#of course i'm just guessing at the moment

[vettelsvee]

letting oscar take your virginity to celebrate his win

(if this makes you uncomfortable please to deny or only write fluffy before/after!) love ur work sm

V CARDS GOODBYES | Oscar Piastri

Oscar Piastri x Girlfriend!Reader

SUMMARY: Oscar arrives home after winning his first ever Formula 1 race, so you think it’s the perfect time for you to celebrate and, also, to say goodbye to your v card ↳ REQUESTED BY ANON: Hope you like it anon! And sorry it's taken me almost a year I'm a mess 😭

WORD COUNT: 3958

WARNINGS: Smut (virginity loss, female receiving oral sex, fingering, p in v, protected sex, little bit of praising kink), curse words

VEE'S NOTES: Came to the conclusion after the latests Oscar fics I’ve posted that he's the most popular driver on my Tumblr page, so this is for all my Osc people out there! I'm always ashamed of posting smut (but still want to keep writing it) so I hope this is good enough for you to enjoy! Remember that your comments and reblogs are truly appreciated! Thanks for reading <3 (Also, thoughts on the new layout?) ↳ MAKE YOUR REQUESTS | TALK TO ME! | FORMULA 1 MASTERLIST

© VETTELSVEE (2025). please, do not steal, copy or translate my works. thanks for reading!

The door of the apartment you shared in Monaco opened, and before Oscar could step inside, he heard excited screams that made it clear someone was more than happy about his arrival.  

Not only did your cat start rubbing against his leg while purring, but also you, his girlfriend, were hopping towards him, barefoot and wrapped in one of his McLaren hoodies, which turned out to be even bigger on you than you had expected when you decided it would be a great idea to steal it from your boyfriend.  

"You did it, Osc!” you squealed as you threw your arms around his neck. "Osc, oh my God, you won a race! Do you know what that means?"  

Oscar felt his cheeks turn red. Of course, he knew exactly what winning a Grand Prix meant, especially during his second season in Formula 1. However, all he did was shrug, as if his achievement wasn’t that important.  

"Yeah," was all he could say.  

"I’m so, so proud of you," you said in a trembling voice, standing on your tiptoes to cup his face in your hands.  

"I couldn’t have done it without you, even though you were here," Oscar replied sincerely, a hint of regret in his tone. If there was one thing he regretted, it was that you hadn’t been there with him throughout the whole process of stepping onto the podium.  

"I know you would have liked me to be there, and I would’ve loved that too," you replied, making a sad but funny face. "But it’s okay! I screamed at the TV a lot, so I guess I helped in some way… And I’m sure you’ll win more races and I’ll be there to see them all, so it’s not the end of the world!"

Oscar chuckled and pulled you close until there was no space between you. He allowed himself a few moments to hold onto you, gently running his fingers through your hair while you clung tightly to his shirt, pressing your face into his chest as if he might disappear at any second.  

"Hey… I have something for you."

Even though you whispered it, Oscar heard you perfectly. You bit your lip,. a telltale sign of nervousness he knew well, as you pulled away from him. Then, you quickly headed towards the living room, with the Australian following you, and grabbed a small book he had never seen before.  

Carefully, as if it were fragile, you handed it to your boyfriend.  

"Open it… I hope you like it!"

Oscar did as you asked. Gently, he opened what he soon realized was a photo album. It wasn’t just a collection of pictures of you from the past two years since you started dating. It was beautifully decorated. There were messages, and even reflections from your perspective about each memory you had built together.  

"I know it’s not a big deal, but since I was so bored with studying, I have to admit I procrastinated a bit and felt like doing some crafts, so… well, this was the result," you said hesitantly, as if you were confessing a crime, though a small smile crept onto your lips. "Maybe you were expecting something else, I don’t know, but I hope you like it. You could even take it with you whenever you have to travel, so you remember me and also add something else if you feel in the mood," you added softly.  

Oscar felt a lump in his throat, unsure of what to say. Although he was used to you being thoughtful, and he always tried to reciprocate, you somehow kept outdoing yourself.  

"Y/N, this is…" he trailed off, struggling to find the right words. More accurately, he didn’t know how to express them. "It’s incredible. Thank you so much."

You smiled and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips, which, as you both expected, quickly turned into something more desperate, fueled by your hunger for each other.  

Oscar’s hands found your waist beneath the hoodie, his fingers tracing invisible lines along your skin, moving up and down, even toying with the clasp of your bra. The only thing you could do was keep kissing him, tugging at his hair lightly and pressing yourself against his thigh, seeking friction to ease the growing ache within you.  

Then, you suddenly pulled away, more abruptly than Oscar had expected. Your pupils were completely dilated, your lips swollen, and your hair a complete mess.  

"Oscar…" 

"Y/N…"

"I want to do it."

Your voice was barely a whisper. Oscar’s eyes widened, surprised because, even though he perfectly understood what you meant, hearing you say it out loud was an entirely different feeling.  

"Bebe…" 

"I really, really want to do it, Osc," you repeated, more as a confirmation to yourself than to him. "Yesterday, you lost your v-card in Formula 1 with your victory, so… I was thinking maybe I could lose mine too."  

Oscar had known from the very beginning of your relationship that you had never been physically involved with anyone beyond a couple of kisses and teasing. At first, you had been insecure about telling him, worried about feeling ashamed, but Oscar had always made sure you felt safe and comfortable, promising you would only take steps forward when you were truly ready.  

Today, your words made clear that you finally felt like that moment arrived, and that filled Oscar with happiness not because you were about to have sex, but because it meant you were finally comfortable enough with yourself to take that step.  

"Are you… sure?" he asked, even though he already knew the answer. "You know we don’t have to rush anything… I don’t want you to feel like we have to do this just because, you know…" 

"I know, Osc, and I promise I wouldn’t be bringing this up if I weren’t sure," you reassured him, looking into his eyes as you ran your fingers over his hands. "I love you, and most importantly, I trust you. I’ve thought about this for a long time, and well… yeah."

"It’s just… I don’t want to mess anything up, Y/N. This is really important, and it should be perfect,” he confessed with a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck.  

You smiled, cupping his face and bringing him closer for a kiss.  

"It doesn’t have to be perfect as long as it’s with you, Osc.”

"Okay, but… if you change your mind at any point, you tell me," Oscar insisted. You laughed, rolling your eyes.  

"I promise, really."

Your lips met again, but this time much slower. Oscar took his time kissing you carefully, wanting to do everything right. He cradled your cheek with one hand to deepen the kiss, while the other wrapped around your back, guiding you gently toward the bedroom you shared.  

Once inside, he forced himself to stop and take a deep breath to avoid panicking, even though there was no reason to.  

You stood in front of him, looking at him with a mix of shyness and adoration that reminded him of your early days, when you just used to go out for coffee or to the movies back in high school.  

Oscar couldn’t help but look at you with an equally shy, yet utterly endearing, expression.  

"Tell me if you want me to stop, alright?"

"I will, yeah."  

You didn’t need to say anything else since kissing spoke for you. You took your time, enough for Oscar to make sure you felt completely comfortable, enough for you to overthink just a little more before deciding if you really wanted to continue…  

*"I love you, Oscar…" you murmured between kisses. You tugged at his shirt, helping him pull it off, running your hands over his bare chest as if you were seeing him for the first time.  

