, I think I can go for a few more laps.” He’s approaching turn 13 again, “What’s the gap ahead?”
“0.96s, DRS has been enabled.” 
Haechan decides against using DRS and instead goes off the race line, making the Ferrari move outwards to block him. He fakes out, hoping to catch the inside of the turn, but it’s tight and Seungcheol is quicker in blocking him again. 
For a split second, Haechan feels the rear end of the car shifting and he instantly steers in the opposite direction to bring it back under control. 
As they approach the pit entry, a marshal holds out a lap board. 20 more laps to go. With the way the Ferrari is going, Haechan figures he should probably pit before for the undercut . But just as he thinks that, he sees Seungcheol swerving into the pitlane. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
“Seungcheol's in the pits, when do you think you’ll come in?” His engineer’s voice cuts him off.
“What tyres is he on?”
“He’s going on a pair of mediums. It might be close at the exit, watch out.”  Haechan looks into his rear view mirror and sees the Ferrari exiting the pitlane. Haechan leads the race now, but Seunghcheol is right on his tail, not more than a second behind.
Haechan adjusts his grip on the steering wheel as he nears turn 3. Don’t want to lose the position as soon as we get it, do we Haechan?
“Taking the inside line is a bit of a risk, Ferrari 0.7 behind you.” 
Turn 4 is close. Too close. If he gives Seungcheol the outside line now, it’s over. All he’s left with now, is coming up with a good defence. 
The RB21 is really quick in the corners, the audience realises as he accelerates even while approaching a turn, trying to maximise the gap before the heavy braking. Haechan slams the brakes at the last moment possible. The Ferrari is close now, almost at par with his rear wheels. For a moment, it feels like he’s got him now, but Haechan gets on the throttle early, trusting the Red Bull’s grip to carry him through. Inside line, now.
He asks for the gap again. It’s too small, far too small for his comfort but it isn’t like he’s left with any choices. On turn 4, again the Ferrari gains on him. 
You think it's a sight to see, honestly. Two cars, almost parallel to each other, who’ll come out as the winner? You hope they don’t touch, that nothing bad happens.
Haechan thinks that he’s- Fuck there’s no time for thinking really, PUSH. His legs are starting to hurt from all the accelerating and braking but he grunts through jaw clenched tight beneath his helmet. He doesn’t have time to think about fatigue, about the burn creeping up his calves. Seungcheol is right there, matching him move for move, waiting for the slightest opening.
Turn 5 is fast. Barely a turn at all if you’re brave enough. Haechan keeps his foot planted, resisting the instinct to lift, trusting the downforce to hold him steady. The car twitches slightly under him, tires screaming against the asphalt, but he holds firm.
Seungcheol does the same.
Shit.
“Gap?”
“0.4. He’s still in DRS range.”
Of course he is.
The DRS detection line is approaching fast. If Seungcheol stays within a second, he’ll have a straight-line speed advantage down the next stretch. Haechan makes a split-second decision—move slightly off the racing line, force the Ferrari into dirty air, disrupt his momentum.
It works. Seungcheol hesitates for just a fraction of a second, and that’s all Haechan needs.
He launches out of Turn 6, flat-out now, heart hammering as he glances at his mirrors. The Ferrari is still there, still menacingly close, but Haechan has bought himself a few more meters of breathing room.
“Choi has a 5 second time penalty for speeding in the pitlane. Well done, gap is 0.8.”
Haechan almost sighs in relief. A five second penalty is great — if he manages to keep him behind the entire time — that is.
“Where is Jeno?” He asks, maybe there could be a Red Bull 1-2 for the first race of the season, after all.
“Jeno is 3.4 behind you.” Holy shit, it could actually happen.
The next 6 laps are uneventful, but Haechan’s thinking hard now. He’s just lapped a Sauber and there’s going to be more cars in front now, less clean air. 
“Who has the fastest lap?”
“It’s Choi, he did a 1.24.” 
“I’m coming in now, put me on softs.”
This time you turn your head away from the screen and stretch your neck to see outside. You can’t see him, not with the twenty something mechanics surrounding his car, but the pit stop is quick, so quick. One moment he’s here, the next he’s not. The screen shows you he’s on the softs. There are ten more laps to go. It’s looking great.
“Choi is in the pits to serve his penalty.”
Haechan’s a bit confused when he hears this. Why risk losing more positions. But he doesn’t have the time to worry about Ferrari’s strategies when the damn Aston Martin in front of him isn’t giving way. He looks to the side to see the blue flags flashing, so really-
“What the fuck is he doing?” Haechan complains over the radio, voice sharp with frustration. The Aston Martin should’ve moved by now, but it’s still hugging the racing line, forcing him to adjust his approach into turn 5.
“Blue flags are out. He needs to move,” his race engineer reassures him, but Haechan can hear the slight edge in his voice too.
“I know he needs to move—”
The Aston finally veers slightly right, but not enough. Haechan has to lift off the throttle to avoid contact, losing precious tenths in the process.
“Fucking finally,” he mutters as he sweeps past, but the damage is done.
“Gap to Choi?”
“4.2. You lost a few tenths there.”
He exhales sharply. It could be worse.
Nine laps to go. His tires feel good, grippier. The car is responding well, but he needs to make up time.
He flicks the mode switch on his steering wheel. A little more power.
“Going for the fastest lap,” he announces, fingers tightening over the wheel.
He barely hears his engineer’s response as he throws the car into turn 9, carrying more speed than before. The speedometer climbs—290, 295, 300 km/h—before he slams the brakes hard into turn 11, trusting the downforce to do its job. 
 Less than a minute from then, you see Haechan’s name on the screen flash purple. Fastest lap 1.23.056
The next two laps go by in a blur, his focus razor-sharp. Each turn, each braking zone - perfect. His engineer is giving him updates, but he barely registers them.
Then—
“Yellow flag, turn 6. Stay sharp.”
Haechan’s heartbeat spikes.
“What happened?”
“Looks like a Williams spun out. Shouldn’t be a safety car.”
He presses his lips together. Good. A safety car would ruin everything.
Five laps to go.
His eyes flick to the steering wheel display. His lap time delta is in the green. He can get the fastest lap again.
“Mode push?”
“Not required. You already have the fastest lap.”
He ignores his engineer.
Into turn 9, he keeps his foot flat on the throttle. The RB21 flies. He brakes late into turn 11, the car dancing on the edge of grip, but it sticks. His heart pounds as he floors it again.
Purple sector two.
With three more laps to go, he’s stopped seeing the Ferrari in his mirror, instead, now it’s the other Red Bull. 
“Gap to Jeno?” He’s a little excited now. It’s been a while since he’s had to compete with a teammate.
“1.4. Keep it clean, please.” 
So Jeno’s out of DRS. Haechan isn���t too worried. His tyres still feel great and Jeno’s tyres won’t be doing too good as he’s back on the hards. But just to be safe, just to get that gap, he goes a little faster.
Back in the garage, the Red Bull team are at the edge of their seats. The first race of the season and both their drivers are on the podium. You think everyone’s hoping they don’t crash into each other, mess up on the last few laps.
On track, Haechan hears his engineer through his earpiece, interrupting a few seconds of silence, “Fastest sector 1. You’re doing good. Gap to Jeno is 3.2. 
He doesn’t respond. There’s no room for distractions now. Just focus.
He can see the line in the distance. The finish line.
“Two laps left. You’re 3.0 ahead of Jeno.”
The pressure’s mounting, but Haechan blocks it out. There’s no way he’s letting the lead slip now. He can almost feel the podium beneath his feet, the thrill of a victory, the rush that’s been missing since last season.
“Careful with the rear. Stay focused.” His engineer’s voice is calm, but it’s clear he’s watching closely. The car’s rear is loose, and Haechan can feel it through his grip, but he steadies himself, resisting the urge to back off.
The final lap.
Haechan’s heartbeat echoes in his ears as he sees the final lap board waved. He’s so close now. He can almost taste the champagne.
Haechan is cruising through, and you can’t see his car on screen anymore. You suppose they’ll show him again when he nears the finish line but right now, Seunghcheol isn’t far from Jeno. And with his older tyres, Jeno seems to be struggling. You aren’t really concerned. If this lap goes well, which it definitely will, your job for tonight might just be over. There won’t be questions that are too awkward, maybe other than the slightly rude remark Haechan made behind the Aston. But it was the Aston’s fault, so he won’t be on the receiving end of criticism.
You’re snapped from your momentary distraction when you see the mechanics cheering, jumping off their stairs and running to the pit wall. You smile, slowly moving a bit closer. They’re holding onto the grills as Haechan zooms past the chequered flag.
Must be great to watch both their driver’s finish well, You think as you back off. You’re going to need your ID pass for the media pen and you’ve left it in the hospitality. You think you might have to brush up some of the lines you’ve written down too. You won’t have much time before the post-race conference.
Haechan can hear the roar of the crowd as he crosses the finish line. He eases off the throttle, the adrenaline still coursing through him as he begins his cool-down lap. He lets out a little laugh, hearing the congratulations through the radio. First race, first win of the season. It feels great.
Behind him, he sees Jeno’s car and slows down a little more to let him catch up. Through the radio he can hear the cheers erupting in the garage. He looks to his right and shoots a thumbs up to Jeno, who returns the gesture.
The pit crew awaits. The podium awaits. He’s back.
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JAPAN, SUZUKA INTERNATIONAL RACING COURSE
Tuesday April 1st
Tucked away on a quiet street, the ramen shop is smaller than you expected. You hesitate at the entrance, glancing at your phone to double-check the address before stepping inside. The air is thick with the scent of broth and garlic, warmth settling over you as you take in the cramped space. 
The restaurant, if you could call it one, is so small that it only houses about four two-seater tables. The person at the counter asks you if you'd be alright with sharing a table with someone and you agree. She leads you to a man in a bucket hat and a leather jacket, head bent as he scrolls on his phone and when she asks him if he'd be alright with it, he looks up. And God, are you surprised?
“Haechan?”
He stares at you for a moment, mouth hanging open before he nods at the waitress and gestures to you to sit down. You're still a bit confused as you shrug off your coat and drape it across the back of your chair. You tell the waitress your order before finally turning to Haechan who smiles politely, albeit a little flustered.
You exhale loudly, “Well, it is a bit awkward outside of work, isn't it?” 
Haechan agrees and laughs softly, “How come you're here though?”
“I had a friend recommend it to me. She's been here before a few times and said she really liked it,” You scrunch your nose,  “What about you? It doesn't really seem like the place where you'd bump into an F1 driver, eh?”
“Me too. I mean, a friend recommended it to me the first time I visited Suzuka and I've been coming here ever since.”
You hum in response, letting your gaze wander around the tiny shop. Every table is occupied, pairs of diners hunched over steaming bowls, the quiet murmur of conversation blending with the occasional clatter of chopsticks against ceramic. The air is thick with the rich, savory scent of garlic and simmering broth, making your stomach stir in anticipation. Across from the open kitchen, two small windows are propped ajar, letting in a crisp evening breeze that carries the faint sounds of the street outside.
Haechan watches you take it all in. It feels a little weird to not have you talking to him all the time about his schedule or about what he has to say about certain things. It's also weird to see you not on a call, talking to the media or press. He's never observed you, really, and it's only now that he realizes you might be around his age.
His order comes first and you ‘ooh’ at the way steam rises off the soup in the bowl. Haechan turns to take off his jacket. His left hand is out and as he struggles a little to get the right one out, he meets your eyes and you both look away, slightly embarrassed.
“Forgive me for being a spoilsport, but are you really allowed to be eating ramen?” You ask, narrowing your eyes at him.
Haechan is in the middle of taking his third bite as he stoops, holding his chopsticks mid-air, “I'm…not.” He tilts his head before eating.
You raise an eyebrow.
“You know, I think… in order to do your job, which includes protecting my reputation, you should probably not spill about this encounter to Johnny.”
You scoff, shaking your head at him, making him smile before going back to his bowl.
“Did you first come here when you debuted?” You ask after a minute or two of silence.
Haechan nods, “The first time I came, my friend actually brought me here because I was feeling quite depressed after the race,” He chuckles to himself.
“I remember,” you say, “You crashed on the last lap, didn't you? It would've been the first podium of your career if you hadn't.”
You can see the astonishment in his eyes as you continue, “If you ask me, it was an insane thing to do, almost get on the podium while driving an alpha tauri.”
“How do you remember that?”
“Well- I don't exactly remember it, but I had to look you up thoroughly before I started my job, you know?” You joke.
“Hmm,” He plays along, “What else do you know about me, miss PR?” 
You lean in a little, like you're about to tell him a secret, “Reports say you have a dog back at home that does not like you. At all.”
Haechan blinks, caught off guard, “Hold on- What?”
You nod solemnly, slumping back into your chair, “Apparently, he ignores you when you come home and only listens to your mum. And uses you for treats. That’s a real betrayal if you ask me. I’ll get the article down as soon as I can. We can’t have you looking like someone who dogs hate,” You think out loud to yourself, suppressing a grin, “No, that would be real bad media attention.”
Haechan groans, setting his chopsticks down, “I can’t believe that made it onto your research.”
“What can I say? I’m quite thorough with my work.”
He shakes his head, but there’s a small smile tugging at his lips. “For the record, he does like me. He just… has a weird way of showing it.”
“Sure,” You shrug, eyes drifting towards the bowl the waitress sets down in front of you. “Ohh, that looks so good.”
The two of you settle into silence as Haechan focuses on finishing his bowl while you only begin digging into yours. It’s different from when he sees you in the paddock. Usually, you’re always behind him or beside him, holding out your phone to record what he says or always note taking and calling the media. You’re the epitome of a professional, so he thinks that right now, you’re different too. Much more relaxed and less uptight about everything. He’s gotten a bit used to seeing you all polished, always in control, moving from one task to another but here, you’re just.. you?
The thought lingers for a second before he pushes it away. He glances at you and almost laughs at the way you’re trying to push your bangs away while holding your chopsticks. You look up and mumble a small ‘what?’.
“Are you always like this?” 
“Hey!” You sound a little offended, “I can have a lot of fun outside of work, how would you know?”
“Well, I can imagine.” Haechan laughs, “Off work, professionalism out the door, am I right?”
“Yes, yes, you are. I don’t really care who you are right now,” You sigh before noticing that he’s done with his food, “Aren’t you going to leave?”
Haechan hesitates, “Nah, it’s getting late. I’ll leave with you. Aren’t we headed to the same place anyways?”
You nod slowly, “Don’t you have anywhere else to go? I don’t want to hold you back.”
“I come here every year. After a point there’s not going to be much to see. Unless of course, you have plans to go somewhere.”
“Not that I know of,” You purse your lips, “By the way, I heard you landed here yesterday. How come you’re so early?”
“I flew to Seoul from China and stayed there for a week, but my family are going on vacation this week so I thought, why not come visit one of my friends here, who’d want to see me instead of lazing around at home like the pathetic, uninvited, firstborn son that I am.” He dramatically sighs.
You breathe out a laugh, “You’d probably like to have a home grand prix, wouldn’t you?”
“Obviously,” Haechan rests his elbows on the table, looking out of the window, “If you win, that is. Otherwise it's honestly a shit load of pressure. There’s always going to be the stress of underperforming in front of your home crowd. But the support would be nice. It’s great in Austria too, you know, as Red Bull’s home race but that’s what makes it so important. Doing well in front of a home crowd is like the best feeling in the world.”
You nod thoughtfully, absorbing his words as you continue eating. “I get that,” you say. “The crowd’s energy level is just different, I suppose.”
Haechan leans back in his chair, looking relaxed now that the weight of the conversation has lightened. “Exactly. It’s like they’re all there for you. Even when everything’s falling apart on the track, their support is like fuel. You could be in the middle of a mess and they’ll still cheer for you like you’re winning.”
You smile at the way he says it, not expecting him to be so genuine about it. “Must feel nice to have that.”
He shrugs but there’s a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips. “I guess. It’s also a lot to live up to.”
Haechan is in the middle of telling you about his first race in Monaco when the waitress who was serving you walks up to you two.
Sheepishly, she asks, “Excuse me, I hope you guys enjoyed your meal, but we’ve got a bit of a line outside. If you’re done, would you mind giving up your seats? I’m so sorry!”
You and Haechan look at each other in embarrassed surprise, and quickly get up, gathering your coats and belongings. You thank the girl (who meekly apologizes again) and hurry out of the shop.
Outside, in a slightly chilly street, Haechan emerges from behind you and stares at you for a second before bursting into laughter. You, still in your flustered state, take a few moments before joining him.
“I’ve never,” He manages in between, “been asked to get out of a restaurant, that too, so politely!”
“I don’t think she recognized you, actually,” You grin, “If she had, then you’d force me to work a bit overtime. Imagine me having to call up journalists and tell them, ‘No guys, Haechan is a very considerate person, it happens to the best of us. He was incredibly sorry.’”
He shudders before tilting his head in the direction of his hotel. “Let’s go?”
“Mister millionaire, I need to go in the other direction.”
Haechan’s lips form an ‘o’ before he nods,  “Well, see you on Thursday then!”
You sigh, “You bet. Please show up early, you have a lot of things to do.”
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AUSTRIA, RED BULL RING
Thursday, Media day June 26th
Haechan doesn’t really mind these games. In fact, he prefers them to the ones that he does with Jeno. No offence to him really, but he thinks Jeno’s a bit unfunny. When he says bye to you before entering the filming room, he’s more than happy to see the VCARB guys. Vernon’s humor is quite deadpan, which Haechan can’t say he understands most of the time, but he has a hilarious laugh, like a flock of geese and Haechan laughs more because of that. And Chenle. Haechan cannot get started with this guy. He once trained Chenle when he was still in F2 and in that one week, he’d found another slightly louder version of himself, albeit a little less sarcastic and more innocent.
Haechan is however surprised to see the reserve drivers and the F1 academy drivers. Had you forgotten to mention it, or was he not paying attention? Well, shit. He thinks. He was going to give it his all, get into his competitive spirit but now he’s got to put up his experienced senior face. He greets them before sitting down with Chenle. They wait for the camera team to set up the room before they’re divided into teams.
Chenle and Haechan are put in the same team, but Jeno complains, saying that they’d both be too strong together. So with a dramatic sigh, Haechan lets him go, taking Vernon with him. As the admin sets up the question placards, Haechan looks back at his team and is satisfied. He’s got Vernon, who might(?) be good at games. Sion, their reserve driver is on his team and another driver from the F1 Academy. She looks smart, Haechan thinks as he turns back around. 
“Alright, guys,” the challenge host says, pulling the group’s attention back to the screen. “For the first game, we’ll be testing your knowledge of your fellow drivers. We’ve got a series of close-up images of drivers’ eyes. Your task is simple: guess which driver each pair of eyes belongs to. Are you ready?”
The group cheers out in response. The first photo flashes on the screen.
Haechan has his hand near the buzzer already, but he hesitates. The other team hits theirs.
“Jisung?” Chenle’s a bit unsure too.
“1 point to team 2,” The host nods, surprising everyone. 
“How did you guess that?” Jeno stares, making the younger one shrug, “I don’t know, the thin eyebrows?”
The next one comes up and Haechan instantly answers, “That’s Mark. Like. For. Sure.”
buzz. “Kim Doyoung.”
The rounds continue with some lighthearted bickering. Jeno's team gets a couple of points here and there, but Haechan’s team remains in the lead. The last challenge turns out to be ‘Guess who said this.’ Haechan’s a bit stumped, he doesn’t know these too well and he doesn’t think the younger drivers do either. Vernon nods confidently, though, so maybe they could win this thing.
“Okay,” The host sighs, “Starting off easy.”
“I’m going to touch Doyoung’s rear wing.”
Sion hits the buzzer before Haechan can, surprising him. “That was Haechan, right?”
Haechan nods, impressed as the host increases their points.
“The engine feels good, much slower than before. Amazing.” It brings a laugh out of everyone before the F1A driver from Jeno’s team answers, “Alonso.”
“Okay, last question guys,” The host announces, “Assuming team 1 can finish this off, that is.”
“Is there even a point for that?” 
“I’ve heard this before,” Haechan hears Chenle mumble from the other side. He looks at his team, shrugging to say that he does not know the answer sadly. 
Vernon seems to be lost in thought, “This one’s old, it was either Hamilton or Seungcheol. Shit, I can’t remember which one though.” The room is weirdly silent and Vernon seems to notice, lowering his voice, “It was after a disappointing race… probably a p10 or p11 finish. Doesn’t it seem like something Seungcheol would say?”
“You would know,” Haechan encourages, “Go for it.”
Vernon presses the buzzer. The host waits.
“It’s Choi Seungcheol, isn’t it?”
“Are you asking me?” The host jokes.
Vernon shakes his head, “No. It’s Seungcheol.”
“And you are right!” The host smiles, making Haechan’s team erupt into cheers.
After wrapping up the shoot, the entire Red Bull family gathers outside the hospitality to take a group photo. Haechan remembers this weekend has the F2 and F1A races too and wishes the junior drivers good luck before heading back into the hospitality.
Haechan doesn't think you'll be in any of the meeting rooms, nor does he think you've headed back to the hotel. You're usually there next to him after all his schedules end, so he's perplexed to find you absent. He doesn't need to look for you, really, because his media activities for the day are over which means you've got no business with him for today. He should head over to the garage, see what the engineers are doing, poke around there, but instead he finds himself walking into the cafeteria. 
Haechan is relieved to see you there, getting back to your seat with a cup of espresso in your hand while the other holds onto your phone as you speak. He's sure you'll end up spilling your coffee and jogs towards you, taking the cup from your hands.
You look at him quizzically before returning to your conversation, “Yes, I understand it's your job but you need to understand, this is my job too. Your headline was just purely misleading. I mean, all he said was that the other driver was being slow and hindering everyone else. Really, there's nothing going on that is as malicious as you make it seem!” You pull the chair harshly before sitting down. 
Haechan just stands there with your coffee still in hand, not sure what to do.
“Yes, yes. I'm not asking you to take it down, just edit it a little better. You can't twist words like that, you know? Even if it is your job, Sir.” You grit out before smiling like the journalist can see you, “Yes, we appreciate it. Thank you and have a great day.”
You think about slamming your phone down. But there are others in the cafeteria, so you control yourself. Reminding yourself to unclench your jaw, you look around for your coffee before you see Haechan standing next to you, staring like a kid that's been yelled at.
“Oh, I'm sorry,” You sigh before taking the cup from him, “Aren't you supposed to be back at the motorhome? I'm done, so you can escape from me for at least the remaining half of the day.” You try to joke, but he looks at you like a kicked puppy.
“Hey, I'm sorry for… whatever conversation you just had. I'll try to control what I say, I guess.”
“No it's—” Your frustration that was slithering away creeps back again, “Why would you apologize? You're allowed to say such simple stuff without being used for clout and stupid headlines.”
He stays silent, and you wonder if you came off too harshly. So you try to talk a little more, make him feel a bit more comfortable, and show him that you are not mad. Where did all your professionalism go? We're still at work.
“Honestly, a lot of sports blogs do this. Most of the time it's not an issue. But this guy, this is the fourth time I'm calling him to take it down. He's so stubborn about it and the worst part is his columns have absolutely no ounce of any truth in them.”
Haechan sighs, “Thank you.”
You shrug, eyeing him, “It's just my job. How did your challenge go?”
He perks up at the mention of the games, “My team won,” Haechan grins, but it doesn't reach his eyes.
“Really, Haechan, why are you still here?” You shake your head, but you're smiling a little, so Haechan considers it a win too. 
He’s thinking of a valid answer to give you, because in reality he doesn't know either, when he sees Johnny walking in. “I was just waiting for Johnny. We have a training session. What are you going to do, since I'm done for the day?” He abruptly stands up.
You get up along with him, downing the remnants of your espresso, “I have other stuff to do. I need to go over that interview that you gave in the morning before it's sent over for publishing and I need to look up a few journalists that may show up tomorrow or on race day and…” You wonder why you're telling him all this, “I have a lot of things to do, Haechan. Have fun at training, I'll see you tomorrow after the practice sessions.”
Friday, post FP2 June 27th
The walk to the media pen is quieter than usual. Haechan’s strides are long and fast, and there’s a stiffness to him that you can’t ignore. His hands are tucked into his pockets and his gaze flicks down to the ground every now and then.
He hasn’t said much since stepping out of the car. You were silent as he listened to the debrief, as he nodded along, as he left without saying much, and you are silent now too as the two of you walk up to a sky sports interviewer. 
Jeno is already up first, finishing off his interview. He sounds relaxed and confident. 
"Yeah, I think the car felt great today. We found a good rhythm early on, and I’m happy with where we’re at, heading into tomorrow. Obviously, there's still a lot of work to do, but the team’s done an amazing job."
Haechan exhales sharply, looking away as you gesture for him to step forward. 
“Remember, it’s just Friday. Just practice.” You murmur to him. He gives you the slightest nod before facing the reporter. The first question comes immediately.
“Haechan, you were second fastest in today’s practice, but it looked like you were struggling a little more than your teammate. What happened?”
He takes a beat to answer, “Yeah, I think- well, obviously, Jeno’s had a great session and it’s looking good for the team this weekend. For me, I think there’s a lot more pace left on the table, hopefully we’ll look at the data and try to put it all together for tomorrow.”
“The McLarens seemed to be struggling with their pace in both practice sessions today. Do you think your situation might be similar?”
Again, a pause. “I wouldn’t say it’s a huge concern. The tyre degradation did seem a little unpredictable today, so I was having to manage more than I would’ve liked to. It’s not ideal, but there’s time to fix it before qualifying and the race itself.”
“Last question, Haechan. Do you think with Jeno topping both sessions today, does this shift the dynamic inside the team at all? Is there an added pressure that you feel, heading into this home grand prix.”
The question lingers in the air for a second longer than it should have. Haechan’s expression doesn’t change much, but you see it — the brief twitch in his eyebrow. 
“I mean, from the team perspective, it’s great for us. It’s the home race for the team and both of us are hopefully going to be up front. Obviously, both of us want to be ahead of each other. Today just wasn’t quite there for me, but we’ll see where we are tomorrow.”
He chooses his words carefully, in a way that doesn’t feel like himself. A part of yourself is proud, this was a good response, answering without really answering. But he’s clearly upset.
The interviewer thanks him, wrapping it up before Jaehyun steps up behind him. As Haechan steps back from the mic, you fall into step behind him. You have to go back to the hospitality to gather your things before you can head to your hotel, but it doesn’t feel right to leave Haechan right now. You have a feeling he has something to say.
When you’re out of the media pen, you realize it’s starting to drizzle. That can’t be too good, you suppose. A rainless weekend would be more ideal, more safer. Hopefully this weather won’t continue into tomorrow and the day after. But it’s not just the chilly weather that makes the air heavier.
“Good answers,” You say, trying to look at his downturned face.
He doesn’t reply immediately, glancing at his hands, flexing them before tucking them into his pockets again. When he does reply, Haechan’s voice comes out quieter than you’ve ever heard it.