"I love you too, Y/N…" 

With nerves and hands shakier than he would have liked, almost as if he were the inexperienced one, he took hold of the hem of your hoodie and slowly lifted it over your head, leaving you in just your underwear.  

Oscar was surprised to see you in black lace lingerie instead of the usual shorts you wore around the house. He was about to say something, but you didn’t give him the chance. You closed the distance between you, pressing your foreheads together before kissing him once again.  

Neither knew how long you were like this, but you both agreed that it had been long enough to discover that you needed more of each other.

Oscar ended up forcing himself to pull away from you and take a breath. A smile curved between his lips, which caused you, somewhat nervously, to giggle at the situation and hug him around the waist, pulling him closer to you while trying not to shove him away.

“Really, we don't have to do it if you don't want to, Y/N,” the McLaren driver insisted once again.

“I've been looking forward to doing this for a long time, and I've been mentally preparing for it for a while,” she told him, trying not to sound uneasy. “I trust you, Osc, and there's nothing for you to worry about.”

“So...?”

“I want you to make me yours, Oscar. Today, tomorrow or whenever and wherever you want,” you whispered in his ear as sensually as you could.

“Y/N…”

“Oscar: I just want you to fuck me.”

You felt your boyfriend tense up after those words that had caught even you off guard. Instinctively, you brought your hand to the noticeable bulge under Oscar's pants, but when you tried to reach for the button to unbutton them, he pushed your hands away lovingly.

“No, honey, none of that for now. Today is your day, so let me do the work and just enjoy yourself.”

Oscar, without another word, took you by the chin and kissed you again for the umpteenth time that day. Now, your lips moved at a slower speed. You guessed it was because you noticed how one of Oscar's hands began to massage one of your breasts, giving special attention to the nipple. With the other, he lightly brushed your pussy, making you gasp when he decided to play with your clit.

“Do you like it, babe?” he asked in a tone of voice that showed too much excitement.

His fingers now delved a little deeper into your intimacy, those enveloping movements becoming a little faster.

“Yes, Osc...” you barely managed to answer.

That answer was enough for the Australian to stop immediately. You didn't even look him in the face. Oscar pulled away from you, leaving a quick kiss on your lips and starting a trail of kisses all over your body, stopping once he reached your lower stomach area.

“Y/N…”

His hands stood delicately on your thighs, which he was now kissing, closer and closer to your pussy. Your hair stood on end. Your breath was completely held, unable to breathe in case that put an end to it all, as if that would be enough for Oscar to finish whatever he was doing with you. 

“If anything we do tonight makes you uncomfortable and you want to stop, just tell me please,” the Australian declared. “And, before your little head starts thinking nonsense: no, I'm not going to get mad at you because you don't want to have sex, okay? If you don't want to…”

“Oscar, look at me,” you cut him off, and the boy immediately listened to you: “it's you, and I'm not going to feel uncomfortable with you and with anything you do to me.”

“Do you promise me, love?”

“I swear.”

Oscar nodded, grabbing your thighs again and dragging you to the edge of the bed so that his face was in front of your pussy, perfectly aligned with your entrance.

Without warning, he slid his tongue, flat, all over it with a slowness that was completely unbearable and that seemed that, rather than pleasing you, he wanted to kill you little by little. His movements were frantic; constant changes of speed, from faster to slower, and vice versa, that made his nose rub against your clit while his tongue seemed to do wonders with that dance.

When Oscar's tongue began to explore inside you, and his index finger, the one he used to show on camera every time he got a first position just like Sebastian Vettel did in his golden age, started a tortuous tour of your labia majora, you curled up shyly but instinctively. Your hands ended up tangled in his hair, forcing him closer to you at the same time your hips did the same.

“I think you're liking it, aren't you my little girl?” Piastri said, ending his oral contact with you and replacing it with his finger. His gaze was fixed on her, and you thought about why he hadn't done this to you before.

“Don't stop, Osc. For the sake of God, don't even think about stopping...” you gasped, becoming increasingly unable to articulate a word.

He didn't have to say anything else. After those words, Oscar slipped a second finger inside you. You let out a small gasp of surprise and he, without taking his eyes off you, laughed, your cheeks turning red almost instantly. Despite this, he kissed your thighs as he continued the back and forth with his index finger, adding his heart almost soon after while increasing even more the speed.

You felt that everything was going too fast, and the waves of pleasure that were flooding you were making you lose, more and more, the notion of time. You didn't know at what point, but when he decided to add his tongue back into the equation, without leaving the movements of his fingers inside you going straight to that spot that gave you the most pleasure, a strange sensation gripped the lower part of your stomach.

It was getting harder and harder for you to hold back your orgasm. You felt how your eyes were closing little by little, and your leg, too, to which Oscar put a little pressure on them to prevent them from closing.

“Come for me, love,” Oscar let you know. “Come on, Y/N, you've got it babe. Come on…”

And so you did.

Your back curved in such a way that your body, completely sweaty, could hardly keep on writhing as it was doing. You were moaning like you had never moaned before, and your boyfriend seemed to notice. A smirk of satisfaction and success began to break from his lips as he licked at your fluids, his mouth moving slowly now, over-stimulating your clit and making you incessantly.

The Australian rose and carefully positioned himself on top of you.

“I love you, Y/N, you don't know how much,” he said between kisses, making you taste yourself for the first time, but hopefully not the last one. “You are the most beautiful girl in the world... And the best girl in the world. Don't ever doubt it.”

“Oscar, don't…”

“Yes you are, Y/N, and I will not allow you to speak so negatively about yourself.”

After those last words, the driver pulled away from you slightly, trying yo give you some time to recover. Then, you looked at him taking what seemed to be a condom from the bedside table, which he carefully put on and immediately positioned at your entrance. 

You swallowed, while Oscar tried not to think about whether he was really going too fast.

·I don't want to sound weird, but... please, if you want me to stop, just tell me,” Oscar spoke as best he could, trying not to succumb to the nerves he felt about taking this important step with you. “I want you to be pretty sure about this since… Well, since there’s not going back…”

You said nothing. Instead, you gave him a slight nod with your head, still looking at him, which was enough for Oscar to enter you carefully, but without a previous warning.

He decided to stand for a while so you could get used to his length. You felt a little pain. You held back a scream, bit your lips and closed your eyes to do your best to make that feeling go away as soon as possible.

“Y/N…”

“Go on, Oscar. It's all right…”

The boy nodded, and finished entering you with the same care. Little by little, his movements gained speed. You arched your back, moaning incessantly as she started feeling more comfortable with the depth of penetration, and Oscar hitting her in a spot that made her feel a pleasure that you feel in a way you didn’t know how to describe, but that felt good enough to make you never want that sex session to end.

“Does it feel good, honey? Are you enjoying my... cock... for the first time?” Oscar moaned, biting her neck. “Look at you… so desperate for me to keep fucking you…”

“Fuck, Oscar... this is a fantasy,” you gasped. “And you talking so... like… like this... God... Don't stop, please…”

“Never for you, sweetheart.”

Your moans became one, a melody that your neighbors were probably listening to but you didnt give a fuck. Your gazes could hardly be averted, and your words, getting dirtier and dirtier as much as your were embarrassed at first, were sounding louder and louder, as were your pleas.

“Oscar!” you shrieked as you felt Oscar's fingers press against you nervous bundle.”

“Love...” he moaned through his teeth. ”Don't stop moaning my name, please. You don't know how you're making me feel right now.

·And of course I'm going to make you feel so much better when we do this again,” you replied, choking with pleasure. As best you could, you sat up a little and wrapped you arms around you boyfriend's neck. “I want to do it again, Osc,” you made it clear. “I want us to do this every time we get the chance....”

You kept moaning his name, giving him promises you knew he would never break. He kept reassuring you and how good you were doing, speeding up his movements as he couldn’t stop playing with your clit, all of that while he kept telling you that you were his.

You couldn't contain it anymore for the second time that day.

“Fuck, Osc,” he stammered. “I think I'm gonna…”

“Let yourself go, honey,” the brown-haired said. “You can do it, love. Cum for me.”

Your orgasm came before you could say anything else. Oscar came within seconds of you, and as soon as he did he ended, he gave you a short kiss on the lips as he carefully pulled out of heyour and collapsed beside you. 

Oscar's gaze remained fixed on the ceiling. You rested your head on his shoulder, trying to regain your composure with increasingly slower breaths. 

“You ok babe?” Oscar murmured after a few minutes.

“Yes,” you whispered, nodding your head with a smile peeking out. “Better than ever, actually.”

It was then that it dawned on Oscar. Quickly, he sat up a little and saw what was under where you were still positioned. His heart began to race, and a pressure settled in his chest as he realized the light blue bed sheets were stained slightly with blood as was his condom, still on him and which he hadn't paid attention to because he just wanted to be with you cuddling after he'd made you lose your virginity.

“Hey, listen, love…” he started to say in a calm, but concerned tone.

You followed his gaze, and couldn't help but blush and die of embarrassment inside.

“Oh...” you spoke quietly, instinctively covering yourself with the sheets. “This... is normal. Well, I guess so…”

“Does it hurt? Are you hurt?”

You shook your head, denying it, though the look on your face seemed to say otherwise.

“Well… It's just a little... just a little sore. But it's fine, really. It happens when you have sex for the first time with someone.”

Oscar studied your face, and he knew you wanted to stop this conversation. You wanted to let it go and pretend everything was fine so you wouldn't give him any sign that you hadn't liked it, even though your moans and pleas seemed to say otherwise.

“Still, you shouldn't let it go.”

The Australian approached you and gave you a shy kiss on the forehead. Then he got out of bed, still naked.

·Where are you going?” you asked in a voice mixed with curiosity and nervousness.

“I'm going to get a towel with hot water to clean you up.”

You opened your mouth to protest, but he was already heading towards the bathroom while taking off his condom. As you heard the faucet turn on, and your boyfriend getting everything ready, you couldn't help but feel bad because, maybe, Oscar deserved better, and your behavior, what was happening to you now, was not what he deserved.

You forced yourself to stop overthinking because if there’s one thing you knew for sure is that Oscar loved you, more than sometimes you were conscious of.

Your boyfriend came back a few minutes later, and found you sitting on the bed, curled up on yourself and clinging to the sheets while still covering with them, as if you were afraid.

“You don't have to…”

“I know,” Oscar cut you off, offering you a small smile, “but I want to. So, please, just let me take care of you.”

Your eyes softened at his proposal, and you forced yourself to calm down as Oscar, with his gaze and his hands coyly on your thighs, asked your permission to spread your legs. You nodded, and he carefully ran the wet towel and hot water over your pussy, giving it little touches because he didn't want to risk it stinging or hurting any more because he really didn't know exactly how the female body worked after losing your virginity.

When he finished, he kissed her knee and sat down next to her again, also covering himself with the sheets so he could hug her and, more than anything else, try to reassure her and make her feel as good as possible.

“There, that's it, all settled. Now, let's stay here and rest.”

“Was it good?”

Oscar let out a small laugh from his mouth at your sudden question as he leaned over to you and snuggled into your shoulder. 

”You've been amazing, love,” he replied, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you closer to him. Now you were both lying on your bed, looking at each other. “Are you okay now that… Did I hurt you? I need you to be honest with me... I should have asked you if you liked the pace I decided to take because, well, I’m not going to lie to you, I think I could have gone a little slower...”

You shook your head and didn't give him a chance to keep talking. Instead, you grabbed his face and pressed your lips to his.

“You don't have to worry about anything, Osc. It was far from perfect. So, from now on, I hope you win more races because from today on, winning sex has become a tradition that I hope we keep for a long time.”

Oscar laughed, knowing you were completely serious.

“We can make a tradition of this and anything else you want, love,” he buried his face in yours, and began to tickle your waist gently. “We can even have several rounds if you want, so… thoughts on that? Should we keep ready for a second round today?”

[ventitititi]

If you couldn't already tell, I've been on some caleb brain rot so... Drabble! He's helping tire reader out so you can sleep 🫶 tag list is open, send me an ask if you want to be added to it!

Cw/tw; NSFW content, nicknames used; pipsqueak & princess, AFAB!reader (lmk if y'all want an AMAB! version, I'm open to writing that), mostly soft tbh, consent is🤌🤌🤌, just fingering & nothing else

His hands worked soft circles into your thighs, easing you into the unfamiliar sensation of his touch. Your back pressed against his chest, curled under the soft comforter you'd had for years.

"relax, pipsqueak, it's just me." He murmurs into your ear, trying to urge your tense muscles into submission. It takes a few moments, but eventually you do settle into him.

It's true, it's still the same Caleb you'd always known. Even if the current situation was more... Explicit than you were accustomed to.

"that's it, princess. Let me take care of you, yeah?" He breathes, his hands finally starting to move higher, towards your aching core. The familiar callouses felt foreign, his touch more electrifying than you were used to.

To think all of this started because you couldn't sleep.

He teases over your clothed core, slowly providing just the littlest bit of stimulation. Your breath catches at this, and he hides a smirk in the crook of your neck.

"c-caleb..?" You breathe back, a little unsure about this scenario.

"don't worry, pipsqueak. I've got you." He all but purrs back, his hand moving to tease at the hem of your pyjamas before slipping in.

His own breath catches at the lack of underwear he finds beneath, "Oh... You naughty little thing, did you expect this to happen?"

His words are teasing, and you would've retorted if not for the way his fingers quickly pinched your clit. He chuckles at your little gasp.

Bastard, you curse him internally.

Not that it takes very long for that thought to go out the window when he starts working your clit in sticky circles, your slick giving away just how much you were enjoying this.

By the firm pressure against your ass, you guessed he liked it too.

His lips press a couple kisses to the skin of your neck as his fingers trail lower, teasing around your entrance.

Still, he pauses briefly to ask, "is this okay?"

"yes, oh fuck, please caleb-"

He groans at your pleading, your voice cutting off with a low moan as he plunges a finger into you. He gently thrusts it into you, gaging your comfort and trying to find your sweet spot.