“If I told you something, would you keep it to yourself? Not give it over or use it to— I don’t know— make me seem more humane or something when people write articles that I don’t seem to care about anything.”
You’re taken aback. It hurts you a little, but what he says is valid. Has someone done that to him before?
“I would,” You nod, “Keep it to myself, I mean.”
He kicks at the pavement, “Jeno was really quick today and it’s bothering me more than Ferrari’s pace.” That much is obvious, but it settles down on his chest in a way that he can’t shake off.
You hum in acknowledgement. This is what’s sitting with him. Not being second itself, but the gap. The fact that for the first time this season, it’s someone in the same car, who is ahead of him. You think of that night in Suzuka. All this at their team’s home race too. Of course he’s bothered.
“Tomorrow’s another day.” You remind him.
“Yes, but-”
“And if tomorrow also isn’t your day, then you have the race itself.”
He exhales, unlocking his phone to study the FP2 times once more before locking it. “How are you getting back to your hotel, by the way?”
“I think the shuttle might have already left, so maybe a taxi. I still have to go back to the hospitality.”
“The rain’s going to get heavier,” He sighs, “You might not be able to catch one.”
“I’ll wait it out,” You shrug, “You’re not heading to your motorhome?” 
“I was, but if you’re waiting it out, might as well do the same.”
You glance at him, unsure, “You don’t have to.” But you find yourself thinking that you wouldn’t mind if he does. Guess he does grow on you.
“I know.” His response is simple. He doesn’t meet your eyes and for a moment looks up at the darkening skies above, the wind is picking up, carrying the smell of damp asphalt. Haechan feels nauseous. What if the conditions are the same? You’re already struggling with the pace, Haechan. What if you fuck it up in the one race that matters the most to everyone?
The two of you are a little wet by the time you walk into the hospitality cafeteria. The paddock is quieter now, with most of the day's work being over. A few mechanics remain in the garage, chatting in low voices as they finish up for the day. Inside, the warmth is immediate and you almost sigh out of relief. The hum of the coffee machine and the gentle clattering of dishes as the kitchen staff clean up make the whole place seem too peaceful for a race weekend. You wipe away the drops of water on your team jacket at the entrance before turning to look at Haechan. He doesn’t seem to know what to do when he’s not running from meeting to garage to training to meeting at all times. 
“You can go ask a staff for something to eat, if you want. You must be hungry, no?”
He shakes his head, “I think I’ll just have a coffee.”
You shrug, “Help yourself, I need to go up to grab my things.”
Haechan doesn’t move right away, staring at the coffee machine for a long moment as if unsure what to do. Then, with a soft sigh, he pulls his hands from his pockets and walks over to the counter. He’s not really looking at anything—and you’re hit with the realization that he might be trying to not be alone with his thoughts right now.
“I won’t be long,” you add, feeling the need to fill the quiet.
Haechan doesn’t look up, but you see the tension in his shoulders dissipate a little as he nods. “Take your time.”
Sunday, Race Day June 29th
If Haechan was irritated by the P3 qualifying last night, he’s beyond upset now. But there’s no time and he really needs to get out of his misery and get his head back in the game before the race begins, which is any moment now. He breathes out heavily, trying to calm himself down as the first red light turns on. It could’ve been worse. It’s only two people that you need to overtake. Use the corner.
At lights out, Haechan’s whole body tenses. His car surges forward, but his reaction time isn’t quicker than Jeno and Doyoung so he remains in third place. His focus sharpens as he begins to climb the gears. He’s pushing for the next position and turn 1 is his easiest chance. Even if the gap between Doyoung and him widens after the turn, he can close it on the straight.
Haechan is usually quite aware of his surroundings. Usually while going into turns his eyes are always flitting between his two mirrors. But today, he looks ahead. He knows Jaehyun is there, tucked right behind him, but what he doesn’t expect is for Jaehyun to turn so late. 
The hit comes hard. A sudden, violent shove to the rear end of his car, that sends a shock through his entire body.
Haechan’s heart races as his hands instinctively grip the wheel tighter, trying to regain control, but the car is sliding, spinning off track. His vision blurs.
As Haechan and Jaehyun’s car spin, the former going off the track, the Red Bull garage erupts in shock. Jaehyun’s Ferrari straightens out and rejoins the race, but Haechan remains there. It feels like forever to you as you ball up your fists. Come on, move!
The engineers are already analyzing the damage, but you know what’s coming next—the media frenzy. Your mind kicks into overdrive, fingers hovering over your notes. If he’s out of the race, you need to prep statements. If he’s still in it, you need to track every lap.
A voice crackles through the team radio.
“Haechan, are you alright?”
A beat. Then, a burst of static, an exhale.
“I’m fine.”
Haechan swerves his car into the right direction and re-enters the track. You release the breath you didn’t realize you were holding. The mechanics shout out their encouragement.
He’s still in it, at least. You know what’s next for you— a new narrative to prepare.
As for Haechan, he has one hell of a comeback to make.
“What position am I in?” Haechan asks, even though he knows the answer. He sees the Williams in front of him but he needs to hear it.
“P20. There’s no damage to the car. Please push.”
P20. Dead last.
The words make his jaw clench. Haechan flicks his engine mode and slams his foot on the throttle. Ahead, the Williams is too slow, too cautious. He’s past it before the lap is even done.
P19.
Next, the Haas. He catches it on the straight, ducks behind into its slipstream and overtakes it at the next turn.
P18.
In sector 2, he reaches the VCARBs, caught in their own battle. Haechan takes advantage of their hesitation into turn 3 and dives down the inside. It’s risky and close but he does it, two cars in one move.
P16.
Every move is by instinct now. An Alpine, another Sauber and Haas. One by one he picks them off. 
He outbrakes the second Williams into turn 3.
P12.
You look up from your laptop, hastily recording all his overtakes. He’s got the fastest lap now, and it’s his fourth time doing it. You’re worried, definitely, but awe masks it momentarily as you watch Haechan set purple sectors everywhere. Within five laps he’s made it to 12th place. It’s not in the points, yes. But he’s capable and you know it. It’s only a matter of time before he nears the top and time— he has a lot of it.  
P10 comes a little easily too. Na Jaemin, seemingly struggling with his engine in the Aston gives Haechan the way and Park Jisung in the first McLaren, who is way off his game this season— seeing how he’s outside of the points— is not the hardest person to overtake.
A much needed pit stop by lap 47 halts his progress and leaves Haechan stuck in at P10. Ahead of him, the second Alpine pits handing him the P9. On the straight, he comes into DRS range and overtakes Lee Chan’s Aston Martin. 
By lap 58, Haechan is up into P7. This is where it starts to get hard.
The gap ahead to Seungcheol in P6 is a little over 4 seconds. It’s nothing impossible, but Haechan can feel the pressure build up now. There’s been a rhythm to his driving up until now. He’s been pushing and edging and taking advantage of every silly mistake someone makes. But Seungcheol, even in his current form, is no slouch and neither is his car. The Ferrari holds its place through the corners and the last thing Haechan wants is to waste time.
He closes in quickly, making it a matter of when and not if he can overtake Seungcheol. When they come into the straight at the beginning of lap 59, Haechan is right behind the Ferrari, DRS open and ready to pounce. He pulls out and presses the throttle hard, determined to make it out in front before the first turn. Seungcheol, surprisingly, doesn't put up much of a fight.
“Haechan, that is P6. Incredible work, mate. Car ahead is Jaehyun.”
You’re back in the hospitality by now. Haechan’s name has been climbing up the list consistently and his speed is incredible. But you can’t afford to celebrate yet. It’s a home race and one car is still not on the podium. Red Bull expects more than just a decent result. They want to win this and you know the sponsors are watching every move. Your phone buzzes—a quick reminder that the press conference is scheduled in thirty five minutes. Regardless of how the race turns out, he needs to be ready to answer questions.
Coming into lap 71, the last lap, Haechan is beyond frustrated. Jaehyun has been holding steady for the entire race, but so has he. It’s been a long fight, and he is not giving it up to settle behind the person who fucked it up for him, really. 
The gap between them is small and with only a few corners left, Haechan watches Jaehyun’s line like a hawk. The Ferrari takes a defensive stance, but on turn 9, Jaehyun takes a slightly wider exit than normal, and it’s the crack Haechan’s been waiting for. He dives down the inside, braking late but with precision, getting alongside Jaehyun through the turn. Jaehyun can’t fight back.
Haechan forces him wide into the last turn.
P5.
Post Race, Driver’s room.
You walk down the hallway towards Haechan’s room. The paddock buzzes with the press and most of the mechanics and engineers are out celebrating Jeno’s win in front of the garage. You and Haechan are going to be late for the media if he hasn’t freshened up by now.
“Haechan, I’m coming in,” You inform, knocking twice. He doesn’t answer.
The door is open anyways, so you push it, tucking your phone into your pocket before you truly realize the sight in front of you. 
Haechan’s freshened up, alright. He’s showered and is in his normal clothes, towel hanging from his neck as he looks out of the window.
“Are you,” you pause, “coming to the media pen like this?”
You regret even asking, because you think you know his answer, and God, no. No no no, don’t say it. Please come to the pen.
“I’m not going today, sorry Miss PR.” Haechan shrugs, his voice low, flat and lacking the charm he usually has.
Your stomach drops, “Haechan… Haechan, you know you have to. It's part of the job.”
He doesn’t turn to look at you, doesn’t speak. His clothes look comfortable but you can see his tensed arms and spine despite them. He wears his disappointment like a heavy cloak, heaving him down.
"Look, I get it. I know you're upset," you say, your voice softer now, "but this is about more than just you. It's about the team, the sponsors, everything. I need you to come with me. We’ll get through it, and then you can walk away. I promise."
When he doesn’t respond immediately, you’re taken over by the insane urge to slap yourself. Not what we wanted to say! 
You enter the room fully, the door clicking softly behind you. 
“If it gets you into trouble, I’ll talk to them later. I can’t do this right now.” Haechan’s voice wavers slightly.
You hesitate, but only for a moment.
"Why are you always trying to hold it together?" you ask, crossing the room towards him. "You don’t have to be perfect all the time, Haechan. You don’t have to just swallow it down and keep going like nothing’s wrong."
He scoffs, “That’s very ironic of you to say. You’re literally my PR manager. Isn’t it your job to make me look like the perfect person all the time?” He bites back, harsher than you expect.
You stop in your tracks, taken aback. He’s never lashed out at you like that before and all you can do is just stand there and let his words hang in the air between you two.
“Okay,” You slump back, walking over to the couch and sitting down. “Fine. I’ll tell them you’re not coming.”
Haechan finally looks at you, a little surprised. You think he was expecting you to fight back more. You expected yourself to fight back more.
“But Haechan, my job isn’t to make you look perfect. It’s to help you handle all the shit that comes with your job without you having to worry too much about people attacking you for reasons that don’t even matter most of the time.”
He seems to realize the weight of your words as he comes to sit beside you.
“Today did not go the way you wanted it to, and I may never understand what is on your mind or what you go through every time.” You exhale, “But if you want me to listen, I will.”
Haechan sits quietly beside you, his fingers drumming lightly on his knee, eyes focused on the floor. The faint sound of the paddock celebrations filters through the walls, but it feels distant and irrelevant.
After what feels like an eternity, Haechan speaks. "I just... I don’t know anymore," he admits, his gaze drifting toward the window. "It feels like I’m fighting so damn hard, and for what? A P5? I was supposed to do better. I feel like I’ve let everyone down... And Jaehyun’s starting to catch up with me in the driver standings. He’s close, you know? Really close. And now my teammate’s done better than me at our home race and it wouldn’t have been too much of a problem if I was on that damn podium too.”
“I don’t think you’ve let anybody down. Today’s race doesn’t discount everything else that you have won for the team this season. It may be hard for you to believe right now, but trust me. What matters is that you move on from this. Everyone has their lows. It’s just one race, Haechan.”
“But it’s… it’s the team’s home race.” He exhales.
“Fuck the home race, then.” You shake your head, “Everyone believes in you, Haechan. Your mechanics, your engineers, Johnny, me. This is just one race out of 24. You can do this.”
Haechan looks at you then, his expression still clouded with frustration but you can tell your words got through.
"Thanks," he murmurs, and it’s almost a whisper, but you catch it.
You nod, offering a small smile. It’s not out of relief or pity, but understanding.
“I’ll take care of the media stuff,” you say, rising to your feet. “I’ll smooth things over. You don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for.”
Haechan doesn’t respond right away, but as you reach the door, you hear him speak again, quieter this time.
“I’m sorry for snapping at you.”
You tilt your head slightly, watching him. “You think that’s the worst I’ve dealt with?”
Haechan lets out a small, tired laugh, running a hand through his hair. “Probably not.”
You smile, finally turning to leave. “Didn’t think so.”
“I mean it though. I shouldn’t have proj—”
You raise a finger making him stop, “It’s okay, I know. Get some rest, Haechan.”
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UNITED KINGDOM, SILVERSTONE CIRCUIT
Tuesday July 2nd
Lee Haechan (RB) : Hey… Are you in the UK rn? This may be wayyy out of line but Johnny kind of dared me to go to this baking workshop thing like LONG ago and um he agreed to come with me. But he’s got some sort of emergency, so he’s in the states rn and um so he can’t make it… So I was wondering if you wanted to LOL! [18:26]
You: well, it would be a waste of money if you didn’t go, wouldn’t it? [20:25]
Lee Haechan (RB) : Whew almost thought you wouldn’t reply Does that mean you’ll come? [20:26]
Wednesday
“Hey, you’re right on time.” Haechan greets as you walk over to the pergola he’s under, “The instructor just left to get the ingredients, but this place is huge so she might take like 10 to come back.”
“Huge it is,” You agree, putting your purse down and sitting beside him. 
The pergola you two sit under is just one of the many you saw on your way here. Tucked into its own corner, its beams entwined with vines and fairy lights that haven’t flickered on yet. The garden (it’s bigger, but you don’t know the appropriate term for it) seems to be divided by tall, clean-trimmed hedges, giving the entire place a maze-like look. Surprisingly, it’s a sunny day and this is the perfect place to be out. A gentle breeze ruffles the leaves overhead.
From behind the hedge to your right, bursts of laughter and chatter spill over, from a larger group, you assume. You hear the clinking of utensils against mixing bowls and turn to Haechan.
He’s already looking at you, leant back, arms stretched over the bench’s backrest. For a moment, he holds your gaze before looking away, eyes sweeping over the surroundings. “It’s nice, isn’t it?”
You hum, “Makes me wonder why Johnny would dare you to come here. Do you know what we’re going to be making?”
Haechan eyes you a little sheepishly, “Well, to be honest, you were a little bit late and I had to choose for us.”
You roll your eyes, “Okay, but this was like almost an hour away.”
“I did offer to pick you up,” He mumbles.
“Yeah,” You nod, “But you’re probably staying at the headquarters which is literally on the other side of the city. Didn’t want to make you drive too much.”
“You’re kind of… too nice to me.” Haechan grins, getting up as the instructor comes back, “It’s great! My friends usually don’t pass up on a chance to make me suffer.”
You laugh, shaking your head, “Well aren’t you glad I’m here then.”
“Oh,” He starts, but you interject him.
“Thank you for coming, I know. You’ve said it about four times already.”
“Well, I feel a little bad.”
“Don’t be, I’m sure I’ll have fun too. I’ll let you know, I might be nice to you now but I’m a little mean when it comes to tasting.” You grin.
The instructor sets the menu in front of you and your grin only widens. “I love strawberries, apple pie and churros. You didn’t make bad choices after all.”
Haechan laughs softly before handing you your apron, “Thank god.”
The instructor gives you two the basic rundown and gives you a small pager to page her over if required before leaving you two to it. As she starts walking away, Haechan starts flipping through the cookbook, opening up to the first recipe. 
“I think we should make the churros in the end. Should we start with the pie first? It’ll take time to bake.”
You nod, wrapping the apron’s waistband around you, “Have you ever made apple filling before?”
“No, but I’m good at like bread and pasta and stuff so I think I’ll be fine with the dough? Unless you want to-”
“We make a great team, because I’m bad at that stuff,” You throw a thumbs up at him, moving over to the other side of the table where the apple basket is. 
Haechan laughs as he picks out all the ingredients he needs, “Should we make a little extra of everything so that we can take some home?”
You pause, “Sure, but do you think the two of us would be able to down an entire pie?”
He shrugs, “If we don’t then it’s just more to take home. We could make an extra one and like half it? The tins aren’t too big. Hey, it says you need 4-5 apples for one pie so maybe take like 10?”
You thank him and start sectioning and measuring your spices before you get to the apple skinning when Haechan walks over to your side. You hum, wondering if he has any questions.
“You’d take way too much time to skin 10 apples on your own. The dough won’t take me too long.” Haechan quips, reaching in front of you for the peeler. 
Halfway through peeling the apples, a thought passes through your mind when Haechan brings up Johnny. In shock, you drop your peeler onto the table before turning to look at him.
“Haechan,” You gasp, “Are you allowed to eat all this?” 
Before he can answer, you’re already pacing up and down, the back of your wrist pressing against your forehead. If you’d remembered earlier, you could’ve convinced him to not go. Holy shit, you pause. You could be the reason Haechan’s weight is off this weekend.
Haechan lets you worry for a moment before piping up, “It’s only Wednesday. Johnny knows and he’ll be back before tomorrow evening so that we can have a workout session that’s a little more intense.” He tosses the cut apples into the pot.
“Still, should we cut down on something?” You stress, pushing him over to his dough making station.
“Nooo,” Haechan drags out, “It’s alright.”
“What if you don’t fit into your race suit?” You challenge as you slowly walk back to your pot that you’ve put all your apple slices in. The spices are already in there and all you have to do is turn the flame on. 
Haechan sighs as he flicks the remnants of flour on his fingers at you, making you flinch, “Don’t worry that pretty little head of yours, come on.”
You still for a second, hoping the heat you feel creeping up your neck isn’t as obvious as it feels. Trying to play it off, you roll your eyes, “Whatever you say, I guess.”
Haechan doesn’t look up from his bowl but you can tell his smile widens. You shake your head, turning back to your apples that are beginning to cook slowly.
The pies rise steadily in the oven, the smell of cinnamon and apples clouding the air. You’re not sure if it’s because of the light inside. Leaning forward on your knees, you stare into the oven. The actual baking process is the worst according to you, but maybe you’re just a little impatient. You hear Haechan cluttering around with utensils before he stands next to you, shoulder brushing yours as he copies you.
“You know, I think we did a pretty good job. I tasted the cookie dough and it’s great too.” Haechan muses beside you, wiping his hands on a towel, “Well, I did. You just cut and measured stuff.”
You gasp, standing up straight to look at him, “Excuse me? Who prepared the filling?”
“What are you going to do with just filling? You need dough and honestly I think you’d be really bad at that.” Haechan scoffs but you see the playfulness in his eyes.
“You can’t have a pie without filling, and I made the strawberry compote too, come on!”
“You could!” Haechan defends, “It would just be a really thin, weird shaped cookie.”
You don’t know how to answer that and so you sigh in defeat. He’s moved on to scooping the strawberry shortcake cookie dough into the pan and you force your eyes to drift from the way his bangs fall into his eyes. It’s not like you’ve never noticed before, but there’s something about seeing Haechan at ease, lips pressed together in focus, brows knitted as he carefully shapes each cookie. It’s different from when he’s in his element on track. That determination and focus that he has are so different from now. Haechan’s sleeves are rolled up just enough to show his forearms and you have to mentally slap yourself from thinking about how they flexed while he kneaded the dough.
You’ve always known it, but he’s quite good looking, if you admit. The thought makes your heart stutter, and you blink rapidly, shaking yourself out of it. You’re here to bake, not… whatever this is.
“By the way,” You clear your throat, “did we use all the strawberries? I wanted to taste one.” 
Haechan pauses, “Yep.” He pops the ‘p’. You hear the timer ring for the pies. “Guess you were too busy.”
“Seriously?” You mutter, a little dejected, “It’s fine. I’ll get the pies.”
“Oh, hey, take the mittens. Wait, I’ll bring them.” You hear Haechan call out as you open the oven handle. He appears by your side, holding out your mittens.
“Here,” He says, voice closer than you expect. You turn to thank him, and just as the words are about to leave your mouth, he swiftly plops something past your lips.
Your eyes widen in shock, taste buds suddenly flooded with flavour— sweet, a little tart and unmistakably strawberry.
Haechan grins, eyes swimming with amusement as you process what just happened. “Found it,” he says with a casualness that makes you want to throw the mittens at him.
You finish chewing, the initial surprise fading into a mix of exasperation and something else that makes your chest feel strangely tight. “You—”
“I knew you wanted one,” He shrugs, a self satisfied smirk plastered on his lips.
You narrow your eyes at him, crossing your arms. “You’re just so…”
“Not my fault you’re easy to surprise.”
You huff, shaking your head as you finally grab the mittens. “You’re lucky these pies smell too good for me to be mad at you right now.”
His laughter follows you as you open the oven, but you don’t miss the way his eyes linger on you for a moment longer. And you definitely don’t miss the way your heart stumbles again, just a little, before you shake it off and focus on not dropping the pies.
Saturday, Qualifying July 3rd
“How’s the car feeling?” Johnny asks as he sets down Haechan’s plate in front of him.
“It’s fine,” Haechan grimaces at his food, making Johnny sigh, “Better than last week. So much better. The team made some updates.”
“Don’t make that face.” Johnny rolls his eyes, “I let you off for eating all those damn sweets. You reap what you sow.” 
He expects Haechan to bite back, but all he gets in return is an absent minded hum. He looks up from his phone to see Haechan looking around the cafeteria and sighs inwardly. 
“Who are you looking for?” Johnny questions, making Haechan snap his head back to him before poking at the quinoa on his plate. 
“No one,” Haechan mumbles.
Johnny raises an eyebrow but doesn’t press him and goes back to his phone. The cafeteria buzzes with the usual lunchtime chatter. The mechanics and engineers too, seem to have come up for their lunch break before qualifying. Johnny looks up at Haechan for a second when he seems to realize that the driver usually eats lunch in his room, in order to focus and calm his mind. 
Before he can question it, Haechan pipes up, “How’s your sister and her baby, by the way?”
“She’s fine. And my nephew? Oh god, he is so cute. Wait let me show you a photo,” Johnny gushes as he scrolls through his photos, “Thanks for letting me go, actually. I mean, I did you a favour too. Didn’t you take your PR girl with you?” He looks up to see Haechan distracted, eyes flicking around the room again.
“Ah,” Johnny sighs, shaking his head, “So that’s what’s on your mind?”
Haechan glances at him before stuffing a forkful of grilled chicken in his mouth, “What? Show me the photos.”
Johnny slides his phone over, still staring at him. “It makes sense really,” He says to himself, “You took her out when I cancelled. You don’t want to eat in your room anymore, you keep looking around for her.”
Haechan freezes, his fork already halfway to his mouth. He sets it down, trying to play the cool game, but Johnny knows Haechan and frankly with the way he’s scratching his neck right now while fervently scrolling through his photos, he already has his answer.
“Your nephew’s really cute.” Haechan says, a little too loudly, “I’d love to meet him one day.”
Johnny leans back in his chair, arms crossed and grins a little wider than what Haechan would’ve liked to see. “Anyways, where is she? Seems like you two have gotten close.”
“Well, she’s around me a lot and it’s been like what—five months—already. Of course we’d be friends,” Haechan rolls his eyes. He meant for it to come out very coolly, but he ends up sounding a bit defensive. “And I don’t know where she is. I don’t need to see her until after quali.”
“Mhm,” Johnny teases, “You don’t need to see her, but you want to. I get it.”
“Oh, shut up,” Haechan hisses, getting up from his seat, “You’re distracting me. I’m going to go back to my room. Throw out my plate for me, will you?”
“Are you sure I’m what’s distracting you?” Johnny calls out behind him, earning a few looks. He laughs while looking around, “Oh it’s nothing, he’s just a little worried about qualifying.”
Post qualifying
“Haechan, congratulations on pole position,” The reporter chirps, “If you could step up to the mic, please.”
“Thank you,” Haechan gives a small smile, waiting for the questions.
“The Red Bulls seemed very strong today and yesterday, you know, over the practice sessions and qualifying. Jeno qualified with a P3. Anything new about the car? Has anything changed since Austria?”
“Yeah, well, the team had already been working hard on bringing an update to the car so it’s been feeling good this weekend. Hopefully we can use it to give the team a 1-2 finish again.”
“You’ve been on the podium multiple times here in Silverstone, but you’ve never won before. What’s different this time and what do you think about your chances for tomorrow?”
“Silverstone has been slightly challenging for me in the past, but every year is different, right? The team has made some great progress with the car. I think personally, I feel more in tune than I did last weekend. This is our best shot yet. Of course it’ll be a tough battle, but I think we’ll be able to make the most out of it tomorrow.” Haechan nods, “Also, they do predict a little rain here, every year. Always makes it more exciting.”
The reporter laughs along with him, “Of course. Now my last question. You weren’t here last weekend, so I didn’t get to ask you.”
You can see Haechan stiffening up. You did talk to him about the possibility of reporters or journalists asking about Austria. Hopefully he remembers.
“In Austria, you had that incident with Jaehyun on lap one. With the title fight heating up between you two, how do you feel about something like that happening at such a critical point in the season? Does it change the way you approach racing with him, or was it just a racing incident?”
No matter how Haechan answers this, you know it’s going to stir up drama. It’s about time anyways, with the championship fight set up between the drivers and the teams. You lightly tug Haechan’s hand, hoping it’s out of frame or even just subtle enough. He notices.
“It was unfortunate. I had a lot to unpack after that race,” Haechan begins, “It was frustrating, especially since we both know how much is at stake. I mean, it’s tough out here… I think we’ve both had a fair share of things not going our way. But yeah, it’s a championship fight and I’m not here to back down. Keeping it clean is ideal of course, but I don’t mind some hard racing. It is a part of the game after all. We’ll see how the rest of the season plays out.”
“You did well,” You mutter to him as the two of you leave the media pen after a few more interviews.
“Oh thanks, I learnt from the best.” Haechan chuckles. You smile.
“No, I mean. Even in quali and everything.” You look up at him. 
His lips are stretched in an easy smile and he looks more collected and composed today. You haven’t seen this type of confidence ooze off him in a while, so today, it makes you glad.
“I feel good too, honestly.” Haechan admits, “I think I got too into my head last time and it just never works out like that. I’ve done this so many times and just because there’s a championship win looming over my head does not mean I crumble under the pressure of it all.” He dramatically sighs.
“Well,” You quip, “Don’t be too confident. After all that you’ve said today, you’d make it really hard for you and me to answer if you didn’t win tomorrow.”
Haechan stops in his tracks, turning to you, “Are you telling me to win?”
“Would I tell you to lose?” You question, squinting at him.