You can feel the flush on your skin, heat coursing through your veins as he stretches you open. A broken whine slips from your throat when he finally finds that spot that had you seeing stars.

He aims for it with thorough efficiency, soon adding a second finger and scissoring your gummy walls open.

Your gasping for air, your hand clasping his wrist as he shushes you,

"breathe, pipsqueak. I've got you, you can let go..."

Your nodding, but the sensitivity from your impending orgasm is overwhelming. Your nails are practically clawing into his forearm as you gush around those gentle fingers, his voice murmuring soft encouragement into your ear as you finally reach that high.

"look at you, princess, creaming so pretty for me. C'mon, just a little more... That's it, good girl..."

He presses a kiss to your cheek, fingers working to prolong your orgasm, before slowing and easing you down.

His fingers slip free with a slick pop, and he brings them to his lips to get a taste. He practically moans around his fingers, your sweetness coating his tongue.

But before he can comment on your taste, you're tiredly murmuring, "i think you were right, caleb... M' definitely tired now."

And now he's laughing, pulling you in close to snuggle up for the night. Still, he can't resist the urge to quip back,

"see? I told you so."

Shameless self plug but here is my blueksy, give a follow for updates & random chatter

Tag list; @perfectlyrainycherryblossom @pixieskie @ephemeralapotheosis

[maretinelli]

FERRARI COUPLE

Ollie Bearman X driver!fem!reader

Summary: In which Y/n and Ollie are a couple, but they are also part of the Ferrari Driver Academy. And on a relaxed day, they make a video with the media answering some questions from fans.

Words: 4.2K+

Warnings: Ollie in F2, Y/n one of the female drivers from the Ferrari Driver Academy, some suggestive words, funny (??) and cute of course, because they are a couple.

Author: English is not my first language, so apologies for any spelling, grammar and slang mistakes that may be in the story. I think this is cool because it was fun to write. And please request stories on my profile hahaha

MASTERLIST

The environment was cozy and well lit, decorated to give the video a relaxed tone. Ollie and Y/n were sitting side by side on fluffy cushioned chairs, with a table in front filled with colorful beads and threads scattered around. It was a fun scenario, matching their young and spontaneous energy.

Before the recording began, they were talking quietly among themselves, enjoying the moment of tranquility before the questions began. Ollie had his hand resting on Y/n's thigh in a natural way, a gesture so everyday that they didn't even notice it anymore.

"Imagine the questions they'll ask" Ollie commented, with a playful smile. "I bet there will be something like 'who's faster on the track? As if we were going to fall into this trap."

Y/n laughed and then whispered just to him, mischievously, "I just hope it's not about sexual experiences."

Ollie let out a surprised laugh, covering his mouth as he tried to compose himself. Y/n joined in, and the two of them laughed together until someone from the media interrupted them:

"Okay, guys, let's start recording!"

They quickly arranged themselves in the chair, and Ollie removed his hand from her leg, straightening his posture. The media lady nodded and gave the signal for them to begin.

Ollie smiled for the camera. "I'm Ollie Bearman."

"And I'm Y/n Bearman-" Y/n said automatically, but as soon as the words were out, they both started laughing. "Bullshit. I'm Y/n Robbins."

"And we're drivers from the Ferrari Driver Academy!" For a second, they looked at each other, surprised by the synchronicity and instinctively clapped hands in a quick greeting.

"We just high-fived like two bros." Ollie grimaced amusedly, looking at Y/n with an air of disbelief. "It was weird, since we're a couple and already..." He stopped mid-sentence when he saw Y/n's eyes widen at him like a warning, and Ollie smiled at the camera, looking away naturally. "We came here to answer some questions from our fans!"

Y/n laughed, nodding. "And let's make bracelets while we answer!"

She took the box of beads and placed it in the center of the table, separating the colored strands for each one.

"I think they asked us to make bracelets while we answer so they can make sure we're giving the truthful answer" Ollie joked, grabbing a handful of beads.

Y/n tilted her head, processing the logic, and then nodded. "Oh, right! That makes sense!"

Ollie smiled in satisfaction, and Y/n opened the larger box with more bead options, spreading them out in front of him. "Okay, we're ready. Bombard with questions."

The first question appeared on the screen:

"Who took the initiative in the relationship?"

Y/n laughed for a moment alone, remembering how Ollie was very insistent in asking her out, but that she wasn't far behind with the flirting either.

"I guess that answer depends on who you ask" he said first, giving Y/n an amused look.

Y/n raised her eyebrows and laughed. "What do you mean? You took the initiative!"

"I'd say it was mutual" Ollie replied, shrugging.

Y/n shakes her head, laughing, but concentrating on putting the beads on the white string she had picked up. "No, love. At first, you were so nervous while talking to me that you stuttered and made it seem like you were forcing me to go out with you." She smiles. "Like, that day at the go-kart track, remember? You said something like 'I... I... I'd really like to but only if you want, of course! I mean, you don't have to! But I'd love to wait, do you want to go to dinner with me?'"

Ollie covered his face with his hands. "Oh my God, do you remember that?" The whole room laughed.

"Yes." She smiles, as if the memory was from yesterday. And not almost five years ago.

"But I wasn't that obvious!"

"Sorry, love. It was." She slaps his thigh, which is still covered by his tracksuit.

Y/n looked directly at the camera and wordlessly raised an eyebrow, as if expecting the audience to agree with her. Ollie let out a laugh, shaking his head.

"Okay, maybe I was a little obvious," he admitted, adjusting the thread in his hand. "But it was because I wanted to make sure you knew I liked you."

Y/n smiled, her expression softening. "I knew it."

"And you flirted back too!"

"Yes. Only I was less obvious than you." She chuckled softly. "I was direct, but I knew how to hide it."

The two looked at each other for a second, exchanging a knowing look, before Ollie cleared his throat and fiddled with the beads again. "So the official answer is that I took the initiative?"

"Yes" Y/n said with conviction.

Ollie sighed dramatically. "Okay, okay. I took the initiative. But I don't regret it one bit."

Y/n laughed, pushing his shoulder lightly. "I know. I love you!"

Ollie smiled shyly and lowered his head, fiddling with the beads. "I love you too," he said quietly.

They were those couples who showed a lot of affection, but in public Ollie held back a little and was shy, as for Y/n, she really liked to tease. Which ended up being left for her in bed later.

Y/n tilted her head and whispered back, "Speak louder, Bearman. The audience wants to hear."

Ollie laughed and shook his head. "I love you, annoying."

Y/n smiled in satisfaction. "Now yes."

When the next question appeared on the screen, Ollie and Y/n immediately perked up. They thought it would only be questions about their relationship.

"If you had to compete against each other in a race for a prize, what would you choose as the prize?"

He turned to Y/n with a challenging smile. "Easy. If I win, you'll have to let me drive your Ferrari for two months!"

Y/n let out a laugh. "No way!"

Ollie knew how overprotective Y/n was of the Ferrari she had at home. Only she drove, and occasionally Ollie, but she had to be in the passenger seat. As if he didn't know how to drive a car and didn't have a Ferrari like that at his parents' house.

“See? You’re already afraid of losing it.” He teased, picking up some beads and putting them on the string.

Y/n crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at Ollie, feigning indignation. "Scared? I just don't want you destroying my pet car."

Ollie put a hand to his chest, pretending to be offended. "I'm literally a professional racer. You think I'm going to crash your car?"

She shrugged. "I think you're going to speed up more than you should."

The media crew laughed along with them, and Ollie rolled his eyes before pointing at her. "Okay, but what about you? If you win, what will your prize be?"

Y/n gave a mischievous smile. "If I win... you'll have to spend at least two hours a day massaging me!"

Ollie blinked, looking genuinely surprised. "TWO HOURS?"

Y/n nods. "Two hours. Full body."

She said innocently, but when she looked up, Ollie was already smirking at her, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Y/n immediately realized what he was getting at and pointed at the camera, raising her voice.

"Three and a half hours! Massage. ONLY."

Ollie laughed, leaning back in his chair as if in surrender. "Lucky we're not really competing, I'd only be at a loss."

Y/n laughed out loud, and the media crew joined in. Ollie then picked up some beads and pretended to be extremely focused on them.

"You know what? I better focus on the bracelet. I know there's no way I can lose this."

"Which habit of the other was the hardest to get used to?"

"Ollie's delay" Y/n answers first.

Ollie's eyes widened and he laughed. "Calm down! I couldn't even finish reading the question!"

"Ollie being late was definitely one of the hardest things to get used to in the beginning of our relationship." Y/n begins. "Because look at that. He's still in his workout gear, and I'm all smelling nice and pretty right here. He probably got out of the car and flew all the way here because he was late."

Ollie just looks at the camera and nods, because that's exactly what happened. He had forgotten about the video with the Ferrari media people and when he looked at his watch he was already late.

"I surrender. That's true!" He holds up his hands. "But hey! I'm changing, aren't I?" Ollie turns to his girlfriend and she smiles.

"True! He's changed a lot since the beginning of our relationship until now with these delays." She sends him a loving smile, without teasing or evidence of teasing. "Now go, a difficult habit of mine that was difficult for you to get used to."

"When you get our double bed all to yourself"

Y/n laughed loudly, knowing she took up a lot of space while she slept. "Details, dear!"

Ollie turns to the camera and places his hands on the table, leaving his beaded necklace aside. "Seriously, when she sleeps she uses the entire bed. Her arms are on my face, her legs are on my stomach. I have inches of space to sleep." He says with a smile. "One of these days I'm going to measure how far I sleep from the bed and share it with you."

Y/n puts her hand on her face laughing.

"There was one time during a race that the only room in the hotel that they gave us was the one with two single beds. And we, like a very much in love couple, put the two beds together to sleep next to each other, right?!" He turns to his girlfriend and she agrees laughing, remembering the day. "We lay down and she fell asleep, not even five minutes later, she was already invading the bed I was in. That night I had to sleep on the floor!"

"WHAT? You slept on the floor?" She asks scared, not knowing this part. Her heart breaks a little.

Ollie laughed at her reaction. "Yeah, and you didn't even notice!"

"Why didn't you wake me up or push me aside?" Y/n says in a worried tone and Ollie smiles at that.

"Oh, it's okay. I grabbed some extra pillows and pulled the covers off you and you slept well." He teases and Y/n rolls her eyes but smiles.

"Okay, I'll change that, I don't want you sleeping on the floor anymore!" She slaps her hand on his thigh again.

"Nah. I'm dealing with it now. It's been a while since I slept on the floor or couch in our apartment." Ollie places his hand on top of his girlfriend's hand and she smiles.

"Okay...next question!" She says a little quietly, while holding Ollie's gaze a little longer than she should.

"What was the funniest moment you've ever spent together?"

When the question appeared on the screen, Y/n and Ollie looked at each other, already holding back laughter.

"There are so many stories..." Y/n said thoughtfully. "But I think the funniest one was the elevator one."

Ollie immediately started laughing. "Oh my God, that was a bad one for me!"

"So, let me tell you!" Y/n clapped her hands excitedly and turned to the camera. "We were on vacation in Switzerland, and when we got back to the hotel, Ollie said he forgot his room card in the room when we left. So he went down to the reception to get another one, but he was barefoot, because he said the sneakers he was wearing hurt. So he left me waiting at the door of the room, with his shoes in my hand..."

Ollie shook his head, embarrassed. "So far, so good. The problem was on the way back."

"He entered the elevator, alone, holding the new card in his hand, but when the doors were closing, a lady entered too..."

Ollie was already laughing before Y/n finished her sentence.

"Then he, being super polite, smiled at her and said: 'Hi, how are you?' But as soon as the elevator opened for him to leave..."

"I STOPPED ON MY OWN FOOT AND FELL!" Ollie finished, covering his face.

The team burst out laughing.

"And it wasn't a normal fall!" Y/n emphasized, crying with laughter. "He tried to hold on to the elevator wall, but he slipped even more and ended up on the floor, lying down, with the room card flying to my feet, which was waiting for him at the room door and watching the whole scene."

"And the lady was just looking at me like, 'Oh my God, is this kid okay?'" Ollie added, laughing along. "I was on the floor for about three seconds, trying to decide whether to get up quickly or pretend to pass out to avoid the embarrassment."

Y/n lets out a loud laugh. "I didn't know whether to help him or keep laughing with his sneakers in my hands.

Ollie took a deep breath and turned to the camera. "Moral of the story: never go barefoot and distracted to get a room card. You might end up lying in the elevator."

Y/n sits up straight in her chair, gasping for air to catch the breath that the laughter had taken from her. Ollie waited for Y/n to compose herself, but when she looked at him again, a mischievous smile appeared on her lips.

"Now imagine the scene from the lady's point of view." Y/n said, laughing again. "She just got into the elevator, and out of nowhere she saw a barefoot guy sprawling on the floor, with a card flying through the air!"

Ollie shook his head, laughing. "And the worst part is, when I got up, I tried to play it off and pretend like nothing happened. Like, I just straightened my shirt and said, 'I'm going... my girlfriend's waiting.'"

The team burst into laughter again, and Y/n slammed the table. "I can't believe I'm dating this man!"

Ollie smiled and shrugged. "Well, you already knew what I was like before we started the relationship. So, no complaints!"

Y/n took a deep breath, still smiling, and turned to the camera. "Next question, before I burst out laughing again."

"If you had to describe your relationship with a movie or series, what would it be?"

Ollie and Y/n looked at each other for a moment, already knowing exactly what the answer would be. "Brooklyn Nine-Nine!" They said at the same time, before starting to laugh.

"Our relationship is basically Jake Peralta and Amy Santiago, Competitive, passionate and a little chaotic."

Y/n nodded excitedly. "Exactly! I'm more organized and like to plan things, like Amy. And you..." She looked at him with an amused smile. "Well... you're Jake. Chaos."

Ollie put his hand on his chest, pretending to be offended. "Hey, I'm a functional mess! Jake's awesome too."

"Yeah, but you also make up random competitions out of thin air!" Y/n laughed, rolling her eyes. "Like that time we were at the grocery store and you decided that whoever got all the items on the list first would get massages from the other for a week?"