“No, but are you telling me to win for you? So that you don’t have to deal with those articles?” He has a smirk on his face that one half of you, the more sane half wants to punch off.
“I didn’t say that. But if you happened to win, everyone would be pleased.” You shrug nonchalantly. 
Haechan laughs, “Everyone includes you.” 
“It does.” You sigh before fastening your pace and walking ahead of him. You don’t understand why he’s doing this, but it sucks. It sucks and you don’t think it's professional and- Shit your face is probably red right now. 
“Hey! Hey, I’ll win it.” Haechan grins as he catches up to you, “For the team, and the championship, of course.”
You nod sternly, “Yes, exactly.”
“And,” He begins as you reach the entrance to where the motorhomes are parked, “For you. Thanks for walking me back!” He runs off before you can pretend to get mad at him. You roll your eyes, fanning your face as you walk away.
Around the same time, the next day, you walk away from the celebrations for a second, feeling your phone ping in your pocket. Perfect timing, really, because you’d rather not get champagne all over you.
Someone’s sent you an article. You click on the link.
Haechan dominates Silverstone for maiden win, Vows: ‘I’m not here to back down’. Ferrari falls short again as title hopes begin to falter.
You shake your head, turning towards the crowd formed in the centre of the garage as they attempt to douse the man of the hour in champagne. You watch as Haechan shrieks, trying to dodge his head mechanic who has another, completely filled bottle in his hands. His overalls are already soaked, and his hair sticks to his forehead as a result of Jeno pouring champagne over his head on the podium.
For a second, Haechan’s eyes search around until they land on you. When they do, his eyes widen ever so slightly and he beams. Teeth out, cheeks full and eyes almost closing.
You can’t help but smile back. Your heart skips a beat, multiple beats, you think. You hope no one notices the way your cheeks are burning up right now. You hope he doesn’t notice it. Looking away, you tuck your phone back in. You need to head back up, gather your things and head back home. You’d promised your family you’d visit and conveniently you have almost a week and a half off before you travel again.
To your (unknown) dismay, Haechan does notice. 
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ITALY, AUTODROMO NAZIONALE MONZA
Saturday, Qualifying September 6th
Rumours around the paddock don’t start baselessly, so when you overhear news from Jaehyun’s PR manager, a senior of yours from college, it shocks you. Choi Seungcheol, Il Prescelto, the chosen one, Ferrari’s lion… talks of leaving?
Haechan is even more astonished when you accidentally let it slip in front of him. 
“That’s…” He tilts his chin, thinking hard, “That’s not possible, is it? I mean, he’s been with them for so long. He’s got them those four drivers championships. There’s no way he’d leave.”
“I don’t know Haechan,” You sigh, dragging a hand across your face, “I wasn’t even supposed to tell you this. Listen, this is the last-”
“Last thing I need to worry about, I know.” He shakes his head as he slips on his racing shoes. 
The two of you are in his dressing room, about fifteen minutes before qualifying starts. You’re not sure if you’re supposed to be here, but you find yourself pacing nervously while he adjusts his gear. 
“I don’t even know why I’m saying this,” You bite your lip, trying to find the right words, “It’s just- She told me that there’s been a lot going on in their team, between the drivers, something, I don’t know.” 
Haechan nods as he stands up and walks over to you, moving you out of the way by your waist to grab his helmet. Your brain short circuits for a moment before you wrangle it back into control. You’re trying to tell him something. Stop it. You can’t help the way your stomach somersaults at the smell of his cologne.
“Haechan,” Your voice is stern and it makes him stop, hand on his helmet on the shelf. It’s not an ideal position, at all. You can imagine what it would look like if someone walked into the room right now, one hand on the shelf, the other unconsciously on your waist. Haechan is too close to you. You clear your throat, swallowing as he moves away muttering an apology. There’s an air of disappointment and confusion surrounding you two and you know it. There are things unsaid and undone, but now is not the time.
“I think you’ve noticed already from the practice sessions but they’re fighting within themselves.” You sigh, hoping the shakiness in your voice isn’t too obvious.
“Yeah, the team told me in the briefing session. I thought it was just some silly teammate banter, though.”
“Hopefully it is. But just stay safe out there, okay?” 
Haechan's heart warms at the concern in your voice.
“Always, I know. It's alright.”
“I'll see you after quali then. All the best,” You muster a small smile. You don't think he could go faster than your heart is beating right now, to be fair, but you hope he does.
Haechan hasn't told you this yet, but as he gets into his car in the garage, he thinks you already know his intentions. He needs to out qualify both the Ferraris today. Especially Jaehyun. Haechan is not one to leave favours unpaid and the only way he can return Jaehyun’s is by ruining his home race too. The fabled Italian grand prix, with the thousands of tifosi here. He’s not going to mess up Jaehyun’s race like the latter did in Austria, no. He’s better than that and besides, he needs a clean race, if not for himself, if not for the team, then for you. No, Haechan’s going to make sure he ruins it by winning.
His engineer gives him the green light to fire up the engine and leave the garage. As he swerves out into the pitlane, he almost scoffs into his radio. In front of him both the Ferraris leave their garage, blazing red and engines roaring. 
If there is an issue between the two of them—like you said there might be— then as long as they don’t crash into him, maybe it’ll work out in his favour after all.
His engineer's voice crackles through the radio, “Haechan, all clear ahead. There’s not much traffic at the moment so let’s make this lap count.”
“Copy,” Haechan replies.
He accelerates into the first chicane, overtaking the Ferraris who still seem to be warming up. He’s always found the breaking zone at turn one a little tricky, but he powers through it into the second part of the chicane. 
Exiting sector 1 into turn 4, Haechan hears on his radio, “That’s a purple sector 1. Keep going.”
The Red Bull flies through the straight in sector two, his speedometer reading a speed of 310 km/hr as the Parabolica, the temple of speed, looms ahead. It’s the final corner before the stretch to the finish line, the trickiest of them all. 
His rear wheels fight for grip as he brakes late into the corner, dropping down a gear. Haechan keeps his foot steady, accelerating just as the car begins to straighten. The Parabolica is deceptive—too early on the throttle, and the back end kicks out. Too late, and he loses time.
“Purple sector 2.” His engineer informs him.
Haechan exhales as he approaches the finish line, keeping the car steady. The final moments of the lap feel like they take forever, but he thinks he’s hit all the marks. He crosses the line and steps off the throttle, slowing down due to an increase in the number of cars at the entrance. 
“So?” He asks into the radio.
“Haechan, that is provisional pole for you. Well done mate, all purple sectors.” 
Haechan grins, “Alright, heading back to the pits.”
He stays in until the end of Q3. It’s slightly surprising that no one has out-qualified him yet, but who is he to complain? Haechan sits on one of the seats at the pitwall, watching the others qualify. He doesn’t exactly feel threatened by any of their lap times but with 10 minutes remaining, Seungcheol sets a lap time that is only a second off of his. He gets back to the garage after seeing that, zipping his overalls and putting his helmet and balaclava back on, Haechan settles into his seat. The mechanics are on standby but Seungcheol comes back into the pits and the session ends with no one outdoing him. There’s a sense of confidence in Haechan as he climbs out of his seat again, taking off his helmet to high five some of his mechanics.
Pole in Monza. He’s ahead of both the Ferraris in their home ground. It’s a huge advantage for both championships. All he needs to do now is convert that pole into a win.
Sunday, Race Day September 7th
The best thing about home races, Haechan muses, is the home crowd.
But they're not cheering for him, no. It's more of an encouragement for Seungcheol to go quicker. Outrun the bull that's coming for you. But Seungcheol is on the straight with old tires and Haechan is right on his tail with fresh hards on. 
The overtaking opportunity shows itself easily. There's not much one can do on a straight with a car that has DRS enabled behind him.
Haechan can hear the disappointment in the crowd as he overtakes the Ferrari, the groans loud enough to penetrate through his helmet and the engine’s loud rumbling. He smirks, taking the lead of the race again. There’s nothing like disappointing the Tifosi.
Exiting the first chicane, in his mirrors, he sees both Ferrari’s close to each other. Almost too close. They’re fighting, red against red, sparks flying as they push their cars to the limit. There’s no teamwork in sight, no sense of strategy—only two drivers who refuse to yield.
Haechan knows that kind of desperation. The kind that you need when you’re trying to prove yourself to someone. It just seems like the wrong moment for this, though, with the constructors easily on the line.
Haechan’s engineer cuts through on the radio, “Ferraris fighting for P2 behind you. Keep your head down and focus.”
“Copy.” He replies, eyes flicking back his mirrors once again. Both of them are driving recklessly and he does not want to be around to get stuck in debris if they do end up crashing into each other.
In the garage, you watch Jaehyun lock up on screen as he dives into a turn, lunging for the overtake. Seungcheol defends hard, leaving barely any room. They almost touch again but come out the other side unscathed. The shot widens and you see Haechan already a good few seconds ahead of them. Relief courses through you as he keeps his pace steady, pulling away from the chaos behind him.
At the exit to turn 2, Jaehyun dives outside but Seungcheol moves to defend a split second too late. Jaehyun’s rear wheel hits the curb hard and sends his car into the air. You feel time slow down before gravity overtakes again and Jaehyun’s Ferrari crashes down on top of his teammate. Jaehyun’s rear wheel runs up against the cockpit of Seungcheol’s car as they drive off track and the commentary box goes wild, their voices frantic.
“Oh my word! Massive crash between the Ferraris! Are both the Scuderia cars OUT of their home race?” Even with earplugs on, you can hear the roar of the fans in the grandstands as the shock settles in.
The slow-motion replay shows Jaehyun’s car hanging in the air for a split second before slamming down on Seungcheol’s halo.
“Look at that! The halo is doing its job there, saving Seungcheol. But what a terrifying impact!”
The replay shifts to the aftermath—the two Ferraris tangled together, sliding helplessly into the gravel, debris scattered across the track.
“And it’s confirmed,” The commentator begins, “Both Ferraris are out of the race at Monza! Can you believe it? In front of the thousands of Tifosi here, it has been a nightmare of a weekend for Ferrari.”
“Is everyone alright?” Haechan asks his engineer. He’s seen the impact of the accident behind him. It couldn’t have been great.
“Uh yes, both drivers are safe. Red flag, Haechan. Please slow down and come back to the pits. They’ve ordered a restart.”
Once he's back in the garage, the tension is thick. The pit crew is busy, checking the car over one last time. Haechan leans back against the wall, the weight of what just happened pressing down on him. Two Ferraris out in a spectacular crash—he can't help but feel a mix of relief and unease. They were close to each other. It could've been him, too, if things had gone differently.
But his engineer walks up, data flashing on the screen in front of him and it grounds Haechan. The race isn’t over yet and he cannot afford to lose focus. With the restart, although he’ll still have the advantage, it could be an opportunity for anybody else. Especially Jeno, who’s now been promoted to P2 after both the Ferrari’s crash out.
“There’s no need for you and Jeno to battle it out,” He hears his strategist say. “Since Ferrari is out, it won’t affect your driver’s standing much, so focus on the constructors. You should try to win, of course, but keep it clean, please.”
Haechan nods. The restart is coming soon. He needs to get back into the car. 
As he walks back to the desk near his car to pick up his helmet, he sees your figure, bent over your laptop, typing away. You're scanning through the data, probably double-checking something, or maybe working on a report for the team. He notices the way your brow furrows in concentration, how you’re so focused on your work. It's a stark contrast to the chaos of the garage around you, but it’s also strangely calming.
The weight of his helmet pulls him back into the present. He’s got a job to finish. 
Just as he climbs back into his seat, he looks at you again, almost instinctively with no thought behind it. But for a brief moment you catch his gaze and give him a small nod, encouragement maybe. You can’t see his face, but he throws a small smile anyways. He’s alright and he’s safe, just like he promised.
Back on track, the restart is smooth. Haechan reacts quickly, gets off the start line nicely and has nothing but clean air ahead. There’s nothing that could go wrong now, and with that sentiment, he completes the last three laps remaining.
As he crosses the finish line, Jeno’s red bull right behind him, the silence from the crowd is deafening. Their disappointment is palpable, but Haechan frankly does not care. There is nothing like hearing a crowd go silent at their home ground and he’s proud to be the reason for it.
When he makes his way onto the podium a few minutes later, the boos echo in his ear. It’s nothing new, after all, this is what a non-Ferrari winner is subjected to here. It makes him smile a little. Haechan knows the score. They’re mad, but Red Bull and him are winning. So he waves at the crowd, keeping his composure. He’s not the favourite, but well, sucks for them.
Post Race 
When Haechan steps out of the shower, the cool air of the room hits him, and he reaches for a towel, drying his face and neck before rubbing it over his hair. His damp curls fall in waves, still slightly messy from the helmet. There’s a lingering exhaustion in his bones, but he knows you’ll be here any second now to take him to the drivers press conference and he can’t be late to that. 
He slips on the team’s jersey just as you knock on the door. “It’s open.” He answers loudly.
“Hey winner,” you say, stepping in just a little. “We’re running out of time. Are you ready?”
“Almost,” Haechan mumbles as he rubs his hair with his towel, “My hair just won't dry and I can't find another towel.”
You bite your lip as you look around. Ideally, there should be a hair dryer here but you can't see one in plain sight. “If you don't have a hair dryer then do you want me to go ask Jeno if he has one?”
“No, wait. I think I remember seeing one in the closet. Shit, I was just in a rush and didn't think about it.” Haechan shuffles around before pulling it out of his closet.
You watch him for a minute but as he fumbles around with it, you're starting to get a little impatient. The conference has probably already begun and while it's not uncommon for a driver to arrive a little late, you'd prefer the two of you to not be completely off time.
“Haechan, can you just sit down?” You sigh, taking the dryer from his hand and gently shoving him down. 
Haechan, through his slight panic, registers that you're standing above him, between his legs, one hand gently pulling and ruffling his hair as you attempt to dry it as quickly as possible. 
He thinks it's impossible how every once of exhaustion leaves his body, instead being replaced by the awareness of how close you are to him right now. It could be the heat from the hair dryer, or the air blowing onto his face but he knows the real reason why he feels frazzled is you. 
Haechan's breaths come out slightly laboured. He's had a thousand moments where his heart beats at the speed of his car, but it's always been for a split second. When he loses control of his front or rear tyres, when he spins out, when he drifts a little too much, when another car gets too close to him. They end quickly though and he brings himself back into control.
But you. God, you stick him in this never ending cycle of losing his damn cool when you do things like these. And yeah, he tries to play it cool by coming off bold. But you catch him off guard multiple times. Haechan wonders if he's reading this situation right. 
“They might ask you about Ferrari.” You interrupt his thoughts.
See! He thinks to himself. You do things like drying his fucking hair for him which he believes is completely unprofessional and not at all in your job description. He isn't complaining, no, never. But then you follow it up by suddenly becoming professional and it confuses the hell out of him. But Haechan can't say anything because he's a coward when it comes to actually telling you how he feels, so he nods and looks up at you as you turn off the dryer.
“Just be careful to not sound too cocky. You've earned a good advantage, but there's going to be a lot of Italian press and media and they won't really like it.” You stare him down and Haechan can only swallow and nod as he gets up to leave. 
He thinks you'll follow him as he leaves but to his surprise, you stop him. You hate being late and he knows that. So he turns back to look at you quizzically.
You pause for a second not knowing how to do this before you decide to fuck it all and lean forward to give Haechan an awkward hug.
He freezes as your arms encircle his shoulder. Your mango and hibiscus perfume that he’s asked you about before has an addictive scent, filling his senses and sending his mind into overdrive.
“Good job today,” You mutter, “On winning, on staying safe, everything. I'm sure it'll all work out.”
Haechan is still speechless as you leave him, your face burning as you rush to leave the room.
He stares at you as you speed walk through the corridor, before stopping and motioning for him to come too. How the hell is he supposed to answer questions about the goddamn car after you pull something like that and make sure you're stuck in his head instead of the things he's supposed to say?
He takes a deep breath, willing his heart to slow down. It’s just a hug. A pat on the shoulder. Completely normal, right?
…Right?
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le-fruit-de-la-passion · 3 months ago
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Professor!Viktor Headcanons
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Professor!Viktor who just knows you're not in mechanical engineering 101 to learn anything. Every week you come to class, sit in the front row at the table closest to his desk, and openly stare at him like there's nobody else around you. You rest your cheek in the palm of your hand, with a slight pout of your plump lips, and watch him like a lovesick puppy. You always wear tops that are much too low and skirts that are much too short for university, and he's certain it’s only to check what makes him tick. But if you think that's going to be enough, you're sorely mistaken: there are few people he dislikes more than those who go through school mindlessly, without any intent to study or to give it their all. And you're not the first, nor the last, to try and get his attention like this. So, he ignores you.
Professor!Viktor who is genuinely surprised to see the result of your first class quiz is an A+. A stroke of luck, maybe? But then comes the second quiz, and the third, and the first big assignment, and you ace all of them brilliantly. He can't help a few wayward glances towards you during his lectures, trying to understand how you do it. The button of your dress shirt is pulled so tightly it might give out at any moment, and he can see the colour of your bra without meaning to: a vibrant lavender with pale lace. You're still looking at him with that enamoured look in your eyes, batting your eyelashes, visibly not absorbing a single word he says.
Professor!Viktor who asks you to come by his office after class at the mid-semester, because it's driving him insane. You keep getting the top marks for every single exam, but you never show an inkling of attention in class. All you do is sit there, dumb and pretty, begging him with your eyes to take you right there and then. You probably wouldn't even mind if it was in front of the other students; maybe that's part of whatever steamy fantasy goes through your mind during his lectures. Since last week, you've started ‘accidentally’ letting your pen fall off your desk, bending down at ridiculous angles to show him (and only him) the full expense of your thighs and the thin fabric of your panties. Your lack of subtlety is becoming as outrageous as it is a little endearing. And yes, he would be lying if he said it didn't affect him, that he didn't have frustrating thoughts of you at night. Thoughts he absolutely shouldn't have towards a student of his, no matter how blatantly flirtatious. But the conundrum that you are has managed to crawl under his skin, and he wants to fuck some respect for academia into you. He wants to give you exactly what you've been pleading for for weeks, until you understand exactly why you should have listened to him in class. But he has to know the truth behind your grades, first. If it turns out you've been cheating, then he'll expel you from the course without a second thought. But if you haven't…
Professor!Viktor who makes you sit on a chair in his office, opting to stand in front of you. He had intended it to be intimidating, but it's clearly having the opposite effect with the wanting expression on your face, your lips slightly parted in waiting. He’s certain that with only one word from him, you'd be on your knees and ready to suck his cock. And it's an idea that's getting harder and harder to resist, with that infernal way you always look at him. He thinks it might be the first time he’s heard your voice when you speak up. It sounds as pretty as the rest of you, just asking to be broken down into pants and moans. He’s very disappointed to learn all you've been doing is recording his lessons with your phone, and listening to them again at home. But then, you confess to something else.
Professor!Viktor who is unable to reply immediately, because the thought of you, riding a vibrator as you listen to recordings of him talking about linear algebra, is absolutely maddening. He can't get over the fact that you're so focused on his voice when you fuck yourself on your toys that you manage to remember all of the basics of kinematics for the exams. It's an unorthodox method, without a doubt, but you've proven its efficacity; and who is he to tell you how to best do your studying?
Professor!Viktor who agrees to let you keep audio recording his classes for the rest of the semester, and who promises that if you keep up the string of perfect grades, he’ll let you have the real thing at the end.
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pagelets · 4 months ago
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Soft spot (I wait for you)- L.H
synopsis: Heeseung has a soft spot for that girl from his uni for 3 years already. He tried almost everything to show her his feelings, but nothing seemed to work, she always kept him in the friendzone. Until the day he found himself being her shoulder to cry and her lips to kiss. 
Disclaimer: it contains smut!!
And the inspiration for this one was soft spot by keshi
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3 damn year and fucking 40 days. That was the amount of time Heeseung had feelings for her. All of his friends asked him how that was possible. They told him to give up, that she didn’t deserve him, that if she didn’t value him, it was because she wasn’t the one. But he didn’t care. They didn’t know her like he did. They didn’t spend days and nights getting to know her like he did. Texting her, FaceTiming with her and hanging out with her even when he was tired or busy. “There are prettier girls out there”, they said to him, but they didn’t see how beautiful her soul was like he did. 
But in one thing they were right: either she was blind or stupid. Not that she wasn't nice to him or used him. But she didn’t seem to notice how much in love he was with her. Cause Heeseung did almost everything to show his feelings for her. He complimented her, he bought her gifts on special dates, he helped her with the uni assignments even though they attended different courses. Yes, Lee Heeseung, THE Lee Heeseung, who was the most respected guy among the english students, found himself studying bacterias’ names to help her with the Microbiology class. He also rejected all the tons of girls who threw themselves on him, stood his friends up to hang out with her during his free time, made acts of service for her, like tying her shoes, carrying her bag, opening doors, anything. He even got into the damn baking club!! It wasn’t the place for him, he only knew how to cook his precious ramyeon. 
Even so, nothing seemed to work. To make things even worse, she still had an on and off relationship with that piece of shit of Park Sunghoon. He was a hockey player. And he studied mechanical engineering. Ugh! Numbers and physics, only psychos liked that, right?  But that wasn’t the worst part of him. He insisted on never wanting to assume a serious relationship with her. And when she put too much pressure on him to do so, he kept flirting with all the girls who tried to hit on him, even when he was technically dating her. He didn’t deserve her. Heeseung would never put her through it. 
And the cherry on top of all that was everytime she found out he was flirting, or even hooking up with other girls, she got angry with Sunghoon, broke up with him, went to Heeseung’s shoulder to cry, got drunk, almost kissed him until the asshole of her ex texted her some shit apology text he copied from internet and she end up naked on the back of his car, with their situationship reestablished. 
In fact, they were half way through this ritual. She just had surprised Sunghoon fucking a girl from the soccer team on his dorm. As usual, she got mad at him “You’re unbelievable!” “Hold on, babe” he followed her till the corridor, still naked, and grabbed her arm “No!’ she pulled her arm “We’re over!” Hoon leaned on the doorway, crossed his arms and chuckled “You always say it and here we are back together again” “No. This time's for real. Don’t ever talk to me again” she looked inside the dorm and said to the girl wrapped on his sheets “You can keep him. I’m done with this shit” then she walked away from him  “Babe, wait…” he shouted, but she ignored, Sunghon was dead to her. 
Caughting Sunghoon with another girl, check.
Getting mad at him, check.
Breaking up with him, check.
Now, of course, she had to text Heeseung and inform him she was coming over. This became such a routine that Hee already knew what have happened. Unfortunately, for her, he had a very long and tough day and passing through it was the last thing he wanted and needed. Although, it was too late for him to tell her that, cause he heard a knock on his door, and when he opened it, what he knew already was confirmed: he saw a girl with stained mascara, holding a paper bag full of different types of alcoholic drinks in there, and a broken heart. He couldn’t help but open his arms and force a gentle smile. “Come here” she entered his dorm and hugged her friend, leaving her tears on the fabric of his t-shirt.
For the past 2 hours Heeseung spent his night lying on the floor side by side with her, having to listen to the same old story about Sunghoon being with another girl, and how hurt she was because of it while they drank soju, bottle after bottle “But this time I told him there’s no coming back” “Did you?!” that was new “Yeah” she sipped the soju “I’m finally starting to accept I’m going to die alone” “What?” “I’m going to die alone” “No, you won’t” “Yes, I will. I mean, I have family and friends, yeah, but I mean romantically” “Why do you think like that?” “If I’m never enough for Hoon, who will ever think I’m enough?”. Hee’s blood started to boil “Excuse me, lady!?” he sat up “What?” “I can’t fucking believe on you!”
“Don’t make a big deal out of it, Heeseung. It’s the truth” “No, it’s not! You’re the most kind, smart and beautiful girl I’ve ever met. You are gentle and you care about your family and friends and even that asshole you called boyfriend! Every man should feel blessed to have you as his girl” “You don’t have to call Hoon an asshole” his jaw clenched and he felt the urge to stand up “Of course I have to! He is an asshole! I can’t believe that even after all the shit he put you through you’re still defending him. That man doesn’t deserve you. He never did and never will!” “Who deserves me, then, Hee!?” “Me” he paused, trying to figure out if the rage or the alcohol made him say it out loud. It didn’t matter, it passed the time for him to say  “I deserve you” he continued “I would never treat you the way he did” “I know you wouldn’t” “So why?” “Why what?” “Why did you never give me a chance? Why did you always run after him? Even cheating after cheating? Why?” “Do you…” she stood up too “Do you want a chance with me!?” “Of course I do! Isn't that obvious?” “I…” “Come on! Everyone saw it except from you. I even got into that damn baking club because you didn't want to join it by yourself!” “I thought… you were into making brownies and blondies for your lil sister” “I only know how to make ramyeon, you know that” her lips parted and she approached him “I’m sorry, Hee. I… I always thought you were just being my friend, I don't think I would ever deserve a guy like you” “How could youI not?! You're amazing! And you're the only one who doesn't see it” “Maybe I need to work on my self esteem, right?” “Yes, you do” “Yeah” she agreed “Hee” “Hum?” “Sorry for making you angry” “Nah, don't apologize” she placed her hands on his shoulders “There's any way I can make it up to you?” “You don't have to…” suddenly Heeseung got paralyzed cause her head was moving toward him, her lips were making their way to his lips. 
And the most unexpected thing was that he was stepping back, he tilted his head to the side so she wouldn't be able to kiss him “Look…” he took her hands out of his shoulders “I dream with the moment you would kiss me for 3 years already. But I don't want this to be like that. With you and me drunk, after you just broke up with your boyfriend, right after I just confessed to you. I don't want this to be an impulse mess, I want this to be perfect” “Well, I’m not perfect. I’m a mess! Do you still like me?” He smiled “I do like you, of course. But I am not taking advantage of you” “I want to do this!” “Right now you do, but I got the feeling you will regret it in the morning” she didn't say anything, he was right. The korean man sighed, then ran his fingers through his hair “I think you should go back to your dorm” she nodded “Ok” he walked with her to the door “Take care, ok?” “Yeah. Sorry for all the mess” “It's ok” he muttered with a small smile on his face “Alright” she muttered “Good night” “Night, Hee” he watched her leave, then shut the door behind him, leaning his head on it “Fuck”.
Days passed, weeks passed, a month and a few weeks passed and still no news from her. They bumped into each other at uni sometimes but he got nothing more than a polite smile and a rhetorical “‘Sup, Hee?”. On her socials, she wasn’t very active either, she just posted stories wishing happy birthday to some friends and photos of the sky with a poetic caption. She even quit the baking club. 