Ollie smiled with satisfaction. "And I won, because I'm a strategist."

Y/n arched an eyebrow in disbelief. "You cheated! You took half the stuff from an absent-minded lady's cart!"

The team burst out laughing, and Ollie shrugged, trying to hold back his laughter. "All is permitted in war and love."

Y/n shook her head, laughing. "But at the end of the day, we balance each other out. Just like Jake and Amy. And despite the craziness, I wouldn't trade it for anything."

"Yes. I have my Amy Santiago and I wouldn't trade it for anything." Ollie looks in love. Which would result in many cute comments on the video later.

Y/n smiled sideways at Ollie's words, feeling her heart warm at the affectionate way he looked at her. Without saying anything, she just squeezed his hand on the table, sliding her thumb gently against his skin.

"Okay. Next question..."

"What is the greatest proof of love that one has ever done for another?"

Y/n looked away to Ollie, already feeling a lump forming in her throat. "I think when I had that accident and you spent days in the hospital with me. And we were only five months into our relationship."

Ollie smiled, looking at his girlfriend and seeing that her eyes were shining brighter because of the tears. The room was silent for a moment. Y/n blinked a few times, feeling the weight of the memory.

"Do you remember anything from that day?" He asked softly.

She took a deep breath before responding. "Just flashes... I remember waking up in the hospital, but I was so groggy I don't even know what happened before."

Ollie nodded and squeezed her hand lightly, as if to anchor her there, in the present. "Well... I remember everything." Y/n felt her chest tighten when she saw the seriousness in his eyes. "I was on the pit wall watching the race. It was quick, but at the same time it seemed like an eternity. The radio went silent, and all I could see was his wrecked car. No one said anything, just the sound of sirens..." Ollie looked away at the table, swallowing hard before continuing. "I ran to the medical center, but no one let me in. They just said you were being taken to the hospital. And I followed."

Y/n felt her eyes well up. She could imagine the scene perfectly, as if she were watching a movie. She continued to put the beads on the string, to disguise the pain she was feeling now.

"I was there the whole time," he continued, turning back to look at her. "I didn't even notice the hours passing. I just wanted to know if you were going to be okay. I don't think I really took a breath until the doctors said the surgery was a success and that you were going to recover."

She pressed her lips together, trying to hold back the tears, but one eventually escaped. Ollie smiled slightly and wiped her face with his thumb.

"You were there for days" Y/n muttered, her voice a little choked.

"Of course I did," he replied without hesitation. "I wasn't going to leave you alone, love."

She chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Didn't even go out to take a shower..."

Ollie shrugged. "I knew you'd complain about it later, but at the time it didn't matter. All I wanted was to make sure you woke up and that I was there when you did."

Y'n felt a warm wave of emotion wash over her. Without a second thought, she leaned over and wrapped Ollie in a tight hug, hiding her face in his shoulder. Not caring about the camera at the moment.

"I love you" she whispered against his shirt.

Ollie smiled and kissed the top of her head. "I love you too. And now, if anyone ever asks, you can be sure that was the greatest proof of love I've ever given."

Y/n stands up laughing, "Yes. Yes it was, love!"

Everyone was silent, absorbing that confession that almost no one knew. Ollie smiled at the camera and picked up the string with the beads.

"Let me see if it fits your wrist." He measures it and Y/n sees the black and red beads. "That's it. Let me put some letters on it now!"

Y/n laughs. "Okay. Let's move on to the next question, before I cry now." They laugh. "From crying with laughter to crying with sadness, big transformation"

Ollie laughs, putting on a letter O bead.

"What was the most embarrassing situation you've ever been in together?"

The two looked at each other and started laughing in embarrassment. It was as if they shared their neurons and remembered the same things when the questions were asked.

"We can't tell that..." Y/n confesses, feeling her cheeks blush.

Ollie shakes his head. "No, we can't tell you. But it was really embarrassing. I think we traumatized your older brother back then." The pilot looks at his girlfriend.

Y/n lets out a laugh. "He didn't talk to me for a week." She confesses and Ollie smiles. And then she looks at the camera. "All I can say is... we thought we were alone in the house... in the room and my brother came in. That's all."

She laughs embarrassedly.

"JUST!" Ollie informs and they laugh..

"Have you ever had a silly fight that you now find funny?"

"Oh, that's an easy one!" Ollie said, leaning his elbows on the table. "The ice cream fight."

Y/n put her hands on her face, laughing. "Oh my God, I can't believe we're going to tell this."

"Now you have to tell!" Someone from the media team encouraged.

Ollie took a deep breath, as if bracing himself for a big story. "So, we went out to dinner, everything was beautiful, the weather was great. On the way back home, we stopped to get ice cream. Y/n got hers strawberry and chocolate, I got mine cookies and cream." He said, taking his girlfriend's wrist again to measure the length of the thread.

"So far so good," Y/n added, nodding.

"But in the car, while I was driving, I offered her some of my ice cream..." Ollie sighed dramatically. "But then, when I asked for a piece of her ice cream, what happened?"

Y/n covered her face, laughing. "I said 'no'."

The team burst out laughing, and Ollie threw up his hands in outrage. "She said no! I offered her mine, but when I asked for hers, she said no without even thinking!"

"Guys, but it was the last part with more chocolate syrup, it wasn't enough!" Y/n defended herself, still laughing.

"It was the most random fight in the world" Ollie shook his head. "We spent about ten minutes in the car discussing 'sharing equally' and 'respecting the last sacred bites'."

"In the end, I bought him another ice cream because I felt sorry for him" Y/n admitted.

"And I accepted, because I'm an understanding person," Ollie said, all smug.

"Understanding, nothing! You only accepted because you wanted more ice cream" Y/n scoffed, pushing his shoulder lightly.

"That too" Ollie laughed, lacing his fingers with hers under the table. "But seriously, that day felt like a terrible fight, but now it doesn't make sense.

"Not at all." Y/n laughs, focused on the bracelet she was making.

"What's the cutest thing you do for each other on a daily basis?"

Ollie smiled before answering. "Every time I get home after a tiring day, Y/n already makes me a cup of tea or hot chocolate, depending on the weather. And no matter the time, even if it's late, she always waits up until I get home."

Y/n smiled, a little embarrassed, but clearly happy with the answer. "Well, I like taking care of you."

"And I love that," Ollie said, looking at her fondly. "But the sweetest thing you do for me is that when you wake up before me, you always tuck me in tighter and give me a kiss on the forehead before you get out of bed."

The media team gave a loud "Awww."

Y/n laughed, hiding her face in her hands. "Oh, how embarrassing, why did you notice that?"

"Because I always wake up in those moments," Ollie replied, holding her hand under the table. "And also because it's the cutest thing ever."

Y/n pursed her lips, trying not to smile so much, but failing miserably. "Okay, then it's my turn now! The cutest thing Ollie does on a daily basis is that he always sends me random messages saying he loves me or asking if I ate right."

"Y/n forgets to eat sometimes!" Ollie defended himself, laughing.

"I get busy, it happens!" Y/n shrugged.

"And that's why I always ask, because if it depends on her, lunch becomes a snack and dinner becomes breakfast," Ollie explained.

Y/n rolled her eyes, but her smile showed that she loved this care.

"Oh! And there's one more thing!" Y/n remembered, laughing. "If I'm driving and he's in the passenger seat, he always puts his hand on the gearshift, even when he doesn't need to change gears, just to hold my hand while I drive."

Ollie smirked, not denying anything. "It's a reflex."

"It's cute!" Y/n corrected, squeezing his hand under the table.

"Okay, so I guess we're tied for daily cuteness," Ollie joked.

"Sure thing," Y/n agreed, her eyes shining.

The team smiles and one of them says, "Okay guys. Our last question now!"

"But already?" Y/n looks at the media and they smile.

Ollie smiles and then takes his girlfriend's wrist, tying the bracelet with the remaining thread and smiles satisfied with his work. Y/n looks and sees a bracelet with black and red beads with the word 'Ollie' in letter beads.

She laughs a little and turns to him. "Amazing!"

"Isn't it?!" Ollie jokes and she laughs.

"Have you talked about marriage?"

Ollie smiled at the question. He turned to Y/n and, with a caring tone, replied: "Well, I guess we've talked, haven't we? It wasn't that long ago, actually."

Y/n gave a shy smile, blushing a little. "Yeah, we've talked about it a little. Lately even more... we've already started to imagine what it will be like."

Ollie chuckled softly. “I’m definitely more of a… romantic, I guess. I’ve always wanted a big ceremony, but maybe we can do something more intimate. I just know one thing: I want it to be with you. No matter what, you’re going to be my wife.”

Y/n looked at him with a sweet smile. "I think what matters in the end is being together, whether it's with big plans or something simple. We'll find a way to do something special."

Ollie nodded, taking her hand. "Yes, the important thing is that the wedding is about the two of us. And how we love each other."

They exchanged meaningful glances, the kind of conversation that seemed simple but was full of emotions and silent promises. The crew smiled at them. Ollie and Y/n were the most passionate couple in Ferrari.

Someone from the media nods, so that they can finish recording.

"I guess that's it then," she begins. Tying on the bracelet she had made during the interview. "I hope we didn't scare you with some of the answers."

Ollie laughs, leaning his elbows on the table and then sees Y/n hand him the bracelet. It had pink beads and the word 'Mi amore'. The nickname he called Y/n on a daily basis, ever since they started dating. Years ago.

He smiles and glances quickly at her. Before turning to the camera and ending the video as well.

"So that's it guys. Thanks for watching!"

Y/n waves her hand and blows a kiss in the air. With that, the crew approaches the camera, turns it off and smiles, saying that it was over and how well they did.

"We should do this more often." Y/n smiles, picking up the beads that were scattered on the table. "Just try not to start talking about our sexual experience next time."

Ollie laughs out loud. "Okay. I'll try not to think about that when we're answering the questions."

Y/n smiles and closes the bead box, but notices that Ollie was still looking at her. "What it was?"

"Admiring my girlfriend. May I?" The pilot gets ready and tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"You can." She smiles and Ollie gives her a quick peck on the lips.

They got up from their chairs and walked over to one of the media people, handing them the box of beads as they thanked them for agreeing to the idea. Ollie and Y/n smiled, saying that they were glad they made the video.

Leaving the room, Ollie holds his girlfriend's hand, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before starting to talk about random things that happened that day.

Y/n just smiled, knowing that regardless of the cameras, the spotlights and everything around them, they would always just be Ollie and Y/n and that was enough.

[yncoreee]

10 STEPS TO GETTING A GIRL. Hanni x reader

February 1st, 2025

Dear Diary,

I'm literally dying of boredom in class right now. I've been secretly scrolling through TikTok under my desk (don't tell the teacher), and I stumbled upon this hilarious video of a girl trying to get her crush's attention. She said she was going to "show off her charms" to see if it would work. And, surprisingly, it did!

I watched the video like three times, and I couldn't help but think, "Why not me?" I mean, I've had a crush on y/n for ages, and I've been too scared to even talk to her. But today, I decided to take a chance.(•̀ᴗ•́)و

As luck would have it, y/n was sitting right beside me in class. I "accidentally" dropped my pen on the floor next to her, and I stood up to go pick it up. I gave her my best "innocent-like eyes" look and brushed a strand of my hair behind my ear. I was trying to channel my inner “soft girl" vibes.

But, um, let's just say it didn't quite go as planned.~(>_<~)

As I looked up at y/n, I expected her to, I don't know, melt into a puddle of love or something. But instead, she just gave me this blank, questioning look. Like, she had no idea what I was even doing.

I felt my face heat up with embarrassment, and I quickly apologized and stood up to return to my seat. As I sat down, I couldn't help but curse myself for making things so awkward. I mean, who tries to flirt with someone in the middle of class?

I glanced over at y/n, who was now staring intently at the teacher. I couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking. Was she confused? Amused? Repulsed?

Ugh, I don't know why I even tried. I'm just going to stick to my usual self from now on. No more trying to be someone I'm not.

But, as I looked at y/n again, I couldn't help but feel this tiny spark of hope. Maybe, just maybe, she didn't notice my awkwardness. Maybe she'll even talk to me someday.

A girl can dream, right?( ´ ▽ ` ).｡ｏ♡

I'm going to bed now, diary. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a long day.

Goodnight!

P.S. I'm renaming this operation "10 Steps to Getting a Girl (Without Making a Total Fool of Myself)".

February 2nd, 2025

Dear Diary,

Today was the day I decided to try out my hair flip move. I practiced it in front of the mirror for hours, perfecting the technique. I mean, who doesn't love a good hair flip, right?٩(ᐛ)و

As I walked down the hallway, I spotted y/n leaning against her locker, looking adorable as usual. I took a deep breath, flipped my hair, and gave her my brightest smile.

But, of course, things didn't quite go as planned. As I flipped my hair, I lost my balance and stumbled into the locker next to y/n. I mean, it was like the universe was conspiring against me.

Y/n looked at me with this confused expression, (o_O) like she was trying to figure out what I was doing. I just laughed it off and played it cool, like I meant to do that.

"Hey, what's up?" I said, trying to sound casual.

Y/n just shrugged and said, "Not much. Just waiting for my tutor."

I nodded and stood there for a few awkward moments, trying to think of something else to say. But before I could come up with anything, y/n's tutor showed up, and they walked off together.

I watched them go, feeling a bit deflated. I guess my hair flip move needs a bit more work.

But I'm not giving up! I'll keep trying until I get it right.(>ᴗ•)

Until next time, diary...

P.S. I think I need to work on my balance.

February 4th, 2023

Dear Diary,

Today was the day I decided to do a good deed for y/n. I figured, what's the best way to get someone's attention? By being kind and thoughtful, of course!

I spent hours thinking about what I could do for y/n. Should I carry her books? Buy her lunch? Help her with her homework? The possibilities were endless!

Finally, I decided on the perfect plan. I would buy y/n's favorite lunch and surprise her with it during class. I mean, who doesn't love a good surprise?

I arrived at school early, eager to put my plan into action. I bought y/n's favorite lunch - a turkey sandwich and a bag of chips - and carefully placed it in a bag.