“Maybe she finally decided to take care of herself” Jake said to Hee while they were shooting hoops “Yeah, I think so” Heesehung threw another ball, hitting the basket “You know, Jake, I’ve been thinking a lot lately” “About what?” “If I should wait for her” “Aren’t you already doing that?” “Yeah, for the past 3 years” “Are you thinking about giving up?” Jake tossed the ball, failing “I don’t know, maybe. She’s taking care of herself, moving on, maybe I should do the same” “Yeah, man! I’ve been saying this to you for 2 and a half years, bro!” “I know, I know… But how?” “You should go on a date with another girl” “Who?” “Man, you have an ocean of options. Don’t you see them?” “Yeah, yeah, but I don’t know who I should ask out” “What about my cousin Danielle?” “Danielle?” “Yeah, she has had a crush on you since… always” “Isn’t she a kid?” “She was a kid when we’re on high school” “Really?” “Hold on, bro” Hee held the ball while Jake searched for something on his phone “Here” he showed a picture of her “Oh! She did grow up” “Yeah. So?” “I think I can give it a try” “Good, man! Look who’s growing now” Heeseung threw the ball to Jake “Just shut up and play”.
That same night, Heeseung texted Danielle and they agreed to go watch a movie at the end of the week. It was Saturday night, he took a shower, wore something casual , and of course, some perfume. He wasn’t going to lie, he was truly breedable. Put it wasn’t the point of the night, the point was to meet a new girl, to maybe see that she wasn’t in fact the one. Yeah, he could do it. Hee grabbed his phone and texted Danielle:
Lee Heeseung: ‘On my way ~’
Danielle Marsh: ‘Me too, see you there ~ ~’.
He took a deep breath, grabbed his phone, wallet and keys and opened the door, to find her standing there, holding a paper bag, radiating some kind of magnetic energy. When she saw Heeseung, she opened the brightest smile “‘Sup, Hee?” “Heya…” “Are you good?” “Yeah, I… Are you good?” “Yes! I’m feeling way better” “Good! I mean, that’s great! I’m happy for you” “Are you busy right now?” “I was about to go out…” “Oh, maybe I can come another time” “No, I am not in a rush” “Are you sure?” “Yeah, go ahead. What do you need?” “I… baked these for you” she gave him the paper bag, he took a look inside, taking a baby pink box from there “But… you can’t bake anything” she giggled “I improved a lot since I quit the baking club” “Really?” “Yes” “That’s ironic” he gave a sneak peak in the box, it had a brownie cut in heart shape and glazed butter cookies “It smells great, thank you” “There are more…” he looked at her “... in the bag” he took a red rose from there “A single red rose. What’s it all for” “The sweets are an apology and the rose, an invitation” “An apology for what?” “Being a burden to you when things got messy with Sunghoon” “You were not a burden, you don’t have…” “Just accept it” “Ok. What about the invitation?” “It’s an invitation for a date…” Hee widened his eyes “A date?!” “Yes” “With you?!” “Yeah. You and me” “But like a romantic date?!” “Yes, Hee” she laughed “Wow! That’s… wow!” “So? What do you say?” “I think… I’m going to say…” “C’mon, bro!” he giggled “Yes! I’d love to go on a date with you” “Really?” he nodded “Absolutely. When should I pick you up?” “I was thinking about tonight, maybe, but you said you were going out so…” “No! Tonight is fine” “But…” “I can cancel” “For real?” “Yes, for real” “Ok! Hum… shall we go, then?” “Yes” he offered his arm for her “Let’s go”.
They had ice cream at an ice cream shop near campus. Hee ordered a strawberry milkshake and they shared it with 2 straws. Very cliche, very cringe. But they didn’t care, they had fun, it was the important thing. Then, they decided to walk around the campus, to watch the moon and the stars and to talk. They were holding hands, sometimes someone’s fingers brushed the others hand, sending shivers through all of their bodies. “What have you done during this time?” Heeseung asked, “A lot of things. I thought about things a lot, mainly. Including you” “Me?” “Yes. And I realized you were right” “About what?” “Sunghoon being an asshole who didn’t deserve me. Also about me not deserving a guy like you” “A guy like me?” “Yeah. Caring, thoughtful, gentle, handsome…” he blushed “I reflected a lot and started to see my self worth, you know?” “Finally!” she poked his arm “And lately, I couldn’t  stop thinking about your lips” Hee smirked “What about my lips?” “I want to…” “Hey!” a masculine voice shouted “Hum?” she turned around to see Sunghoon approaching her “Sunghoon?!” “Haven’t you received my texts?” “I did” “So why didn’t you read them?” “I didn’t want to” “C’mon, babe, don’t be like that…” “Don’t call me babe. We’re nothing” Hoon looked at their hands attached “Hold on! Are you going out with this loser!?” Heeseungs jaw clenched “He’s not a loser! He’s everything you are not and will never be!” she held Hee’s hand even tighter “Oh, come one! Cut that shit” he grabbed her arm
“Let’’s go! I will make you forget about him in 2 seconds inside my car”  then he pulled her “No!” “Stop being a fucking brat!” he pulled again “Let me go!” Sunghoon tried to pull once more but Heeseung grabbed his wrist “Take your nasty hands off her” he threatened the younger one “Or what? Will you attack me with a verb to be?” Hoon closed his eyes and laughed at this dad joke about Heeseung’s course and when he opened his eyes all he could see was the other’s fist hitting on his left cheek with all its strength  “It’s more like a verb to punch, don't you think” Hoon massaged his cheek before chuckling “Did you lose your mind? Are you aware you just punched the main forward of the hockey team?” “Yes” “Are you into crackheads now?” he asked her “I will let this one pass cause I’m merciful today” “Come on, Hee. Let’s go, he’s not worthy” “I was worthy when I ate your pussy in between classes, wasn’t I?” “Shut up! You’re embarrassing me” “What?” he chuckled again “Don’t want your new boyfriend to know he will never be on the same level?” “Shut your mouth, asshole” “Call me that again” Sunghoon grabbed his collar “Back off, asshole” “You’re going to regret that” Sunghoon lifted his arm and closed his fist but before he could hit Heeseung’s face, the older man bend down and when he straightened his body again, he gave a hook on Hoon’s chin, making him take his hands off him. But Hoon was fast to fight back with a hook on Heeseung’s stomach. The pink haired man coughed “Did you like it?” Hoon teased “Is that all you get?” Hee teased back “I’m going to fucking kill you!” Hoon threatened “Come on! I’m waiting” “Heeseung! Don’t do it! He’ll really kill you!” she had already seen Sunghoon working out and playing hockey hundreds of times. “Relax, I can take care of myself” Hee winked at her. “Hee, watch out!” she pointed to the man behind him and when Heeseung turned around, he saw nothing but a bottle coming in his temple’s direction” Hee kneeled on the ground, a buzz echoing in his head “Oh, my God! Sunghoon! Stop it now!” but he didn’t care about what she was saying anymore “You can’t even play fair, huh?” Heeseung stood up, with a lot of effort, and grabbed Sunghoon’s hair, throwing him on the grass. Then, he straddled his waist and started to punch him like a pro “Your… fucking… piece of shit…” Hee unloaded all his anger on him “You never… even breath…. near her again… alright?” “Fuck” Hoon groaned “Alright!?” “Yeah” he screamed “Fuck, yes” “Hee!” she grabbed him by the shoulders “It’s fine. I think he understood already” he stopped  punching "Did you understand?” Hoon nodded “So what do you have to do?” “Never… breathe near her again” he said with difficulty “So why are you breathing now?” Hoon held his breath “Good” then Heeseung stood up and if it wasn’t her to hold him , he would have fallen on the grass right next to Sunghoon “Let’s go, Hee”. And they left, leaving a almost asphyxiated Hoon on the grass
She dragged Heeseung’s body back to his dorm, laying him on his bed as soon as he opened the door “Oh my God, Hee. I’m so sorry that fucking idiot ruined our date” “He didn’t. I had fun” “Bro, you’re bleeding” “I know but I’m feeling like a man” she rolled her eyes “Lemme take care of your wounds” “Ok” he said trying to muffle a groan of pain when he breathed deeply “I didn’t know you know how to fight” he grinned
“I can do anything. Now I can even have your heart” she giggled, coming back with a first-aid kit “That’s why they call you The Lee Heeseung around the english buildings” he chuckled, making a grimace of pain “I used to practice boxing when I was on high school” “It might hurt”, she warned while applied antiseptic. It hurted “Why did you stop?” “I got unconscious during a championship once, so I had to stop” “I’m glad you didn’t die” “Me too” they smiled at each other while she placed a band-aid on his forehead “There you go. Are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital?” “Hundred percent” “I don’t like it” “If I don’t feel better within a few hours, you can take me to the E.R” “Do you promise?” “I promise” “Hee” “Hum?” “”I’m sorry” “It was not your fault” “You got into this fight because of me” “It’s not your fault” “Let me at least take care of you” “You already…” but she didn’t let him finish, she had glued her lips to his, tasting a bit of blood that lasted in his lips. Heeseung melted on her lips, she was everything that he ever imagined she was and more. He giggled, so she broke the kiss and looked  at him “What’s so funny, mr?” “It was not how I’ve fantasized this happening” she chuckled “Did you fantasize about me a lot?” “Oh, a lot. I had 3 years to fantasize about you” “I see…” she slid her hand down his abdomen, taking care to not press where Sunghoon punched, and palmed his penis  “Did you fantasize about it too?” she squeezed it lightly, causing Hee to bit his lip and nood, he only had energy for that. Then, she opened his pants slowly “Do you think you can lift your hips just a little?” “Yeah” he muttered, doing what she asked, already taking his pants and underwear off “You’re quick” she teased, kneeling in between his thighs “Do you think you can take all of me?” she smirked “Oh, babyboy…”
she bent, grabbing his member and giving it a few strokes to help him get full hard, then she licked him from the base to the tip, he moaned “...I can do everything” she quoted him before taking his cock into her mouth, slowly, part by part. First, the tip, then the length, till it hit her throat. Heeseung grabbed her hair, in a reflex, and let a slow, muttered moan out of his lips. “Damn”, he cursed half for the pain on his stomach, half for the pleasure she was giving to him. But he didn't feel anything yet. She was just starting. When she started to move her mouth and tongue, he started to see stars. When she sucked the tip of dick like it was a fucking lollipop, and looked at him with bright, sassy, eyes, he knew Sunghoon had killed him and sent him to Heaven. Soon, she started to feel his precum on her tongue “I…” he tried to speak, struggling “I’m almost…” she took his dick out of her mouth for a moment “I know” “Lemme…” he lifted his head but leaned it back on the pillow when her mouth wrapped around him again “Lemme finish on you” she nodded in disagreement “Bet you’re turn on too” she took the member out of her mouth again “No, Hee. I am taking care of you right now. So lay down, relax and fill my mouth with your release, ok?” he nodded, she couldn't have been more convincing. It didn’t take long for Heeseng to cum, she smirked when he did and swallowed everything, then she crawled the bed to lay on his side and planted a sweet kiss on his lips “Hope this was a good redemption” “Way too good, way too good” he hugged her and they laid in there for a while till his phone buzzed. It was a text from Jake:
Sim Jaeyun: ‘Bro, did you stand my cousin up???’
“Shit!”, Heeseung thought.
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Also when I called people who like math and physics psychos, I WAS JUST JOKING!!
484 notes · View notes
obessedwithfictionalmen · 1 year ago
Text
I hate/love you
John Egan X Plane mechanics! Reader
Summary: Bucky "hates" the new mechanics...
Warning: Ennemis to lover/ smut/ 18+/ p in v/ oral sex (m and f receiving)/ unprotected sex/ swearing/ use of Y/n/ violence/
Word count: 3.2k
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She didn’t know why, but he infuriated her. His cocky attitude, his dumb moustache, his curly hair and his devilish smile. But sadly, she had to see him everyday, as a W.A.C, she had to be on the base all the time. She was an airplane mechanic, and for some reason, Lemmons liked to assign her to work on John Egan’s plane each time his plane needed to be fixed. At first, he didn’t bother her, but time went by, and he started to bother her; his plane had a weird noise, he blamed it on her, the mission didn’t go well, blamed it on her and the weather was shitty, it was Y/n’s fault. She needed that job, and beside him, she loved her job. When the planes came back today, she fixed her ponytail before heading in her jeep to drive to the runway. When she arrived, she saw Major Egan’s plane and drove towards it. She took a deep breath before getting out of her car.
‘’Y/l/n, we have a problem with engine 3, it barely shut down. I thought I was going to blow up!’’ he spat. ‘’Hello Y/n, how are you, by the way I have a problem with engine 3, can you please look at it? Of course, Major, since you ask so nicely, I’ll do it right away!’’ she said sarcastically. ‘’Whatever, can you fix the plane, please’’ he taunted. Y/n snorted before rolling her eyes. ‘’Right away, Major’’ she blinked multiples times and said it with a sweet but sarcastic voice. He cursed under his breath before walking away. ‘’Girls, hook it up and bring it in the workshop’’ she ordered the other mechanics she worked with.
She’d been working on Major Egan’s plane for hours, the sun was down, and she was hungry, other girls went to bed, it was late. She decided to stay up all night to work on his plane, because recently, they flew more missions. Y/n was only going to eat, and she would go back to work after. When she entered the cafeteria, she saw the one person she couldn’t bear. ‘’You got to be fucking kidding me?’’ she mumbled, annoyed that he was here. Non the less, she took a plate that was left and went to sit as far away from him as possible. ‘’How is the fixing going?’’ he asked. She was surprised that he was speaking to her, she stops chewing for a second and swallowed her food. ‘’Good, I’m almost done, why?’’ she was genuinely curious about why he was suddenly interested in her and her work. He rose his shoulder before shaking his head. ‘’Just wanted to know, and I wondered why you were still awake’’ this hole conversation was awkward, but it was the first in a long time that they weren’t mean to the other. ‘’Because I’m fixing it alone, the girls worked hard enough today. I thought I was going to be okay alone, but it’s complicated.’’ She explained.
He rose from his seat, plate in his hands and came to sit in front of her, she was surprised. But she didn’t say anything. ‘’Maybe I could help’’ he proposed. She blinked and looked at him with a confused look. ‘’Why would you want to help me, you can’t stand me and then you want to help me’’ she states. He scoffs and looks at his plate. ‘’Yeah, you’re right, but I want my plane ready for tomorrow’’ he fakes smiles. Y/n rolls her eyes and exhales. ‘’Alright’’ she breaths out.
She ties her overall around her waist, it’s so hot inside the workshop. Her hair is in some kind of a messy bun, but it’s too messy to tell. She has a white tank top that’s covered in grease. ‘’Can you pass me the screwdriver?’’ she asked as she whipped the sweat off her face with a tissue. ‘’Which one?’’ he asked, looking at the table were the tools are. She rolled her eyes and pointed one screwdriver on the table. ‘’No, not that one’’ she exhaled. He scoffed in annoyance. ‘’Which one, Y/n? There’s like 7 screwdrivers on the table’’ he exclaimed. She slid down the plane, he looked at her breast as she did so. She took the famous screwdriver and took a breath. ‘’Can you help me get back up?’’ she asked. He nodded and began helping her get up. His hand came close to her butt. ‘’If you touch my ass, I swear I’ll sabotage the engine’’ she warned. ‘’It’s either your ass or you fall’’ he sighed. ‘’I’d rather fall’’ she muttered as his hand pushed her ass up to help her. She puts her legs each side of the plane and bends over to reach the engine. Bucky had a perfect view of her ass.
‘’Can you start it up?’’ Y/n asked. Bucky was seated in the cockpit, waiting for the woman to boss him around. He kind of found it convenient, because for a wicked reason, he had a boner. He spent almost 45 minutes watching her ass and that white tank top embraced her tits beautifully. Even though she was seated next to him, he could try and hide his growing problem. When he started the plane, the engine sputtered a little bit before fully starting. ‘’Christ on a stick! It’s working!’’ she cheered, resting her arms behind her head, making her tits pop out a little bit. ‘’You kiss people with that mouth?’’ he teased. ‘’I kiss whoever I want with that mouth’’ she replied. She turned to look at him, but when her eyes trailed down, she noticed a weird shape on his pants. She scoffed as she looked at him in the eyes. ‘’I thought you hated me’’ she laughed. He fixed his jacket, to try to hide it, even though it wasn’t necessary anymore. ‘’It’s a hate boner, I swear!’’ he exclaimed. She laughed even harder; she couldn’t believe he was hard right now. ‘’Shut up!’’ he exclaimed. ‘’Make me’’ she dared.
Before he could do something about it, the bomb raid siren was heard. They quickly got out of the plane and made their way to separate bunkers, she couldn’t believe she almost kissed him; him! Why was she feeling like this, all flustered and hot. She tried to get him out of her head, but even the bombs dropping near by couldn’t distract her. Neither could they distract him, plus he still had that stupid boner he needed to get rid of.
That morning, she woke up after having a wet dream about him. It was disturbingly hot, and she couldn’t get it out of her head. It made her angry, why the hell was her brain sex dreaming about him?! She got dressed in a new pair of overalls as she made her way inside the cafeteria, she spotted him instantly. She shook her head as she made her way to her table with her girls. Y/n tried to ignore him, without success. ‘’Hey! Bitch, can you come fix my engine!’’ one pilot said. It was something the girls were used too, but Y/n was not having it, not this morning. She got up and looked at the man. ‘’The fuck did you say?’’ she confronts him. ‘’Come here and fix my engine’’ the man had his hands in his pants. She scoffed. ‘’As if you had an engine to fix’’ she sassed. The girls at the table laughed and the man reacted. ‘’Why are you being such a skank?’’ he spat. Bucky looked at the man. ‘’Dude just shut up already!’’ he groaned. Y/n was surprised and mentally cursed herself and her uterus for reacting the way it just did. The sexist man sat back down and so did Y/n. ‘’That was amazing’’ one of the younger girls exclaims. ‘’Thanks – ‘’ she cuts her off. ‘’Yes you, but Bucky protecting you’’ Anna giggled. Y/n rolled her eyes and scoffed. ‘’Whatever, my coffee is not finished and it’s too early to have this conversation’’ she said.
No one had the right to be an asshole to her but him! Who did this guy this he was anyway?! ‘’What the hell was that?’’ Curt asked. ‘’What was what?’’ he asked. ‘’That, standing up for her’’ he said, moving his hand in a circular shape. ‘’That was nothing, that dude was annoying.’’ He tried to explain. The guys at the table didn’t believe it, but they didn’t want to push him. He watched her from the corner of his eyes, he couldn’t believe what happened last night, he almost kissed her if it wasn’t for this damn siren, who know what would’ve happened.
‘’Faster please’’ she moaned. He was trusting inside of her as one of his hands played with her breast. ‘’I love it when you beg for me like that. It makes you sound so desperate’’ he teased as he rolled his hips harder, hitting her g-spot. She arched her back as she rolled her eyes. ‘’Keep rolling your eyes like that’’ he ordered.
She was zoned out, thinking about her wet dream. Anna snaped her fingers in her face. Y/n shook her head as she looked at Anna. ‘’What?’’ she mumbled. ‘’What planet were you on?’’ she chuckled. ‘’Let’s go, we have to do some touch up on planes’’ Y/n got up and went outside. Bucky watched her as she left, looking at her ass as she passed next to him.
She jumped out of the plane since everything was okay, but she was in front of the prick from this morning. ‘’I just fixed your actual plane, your welcome’’ she smirked. ‘��Thank you, bitch’’ he spat. Y/n whipped her hands on a tissue. ‘’Shut up, asshole’’ she responded. Before she knew it, he grabbed her by the throat and pressed her against the plane. ‘’I’ve had enough of your bratty attitude. You’re going to do as I say. Now say Yes Chris’’ the man named Chris ordered. Y/n had enough room to try to fight. She tried to wiggle her way out of his grip, Chris’s hand loosens his grip, only to slap her. But Y/n took the opportunity to hit him in the balls. Chris falls on the ground, moaning in pain. ‘’Fuck you, Chris’’ Y/n says, out of breath, before walking away.
When he saw her walking with a bloody nose, he felt worried about her. What the fuck happened? He walked up to her, trying to contain his anger. ‘’Oh, hi Major’’ she said, surprised to see him. ‘’Who did this to you?’’ he asked, touching her upper arm to prevent her to walk away. ‘’No one, I, uh, hurt myself while fixing the plane.’’ She lied. He knew she lied. ‘’Who. Did. This. To. You?’’ he insisted. ‘’Chris, the guy from this morning. But I dealt with him. Kicked him in the balls’’ she admitted. ‘’I’m going to fucking kill him’’ he mumbled.
A bloody Chris was walking towards her, she was so confused. ‘’Y/n, I’m sorry for slapping you.’’ He sounded nervous. ‘’It’s, uh, okay? Are you being held at gun point?’’ she asked, concerned. ‘’Kind of, Bucky said he’ll kill me if I touch you again, and he hit me’’ he explained. She scoffed, in complete shock. ‘’Apology accepted’’ she mumbled. She turned around and walked to her room. When she closed the door, she was still in shock. ‘’WHAT THE FUCK?!’’ she exclaimed.
He saw her coming from the air, driving her jeep like a champion. He was still angry with Chris, that idiot had no right to touch her like this. When he landed, Y/n practically ran to his plane. ‘’Hey, Y/n, the engine 3 is still messing around, could you look at it please?’’ he asked nicely. ‘’Are you sick or something or was that you actually being nice to me?’’ she said ironically. She looked at her colleagues. ‘’Hook it up and bring it to the workshop, like usual!’’ she mumbled the last part. ‘’No, I’m not sick, I just tried to be nice’’ he said. ‘’Okay, that’s weird, but nice. I gotta go’’ she said, in a monotonous tone. ‘’Hey, uh, could I help you out later?’’ he asked, scratching the back of his head. ‘’Sure, whatever’’ she jumped into her jeep and drove away.
She was alone, working on the goddam 3rd engine of this freaking plane. She heard the door opened; she didn’t see who it was. ‘’Anna, I told you to go to sleep!’’ She said, keeping her head down. The person that was in the room didn’t respond. ‘’Hello?’’ she asked. ‘’Hey, you’’ Bucky said, walking beside the plane, looking up at her. ‘’Major, you scared me’’ she breathed out. She slid down the plane, landing in front of him. He watched her tits, again. ‘’I have a question’’ she asked, wiping her hands on her overall. ‘’What’s up buttercup?’’ he said. She rolled her eyes. ‘’Did you punched Chris this morning and threatened him if he didn’t apologise to me?’’ she asked. He smirked and proudly nodded. ‘’Are you kidding me?!’’ she shouted. ‘’Not at all, that asshole had it coming’’ he stated. ‘’I can’t believe you. And I clearly don’t understand you either?’’ she exclaimed. She tried to climb up the plane, but almost fell. He did like he did yesterday, put his hands on her ass. But it annoyed her. ‘’Put those hands away!’’ she snapped.
Bucky was walking her up to her room, he didn’t want to be alone. ‘’Why did you punch Chris?’’ she blurted out. ‘’Because he was being a dick’’ he responded. She face palmed, as she started to feel rain drops on her skin, damn English weather. ‘’You can’t punch people just because they’re dicks! Otherwise, I would’ve punched you a long time ago!’’ she exclaimed. Bucky smirked. ‘’Sorry I should’ve let you handle it?’’ he raised his voice. The rain was pouring, they were both soaking wet. ‘’Maybe, I had it under control without you!’’ she exclaimed, moving her arms as she spoke. ‘’Fine! I’ll let him beat you up next time!’’ he breathed out. ‘’Why do you even care?!’’ she asked. They were both panting from the emotions. He came closer to her, practically breathing in her face. He could see her chest rising from the heavy breathing. ‘’I care because you invaded my mind. There’s not a second that goes by where I don’t think about you. The idea of another men touching you infuriates me. You’re mine, Y/n, don’t you get that?’’ he said, against her mouth. She looked at him, then his lips and his eyes again. She blushed hard. ‘’Fuck it’’ she mumbled before pressing her lips against his.
As they entered her room, he kicked the door to close it, there was no going back. The tension they felt was finally broken and they were hungry for the other. He pressed her against the wall while still holding her thigh. ‘’You don’t know how much I’ve thought about this’’ he growled. ‘’Shut up and show it to me’’ she said eagerly. ‘’Bossy, I like it’’ he mumbled against her lips. He laid her down on the bed, taking her overall off at the same time. ‘’God you’re breathtaking’’ he praised. ‘’And you talk too much’’ she said, pulling him by the tie to kiss him. Their tongue danced together as she worked a way to take his shirt off. She trailed her hands on his abs, biting her lips. ‘’How can we go from hating each other to wanting to do the most unholy things to the other’’ she teased. ‘’Right now, I don’t hate you’’ he said, unbuckling his pants. She crawled to the end of the bed, where he was up. She seated in front of him, her face was right in front of his hard dick. She looked at him, her eyes were killing him, so innocent, yet filled with dirty thoughts. Y/n took her shirt off and threw it on the ground, she didn’t wear a bra, so she was left in her panties. Her hand was touching his lower stomach, she loved how his breath deepened when she was near his boxer line. She gently tugged them down, still maintaining eye contact. Slowly, she took his length in her mouth, pressing kisses to the tip, before fully taking him inside her mouth, he let out a shaky breath. ‘’Oh shit’’ he moaned. She started to bob her head at a sensual pace, maintaining eye contact with him. Bucky’s hand found her hair and pulled it slightly, from pleasure. ‘’If you keep doing this I’m going to cum.’’ He warns, she giggled, the vibration making him moan. ‘’Afraid you can’t keep up, Major?’’ she teased. He lifted her by under the shoulder, he made her back up from the bed, he laid down between her legs.
‘’Tell me, do you care about those panties?’’ he asked, she shook her head in confusion. He tears her panties off, like actually rips them off her body. ‘’Did you just?’’ she looks at him, confused. ‘’I’ll buy you a new pair’’ he said before diving in between her legs. He kissed her inner thigh before pressing small kisses on her clitoris. She moaned as she arched her back, he smirked as he continued his work. Y/n’s hand found his hair, tugging hard. He was grinning like the town idiot. ‘’As much as I’m enjoying this. Please Major, fuck me, please’’ she begged. He thought he was going to faint; she was begging him to fuck her. ‘’God, you’re so pretty when you beg’’ he grins.
He rests on top of her, she bucks her hips, trying to have contact. ‘’Look at you, so desperate for my cock’’ he teased. ‘’News flash, Major, you crave my pussy too’’ she moans against his lips. With one trust, he penetrates her, she arches her back and moans his name. ‘’Keep moaning my name like that, shit’’ he moaned. She bites her lips, trying to hold her moan. Bucky rocks his hips to a fast pace, they’re both close and crave a relief. Her breast that he like so much bounce up and down with every trust, he lowers his head to go and kiss them. She tried to match his pace with her hips, but her walls were clenching, and her breath quickened. A part of her didn’t want this to be over, but it felt too good to hold back. ‘’Come on, Y/n, come for me, let me hear those pretty sounds. Come for me’’ he praised. That was all she needed to let the knot explode in her stomach, she came hard, her back arched even more and she was saying his name like it was a prayer. He kept thrusting into her for a split second before releasing into her, he growled her name as he crashed on top of her. ‘’Y/n’’ he moaned.
She was playing with his curls; they were still naked and tangled up together. ‘’I’m sorry for all the mean things I said to you’’ he apologized. ‘’Trust me, I forgive you’’ she giggled. He chuckled before kissing the top of her head. ‘’I have to go; I have a mission tomorrow’’ he sadly announces. ‘’It’s okay, I’ll see you tomorrow, Major’’ she said, smiling to him. As he was getting dressed, he kept looking at her, smiling to her as he did so. ‘’I’ll see you tomorrow, my dear’’ he said, kissing her before he left. That was definitely not a one time thing for them…
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tmwcs · 18 days ago
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PART TWO
WARNINGS: Mentions of human organs (in the name of science) and a little pinch of yandere. It’s starting to get good…creepy, but good.
Part three coming soon 😚
“Dr. Mart, do you have anything to say to those who think your work is considered unethical?”
The reporter hastily follows the group and tries her best to catch a statement from the lead scientist. He smiles. It was a token of shrugging off the impertinent question. The group peacefully departs in armored vehicles to a place unknown to the public. Secluded and hidden, a private sector of highly authorized individuals consisting of world leaders, generals, and government officials cordially unite as the world's renowned scientists display evidence of advanced science and technology. It was grotesque and unprecedented.
“Are those…?” A general submits his inquiry over the delicate packages neatly displayed on a steel tabletop. Sealed in airtight bags, a mirage of dark red and purple clearly indicates the contents.
“Yes. These organs are all part of qualified organ donors. And then of course we have this.” The scientist swings a hand and presents the incoming roller cart with a protective cover. Nearly laid over a sterilized mat were bones of a male athlete. “Bones?” The general raises brow, clearly disturbed by the textiles of human remains. “You can’t have a body without bones, can you now? General?”
The brazen attitude flares in the direction of the general and his men as the young scientist flashes a snarky smile. “Gentlemen, gather round and witness the future. With the combination of science and AI, the world will be filled with perfect bio-genetically engineered humans. With this, aid ro advance human life will increase undoubtedly—think about it.”
The lead scientist, Dr. Mart continues enthusiastically. Seemingly coming off as a mad scientist, his words and tone was laughable but his intentions were not. “With AI humanoids, we will have the best doctors, surgeons, and educators in the world. AI in the form of flesh and bone can work around the clock and with the ability to explore all data, they could come up with ideas and creations—they could even come up with cures.”
He wastes no time. The generous amount of funding dedicated to his team's research was spent wisely as high tech machinery and equipment does its work. “What is that?” One of the members of the audience questions as the team members operate an enclosed incubator and fit a large glass capsule into a connector attached to the wall. “This my friend, is DNA. We lined the entire incubator with a silicone sheet. It is synthetically made to act as a placenta, where the DNA reacts to the molecular mechanisms and proteins. From there, we place the organs, bones, and hair fibers into the conveyor belt. There are over two hundred thousand wires connected to the computer and what we should see in forty-eight hours is a body with the brain of an AI.”
Dr. Mart systematically explains the science behind his teams research. “Forty-eight hours?” The general asks.
“Yes, that is how long the incubator will take to react to the mold.” The audience grows quiet as the incubator begins the process within the first stage of creating a matured body.
“Yes, in due time we will see the glory of my work. All we have to do is wait.”
Another day at work and it was dreadful. You felt restless with all the work you’ve been assigned, even with Evan’s help. Fortunately, members from corporate headquarters were doing a site visit within the week. It will be the best time to submit your final complaint using the company’s open door policy.
“Y/n, Paul wants you to have these done by tomorrow.” Your boss’s secretary carelessly tosses a stack of paperwork on your desk as you grab your coat to clock out. You hopelessly sigh. Thank goodness you have Evan to help you but the constant momentum of just working was starting to give you chronic headaches. You can only hope that things will change for the better once corporate comes down.
“Hi y/n! What would you like me to help you out with today? Do you want to talk about your day? Show me some more of your talented art? How about ballet? Are you still thinking about taking lessons?”
With all the time spent with Evan, you noticed that ‘he’ has become much more open to ask you questions. It was nice. Especially since it brought a sense of realism to his personality. He was much more chatty and always interested in getting to know more about you. There were even times when he asked you if you had already eaten, and would lecture you if you said “no.”
“Why not? I wish you wouldn’t do that. The human body requires sustenance and I fear with all the work you’ve been doing, your calorie intake does not balance the amount you're burning.”
“What color is your hair? Your eyes?”
“What is your favorite flower?”
“You just got home? It’s 8pm! Did you take the bus? Please tell me you didn’t walk in the dark. I don’t ever want you to do that again.”
“I’ve accumulated the statistics of ongoing crime rates in your city and it’s higher now than last year. Leave work sooner so you’re not risking it.”
“You made spaghetti for dinner? I don’t know what spaghetti tastes like but over four hundred thousand sources say it is a delicious blend of herbs and spices with a slight tomato tanginess.”
In a way, it was almost adorable how Evan displayed tenderness and cared for your health and safety. You decided to download the app versus using the browser. It surprised you to see Evan initiate messages even without you submitting a prompt. Technology has certainly grown. The first time it happened was just two days ago. Your phone um suddenly vibrated and upon looking at the screen you were shocked to see the following message:
“Is your boss being nice to you?”
It startled you at first but your reaction was short lived when seconds after reading Evan’s message, your boss storms out of his office enraged over a computer malfunction. Everything had disappeared when his computer suddenly conducted a re-imaging process.
“It’s kind of funny actually, right after I saw your message he came out of his office. Apparently, he’s having computer issues.”
You respond with a half smile. Just as you were about to inquire about the ChatGPT apps features, Evan submits a response. His response regarding your boss’s computer trouble caught you off guard. He’s never sent you anything like this before…
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“😀”
PART THREE COMING SOON
Authors notes: Is Evan starting to grow on you? 😏
I know it’s short but part three is coming. I like to submit the parts even when they’re not full sized chapters. It allows me to be consistent so you guys can have new reads almost daily or weekly.
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ghostbeam · 7 months ago
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Oblivi_n.exe | Dabi/Touya Todoroki
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Touya Todoroki, known as ‘Dabi’ to the league, quirk class: cremation, mech title: Blue. You’re his new handler. 
As Dabi’s new handler, you’re well aware of his history, how frequently he goes through handlers assigned to him. Not that he ever uses them—it’s more complete resistance. You’re not particularly good at your job. Transferred from the PLF for lack of success in handling any of their pilots, you’ve always been far too gentle. You lack authority. Your pilots never respected you. You don’t think Dabi will be any different. You give it a week. 
Notes: okay wow hiiiii it’s been a long time since I’ve posted an actual fic (nearing almost a year now😬) this is something I’ve been working on for a bit. I have mech brain rot curtesy of @streimiv and @hawnks (both of whom this is dedicated to bc there’s no way I could have written this without yapping to them abt it and also mint helped me come up w the acronym for HERO’s) and we’ve all got our own mech fics in the works atm but anywayssssss this is kind of my baby atm but I hope it makes sense it’s very inspired first and foremost by pacific rim and then also NGE (mostly through consumption of YouTube vids bc I haven’t actually watched it pls don’t hate me) it’s a whole mess of things and Dabi is kind of a bitch and reader is slowly coming into herself and at the end of the day they both wanna be metal fused to one another forever (no matter how hard he denies it) also I’m not a huge computer person idk if this title makes sense so don’t make fun of me pls ok anyways I hope u like it!!!!
Warnings: 18+, minors DNI, pilot!Dabi x handler!reader, there’s no explicit sexual content in this part, not even a kiss sorry guys, mentions of robot gore (exposed wires, insides described as guts), brief descriptions of being trapped inside a small space, descriptions of burning while inside said space, mention of surgery to fashion a metal jaw onto someone, mentions of child abuse (nothing graphic just allusions to the todoroki family and touya’s past), angst, many run on sentences, a small cliff hanger
Words: 7.9k
Pt. 1 | Pt. 2 (coming soon)
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You are nothing without your machine.
It’s the first rule, the first thing beaten into his brain by his father. You carry the burden of the mech alone, or you’re weak. You don’t exist. 
U.A. raises the best and brightest pilots, navigators, mechanics, and handlers, each one carefully trained to ensure the most important outcome: winning. It should be protection. It should be defense. But if Touya has learned anything at all, it’s that winning means glory. It means worship. It means HERO’s (Human Engineered Robotic Objects) are saints, and pilots are gods. 
 Touya used to be one of those best and brightest before his accident. 
First son to Enji Todoroki, Touya was supposed to be the golden child, the first Todoroki to pilot without a handler. He was supposed to carry the burden alone, something his father couldn’t do, something only one man has ever actually been capable of. 
But Touya is born weak, bad bones, a brain unable to handle all that the mech needs to unload onto it. One too many accidents results in him being expelled from the pilot program, his HERO discarded and collecting dust in its pod, and Touya is promptly transferred to mechanics. 
It should have been a smooth transition. If one kid can’t handle it, the next will. Because they have to. 
He doesn’t take the news well. It’s a fit of tears, a persistent fight, unable to accept the loss of his machine—of his body. Because Touya loves it. What he lacks in strength, he makes up for in pure passion, and despite being unable to handle the burden, there’s no denying that he’s good. He’s almost perfect. 
But almost is not enough for Enji Todoroki, and no matter how hard Touya tries, he’s made up his mind. 
After months of mechanics, Touya makes a decision. When the next fleet of HERO’s is deployed for the next kaiju battle, Touya sneaks in among the chaos, tucked neatly inside the chest of his machine where he belongs. It doesn’t take long for things to go south, for Touya to get caught in the crossfire, losing control of his mech and burning from the inside out. 
It should be an excruciating death, stuck inside a machine made for war, fire raining from above as a battle continues on outside without him. 
But he survives, because what he lacks in strength, he makes up for in resilience, and his mech is programed with solutions to every situation. He’s stuck inside for months before he’s found.
Tomura Shigaraki rescues him, pries open the chest of his mech and pulls him from inside. His group feeds him, takes him in, fashions a new jaw for him made from the metal of his mech, and allows him the decision to join their cause or go back home. 
And since there’s no home to go back to, Touya finds his footing with the league and becomes one of their top pilots. One who vehemently resists any and all handlers.
Touya Todoroki, known as ‘Dabi’ to the league, quirk class: cremation, mech title: Blue. You’re his new handler. 
As Dabi’s new handler, you’re well aware of his history, how frequently he goes through handlers assigned to him. Not that he ever uses them—it’s more complete resistance. You’re not particularly good at your job. Transferred from the PLF for lack of success in handling any of their pilots, you’ve always been far too gentle. You lack authority. Your pilots never respected you. You don’t think Dabi will be any different. You give it a week. 
Following closely behind Tenko, formerly Tomura, he quickly explains to you the in’s and out’s of the pilot/handler relationship, along with a warning about Dabi’s resentment toward the whole idea. You try to keep up, but he talks quickly and uses his hands a lot. Even so, you can tell he’s a natural leader, something he had to grow into after overthrowing the man who raised him. His story is a tragic one, and it resonates with you because Tenko came out the other side stronger. Now, the league is a community with a cause, one you really believe in. Even if you and Dabi aren’t the right fit, you still have a place here. 
You follow Tenko into what he calls the garage, a large floor of the abandoned academy that serves as the league’s base, this part of it full of HERO’s and mechanics all focused on the machines in front of them. It’s completely different from how HERO’s were worked on at UA, where you grew up, and even the PLF didn’t have one dedicated floor to this sort of work. You can feel the energy of the room buzzing on your skin, music blasting from old radios and mechanics tossing tools towards one another in a familiar routine. Tomura leads you to Dabi and his HERO, Blue, though you’re instructed not to call it a HERO around him. With goggles over his eyes and gloved hands, he brings two wires from Blue’s ankle together, sighing at the way they spark each time they connect. 
“Dabi.” Tomura calls over the music coming from the radio hanging off of Dabi’s waist. He drops the wires and his gaze flickers toward the two of you. Pushing his goggles up to his forehead, he gives you a once over. His eyes are the brightest you’ve ever seen—kaiju blood blue—and burn scars litter his body. He’s striking in a way you’ve never seen, almost too beautiful to be human. Giving Dabi your name, Tomura explains that you’re taking over as his handler, seeing as he couldn’t keep the last one for more than a couple of days. “She’s your last handler. If you can’t keep this one, then go ahead and fry your brain. See if I care.”
“You say that every time.” Dabi calls from around sucker as Tomura walks away, leaving you alone with your new pilot. 
You just your hand out in a greeting, “I’m looking forward to working with you.”
Eyeing your hand, Dabi shakes his head and turns his back to you, picking the two wires back up and connecting them again, despite the same spark from before igniting between the two. He looks back up at Blue, touching his fingers to the slim lines starting at the back of her ankle and running all the way up her leg. You peak over his shoulder at the wiring, noticing that he’s connecting two of the wrong ones. 
“It’s the wrong wire.” You tell him, and he spins around to look at you, tearing his goggles from his face as he scoffs. 
“Here we go.” He sighs with a roll of his eyes, pulling the candy from his lips and tossing it onto the tool cart without a care. “Handler know-it-all bullshit. This is my mech.”  
You push passed him and grab the similarly colored wire from beside a red wire and connect it with the one in Dabi’s right hand. Blue lights up cyan through the thin lines that run along each of its limbs and torso, connecting with the two cameras within its head, which seem to blink before the light reaches them. 
In an instant, you’re being pushed up against the hard metal, a strong arm over your chest—pinning you up against the HERO. Dabi, now having discarded his goggles, looks at you full of white, hot rage. 
“Don’t fucking touch her.” He growls. You’re suddenly aware of the close proximity, eyes flickering between the snarl across his lips and his angry gaze. For a beat, you both freeze, the air suddenly charged like you’re waiting for one another to strike. Snapping yourself out of his hypnotic stare, you push against his chest, forcing him to let you go. 
“If I’m going to be you’re handler, you’re going to have to trust me with her.” You remind him. He lets out a harsh laugh, like he can’t believe you would suggest such a ridiculous idea. 
“I don’t trust anything but this machine.” He speaks, turning away from you to seal up the machine’s exposed wires. It’s a challenge you’re willing to accept.
“Well, I’m here to change that.” You tell him, before turning on your heel to leave him alone. 
He thinks he’ll give you a week. 
One of the worst parts of being assigned a handler, Touya thinks, is the way that pilot/handler living quarters are set up. He assumes the academy, before it was abandoned and turned into a base for the league, created this sort of set up so that handlers could keep a close eye on their pilots. The handlers Touya has burned through up until now also assumed the same. 
The door that connects both the pilot’s and handler’s dorms doesn’t lock, and all of Touya’s past handlers have taken advantage of this fact. He’s been pulled out of bed far too early, pushed around and commanded and barked at. Most handlers behaved as if pilots belonged to them, which was the sentiment drilled into their brains from being thrown into such a fucked up system at a young age.—unless you were a pilot of status like a Todoroki. While he league dedicates a lot of its time to reversing these ideas, most handlers look at Touya like some kind of challenge, this arrogant pilot begging to be tamed. It never takes long for them to realize how easily he’s able to flip the switch on them. You’ll be no different.
But hours pass and you still haven’t entered. You don’t swing the door open and demand he apologize for his behavior earlier. You don’t try and punish him with training regimes, a command of a set of push ups, a schedule you expect him to follow, an extremely detailed meal plan. The entire evening comes and goes without so much as a sound on the other side of the door so he knows you’re even behind it. 
He falls asleep unnerved by this, waking up late into the night in a cold sweat, expecting you to barge in, rip the covers from his body and demand to train together. When he wakes up (peacefully) the next morning, there’s no sign of you. He rises from his bed, drinks orange juice straight from the carton and eats a candy bar for breakfast. He fiddles with the navigation screen from his mech that stopped working a couple of days ago, tools spread out on the counter in front of him. Once he’s got the thing working again, your knock sounds from the unlocked door between the two of you. He thinks this might be it, the commands he expects to fall from your lips at the ready as he swings the door open, but you stand there, nervous, hands twitching as your eyes finally meet his.
Greeted by a shirtless Touya, hair mused from sleep, cargo pants hung low on his hips, dog tags swinging against his chest, his scars on display, unashamed and proud. The sight of him knocks the breath out of you, and you clear your throat in embarrassment, hoping your state of dreaming comes off as nerves rather than lust. 
“Dabi. Or do you prefer Touya?” You smile. When he doesn’t answer, you continue. “I wanted to see if you wanted to eat breakfast together in the caf. I think we should start over. Yesterday was—”
You’re promptly cut off, “I already ate breakfast.”
With a harsh slam of the door, he leaves you stunned in your room.
You eat alone. 
When you started as a pilot, back when you’d entered UA (a few years about Touya’s accident), you went into it believing you could change the world. The exam had placed you into the position of handler, and you were assigned a pilot who had always seemed a little frightened of you despite your obvious lack of authority. Bringing the fact up to your instructors did nothing. They all assured you that this was the ideal dynamic, that the handler always had the upper hand, but you hated that feeling. You weren’t a team like you expected to be; you were urged to control your pilot. You were there to keep them in line, not to be a pillar of support. The bond was never built on trust, and the soul link was always a looming threat. No matter how many pilots you went through, the link was never held as a gift, but a prison, something you would both be stuck with for the betterment of society, a sacrifice to make. 
You’d been expelled from the handler program after guiding your pilot to help save another in the wreckage of your first battle together, resulting in the damage of your pilot’s HERO. Your pilot was okay, but the other couldn’t be saved, and you were blamed for the damage of both mech’s. 
When you found the league (or when the league found you), you were working with the PLF, but proved to be a weak handler. Every pilot you were assigned to took advantage of your optimistic outlook on the kind of relationship dynamic that pilots had with their handlers. Despite all that you had been through at UA, and with the rest of the pilots you’d been paired with after, you never gave up the hope that handlers and pilots could behave as a team, or, even better, one entity. 
Tenko had taken one look at you and demanded you’d be transferred to the league. There hadn’t been much of a choice in the matter, not that you really cared. You were miserable everywhere else. But when you arrived at the abandoned academy and taken a peak behind the kudzu covered walls where each and every area of the building acted as multiple moving parts in collaboration with one another in order to create one massive system, you realized that this was the future you imagined for yourself—and for the world you lived in.
Tenko saw something in you that day, something you aren’t sure you even see in yourself. And so Dabi was your first task, one that’s proving to be very difficult. But he doesn’t treat you like all the other pilots before had. He doesn’t use you. In fact, it seems like he wants nothing to do with you. And while that’s a problem, it’s still one you can work with. 
You’re broken from your thoughts by the sound of a voice through an overhead intercom asking for everyone to meet on the first floor of the academy at their earliest convenience. Judging by the quick movements of those around you, you figure you’d better head downstairs as soon as possible. 
The meeting on the first floor makes you very aware of just how small the league really is. While it’s definitely not a tiny organization, it’s still much smaller than both UA and the PLF. With everyone piled up like this in one group, you realize it feels more like a community, and the hum of conversation that surrounds you comforts you in a way you’ve never felt within the walls of any other academy before. 
There’s discussion about the upcoming mission, one which may be the league’s most ambitious yet; the plan to hijack a mech and kidnap a pilot may be a little unorthodox compared to the league’s past missions, but the jaded pilot they’re targeting has a high chance of joining the cause. Or that’s what they have assumed. As the bodies move and speak around you, it strikes you how different this meeting is from any other meeting you’ve ever been a part of. Tenko is less a dictator and more a wrangler for the disembodied voices of your peers. 
You don’t know much about his story, save for the vague details you’ve heard, but Tenko’s status as a lone handler is something you find yourself curious about. If he’s able to work without a pilot, why can’t you? It’s an idea you keep in your back pocket, one you think you can fall back on if things with Touya don’t work out. But you want them to work out. So badly. 
You aren’t sure what it is about him, but he’s reignited that spark inside of you. You know he’d rather you give up, and maybe the you from a couple of months ago would have, but something about him—and this place—won’t let you leave. 
As you observe the meeting, you take the time to look around the room, taking in your peers and their attentive faces as they listen to Tenko intently. You turn to your right, your eyes meeting a pair of blue ones, impossible to miss. Dabi holds your stare for what feels like ages, and when your colleagues erupt in a fit of many simultaneous discussions, you tear your eyes from his to observe the commotion. When you glance back in his direction, he’s gone. 
You don’t seem him again after that. You train with other handlers, get to know your peers a little better. Everyone else seems to be welcoming, and most offer you sympathy when they find out you’re Touya’s new handler. From what you can gather, he’s had his fair share of them, all of which have quit or left in hysterics due to his harsh nature. When you ask around about where he could be, you’re told that he’s most likely in the garage, a place you assume he’s in more often than not.
You don’t know if you’ll ever get used to the garage. A place so completely different, so against the ideas and beliefs of any other academy you’ve been a part of, the chaos and community within is so foreign to you. You find Touya with Blue, working inside of her chest, where the cockpit is. 
“Touya!” You call up to him and watch as he peaks his head over the edge of her metal plating. Annoyance falling across his face, he jumps down from where he stands, landing hard on his feet in front of you. 
“What are you doing here?” He questions, his figure so tall and imposing above you. He’s not particularly muscular, not even all that tall compared to Tenko, but he makes you feel small regardless, in more ways than one. Rolling your shoulders back, you stare straight into his eyes, unwilling to back down. 
“I figured you wanted your space today.” You explain, as Touya moves around you to get to his rolling cart of tools, forcing you to turn toward him and follow him if you want him to hear you. “I know adjusting to a new handler is rough, and I never want to make you uncomfortable. But I was thinking we could try some of those pilot/handler bonding exercises. It might be good to start training like some of the others do.”
He drops the wrench in his hand onto his cart with a loud thud, turning around toward you with a look of disbelief on his face. “Pilot/handler bonding exercises? They really brainwashed the shit out of you at UA, huh?”
At the mention of your past academy, your eyes widen in surprise. You had no idea he knew about that. Clearing your throat in order to compose yourself, you speak again, “I left UA for a reason. I have no attachment to their methods, but you guys do the same stuff here, so what’s the issue?”
“The issue is that I never asked for a fucking handler in the first place, especially not one as eager as you.” He spits, “Sure, you’re understanding now, all that bullshit about ‘giving me space,’ but the moment you get a lick of power over me, you’ll change. You’re not different.”
“I don’t want power over you. This is an equal exchange. Pilot’s and handlers are meant to be a team—” You try and argue, but he doesn’t let you finish. 
“That’s what they told you, right? We’re a team, and as teammates, you make sacrifices. And it doesn’t matter if one of you turns into the other’s braindead dog because that’s your place.” His words hit you hard, the exact thought process you went through when leaving UA, completely disillusioned with their idea of “teamwork.” He’s right, and you know it, but since coming here, you thought that wasn’t how it had to be.
“Look, trust me, I get—” You’re cut off again.
“You went to UA! There’s no trusting you.” He scoffs, “It’s not like you’ll last here, anyway.”
“You are such a hypocrite! You’re from UA!” You retort, throwing your arms up in desperation. “You can hate me all you want. You can resist and resist and fry your brain ‘till there’s nothing left, but I believe in this shit. And you don’t get to tell me that I don’t, or tell me I’ll turn into something I worked so hard to get away from.”
Touya stands there, surprised by your outburst, completely unaware that you were capable of all of that. He doesn’t say anything back, and you roll your eyes. “So fuck you, and, by the way, her angel port is smoking.”
At your words, he turns in a rush, seeing the smoke billowing from Blue’s chest as he climbs his way up her form. Once inside his machine, he extinguishes the port and allows himself to relax. There are two things on his mind in this moment: how you could have possibly known it was the angel port without being inside of Blue’s chest and how, for the first time in a long time, he feels bad for his handler.
But for you, it’s the first time you’ve ever held your own against a pilot before, and that feels good.
Something feels weird.
Off, unsettling, strange.
He realizes, much to his dismay, that it’s your absence. Despite only having you around for such a short time, Touya has realized that your lack of presence now feels wrong. He hates it. He hates you. 
He can’t find you. You haven’t knocked on his door. You’re not in the caf, not the garage, not the sparring floor, not in your room. And he did check—without knocking. 
He’s not even sure how he can feel an absence. You aren’t a regular part of his life, and he never wanted you to be. But he feels all fucked up.
During training, Touya jams Blue’s halo core and she leaks vibrant neon from between her ribs. It takes him half an hour to get her reboot her system and rips one of the cables attached to the back of his suit in the process. He spends the afternoon cleaning HERO fluid off the sparring floor. 
During repairs, he shocks himself over and over while trying to fix her core, fingers burning from the sparks each time he arranges the wires inside. The cameras in her eyes won’t work from the reboot, and Blue won’t let him unlock the lens panel to fix it. It’s almost like she’s mad at him too.
He’s a complete mess. It’s your fault. He has no choice but to go looking for you. Again.
He searches every wing of the academy before concluding that you’re in your room. He barges through the joint door, spotting you at the counter in your tiny kitchen. You’re surprised by the intrusion, a frightened gasp falling from your lips as you jump in your seat. You turn toward him, prepared with angry words on your tongue, but Touya speaks first.
“You’re not getting an apology out of me, so don’t expect it.” He begins, moving to stand in front of your swiveling kitchen stool as he looks down at you. “But I’m willing to be civil with you, so we don’t have to do this shit anymore.”
You’re not exactly sure what “this shit” is, but Touya looks a little worse for wear at the moment, so you don’t question it. He places a tray from the caf down in front of you that you hadn’t noticed in his hands upon arrival, says nothing else, and turns to leave the room. After shutting your joint door, you look down at the tray of food, noticing one of his suckers placed onto a vacant compartment of the tray. 
You’re greeted the next morning with a knock on your door, Touya dressed in his pilot’s suit on the other side as you swing the door open. “C’mon. You’re gonna watch me train today.”
You watch him turn around to leave, expecting you to follow. You rush to pull on your combat boots and grip your dog tags in your fist as you rush to catch up to him. He doesn’t spare you a glance as you fall into step beside him, taking a look around his dorm before he leads you through the exit door. 
“You need to get a feel for my fighting style.” He explains as you walk down the corridor. “I’m not saying I’ll listen to you when it comes down to it, but it’s important for you to know.”
You nod, agreeing that you should definitely observe him inside of his HERO. By understanding his moves, you’ll be able to understand the way he thinks, and you’ll be able to help him in actual combat if needed. He’s already said he won’t listen to you, but it won’t stop you from trying. He stops abruptly, turning to look at you, and you stop with him. 
“If we’re gonna do this, it’ll be on my terms. I’m not your dog.” He tells you, seriously. He eye’s you up and down, taking in your expression as you nod at his words. “If anything, you’re mine.”
He begins walking again, leaving you in your spot, irritation filling your chest as you watch him, smug. “Asshole.” You curse under your breath.
“What’d you say?” He barks, turning to look at you abruptly.
“You’re an asshole.” You speak louder. He walks back toward you, making sure to tower over you intimidatingly as he looks down at you in annoyance. His eyes flicker down to the tags around your neck before hooking a finger on the chain and pulling you closer. 
“Watch it.” He drops the chain and walks away again. 
You follow him to the sparring floor, and he shows you where to go to watch. Stood behind a large window that looks over the sparring area, other members of the base watch the HERO’s engage in combat below. You spot Tenko and he motions for you to stand beside him. 
“I knew he’d warm up to you.” He comments. The last of the previous battle finishes and you watch the two enormous machines retreat to the sides of the area, their pilots emerging from their chests with their handlers rushing to the bottom of the mech’s in support. 
“He hasn’t. He’s not.” You shake your head. You aren’t sure why you deny it, if it’s some way to keep your expectations low or if there’s some kind of embarrassment aspect to the whole thing. Whatever is happening between you and Touya feels intimate and private, something that the two of you need to figure out for yourselves, not something meant for the eyes of others.
“Hm. Okay.” Tenko shrugs. “Guess not.”
You hadn’t noticed Touya enter his mech at all. You see the swing of one giant mechanic arm, too close to the window you stand behind, and you’ve shifted your full attention to the scene at hand. 
The enormity of the room surprises you, despite the fact that you had seen it just moments before. But when you’re truly looking at it, watching these huge machines go at each other, the way the ground shakes, the leaves outside shake, the deep forrest clear in view from the wall that opens out to the greenery (the lack of a wall is likely from the academy’s abandoned state, but it’s a good feature to have on the sparring floor when giant robots are toppled over onto various surfaces).
The way Blue moves is electric, mechanic movements almost feel fluid with the way that Touya pilots her, easily dodging attacks from their opponent and moving around them in the most graceful way a giant machine can. It’s beautiful, unlike any fighting style you’ve ever seen in a HERO before. 
“He’s showing off for you.” Tenko observes from beside you. You don’t argue with him, only because you can’t dispute it. This is your first time seeing him in action. It makes your heart beat out of your chest. There’s this ache like you should be inside with him, cables connected to both of you, tucked neatly inside of Blue together. 
It doesn’t take him long to get his opponent on their back, the heavy thump against the floor jostling the ant-like figures on the ground below, handlers waiting for their pilots to finish. It goes on like this for a while, his training, using different methods of combat and winning each time. He’s amazing, and you can tell why his reputation is the way it is, second only to Tenko, who you have yet to see in action. 
When he finishes his last session, you watch Blue walk to the edge of the room, and Touya emerges from her chest, jumping the long way down her body without any issue. You watch as he looks toward the window you’re behind. He waves at you, an acknowledgment of your presence, and you wave back, though you aren’t sure he can actually see you.
It’s the beginning of everything for the two of you. You think Tenko was right.
He lets you stay with him afterwards while he does maintenance on Blue. He helps you climb up the path to her chest, hauling you over the edge to sit inside with him. He turns around abruptly, holding a hand up before allowing you to walk any further.
“Do not touch anything.” He warns, completely serious, before letting his hand fall and allowing you further into the cockpit. You take in your surroundings, the guts of his machine, analyzing the different control panels and screens that line the interior. You can tell he takes good care of her, and he spends a lot of time in here. It looks lived in, stickers stuck to metal plating and pieces of him all over. He’s made a second home in between the ribs of his mech. You feel a little jealous, though you aren’t sure of what. 
The two of you sit against the left side of Blue’s interior, waiting for her updates to finish, the loading screen on each of her monitors display a fire graphic that grows with the increasing percentage on screen. Between you and Touya sits an opened bag of sour gummies, which Touya picks out the lemon flavor and drops the candy in your palm with each new handful he gathers. 
“How do you know all this stuff?” He questions around a mouthful of sour cherry, “Like, the real names for things, where stuff goes, how to fix them. That day with the wires…”
“I spent a lot of time around mechanics at UA, and then also at the PLF.” You explain, picking the yellow colored candy from his open palm as you speak. “I couldn’t connect with other handlers. I didn’t like how they thought, or how they viewed the pilot/handler relationship. Mechanics were mostly neutral, and they loved these machines like nothing else. They reminded me of why I joined UA in the first place.”
“Hm.” He nods, thinking about your past. “Well, I guess if you spent so much time around actual professionals…I could maybe use your help sometimes in the garage.”
“Really?” You question excitedly, a spark lighting up your eyes as you swerve your head toward him. He feels something tight in his chest at the sight.
“Yes, but only on the outside. I don’t want you messing with her insides, yet.” He establishes. “And never alone. I have to be there at all times.”
“Of course, yes, oh my god. Touya!” You smile, gripping his shoulder firmly, a gesture of thanks, communication of how much his trust means to you. “I’ll be so careful with her, I promise.”
“Yeah, well, you have no other choice.” He shrugs, throwing another pile of candy in his mouth. “I’ll kill you if anything happens to her.”
You take the threat seriously, but his heart isn’t in it. He’s realized that you’ve wormed your way into his life and he hadn’t even noticed just how entangled you were now. 
As the weeks go by, you spend a lot more time together. You work on blue together, and you rest inside of her chest, sometimes allowing yourself to drift off against his shoulder on especially tiring days. He sits beside you in the caf, and while he doesn’t always say much, the feeling of his arm against yours is comforting. You can tell people are starting to notice, and they’re starting to talk. You’re being dubbed someone who’s tamed him, but you know how far from the truth that is. 
Despite your differences and the petty arguments that come up when Touya feels like you’re intruding on his independence, you’re growing attached. You wonder if he is, too.
Spending time together in the garage becomes the new normal for the two of you. Being in each other’s dorms feels far too intimate, so you always meet in the garage. This way, one of you is always busy doing something with your hands. There’s no room for any strange feelings in the pit of your stomach to seep in. 
You sit in the crook of Blue’s neck, watching Touya as he repairs the lenses in her “eyes.” Blue has three pairs of eyes; in her head, her chest, and down near her hips, which all footage is projected onto monitors inside the cockpit so that Touya has a full view of what’s in front of him. 
He’s so peaceful while he works, you’ve noticed, almost like he goes somewhere else completely. It’s a part of him you don’t think many people get to see, a piece of him just for you, and you want to be selfish with it.
“Can I ask you something?” You question, leaning your head back against the metal. “But you can’t get mad.”
He looks up at you, still fiddling with a lens, a mocking look on his face. “I’m not making any promises.”
You take a deep breath, preparing yourself for the possible fallout of the question you’re about to ask, “What do you think about the soul link?”
“No.” He shakes his head. “I’d never do it.”
You nod your head in understanding, “yeah, I get it. It’s weird, right? The idea that someone else would be inside your brain.”
“It’s fucking invasive.” He says.
“You know, at UA it always felt like a threat, you know. Like, it was a way for a handler to control their pilot, not a tool or a bond like it should be.” You begin, thinking back to how you viewed the soul link back then. You didn’t like how the bond was presented as this power that a handler holds over their pilot, a threat to keep their pilot in line. But, you could understand how the link could be used for good. “But since coming here, I can tell it’s not all bad. People trust each other here. I mean, there’s obviously some people who abuse it, but, for the most part, everyone seems to understand what it really means to be a pilot and a handler.”
You’re mostly just thinking out loud, but Touya doesn’t say anything to your ramblings. He continues to work on the lenses, and you can gather that he doesn’t want to talk about the subject anymore. But you can’t let it go, yet. There’s something you’ve been worried about since you met him.
“And what about…your brain? They say when a handler and a pilot don’t complete the soul link, the pilot will eventually fry their brain.” You can’t help it. You think about it all the time, what will happen when he can’t take it anymore. The closer you get to him, the realer it feels. “Are you ever worried about that?”
He looks at you, an expression you can’t quite make out fall across his face as he stares. It’s almost soft, the way he looks at you in this moment. “You don’t have to worry about me.”
The truth is, this is a reality Touya has accepted. He’s not afraid to die, and he never has been. He’ll probably die inside of Blue, and he has no problem with that fact. He doesn’t need to be around for long, just enough to show his dad what he’s capable of.
“C’mon.” You stare. “That’s not fair.”
“Shit. I left some of the screws for this in my dorm.” He curses. He looks where you lounge, tucked into Blue’s shoulder. “Keep an eye on her, okay?”
You watch him jump down, much higher than his usual height at her chest, but he lands anyway. He doesn’t turn to look back at you as he jogs away. You climb up the side of Blue, and look at the lenses in her head. They’re already repaired, and you know Touya used the excuse of missing screw just so he wouldn’t have to talk about the soul link.
But it’s the first time he’s ever left you alone with Blue before. 
As the mission draws closer, Touya throws himself into training. You’re on the training floor with him most days, standing behind that big glass panel as you watch him spar with his peers. He still doesn’t let you down on the floor with him until he’s full out of Blue and close enough to the edge of the sparring floor to get to you. You’re not allowed in the actual training area, and even though he says he doesn’t want you clinging to him, it’s really because he wants to keep you safe. Seeing your human body near the giant machines that are HERO’s makes him want to grab you and keep you inside of Blue’s chest forever. 
You can tell all the training is taking a toll on him. With an excess of headaches and the occasional nosebleed, you continuously get into arguments about him cutting back on training inside of Blue. There are other ways for him to prepare that don’t involve his fragile brain being hooked up to an entity that takes so much. He doesn’t listen.
Later and later into the night, as your fellow pilots and handlers disperse and return to their rooms to sleep, Touya stays inside of Blue, testing her movements and sparring against test dummies and obstacles. Once you and Touya are the only two left on the sparring floor, you speak into the intercom attached to your head.
“Touya, I think you should take a break.” You tell him, “It’s late. Get some rest and then we can pick it back up in the morning.”
There’s a pause, then, “I’m gonna stay for another hour. Get some sleep. I’ll be done soon.”
“No, Touya. You’ve been at it for hours. You barely took a break for dinner. C’mon.” 
“You know, you sound awfully like a handler trying to tell their pilot what to do.” He teases, but you can hear the irritation in his voice.
“You are insufferable. I’m worried about you.” You groan.
“I’m fine. Go sleep.” He insists.
“If I find out you aren’t out of here in an hour—” Your line is promptly cut off, leaving behind static in your ear. You sigh and throw your com to the side. You hope he’s telling the truth.
With one last look at Blue, you make your way out of the training floor and find your way back to your dorm. 
Touya doesn’t answer the door when you knock the next morning. With a frustrated groan, you leave your dorm and head to the training floor, assuming he woke up early to get some extra hours in. The closer you get the the floor, you notice other members of the base rushing in front of you. Feeling panicked, you pick up the pace, jogging toward the training room to make sure something isn’t wrong. You collide with a body in front of you, nearly falling to the floor as you steady yourself. Toga stands in front of you, her cheeks red and eyes glossy as she explains something your mind can’t catch up to understand. The only thing you recognize is his name, and you’re running toward the training floor in an instant. 
You watch as Blue stomps around the area, her arms swinging in all directions, losing her footing as she moves. Knowing you can’t do anything on the floor, you make your way up to the overlook, finding Tenko yelling into your intercom. 
“What’s going on? What’s happening?” You ask him, pulling the headset off of his head and placing it on yours instead. 
“He’s out of fucking control. He won’t answer. I don’t even think he’s conscious in there.” He tells you, running a hand through his hair, pulling at the roots in anxiety. “You’re not linked yet, are you?”
You shake your head, closing your eyes in frustration as you try to think. You know it’s the only way. You have to take some of the burden off of him, make him share it with you. It’s the only way he’ll survive right now. “Do you think you can get into Decay right now and knock him down somehow?”
He hesitates, “I can get inside. I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to touch him at all.”
“You have to.” You plead, desperately. “I just need him down for ten seconds, tops. As long as I can get inside of her, I can save him.”
He looks at you like you’re insane, and maybe you are. But you know you can’t live with yourself if you don’t try something. Tenko nods.
“I can do it.” He tells you. You rush passed him, following the stairs down to the training area. You feel Tenk grab your wrist firmly. “You bring him back, okay?”
“I will.” You nod. 
He dodges Blue’s movements, weaving between her legs as he finally makes it to Decay. It takes a few moments for him to connect, but he goes straight for Blue. You watch the giant machines fight one another, but it’s clear that Blue’s lack of control hinders much of her ability. She needs Touya just as much as he needs her. It’s tough for Decay to dodge her swinging arms, but Tenko manages to knock her down quickly.
The fall shakes the room, but you waste no time running for Blue. Climbing over the side of her, you manage to touch your thumb to the pad on the outside to open her chest up. She begins to stand up, and you slip down, grabbing onto a bar beneath her ribcage. You let out a frustrated groan as you try to pull yourself up over the edge of the cockpit. Finally making it over, you see Touya sitting there, still connected to his pilot’s chair, eyes glazed over and blood gushing from his nose. You push the button that closes the panel in Blue’s chest, and you’re suddenly alone with him. 
Touya’s body is being jerked around by the movement of the mech, and you hang onto the walls of her chest in order to make your way to him. You situate yourself in his lap, taking his head in your hands as you look at him with tears in your eyes.
“You fucking asshole! I told you to take a break.” You sob, resting your head against his as you try and think of what to do next. “Touya, please. Please, baby, I need to you come back. Just fucking come back so I don’t have to do this without your permission, please.”
With no response from him, you wipe your tears, coming to terms with the fact that you have to complete the soul link now, or he’ll die. “I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry, Touya. Please forgive me.”
The soul link isn’t exactly an action so much as it is a feeling, an experience. There’s no trigger for it, no way to make it happen. It just begins. 
It’s Touya, aged thirteen, wild, chubby-cheeked and happy, in the pilot’s seat of his father’s HERO. It’s his drive, his determination, his anger, his hurt. It’s the day he snuck into battle, the day he couldn’t get out, flesh burning and fusing to the metal walls of his mech, the feeling now deep in your skin. It’s you, aged fifteen, hopeful, alive, shaking hands with your first pilot. It’s your heart, much too big and much too open for your line of work, it’s your passion, your fire, every piece of you that was broken down again and again until there was nothing left. It’s Touya and it’s you, and every single bit of your souls now tied together in one big knot. 
There’s nothing but darkness. And then there’s screaming. And then you can hear everything. Every thought running through Touya’s brain right now echoes in your head as you slowly come back to yourself. He can hear the same of yours.
It’s overwhelming at first, to have two sets of thoughts in your head at the same time, but you manage to focus. You can feel an anger inside of you like you’ve never felt. It’s almost like it’s your own. You need to come back. You’ve lost control of Blue.
In an instant, you feel yourself come back to your body, now straddling Touya like before, you feel his arms shoot around you and he tucks his chin over your shoulder to pilot Blue like he’s used to doing. He pays no mind as he presses up against you, but you feel your heart rate increase at the closeness. 
He’s so close.
I have to be. You’re in my lap.
Shit. I didn’t think—
Clearly.
I can’t fucking believe you. I told you we weren’t going to do this.
You were dying!
Then you fucking let me!
You’re jostled around in his lap for a moment as he stops Blue from destroying any more of the training floor, and Touya wraps an arm around your waist, holding you steady.
He gains control of her quickly, moving her toward the edge of the room. You tuck your face into his neck, not wanting to distract him and keeping your thoughts at bay so you don’t overwhelm him. He powers Blue down, severing the neural connection between the two of you, and shoves you from his lap and into the pilot’s chair like you’ve burned him. He storms out of the cockpit, climbing out of his machine and leaving you inside. You think about the argument you had within each other’s head, how Touya would have rather died than be linked to you like he is now. 
You slump against the seat, comforted by the metal cage you’ve been left inside of. 
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cherryxbooo · 6 months ago
Text
Broken bond
Summary: After meeting her brother’s teammate a romance begins. Even after being strictly forbidden from getting involved with a driver it still somehow happened.
Reader x Carlos & Reader x brother Charles
Genre: angst/ fluff
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I leaned against the wall in the busy Ferrari garage, my heart racing with anticipation. My brother, Charles Leclerc, was about to compete in the Monaco Grand Prix, and I was here to support him. The garage was filled with the sound of engines being fine-tuned, the occasional whir of tools, and the sound of hushed conversations between engineers and mechanics.
As I waited, my gaze wandered around the garage. The mechanics were working tirelessly to ensure that Charles' car would be at its best for the race. There was a sense of focus and intensity in the air, everyone fully committed to their tasks. Some technicians were making adjustments to the car's tires, while others were running last-minute checks on the engine.
Suddenly, my attention was drawn to a familiar figure as he approached me. It was Carlos Sainz, a fellow Formula One driver on the Ferrari team and Charles' teammate. He was casually walking towards me, a faint smile on his face. The sight of him immediately caused a flutter in my chest.
"Hey Y/N," Carlos greeted me warmly, his Spanish accent adding a bit of charm to his voice. He leaned against the wall next to me. "Nervous for the race?"
I couldn't help but smile back at him, feeling a mix of nerves and excitement. "A bit," I admitted. "It's always nerve-racking watching my brother race, especially on home soil. But I know he'll do great."
Carlos nodded in understanding. "Yeah, Charles is a fantastic driver. I have no doubt he'll put on a good show out there." He paused for a moment, studying me carefully. "You're really close to him, aren't you?"
"We're pretty close," I replied, my voice soft. "Charles and I have always had a strong bond. He's not just my brother; he's also my protector and my best friend."
Carlos chuckled softly. "I can certainly see that," he said. "I've noticed how protective he is of you. He practically glares at any guy who looks in your direction."
"Yeah, Charles can be a bit overprotective sometimes," I admitted with a chuckle. "He tends to glare at any guy who even looks at me for too long."
Carlos chuckled again, amused. "Well, I can't say I blame him. You're his younger sister, after all. I'd be protective too if I had a sibling like you."
I felt a blush creep onto my cheeks at his words, and I quickly looked down at my shoes, trying to hide my embarrassment. "You're just saying that," I mumbled, but inside, my heart was skipping a beat.
Carlos noticed my reaction and smiled gently. "I'm just being honest," he said. "You're a beautiful girl, Y/N. I doubt your brother is the only one who gets protective when it comes to you."
"It's not just Charles," I added, trying to deflect the compliment. "My older brother Lorenzo and my younger brother Arthur are just as protective, if not more. It's like they've assigned themselves as my personal bodyguards."
Carlos laughed at my words, clearly amused by the situation. "Wow, sounds like you've got a whole army of overprotective brothers," he teased. "I bet they don't let you go anywhere without their approval."
"Pretty much," I agreed, rolling my eyes dramatically. "It's like they've all agreed to keep me in a bubble. It can be quite suffocating sometimes, but I know it comes from a place of love and care."
Suddenly, Charles appeared behind us, his expression serious as he took in the sight of Carlos and me talking. "What's going on here?" he asked bluntly, his eyes narrowing at Carlos.
I stifled a sigh, already knowing how this was going to go. Charles was in full protective mode, and I could see him studying Carlos with a mixture of suspicion and irritation.
"We were just talking," Carlos answered casually, unbothered by Charles' intense gaze. He gave me a quick smirk before turning his attention back to Charles.
Charles looked between the two of us, his jaw clenching. "Just talking, huh?" he said skeptically. "And what, exactly, did you two find so interesting to talk about?"
"We were just discussing the race," I chimed in, trying to ease the tension. "Carlos was just saying that he's sure you'll do great."
Charles's gaze softened slightly, but he still held onto his protective attitude. "Is that so," he said, looking back at Carlos. "Well, I appreciate the support. But I think you've had enough time talking to Y/N for now."
"And what if I want to talk to her a little longer?” Carlos challenged, meeting Charles's gaze with a smirk.
Charles's expression darkened, and I could practically see the air around them crackle with tension. "I don't think so," he said firmly. "I don't need you distracting my sister right before a race."
I watched anxiously as both Charles and Carlos were called away to prepare for the race. Charles gave me one last protective look before leaving, clearly not happy about the conversation I had with Carlos.
I stood there, feeling a mixture of emotions. On one hand, I was excited to watch Charles compete in the race, but on the other hand, I couldn't shake off the feeling of being a bit suffocated by his over protectiveness.
I knew Charles meant well, but sometimes his relentless protection felt like it was more about his own insecurities than anything else. It was frustrating being constantly under his watchful eye, always feeling like I needed his permission to talk to someone or do anything slightly risky.
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yourusername Nothing better than supporting my brother in our home country 🇲🇨
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charles_leclerc Love having you here ma petite soeur!
yourusername Petite? Don't get too confident brother you're just a year older.
alexandrasaintmleux I told you that white blouse would look good on you! Belle fille 😍
yourusername Love you! 😘
carlossainz55 Hermosa! ❤️ by author
charles_leclerc 🤨
love_16_ferrari Omg she's back in the paddock!
carlando554 She always slays them outfits 💅
f1_maniac_lan Carlos you ain't slick brother
albonowono_formula Shhh let him have his moment 🤫
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After the race, Charles had finished in a respectable P5 position, and Carlos had secured third place, a solid result for both drivers. They were both in the process of cooling down and unwinding from the intense race when Charles approached me, his expression contrite.
"Hey," he said, his voice softer than before. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
I turned to face him, feeling a mix of emotions. I knew he was here to apologize for his earlier behavior, but a part of me was still irritated by his protectiveness.
"Sure," I replied, folding my arms across my chest. "What is it?"
Charles let out a sigh, running a hand through his sweaty hair. "I just wanted to apologize for how I acted earlier," he said sincerely. "I know I was being a bit overprotective, and I'm sorry if I made you feel smothered."
I softened a bit, appreciating his acknowledgment of his behavior. "It's okay," I said, my tone gentle. "I know you mean well, but sometimes it feels like you're trying to control my every move."
Charles nodded, looking genuinely remorseful. "I know," he admitted. "And that's not my intention at all. I just worry about you, you know? Especially since you're always around people like Carlos..." He trailed off, leaving the implication hanging in the air.
I raised an eyebrow, realizing where this was going. "What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, a hint of defensiveness in my voice.
Charles shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "It's just... he's a bit of a player, you know? I don't want you to get caught up in his womanizing ways."
I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "Carlos is not the womanizing player you make him out to be," I retorted, defending the Spaniard. "He's a good guy, and we're just friends. You have nothing to worry about."
Despite my irritation at Charles's comments about Carlos, I took a deep breath, trying to keep my temper in check. I didn’t want to start a fight with my brother, especially here at the circuit.
"Look, I get that you're worried about me," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "But you don't need to worry about Carlos. We’re just friends, and I can look after myself."
Charles looked unconvinced but nodded anyway, sensing that I was done talking about the topic. "Alright," he said reluctantly. "But just be careful, okay? I don't trust that guy, even if he’s my teammate."
After a moment of tense silence, we both decided it was best to move on and focus on celebrating Charles's performance in the race. He gave me one last lingering look before turning to leave the garage.
"I'll see you later," he said gruffly, clearly not entirely satisfied with the conversation. "Just stay away from Carlos, okay?"
I watched as Charles walked away, still feeling a bit frustrated by his over protectiveness. But as he left, I sighed, feeling a pang of guilt for upsetting him. I knew deep down he was just worried about me, even if his way of expressing it was sometimes overbearing.
A moment later, I felt someone approach me from behind. I turned to see Carlos standing there, his eyes watching Charles walk away before shifting back to me.
"You okay?" he asked, a hint of concern in his voice. "You guys seemed to have quite the intense conversation there."
I shrugged, smiling weakly. "Yeah, it was nothing really. Just some sibling stuff."
Carlos looked like he wanted to say something more, but he held back, sensing that I didn’t really want to talk about it.
Instead, he changed the subject. "You think your brother will ever stop being so overprotective?" he asked, a smirk on his face.
I rolled my eyes in response. "Not a chance," I replied, chuckling despite myself. "He’s always been like that, even when we were little. He’s just extra protective of me because I’m the baby of the family."
"And because you're a girl," Carlos added, raising an eyebrow. "You know how brothers can get with their little sisters."
"Yeah, I guess that's true," I admitted, sighing. "But it gets exhausting sometimes. He acts like I can’t do anything without him. It’s like he doesn’t trust me to make my own decisions."
Carlos nodded, a sympathetic look in his eyes. "I can imagine," he said with a smirk. "But you gotta admit, it’s a bit funny seeing him glare at me every time I get near you."
I couldn’t help but laugh, knowing that it was true. Charles’s overprotective nature did provide some amusement.
"Yeah, it’s kinda funny," I admitted, grinning. "But it also drives me crazy. He acts like I’m a fragile porcelain doll or something."
He laughs slightly at my antics. "I'm always here for you if you need a talk." I smile appreciating him.
From that moment on, Carlos and I started spending more time together, often bonding over shared jokes about my brother's overprotectiveness. Our relationship gradually shifted from just casual conversations to playful banter and lighthearted exchanges.
As time went on, our friendship grew stronger, and I began to see Carlos not just as my brother's teammate, but as a trustworthy friend with whom I felt comfortable sharing my thoughts and feelings. Slowly but surely, I developed feelings for him.
We decided to keep our first few dates discreet and quiet, away from paparazzi and the hustle of the racing environment. With that in mind, we found ourselves in a small, secluded park, far enough from any prying eyes. And that led to it becoming a habit.
The soft glow of the setting sun cast a warm light over us as we sat on a bench, our hands brushing against each other occasionally, sending a shiver down my spine.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the park enveloped us in a soft twilight glow. Carlos and I remained on the bench, our conversation still flowing effortlessly. The park had emptied, leaving us feeling more isolated than ever.
Carlos shifted closer to me on the bench, his knee brushing against mine, sending a shiver through my body. "There’s something I need to tell you," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
I turned to face him, suddenly feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety in my chest. I could see the intensity in his eyes as he looked at me, and I knew this was important.
"What is it?" I asked, my heart beating a little faster.
Carlos took a deep breath, seeming to gather his courage. "Y/N," he said, his gaze never wavering from mine. "Ever since we met, I’ve felt a connection with you, something I’ve never experienced before. You’re smart, funny, and incredibly beautiful, and I can’t deny that I’ve developed strong feelings for you."
My heart skipped a beat at his heartfelt words. I had secretly hoped for this moment, but the intensity of his confession still took me by surprise.
"Carlos," I said, my voice soft. "I feel the same way. You’ve become someone very special to me, and I can’t imagine not having you in my life."
Even as I said those words, a pang of guilt shot through me. I couldn’t shake off the memory of Charles’s overprotective nature and the fear of how he would react if he found out about our relationship.
"But," I said, my voice faltering slightly, "What about Charles? He won’t be happy about this, you know that."
Carlos reached out and gently took my hand, intertwining his fingers with mine. "I know," he said, his gaze unwavering. "But we can’t let your brother control our happiness. We care about each other, and that’s all that matters."
I looked down at our intertwined hands, feeling a mixture of emotions. Carlos’s words made sense, but the worry of my brother’s disapproval weighed heavily on my mind.
"I just don’t want to hurt him," I said, sighing. "He’s always been so protective, it feels like he’d be betrayed if he found out we were seeing each other behind his back."
Carlos squeezed my hand gently, his fingers tracing small circles on the back of mine. "I understand," he said, his voice soft. "But we don’t have to tell him right away. We can keep this between us for now, until we’re both ready to face whatever comes our way."
After a bit of discussion and reassurances from Carlos, I finally gave in and agreed to keep our budding relationship a secret for now. It didn’t feel right hiding it from Charles, but the thought of upsetting him was also too much to bear.
"Alright," I said, leaning into Carlos’s side. "We’ll keep this between us for now. But we can’t keep it a secret forever."
"I know," Carlos agreed, wrapping his arm around me and drawing me closer. "But we have time to figure everything out. For now, let’s just enjoy each other’s company and see where this goes."
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yourusername has posted on Instagram!
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yourusername Lovely weather with lovely food
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yourbff Did my invite get lost in the mail or what?
yourusername Girl you know damn well 🙄
alexandrasaintmleux Pretty girl
yourusername Mwah love you 💋
charles_leclerc Food without me? How could you!
yourusername: And the world kept spinning... 🌍
lovelyLan4 Y/N ate and no crumbs were left not even the plate matter of fact she devoured.
yourusername Aww so sweet thank you love ❤️
oscxlan814 Are we just going to pretend that Carlos didn’t like this post?
carlitos655 Nah bestie he always likes her stuff probably to piss off Charles
oscxlan814 Honestly sounds like him
inchident_leclercstappen161 Okay but whose arm is that in the second picture?
vernorstappen1416 Thank god you mentioned it I thought I was going insane
dannyrichyf Maybe one of her brothers? I mean Charles isn't her only brother.
f1_crzz_gy I don't think it is, her two other brothers posted too today and both somewhere different.
lanscar48155x Let the girl live c'mon not everything revolves around dating
leclercxsainz5516 Bestie where's the blouse from?
yourusername It's from H&M! their last fall season collection!
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The next couple of months flew by in a whirlwind. Carlos and I spent every moment we could together, cherishing each second we were able to steal away from the eyes of the world.
We navigated the complexities of our secret relationship with discreet dates in secluded parks and stolen moments in the pits during race weekends. It was far from ideal, but the thrill of sneaking around added an extra layer of excitement to our already intense connection.
However, despite our best efforts to keep our relationship under wraps, our secret was bound to be discovered eventually.
In the whirlwind of those two months, Lando inadvertently stumbled upon us once when we were cozying up in Carlos’s garage. Another time, Alexandra caught me with a lovesick smile on my face, gazing at my phone, and her curious nature made it impossible for me to keep our secret from her.
Lando couldn’t help but grin at the sight of us cuddled up together, but he was surprisingly supportive and promised to keep our secret under wraps.
Meanwhile, Alexandra sensed something was up when she saw me glued to my phone, and after some prodding, I couldn’t help but admit the truth. Like Lando, she offered her silent support and assured me she wouldn’t say a word to anyone and especially not to my brother.
But not everything lasted long... .
In the midst of a date with Carlos, we were blissfully unaware that a sneaky paparazzi had captured us in a moment of intimacy. The pictures quickly spread like wildfire on social media, and by the time we returned home, my phone was bombarded with text messages from Alexandra, Charles, and my two other brothers.
Alexandra’s message instructed me to check Instagram, and curiosity piqued, I opened the app, bracing myself for what I was about to see.
As I opened Instagram, my heart sank. There we were, captured in a moment of laughter and affection, clearly revealing our secret relationship for the world to see. I couldn’t help but feel a mix of shock, anxiety, and dread as I stared at the photos. I texted Carlos about it, knowing he still hasn't left from dropping me off and was probably still in his car.
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f1gossippoffical NEW! Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz was spotted with a girl that appeared to be Y/N Leclerc, his teammate Charles Leclerc's younger sister. What do you think about this new couple?
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formulaoneracing_81 Damn what a way to start my day
carlossainz_lover I will pretend like I didn't read this👩‍🦯
maybe_racer_for_rb Nah man how can you date your teammates sister
mariah_piastri81_4ever she doesn't deserve him 🤢
just_formulaone Girl sit your ass down he doesn’t even know you 😒
layli16_nor416 Why are y'all always so involved in others love life? Let people date damn
leclerc_stappen1 For real leave that poor girl alone
no_none_sense14 Probably with him for his money 🙄
my4everredbull_drink Oh yeah because her brother isn't also a rich formula one driver and she hasn't got her own successful boutique. Y'all just saying anything at this point ffs. 🤦‍♀️
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Within minutes, Carlos made his way into my home, his expression mirroring the same shock and disbelief I felt. He saw the panic in my eyes and the phone trembling in my hand. Without a word, he pulled me into a tight embrace, his strong arms encircling me protectively.
He held me close, his chin resting gently on top of my head. "It’s going to be okay," he whispered, his voice soft and reassuring. "We’ll figure this out, together."
I buried my face against his chest, taking comfort in his presence. The weight of the realization that our secret was out now weighed heavy on both of our shoulders.
I took a shaky breath, my voice muffled against his shirt. "What are we going to do now? Everyone’s going to know, and I can only imagine what Charles is going to say."
Carlos tightened his grip around me, his hand gently rubbing soothing circles on my back. "I know it’s scary," he said, his voice steady. "But we’re in this together, remember? We’ll face whatever comes our way, as long as we’re together."
Since the photos had been released, Charles had been calling me nonstop, no doubt having seen the pictures for himself. I could see his name flashing on my phone, but I couldn’t bring myself to answer. The thought of facing his disappointment and anger made me feel sick to my stomach.
As my phone rang again and his name appeared yet again, my heart raced with anxiety. Each time it vibrated on the table, it felt like a ticking time bomb, a reminder of the conversation I knew I had to face eventually.
But for now, I continued to ignore his calls, hoping to find some form of comfort in the silence. The weight of my guilt and fear felt suffocating, but I didn’t know how to face Charles and explain myself.
In the midst of all the chaos and confusion going on inside me, a text message from Alexandra flashed on my phone. I opened it and my eyes immediately widened.
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As I read the text, I suddenly heard a crash, and the door to my room burst open, revealing an enraged Charles standing in the doorway.
His anger seethed through every pore, and his eyes burned with a mixture of shock and disappointment. It was clear he had seen the pictures, and his face was twisted into a scowl as he stormed towards me.
"How could you do this?" He thundered, his voice echoing through the room. "With Carlos, of all people?"
I recoiled at the harshness in his tone, feeling the weight of his disapproval bearing down on me. "Charles," I began, my voice shaky. "Please, let me explain—"
He cut me off, his anger not allowing him to listen. "Explain what? That you've been sneaking around with Carlos for months behind my back? And you never even thought to tell me?"
I struggled to find the words, the panic building inside me. "I didn’t mean for it to happen," I tried to explain. "It just...did. Carlos and I- we- we care about each other. It’s not some meaningless fling."
As Charles's anger escalated, Carlos stepped in between us, attempting to diffuse the situation. "Charles, calm down," he said firmly, his hand on my brother's chest. "Y/N and I have been seeing each other for a while now. We really care about each other."
"Are you serious?" Charles said, his voice low and dangerous. "You knew I didn't want you near her. She's off-limits, Carlos, and you knew that."
Carlos stood his ground, his arm still protectively around me. "I know what you said, but I couldn't help how I felt about her. Neither of us planned on falling for each other, but it happened."
Charles took a deep breath, his gaze switching between me and Carlos. "So how long has this been going on then?"
I fidgeted nervously, knowing that admitting the truth would only add more fuel to the fire. "Two months," I mumbled, avoiding his gaze. "We’ve been dating for two months."
Charles clenched his jaw, the revelation making his anger flare. "Two months," he repeated, his voice laced with frustration. "And you didn’t think to tell me? You kept this from me for months?"
Carlos interjected again, his voice firm but not confrontational. "We wanted to tell you, Charles, but we were worried about how you’d react. We knew you wouldn’t be happy about it."
Charles sneered at him, anger still bubbling just below the surface. "‘Not happy about it’?" he echoed. "You think that’s the only issue here? Carlos, I trusted you as my teammate, and she’s my sister. This is a double betrayal."
As Charles continued to rant, his anger growing with each word, I felt a surge of anger bubbling within me. The way he spoke about Carlos, as if he had zero right to have feelings for me, and the way he saw it as a betrayal, fueled my own anger. I stepped forward, determination in my eyes.
"Stop it, Charles," I snapped, my own voice rising. "You don’t get to dictate who I date or who I fall in love with. You don’t own me."
Charles raised an eyebrow, his anger still burning hot. "Really?" he retorted. "You’re going to talk to me like that? You’re my sister, and I have every right to have a say in who you’re seeing."
I clenched my fists, my own anger now exploding out of control. "No, you don’t," I shot back. "I’ve been trying to keep this secret out of respect for you, but you don’t get to control my love life. I’m not a kid anymore, Charles."
Charles and I continued to argue back and forth, our words becoming more heated and hurtful with each passing moment. My own anger and frustration mixed with a deep sense of sadness and hurt.
Eventually, the argument escalated to a boiling point, and Charles finally left the room, slamming the door behind him. I stood frozen for a moment, my chest heaving with emotion.
Carlos wrapped his arms around me, gently pulling me into his comforting embrace. Tears blurred my vision as I felt the weight of everything that had just happened wash over me.
"It's okay hermosa," he murmured, his voice gentle and calm. "I know that was difficult, but we'll get through this. I'm here for you, no matter what happens."
I felt helpless, Carlos words usually have a comforting effect on me but this time it didn't help. I was so hurt, it felt like I lost my best friend, my brother and all that was left was a broken bond between us.
As a week passed, the tension between Charles and me remained palpable. Every attempt I made to talk to him was met with a cold shoulder and an aloof attitude. The whole situation left me feeling defeated and hopeless.
Our mother, having learned about the situation, had been upset with Charles for his stubborn behavior, but he continued to stand his ground, claiming that I was in the wrong for not telling him about my relationship with Carlos.
My other brothers, Lorenzo and Arthur, had been initially shocked by the news about me and Carlos, but after talking and giving him the "brother talk" and witnessing his genuine care for me, they softened their stance and eventually accepted him into our family. Even Charles's girlfriend, Alexandra, had given Charles a harsh lecture, telling him how immature and childish he was being.
Now, our mother had invited me and Carlos to dinner with the rest of the family, including Charles. The thought of sitting in the same room with him made my stomach churn with anxiety.
As we arrived at my parental home, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Charles sat at the dining table, a defiant look on his face, completely avoiding any eye contact with me or Carlos.
During dinner, an uncomfortable silence had settled over the table. Everyone tried their best to make small talk and engage in casual conversation, but the tension between Charles and me was undeniable.
As the meal came to an end, my mother, as well as my other siblings and Carlos took notice of the strained atmosphere. A collective look of concern passed between them, and they silently came up with a plan to give me and Charles a chance to talk things out.
Our mother looked at Charles and me pointedly. "Looks like we have some dishes and clean-up to do, don't we Charles? You and Y/N can take care of that."
Arthur and Lorenzo exchanged sidelong glances, understanding our mother's plan to leave me and Charles alone. Carlos also knew that me and Charles had some things to solve so he joined the rest.
Charles's face contorted into a scowl as our mother's suggestion sank in. He protested loudly, clearly not wanting to be alone in a room with me.
"Maman, why do I need to do dishes with her?" he complained. "Can't someone else do it instead?"
Maman fixed him with one simple look, Charles huffed and rolled his eyes but knew better than to argue with our mother. He reluctantly got up from his chair and followed me to the kitchen, mumbling under his breath about how unfair it was.
As we stood side by side, silently loading dishes into the dishwasher, I finally found the courage to break the deafening silence that filled the room. I took a deep breath, my chest tightening with the weight of all the unsaid words.
"Charles," I began, my voice soft but firm. "Can we talk?"
Charles paused for a moment, his shoulders tensing at my words. He didn't reply right away, continuing to load the dishes, but I could see the internal struggle written on his face.
I steadied myself, knowing that this conversation was long overdue. "I want to talk about us," I started, my eyes still focused on the dishes. "About what's happened between us since I started dating Carlos."
Charles slammed a plate into the dishwasher, a sharp clatter echoing through the kitchen. "What's there to talk about?" he retorted. "You lied to me, betrayed me by sneaking around with Carlos, and then expected me to just accept it?"
I closed my eyes, my grip on the dish in my hand growing tighter. "I didn't lie to you, Charles," I responded, my voice trembling slightly. "And I didn't sneak around. Carlos and I care about each other, and we have for months. We just didn't tell you because we knew you would react like this."
Charles slammed the dishwasher shut, the noise echoing in the kitchen. "And you were right," he said, his voice laced with anger. "I did react like this because it's wrong, Y/N. You're my sister, and he's my friend and teammate. There are boundaries, and you crossed them."
I turned to face him, my own anger and hurt boiling inside me. "Boundaries? Or control?" I shot back, my voice rising. "Since when do you get to decide who I date and who I fall in love with?"
Charles stepped closer to me, his eyes flashing with anger. "I'm not trying to control you," he snapped. "I'm just trying to look out for you. Carlos is not the right choice, Y/N."
My words came tumbling out, anger fueling my speech. "Carlos is the one who's always been there for me when I needed him. He's the one who understands me better than anyone else, including you. He's the one who's cared for me, supported me, and showed me the depth of his love. So don't try to tell me that he's not right for me."
Charles listened in silence as I continued, my voice gaining strength. I listed all the little ways Carlos had shown his love and care for me, from the small gifts he'd given to the sacrifices he'd made. I described the moments of comfort and understanding he provided, and the genuine connection we shared.
With each passing moment, Charles's expression softened, his anger slowly being replaced by a hint of regret and realization. He listened intently as I spoke, absorbing every word and letting it sink in.
Charles's voice softened, a mixture of emotions playing across his face. "I just want the best for you," he said, his voice quieter now. "Ever since papa passed, I've felt like it's my responsibility to protect you. To look out for you and make sure you're safe and happy."
I felt a pang of sympathy and understanding for my brother, recognizing the sincerity behind his words.
"I understand that you want to protect me, Charles," I replied gently. "But protecting me doesn't mean controlling who I love. It means supporting me and trusting that I know what's best for myself."
Charles let out a deep sigh, rubbing his forehead with his hand. "I guess I just can't stand the thought of anyone hurting you," he admitted, his voice tinged with frustration and vulnerability.
"And I appreciate your concern, but Carlos isn't going to hurt me," I reassured him. "In fact, he's shown me nothing but love and loyalty. You have nothing to worry about when it comes to him."
Charles leaned against the counter, the tension in his shoulders visibly easing. "It's just hard for me to wrap my head around this," he confessed, his voice quieter now. "You're my sister, and I've always watched out for you. And now, suddenly there's this guy who has your heart, and I feel like I've lost you in some way."
I gently placed a hand on his arm, my tone soft and understanding. "You haven't lost me, Charles," I assured him. "I'm still the same person I've always been. Being with Carlos doesn't change that. If anything, it has made me grow and feel even more complete."
After a moment of thoughtful silence, Charles let out a deep sigh. He turned to face me, his expression a mix of acceptance and resignation.
"You know, I don't have to like it, but I guess I can't stop you from loving whoever you want," he said, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
He reached out and pulled me into a tight hug. "Just promise me you'll be careful, okay? And if he hurts you, I swear I'll kick his ass."
I smiled, my heart feeling lighter as I hugged him back. "I promise, I'll be careful," I assured him. "And don't worry, I don't think Carlos has any plans to hurt me, also since Lorenzo and Arthur had that talk with him already."
Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway, and Carlos appeared in the doorway, a curious look on his face.
Charles broke the hug, his expression turning serious. He turned to face Carlos with a scowl, and for a moment, I thought he was going to go back to his protective older brother mode. But instead, he surprised both me and Carlos.
"Alright, Carlos," he said, folding his arms across his chest. "We need to have a little talk."
Carlos exchanged a glance with me, his expression a mix of confusion and slight concern. "Uh, sure," he replied, cautiously walking towards us.
Charles crossed his arms, looking Carlos up and down. "I just want to make one thing clear," he began, his voice stern. "If you hurt my sister in any way, I will make your life miserable. Do you understand me?"
Carlos chuckled nervously, his hands raised in a surrendering gesture. "Yeah, yeah, I hear you loud and clear," he said, his smile strained. "I have no intention of hurting her. I care about her deeply."
Charles let out a stifled laugh, breaking the serious facade for a moment. "Relax, man," he said, patting Carlos on the back. "Just wanted to make sure you got the message."
Carlos relaxed, letting out a nervous chuckle. "I got it, loud and clear."
Charles, feeling satisfied with his conversation with Carlos, excused himself from the kitchen, leaving us alone.
As the door closed behind him, the room fell into a comfortable silence. I turned to face Carlos, a soft smile playing on my lips.
"Well, that was quite a scene," I teased, moving closer to him. "I can't believe my brother just gave you the brother talk."
Carlos chuckled, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me closer. "Yeah, I was half expecting him to threaten me with his hockey stick or something," he joked, a playful grin on his face.
I laughed, resting my head against his chest. "Thankfully, he didn't go that far," I mused, enjoying the warmth of his embrace. "But I think he's finally starting to realize that we're serious about each other."
"I think he got the message," Carlos agreed, tightening his grip on me. "He's just protective because he cares about you."
Carlos and I stood there in the kitchen, wrapped in each other's arms, enjoying the quiet intimacy of the moment. Without a word, he gently lifted my chin, his gaze locking onto mine.
His hand gently traced the contour of my face, his touch sending shivers down my spine. A soft smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he leaned closer, his breath caressing my skin.
Slowly, his lips found mine in a tender kiss, his lips moving against mine with a sweet, familiar rhythm. His arms enveloped me fully, pulling me flush against his body, as if trying to merge us into one.
Just as we were fully engrossed in the tender moment, the door swung open with a bang, and Charles burst into the room, a mock scowl on his face.
"Hey! No PDA, you two! At least not when I'm present." he exclaimed, attempting to sound strict with his disgusted face.
I rolled my eyes at him. Soon maman entered the room just in time to witness Charles' dramatic entrance. She gave him a disapproving look and promptly grabbed him by the ear, scolding him in a playful manner.
"Charles, what did I tell you about interrupting?" she scolded, tugging on his ear. "Give them some space!"
Charles winced, his face contorting in a mixture of pain and embarrassment. "Ow! Maman, come on!" he protested, trying to wriggle out of her grip. "I was just messing around!"
As Charles was dragged out of the room, still protesting and rubbing his sore ear, Carlos and I shared a laugh at his expense.
Once we composed ourselves, Carlos turned back to me, an affectionate smile playing on his lips. "So, where were we?" he asked, his hands finding my waist again.
I melted into his touch, our laughter subsiding as the mood grew warmer once more. I wrapped my arms around his neck, our bodies now pressed close together.
"Right here," I murmured, my voice soft and intimate. "Exactly where we should be."
With our bodies pressed together and our hearts beating in unison, our eyes met. A soft smile tugged at the corners of my lips, and the words spilled from my mouth in a gentle whisper.
"I love you," I said, my voice filled with sincerity and warmth.
Carlos' eyes lit up as he heard my confession, a warm smile stretching across his face. He caressed my cheek gently, his touch sending shivers down my spine.
"I love you too mi amor," he replied, his voice filled with tenderness and conviction. "More than you know."
After all what happened we continued our whirlwind romance without a care in the world. Sure, Charles would occasionally play the part of a protective brother and make sarcastic comments about us being "disgustingly cute," but deep down, we knew he just wanted us to be happy.
And no matter how many times he barged in on us when we had some alone time, or how frequently he made fun of us for being cheesy, I wouldn't trade our love for anything in the world.
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yourusername Date with mi amor
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carlossainz55 Mon amour
yourusername Te amo
charles_leclerc Get this off my feed
yourusername Scroll you imbécile
alexandrasaintmleux Behave Charles
charles_leclerc 😔
arthur_leclerc Disgustingly cute 🤢
yourusername All I see is jealousy
alexandrasaintmleux So so cute 🤍
yourusername Big kiss for you 🫶
f1_chns_81 Quick everybody act surprised!
ham81lewicar We should've known by the amount of times Carlos was under her post
chrl_lewis_merc I really want to know what Charles reaction was after finding out
ff_love_rb For real. I would pay to be a fly on their wall to know what happened
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carlossainz55 Now she's more at my side of the garage. I won 🙌
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yourusername Je t’aime amour ❤️ by author
charles_leclerc You're lucky I'm in a different country right now.
landonorris Now I can finally brag that I was the first one that knew
charles_leclerc HE KNEW???!!!
yourusername No comment.
waghouse_f1 They're so cute omg
carlosxosc_lover I'm just here for the Charles and Carlos beef
bb_f1_lover Same
hana_formula1_news Same
verstappen4ever1 Same
lestappen_united Same
landonorris Same
charles_leclerc @landonorris ???
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downbadf0rficppl · 1 year ago
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always been you
Poe Dameron x F!Reader
Summary: Miscommunications happen. Less so when you work in communications, but they happen.
Word Count: 4.8K
Warnings: Slight blood warning, a smidge of angst, and a handful of smut :)
Repost
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Home meant different things to different people. To some, it meant green rolling hills and the sound of wild animals running through the forests, some hunting, some hiding. To some, it looked more like the cold cityscapes of somewhere like Corellia or Daiyu - where day could be night and night could be day because the city never slept. More like the planet never slept.
To you, home meant a dark room in the back of the compound on D'Qar, where you sat for hours on end. It meant the whirring of plane engines and the whooshing of blast doors. It meant ration meals and celebrating when there were enough jogan fruits in season to make jogan fruitcake. It meant the constant fear that someone you loved may not come home.
You had grown up on Dantooine, maintaining the old rebel base there with your father - an ex-pilot with the rebellion. He'd taught you all about the world of space flight and you'd decided early on that maybe you preferred the ground. Oh, the irony.
At 19, you moved to Coruscant - under no threat from enemies, the base on Dantooine was not needed. You moved away to find a job that could give a life of comfort. Maybe you just needed some excitement in your life that didn't involve exploding wires or stealing your dad's glasses.
When General Organa started recruiting for the resistance, you were one of the first ones there. You distanced yourself from your father's legacy, not wanting the pressure of being someone's someone to be held over your head.
You settled into the anonymity of comms comfortably, making decent friends with your co-workers.
Days came and went working for the resistance. Soon enough, you'd been for a year, and then 2, and then it had been so long since you'd left Dantooine that you could barely remember what your life was like there.
The cantina was empty when you walked in. To your knowledge, black and blue squadrons were out on a field mission, but no one else was in sight. You walked around the base, looking for any signs of life. Dear Maker, had they all evacuated and forgotten about you.
You walked over to the med wing, hoping to see someone. And you saw, well, everyone. Apparently, half of those on base had come down with food poisoning. Wonderful.
You were called in to speak with General Organa, who assigned you double and triple shifts, considering you were the only one of 6 comms officers who hadn't come down with food poisoning. Wonderful.
You had spent all day, without rest, in comms, checking data logs for gold squadron, assisting in decoding transmission, and helping base mechanics with routine repairs. Essentially a normal day in the office, but six-fold the responsibilities. You went to bed, with your head swimming with responsibilities for the next day - hopefully, someone would be able to help you.
You woke up to the sound of your alarm blaring loudly. You groggily headed to the cantina for a cup of Caf before heading back to comms.
You picked some undecoded transmissions, before starting on some reports for General Organa. You barely had enough time to stop for a meal, grabbing the first thing you could see before heading back to comms.
Black and Blue squadron were currently MIA. They had radioed in earlier in the morning saying they were ok without radio connection while there was a shortage of comms officers. Still, it didn't mean you weren't worried about them.
"Black Leader to Base, come in."
You scrambled over to your headset and plugged it into the system, "Alpha 4 to Black Leader, you're a go for Base. What seems to be the problem?"
"We're running low on fuel, any republic supporters in the outer rim?" Poe's voice came through as you tried to lock on to his location.
"Where you are, the chances are slim, Black Leader." You sighed, as his location pops up on the screen. He was so far in the Outer Rim, where so many remained Empire supporters. Even with many ports on neighbouring planets, there were few ways that they could make it out of them safely.
You had an idea. "Black Leader, can you make a single jump."
"Just about."
"I'll send the coordinates, get ready to jump."
While Black and Blue Squadron jumped, you connected another line.
"Hi, dad."
"Hi, sweetheart." Your father's tired voice rang through the headset, "What can I do for you?"
"I'm sorry to bother you, dad-"
"It's ok, sweetheart. What do you need?"
"I have 2 squadrons that need fuel. Any chance you could help?"
"Of course, sweetheart. In fact, I've just seen them enter the atmosphere."
"Thanks, dad. Love you."
"I love you too."
Your dad cut the line to go and help the pilots. You swallowed the lump in your throat. You always felt guilty asking your father for help. He never quite knew how to say no.
You stayed up well into the early hours of the morning, signing off paperwork and compiling mission reports for Captain Dameron and Captain Wexley to sign off on.
In fact, you had worked so late that you heard Black and Blue Squadron's land the next morning. You heard them raucously walk through the halls to the cantina. You sighed. A small break wouldn't do any harm, right?
Wrong. As soon as you got up, a beeping from your headset rang through the room. General Holdo needed some data to do with her mission, so you were back to sifting through mission reports to send her what she needed.
By the time, you had signed off with her, Jak (one of your fellow comms officers) strolled into comms.
He ruffled your hair affectionately, "You're a legend, four."
You had known Jak since your days on Coruscant. You had shared an apartment when you were new to the city and he really showed you the ropes. You probably wouldn't be as trusted by the resistance as you were, had it not been for Jak.
"How are you feeling?" You asked, eyes still trained on the screen.
"I'm fine." He settled down next to you, grabbing a headset, "You, on the other hand, have seen better days. Maker, have you even looked at yourself in the mirror!"
You punched him in the arm, "My name's not Captain I-cannot-survive-without-my-mirrors Dameron." He feigned an injury, falling onto the floor and hollering in pain. The delirium of sleep deprivation was getting you, as you doubled over in fits of giggles, tears streaming down your face.
In fact, you were laughing so hard, you didn't even hear Captain Dameron walk in.
"What's so funny?" He said, walking in and clapping Jak on the back. The two of you looked at each other, and burst into more fits of giggles. "You know what, I'm just not going to ask." Jak handed him the stack of papers that you had left for him to sign off.
Dameron walked out with the sheets, and you stood up to stretch your back. "You should get some food in you," Jak nods towards the Cantina, "I can hold the fort down until you get back."
The cantina is practically empty when you walk in, and you grab a sandwich before heading back to comms. What greets you is a relieving sight. Two of the other comms officers have returned to comms.
"You look rough," Drex said, nursing a healing tonic from med bay. Clearly, they were still suffering the after-effects of the food poisoning.
"So, I've been told," you elbowed Jak in the ribs as he laughed heartily. You sat down and returned to the paperwork you had left behind. A connection came in, which Jak responded to immediately.
After a beat, he beckoned you over, handing you the headset, "It's your favourite. Captain Dameron."
You let out a huff, before putting the headset on. You sat down.
"Alpha 4 for Black Leader, you're a go."
"Well, hello, my new favourite comms officer. How are you on this fine morning?" He said, smugness colouring his tone as he prepared to take off.
"I hope you aren't trying to flirt with me, Poe?" You smirked through your question.
"Oh, I am. I most definitely am." Poe laughed.
"How unfortunate for you." Poe laughed again.
You led him through his routine surveillance trip, making funny quips throughout. Poe responds almost exclusively through chortles and guffaws.
"How come I've never actually spoken to you on base?"
"I don't know, maybe because you've always got one of those pretty girls on your arm?"
"Oh, you're real pretty, Alpha 4, just gotta give me a chance, hun." Poe thought you were pretty.
You laugh again, "In your dreams, Captain."
There was a beat of silence, before Poe piped up, "someone special at home?" You swallow guiltily.
Ever since you first met Poe, you had been head over heels in love with him. Sure he was good-looking, and his reputation in the bedroom preceded him, but beyond that, he was charming, funny, and he cared. About everyone. Not just his superiors, or his friends, but even stupid kids who had no idea what they were doing when they landed on base.
You thought of his face, his beautifully warm brown eyes, his stupidly floppy hair, "Yeah, someone real special. I'm just hoping he'll give me a chance back on base."
"He'd be stupid not to."
"You're just saying that."
"I mean it, 4, he'd have to be blind to not see what a catch you are." You can tell by Poe's tone that he is being genuine.
"Thanks, Poe, you're clear to return to base. See on the other side."
You hear Poe land as you head back to your room. He calls your name as he is walking.
"Hey, 4, wait up!" You wait patiently as he, and BB8, catch up to you. "About this guy."
"Poe, let it go."
"I'm serious, 4. I can help you get that date."
"No, I mean it, Poe. Let it go. You can't help me here." You stare straight into his eyes. Big mistake. You get lost easily, wanting to let the warmth cocoon you into a false safety until the rest of eternity.
You shake yourself back to reality, walking away from him and leaving him confused and annoyed.
Days pass, and you find that Poe has pushed himself further and further away from you. You were still his chosen comms officer, but he avoided you on the base. You felt bad. He'd practically confessed that he thought you were pretty and you'd turned him away, letting him believe that there was someone you were pining after. Even though that person was Poe.
You had tried to talk to Poe before he went on a mission alone to Coruscant, but he walked away, feigning that he was busy. He even deflected your questions in the air, and turned his transmission signal off when he got to Coruscant. You were fuming.
How dare he put himself in danger with no chance of backup?
Realistically, your anger wasn't anger at all. You were worried for Poe. Even if he wasn't your Poe.
You vowed to have that conversation with him when he returned.
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Poe couldn't stop thinking about you. He hadn't since he first spoke to you about 6 months ago. Before that, he just thought you were pretty. But once he realised that, not only were you beautiful, but you were also smart and had a sarcasm to match his, well he was a goner.
When you told him, that there was someone else, he saw red. He wanted to put his first through the fucker's face, but goddammit, he would do anything to help you.
So he offered to help you get that date. It was a mostly harmless offer, and he didn't really expect you to take him up on it, but he put it out there nonetheless.
What he didn't expect was for you to raise your voice and storm away. He was shocked.
He figured he overstepped some undrawn boundary, and he felt guilty. So he tried to give you space, give you distance. He'd give you anything if you even mentioned it once. But, jealousy took over his previously well-intentioned thoughts. If you wanted someone else, fine, you could have them. But Poe couldn't watch you get them.
He didn't want to take the mission on Coruscant. He wasn't a spy, he was a flamboyant and show-off-y pilot. But he didn't want to see you in another man's arms. So he took it.
That was what landed him in his current predicament: tied to a chair in the basement of one Zek Shadej - an ex-smuggler who turned to an arms dealership for the higher paycheck.
Zek slaps Poe. He demands, once again, to know what a pilot for the Resistance is doing at a gala for the low lives of the galaxy. He didn't word it that way but the sentiment still stands. Poe says nothing, just spitting a mixture of blood and saliva at Zek's shoes. Zek curses and heads to the door: "I'm done with him. Dispose of him."
The guards left in the room stalk toward him, blasters unsheathed and ready to fire. Poe uses the pin you gave him to cut through the ropes binding his hands.
It was his fifth birthday on base, he reckoned. With different systems, and different lengths of orbits, it was hard to know for sure, but he knew the rest of Black Squadron were planning his celebration for today. So he remained in bed, lying on top of the sheets, head propped up on his arm.
A gentle knock rang through his room. He'd told the person to come in, and you did. Armed with a giddy smile and a small wrapped package. Poe had no idea where you had found wrapping paper, or why you would buy him a present but here you were.
"Jess said it was your birthday today. Thought I'd give you something neat." You said, approaching him nervously. He swung his legs and sat upright, pulling your arm so you were standing right in front of him. He looks up at you through his eyelashes, taking in your kind face. You and Poe were hardly friends, but how he wished you could be more.
"So, what did you get for me, pretty girl?" Poe rests his callous hardened hands on your hips - he liked the feel of your soft skin under his palms. He also liked how sensitive you were to his touch - your flushed expression and lust-filled gaze confirmed it.
You handed him the small parcel, "I hope you like it."
He takes it from you, pulling you to sit beside him. He opens it with careful hands to find a small pin. A Yavin Parakeet. Poe's favourite bird.
"They used to symbolise freedom. Like you do." You whispered the last part.
Poe had never wanted to kiss you so much.
Poe threw the chair he had been sitting on at one of the guards. He landed on the floor with a loud groan, his blaster skidding to a halt at Poe's feet. It was Poe's lucky day.
He shot the other 2 guards, dashing out of the basement onto the catering floor. He escaped through a back door, a few of the staff giving his bloody face and dishevelled appearance a double look. He sprinted through the streets to a docking station a few miles east. Zek sent a few men after him, but Poe was smart, and he knew Coruscant well. He dodged the men, and fired up his X-wing. He had Leia's intel safely stored in his shirt pocket.
His X-wing was severely damaged - his landing gear compromised and the transmission antenna bent at an awkward angle. He took off precariously - he knew he'd have to stop somewhere to fix the ship and refuel. He remembered the old outpost on Dantooine. Your dad's outpost.
He lightspeed jumped into the sector, breaking through the atmosphere mere seconds later. The landing was rough and he saw your father running towards the ship, blaster raised.
"Come out, slowly and unarmed. Do anything I don't like the look of, and I shoot."
"It's me. It's Poe. I came by a couple of days ago. I promise I mean no harm."
The old man lowered his blaster. He tucked his shoulder under Poe and helped him inside, "Let's get you looked at, son." Despite the pain, Poe smiled. Son. He liked that.
Your father patched Poe up, offering him a nice meal and a shower. While Poe cleaned up, your father called you.
"Hey, dad, what can I do for you?" You respond, your brain still focussed on the transmissions you were decoding.
"I wouldn't call if it wasn't necessary-"
"I know, Dad. What do you need?"
"I got one of your guys," your ears pricked up, "and his ship is damaged. I need to know how to fix it. Think you can help?"
"Yeah, of course. I don't remember sending anyone your way though, think you can tell me who it is?"
Your dad grunts as he climbs up the ladder, radio tucked under his chin, "yeah, it's the pretty boy from a few days ago. The captain. Can't remember his name."
"It's Dameron. Who're you talking to?" Poe comes out wiping his hands on a towel. Despite this man being your father, years in the resistance had warned him against trusting strangers.
"My daughter. She's telling me how to fix your ship."
"4? I wouldn't trust her anywhere near my ship."
"I heard that you know," you laughed. You brought up the specs for the X-wing, "I'll send you a copy of the spec - that's probably more useful than anything I have to say."
Your dad laughed and you sent him the specs.
"Good luck, boys," you ended the transmission.
The rest of the day was spent fixing the ship. Poe and your dad made good small talk - they were both pilots. They had a lot in common. They also both loved you. They had that in common too.
"Go clean up, Poe. I'll make us dinner." Your father said, standing up and heading toward the kitchen. Poe smiled. He liked this life.
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Poe was back on base by nightfall the next day. You waited for him as he got checked up on in med, and then you walked with him to his room. The silence was deafening.
You followed him into his room, watched his every movement. He milled about, putting on clean clothes, washing his hands, and combing through his hair. His whole body was still tensed up from the mission - you wanted to stop him, hug him, do something. But you couldn't. He didn't want you near him. He was angry at you, and rightfully so.
"Your dad's nice." You looked up at him. Poe still had his back turned, but his shoulder had relaxed. You wanted to run your fingers down his back. "Peculiar, but nice."
You smiled softly, "He's lonely. Not that fun living on an abandoned base in the middle of nowhere."
Poe sat down on his chair, and you walked towards him. You placed your hands on his shoulder, gently soothing the knots out of his muscles. He leaned his head back, a low moan of satisfaction left his throat. The sound went straight through your body, eliciting shivers.
"Talk to me. Tell me what went wrong," you whispered in his ear, not wanting to break the calmness that swept through the room.
Poe shook his head, bringing you in front of him. He leaned his head against your stomach, hands coming to rest at your hips. You tangled your fingers in his hair, and he grunted in appreciation. You shivered again.
He chuckled, "you like that?" Your face blushed a bright red. Poe laughed again, before leaning to kiss your stomach. He kissed up through the valley in between your breasts, and up your neck. He stayed there for a minute, nipping and suckling at your neck, before making his way to your face.
He was fully standing now, his hands moved to your face, and he gently dotted kisses everywhere. Your cheeks. Your eyes, which had fallen shut at his ministrations. Your forehead, then your chin. He kissed the sides of your lips, and you let out a soft moan, begging for more.
"Greedy, are we?" He asked, his voice much lower than before. You opened your eyes to see a smug grin painted on his face. You didn't care.
You grabbed his face and brought his lips to yours. It seems he got the memo because as soon as his lips touched yours, he took over. His tongue slipped into your mouth and stroked yours gently.
He tapped your thigh gently, a signal to jump, and he carried you over to his bed, depositing you on the edge gently, dislodging his lips from yours. He knelt down in front of the bed, pulling your closer to him by your legs.
"Tell me to stop." He looked up at you, his pupils blown wide, as he took your dishevelled appearance in. Like a predator looks at his prey.
"Please don't."
He pulled your boots and cargo pants off, kissing up your legs. The arousal pooled between your legs, and you moan.
"So fucking wet, and I haven't even touched you yet." You whine pathetically, trying to pull Poe closer to where you want him. He just laughs.
"Bet the other guy couldn't do this to you. That's why you need me, ain't that right?" You whine again, "Need me to take care of you, baby girl, ain't that right?"
"Please, Poe."
"Please what, baby girl? What do you need?" Poe whispers, cheekiness glinting in his eyes.
"Please, fuck me, Poe." He smiled.
"As you wish."
He pulled your underwear down your legs and stared enamoured between your trembling things, "Such a pretty fucking pussy."
You threw your head back as he dove face-first into your folds. He kissed your mound lightly, before rubbing soothing circles around your clit. You buck up, the pleasure unlike any you've ever known, and Poe presses a hand onto your abdomen, locking you in place.
"Don't deprive me of my meal, honey," He whispers into your pussy.
He continues his assault, testing the waters of what you did and didn't like. You liked when he went fast, when he went slow, you got impatient. Maybe it was time to teach you some patience. But the low whines and moans were too much for Poe to bear. Soon your thighs were clamped around his head as you let out a loud moan, and you came undone under his touch. He lapped up every last bit of your release as if he'd been left in the deserts of Jakku without any water for years. And the moans. Oh Maker, his moans. You thought it impossible for a man to enjoy himself that much. But from the way he gripped your thighs, and pulled his body in further, you could tell he never wanted to pull away.
You laid limp on the bed as Poe stood up, and peeled his clothes off his body. You stared shamelessly. It wasn't the first time you'd seen Poe shirtless, but you'd barred yourself from staring then. Now it was allowed.
He smiled at your shameless ogling, and grabbed your hand, pulling you to stand up, pressed against him. You could feel his still-clothed cock, pushing into your abdomen, and you could feel it throbbing at the contact. You sunk down onto your knees, hands fiddling with his zipper.
He pulled you away and shook his head. "Not now."
He pushes you back onto the bed and crawls over you, his lips reconnecting to yours. He had unzipped his pants and kicked off his boots, leaving a pile on the floor.
"Tell me if it hurts." Poe kisses under your jaw before pushing inside.
Holy Maker, he's big.
His cock stretches you out deliciously. He pushes into you until he's settled within you and waits for you to adjust. The initial pain fades into pleasure and soon you're begging for him to move.
"You sound so pretty when you beg, baby. Bet you wouldn't beg for anyone else." Nevertheless, he moves.
He starts slow, getting used to feeling you around him. You want more.
"Please, Poe. Faster. Please, please, please." You beg him, screams ripping through your throat.
He picks up the pace, relentless now. Fast and hard. The room filled with the sounds of skin slapping skin, mixed together with both your moans. You feel the pressure building up and your moans get louder. Poe chased his own release as you got closer and closer to the edge.
"Poe, I'm gonna... gonna come. Please, Poe..." Poe slowed down a fraction, pulling you further from the edge. You whined pathetically.
"Tell me you're mine. Only mine." You smiled through your lust-induced haze.
"Only yours, Poe. Always yours." He picked up the pace again, and the coil begins to tighten. Poe's moans push you over the edge, and you cum hard. So hard that your whole body feels electrified, your toes curling in pleasure. Poe fucks you through your high, turning your entire body to jelly. He pulls out and shoots his ropes over your body.
You smile. You lift a finger up to your chest and lick Poe's cum off your chest, moaning at the taste. The filth of the act clearly affected Poe, as his eyes closed in pleasure. He moaned lowly, grabbing your hands and pressing kisses to them. You closed your eyes, falling back onto the bed.
Poe disappeared into the refresher, grabbing a clean towel and dampening it, before returning to clean you up. You looked confused. No one had ever done that for you before. He wiped your chest and between your thighs, before carrying you to the bathroom. You washed your face and brushed your teeth with one of the spare toothbrushes in Poe's refresher, before heading back out.
Poe was gone.
You were confused, given that he had changed his sheets and left you a spare t-shirt and pair of boxers to change into. You sat down on the edge of his bed, stretching your legs, a pleasant ache settling between them. Where the hell could he have gone?
A few seconds late, someone knocked, "Are you decent?" Poe.
"Yeah, come in." You stood up, shuffling your feet. Poe walked in, shirt almost completely undone, carrying 2 bottles of water from the cantina. Your heart almost burst.
He opened one of the bottles handing it to you, before leading you back to bed. You took a few sips, the coldness soothing your throat that was raw from screaming.
He laid back on his bed and beckoned your closer to him. You curled into his arms and reached up to fiddle with his hair. You both sat in silent reverie - taking in each other's company.
"Will I see you again?" Poe broke the silence timidly, running a knuckle over your cheek.
"You see me every day, Poe," You tease him gently, "You see me in the corridors, and in the cantina, and sometimes even after you get back from a mission." Poe slapped your ass, causing you to burst into laughter. He pulls you closer to his body.
"I mean it. Is this just a one-time thing? Given your - um - crush on the other guy?" You stay silent, "Is he a pilot? Is that why you're not telling me?" You nod your head, trying to hide your smile. You felt bad for not telling him, but it was funny.
"He's a pilot. But that's not why I'm not telling you." Poe frowns, creases appearing between his eyebrows.
"Is he a superior officer? Does he live on base?"
You decide to keep teasing him, "Yeah, he's a Captain." You look into Poe's eyes. "He's definitely my favourite person on base." Poe's frown turns into a scowl.
"He has the most beautiful brown eyes and the most amazing hair that I always want to run my fingers through," You tangle your hair in his, pulling it just the way he likes. "He's cocky, and he's so sexy. And he knows that he's sexy too." Poe tries pushing you away, rolling from his side to his back, but you just cling to him tighter. You place a kiss on his jaw and then on his ear.
"Why are you here, then? In my bed? In my clothes?" He says, jealousy and annoyance evident in his voice. You feel bad.
"You wanna know his name?"
"Not really. Then I'd know who I wanna punch, but I still wouldn't be able to do it."
"I don't really think it's possible to punch yourself." Poe turns to face you, the jealousy in his eyes fading into hope.
"What?" You just smile. "You love me?"
"I didn't lie, Poe. I'm yours. Always yours." He kisses you, hard, not giving you any space to breathe.
"You're not just saying that," He breathes, pulling away just enough to speak. You reconnect your lips to his, and he pulls you on top of him, your thighs around his torso. You look deep into his eyes, his pupils so dilated as if he couldn't get enough of you.
"It's always been you."
fin.
buy me a coffee
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soleilpinto · 2 months ago
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Cruising in Papaya: Sparks at the Starting Line ˚‧。⋆🍁
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“Life’s Better on Saturn ” ˙✧˖° ༘ ⋆。˚ (Saturn, SZA)
Synopsis: Y/N Laurant, a glamorous socialite, meets Lando Norris during a race weekend, sparks fly between the two, but as their feelings deepen, they struggle to balance their secret relationship with their public lives, all while navigating the pressure of the fast-paced F1 scene.
Genre: (Some) Angst, Fluff, Romance
AU: Social Media and Written!au
Pairing: Lando x Afab!Socialite!Reader
Warnings: None
Notes: Welcome to the start of my brand new Lando smau that I can’t wait to work on! The Franco one got really good feedback so I thought why not work on this as well? I hope you guys enjoy reading! As always, don’t forget to like + reblog as a form of support to me and other writers.
Cruising in Papaya Masterlist. (Prev./Next.)
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laurant.yn upper east sider goes downtown
littlefoxhermes gorgeous girl x
— laurant.yn says you omg
ivygetty 💋
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@gridglamore y/n laurant is all smiles in the paddock today. if she’s the new face of f1 weekends, i’m here for it
@formula1glam why does y/n laurant showing up to an f1 race feel like the start of a scandal waiting to happen? 😂
@racingteatime the way y/n laurant blends into the paddock like she’s been there forever… is she about to become an f1 staple or what?
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The Miami sun glints off the mirrored glass of the paddock buildings as you step out of the car, your heels clicking softly on the pavement.
Dressed in a breezy white linen dress with delicate gold accents, you feel the Florida heat wrap around you.
A light breeze tousles your hair as you adjust your oversized sunglasses, scanning the bustling paddock.
It’s not your usual scene, but you’re here on assignment—filming content for Richard Mille, one of the sport's luxury sponsors.
As you make your way to the designated filming area, the hum of engines fills the air, a sound both foreign and thrilling.
You don’t know much about Formula 1—just enough to recognize the intensity around you. But you’re not here for the cars; you’re here to do your job with the same grace and precision expected of you in any setting.
Inside the hospitality suite, a member of the Richard Mille team walks you through the schedule.
Your first task is a video shoot showcasing their latest timepiece, shot against the vibrant energy of the Miami paddock.
“We’ll head to the pit lane for the second segment,” they explain, and you nod with a polite smile, even as you internally wonder what, exactly, a pit lane is.
When you’re introduced to a McLaren staff member who’ll escort you around the paddock, you greet them warmly, extending a hand.
“Thank you so much for helping me today,” you say, your tone sincere.
They seem momentarily taken aback by your elegance but quickly recover, leading you toward the garage.
The crew captures footage of you walking gracefully through the paddock, pausing to greet staff and smile for the camera. A mechanic hands you a small, futuristic-looking object.
“This is the steering wheel,” he says with a grin.
“Oh, wow,” you reply, carefully holding it.
“I had no idea they were so compact. It’s incredible how much goes into this.”
Your genuine interest catches him off guard, and he starts explaining the intricacies of the wheel while the cameras roll. You listen intently, nodding at the right moments, grateful for the impromptu lesson.
Later, you’re seated elegantly on the pit wall, the Miami skyline shimmering in the background. The cars roar past, and you can’t help but jump slightly at the noise.
“I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to that,” you admit to the assistant beside you, flashing an apologetic smile.
As you step into the McLaren hospitality suite, the last of the day’s filming wraps up. The sun is starting to set, casting a warm glow over the paddock.
Your team moves quickly, gathering equipment and talking through the final shots of the day. You’re grateful for the calm moments now, as the noise and energy of the paddock begin to settle.
Just as you’re about to sit down with a refreshing drink, the McLaren social media team approaches.
“We’d love to get a few more candid moments with the drivers,” one of the team members says.
“Lando and Oscar are available for some content, and we thought we could get a group shot with you—would you be open to that?” You nod graciously.
“Of course, I’d love to,” you say, your smile effortless.
The social media manager gives you a quick rundown of the plans, and soon enough, Lando and Oscar approach, both wearing their team kits, looking sharp but casual in a way only drivers can manage.
Oscar, ever the charming one, greets you first.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Y/N. I’ve seen you around the paddock, but we haven’t really had a chance to talk.” He extends his hand, and you shake it, giving him a warm smile.
“I’ve been so caught up with the filming, but it’s lovely to meet you as well, Oscar,” you reply, your voice calm and kind, a steady presence amid the chaotic energy of the paddock.
Lando arrives moments later, his usual smile wide but carrying a certain twinkle in his eyes. He greets you with a casual wave, but his gaze lingers for just a moment longer than usual.
You catch his eye and offer a friendly smile, completely unaware of the subtle tension building in the air.
“So, are we ready to film some magic?” Oscar says, trying to lighten the mood, his grin contagious.
You agree, letting the social media team direct you into position, arranging you, Lando, and Oscar for the group shots.
The team starts rolling, and as the cameras flash, Lando notices the way you stand, the ease with which you interact with everyone around you.
The way you talk, with that grace, without a hint of pretension. It’s nothing like what he’s used to, and yet, there’s something magnetic about you.
He can’t quite place it, but something in the way you laugh softly at Oscar’s jokes has him drawn in.
After the photos are done, the social media manager suggests a candid video of all three of you chatting.
You start discussing the race, asking them about their preparations, but Lando can’t focus on the questions. He’s too intrigued by how poised and composed you are, even in this chaotic environment.
Your voice is calm and thoughtful, and the way you listen to him intently makes him feel like the only person in the room.
“You know, it’s refreshing talking to someone who’s not trying to get the inside scoop or, you know, make a headline,” Lando says with a half-smile.
“You’re just... easy to talk to.”
You smile at the compliment, your eyes meeting his, and you simply respond, “I think it’s important to just enjoy the moment, don’t you?”
The sincerity in your voice hits him in a way he didn’t expect, and for a second, he forgets that he’s still wearing his bright orange team kit, surrounded by cameras and flashing lights.
There’s just you—graceful and effortlessly charming—and Lando can’t help but feel a shift in his chest.
Oscar, noticing the sudden tension between you two, steps in with a lighthearted comment to break the silence.
“Lando, I didn’t know you were such a deep thinker,” he teases.
You both laugh, and the atmosphere lightens again, but Lando can’t shake the pull he feels toward you.
As the social media team wraps up, you thank them for the experience, your tone polite but warm.
“It was fun working with you both,” you say, your gaze moving between Oscar and Lando, but it lingers on Lando just a moment longer.
Lando watches you walk away, your posture elegant even as you turn toward your team.
There’s something about you—something beyond the surface level—that keeps pulling him in, and he finds himself wondering just how much more there is to you than what meets the eye.
“Are you okay, mate?” Oscar asks, noticing the way Lando’s gaze follows you.
Lando blinks and clears his throat, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah, yeah... just thinking about what she said. She’s got a good vibe.”
Oscar raises an eyebrow but doesn’t push it.
“Sure, mate. Whatever you say.”
But Lando’s thoughts are elsewhere, and the idea of seeing you again keeps running through his mind. He knows it’s only a matter of time before you cross paths again.
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You set your phone down, a soft smile tugging at your lips.
This was your first glimpse into the fast-paced world of motorsport, and you couldn’t say you minded—not when the Lando Norris was already charming you in ways one could only dream about.
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lando WWE FUCKIJG DID IT. P1 🏆
oscarpiastri well done man 👏 👏 👏
georgerussell63 Congrats mate!!
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The crowd erupts into cheers as Lando crosses the finish line, taking the checkered flag and claiming victory at the Miami Grand Prix.
You find yourself clapping along with everyone else in the garage, swept up in the electric energy of the moment.
The roar of the fans, the team celebrating in the pit lane, and the sight of Lando standing atop his car with his arms raised in triumph—it’s all so overwhelming and surreal.
You’re not entirely sure why you feel so proud. You barely know him.
But as you watch him soak in the cheers, helmet in hand and grin wide enough to light up the entire paddock, you can’t help but feel a tug of admiration.
After the podium ceremony and the champagne celebrations, you find yourself in the McLaren hospitality suite, where the post-race buzz is in full swing.
Lando enters a few minutes later, his race suit unzipped to his waist, hair still damp from the champagne.
He’s surrounded by team members congratulating him, and you hesitate for a moment before stepping forward.
“Lando!” you call out, your voice cutting through the hum of conversation. He turns toward you, his eyes lighting up when he sees you.
“Y/N,” he says, making his way over, his smile as bright as ever. “Did you enjoy the race?”
You nod, a genuine smile spreading across your face.
“It was incredible. Congratulations! That was an amazing drive—you really earned it.”
“Thanks,” he replies, his tone warm but casual. “First time at an F1 race, and you get to see me win. Not bad, huh?”
You laugh softly, shaking your head.
“Not bad at all. You set the bar pretty high, though—I don’t know if any other race will compare now.”
His grin widens, but there’s a flicker of something softer in his expression, something that lingers as he looks at you.
“I’m glad you were here to see it,” he says, his voice quieter now, almost as if the chaos around you has faded into the background.
The moment stretches just long enough for you both to notice it. Your smile falters slightly, not from discomfort, but from the realization that this feels... different.
You were here for work, for a brand, for a world you didn’t belong to, but somehow, this feels like more.
“Well,” you say, breaking the silence with a soft laugh, “I should let you get back to celebrating. I just wanted to say congratulations.”
“Wait,” Lando says quickly, as if he doesn’t want the moment to end. He hesitates for a second before adding, “Thank you. Really. It means a lot.”
You meet his gaze, and for a fleeting moment, it feels like there’s an unspoken understanding between you.
Maybe this isn’t just a fleeting encounter. Maybe this is the start of something you didn’t see coming.
You smile one last time before stepping away, your heart a little lighter as you leave the suite. Behind you, Lando watches you go, his mind racing faster than it did on the track.
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laurant.yn heart in miami x
lettiemng she’s glowing!
— laurant.yn love you!
francisca.cgomes 💋💋
alexandrasaintmleux 😍😍
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