As I walked into class, I spotted y/n sitting at her desk, looking adorable as usual. I took a deep breath, walked over to her desk, and proudly presented her with the lunch.

"Hey, I bought you lunch!" I said, trying to sound casual.

Y/n looked up at me, surprised, and said, "Oh, thanks..."

But before she could even take the lunch from me, disaster struck. As I was handing her the bag, I tripped on my own feet and spilled the entire contents of the bag all over y/n's shirt. (」°ロ°)」

I mean, it was like the universe was conspiring against me. Again.

Y/n looked down at her shirt, now covered in turkey and chips, and let out a deep groan. "Seriously?" she said, her voice laced with frustration.

I was mortified. I immediately apologized and tried to help her clean up the mess. "Oh no, I'm so sorry! Let me help you clean that up!" I exclaimed, grabbing a handful of napkins from the desk.

But y/n stopped me with a sigh. "Don't worry about it. It's okay."

She stood up, her shirt stained and dirty, and began to walk away. I felt a pang of disappointment and embarrassment. I had really messed things up this time.

"Wait, y/n! Let me at least help you clean up!" I called out after her, but she just shook her head and kept walking.(╥_╥)

I watched her go, feeling like a total failure. Why did I always have to be so clumsy around her? Why couldn't I just be normal for once?

As I sat back down at my desk, I couldn't help but wonder if I had just blown my chances with y/n. Had I scared her off for good?

I sighed and buried my face in my hands. Why did I always have to make things so complicated?(ﾒ﹏ﾒ)

Until next time, diary...

TAGLIST 🏷️ @sixflame438 @saysirhc @trovao-penguins @drvirgus @glassypze @idkwhatim-doinghere101 @wintersgff @somedaydream @yxlis @artrizzler19 @haerinkisser @gtfoiydlyj @stareaa @sseulforgii @yjiminswallet

[rafesbuzzcutseason]

chasing city lights

chapter 6 - you look good

synopsis: you move to new york to start fresh, hoping to find comfort in the city’s atmosphere. that’s when you meet sarah cameron, where she takes you to a concert and you catch sight of the lead band member, rafe cameron. it only takes a moment for you to realize you’re captivated by him. as sarah helps you navigate your new life in the city, you start to get pulled deeper into rafe's world—the music, the fame, the chaos. the more you get to know him, the more you realise that rafe is not just the rock star he seems to be. he’s wrestling with his own demons, and the last thing he needs is someone like you getting close.

masterlist

cw: lanuguage

✧˖ °. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁‧₊˚ ☾. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁˖°✧

you headed out of bed and made your way downstairs to where everyone was having breakfast, a rush of nerves taking over you entered the room, searching for the group.

you could feel rafe's gaze on you before you even looked in his direction, and when you did, you could see his eyes narrow, his look unreadable.

"there you are!" sarah spoke, "thought we were gonna have to leave without you." she laughed.

"don't be silly i just needed my beauty sleep." you laughed back. "what's the plan for today?"

"thought we could have a walk around a bit before we had to drive back?" cleo asked.

"sounds good" you said as you grabbed some pastries. "you gonna come rafe?" you asked him directly as he was yet to address you.

"i will if you are" he said quietly, making your heart skip a beat, his remark not going unoticed by the rest of the group.

jj cleared his throat, and a small smile played on sarah's lips, enjoying the small interaction between the two of you. "alright lets get going then, you guys ready?" she said.

"yeah lets go" topper said bluntly, a shift in his usual upbeat demeanour, but he quickly bounced back as you all made your way outside.

after a few hours walking around, you all made your way back to the hotel to pack up your things and get ready for the drive home. the boys had a flight to san francisco for their show before they were headed to LA for their last nights on tour there.

you had all made a rough plan to fly out to LA for the last show, making sure the whole group was there to celebrate the end of tour.

as everyone made their ways to their rooms, you hung behind with rafe, walking slower than the rest of the group, intenitally from you, and hoping it was for rafe also.

"how are you feeling to be finishing the tour?" you asked him, breaking the silence.

"sad, but ready for a long break and to spend some time at home" he replied leaning against the door as everyone got into their rooms.

you nodded understandingly, "LA will be good though. it'll be my first time there."

"no way? i'm gonna have to show you around then." he responded smugly.

"yeah?" you pushed.

"yeah." he smiled, "can't have you lost in the streets of LA now can we?" his height meaning he had to lean closer to you to get his words across.

"i guess we can't."

"i'm happy you're gonna be there." he added

"you are?'

"course." he responded quickly. "always nice to know there's a pretty girl in the crowd cheering me on." and with that, he turned away from you and made his way to his own room, leaving you flustered and stuck in your stance, taking in his words. pretty girl?

as you went to open the door, it flung open and sarah dragged you in.

"oh my god not to be a CREEP but i heard that all" she said excitedly. "y/n he likes you. i knew it i knew it!" she shut the door with an exagerated slam, not even giving you time to process what just happened.

"lord sarah what just happened." your voice barely above a whisper.

"he literally just called you pretty. i KNEW he was acting different around you, he's been so nervous." she squealed.

"are you sure it wasn't just rafe being rafe?"

"stop right there. look i'm not blind. it all makes sense now, the way he's always looking at you. i just thought he was trying to figure out his opinion on you, but he likes you. rafe isn't the type to throw out compliments like that, he's always playing it cool, he doesn't care about anything. but the way he just spoke to you? that was different"

"you don't mind?" you asked nervously.

"i would if i hadn't got to know you like i do now. i'm so protective of him and his whack ass fans, but i love you y/n, you've become my best friend in such a short time, i want you happy, and i want my brother happy. do you like him?"

"fuck, maybe. what does this mean?"

"i don't know, but i know LA is about to get a whole lot more interesting." she grinned. "come on let's hit the road and chat with the girls. we need to come up with a plan."

and with that, you finished packing and headed out the door, making your way to the car for the long drive home, where you were sure a lot would be unpacked.

✧˖ °. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁‧₊˚ ☾. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁˖°✧

a/n: feeding you all today, felt the slowburn needed to be RESOLVED. anyway just wanted to clarify you can tell who's ig story it is by the profile pic as i'm not sure if that was clear or not my bad

taglist: @hoefordrewstarkey @marleymarleymarleymarley @bee-43 @cherryhoneybabe @skye-44 @drewrry @drewrry  @yesterdaysproblemm @pogueprincesa @dylsdaily @rafeysworldim19 @valyrianflower @kaiparkerwifes @judesgfirl @4urvalidation

[softlypaintedseafoam]

🍓ー thank you for your patronage at the strawberry witch's bakery! here's your order!

requested by: a lovely anon! 🍓 -> luffy + strawberry milk (i love you)

"Tired," you question for the sake of conversation.

Your lips quirk into a smile when Luffy makes a grunt of agreement in reply. 'Tired' is an understatement. It's no overestimation to say the lot of you are exhausted; Whole Cake Island, Big Mom and her vast array of children just barely behind you.

'Exhausted' is best word to describe the feeling of those present on the ship. It's barely the morning but it still feels like you all should be asleep. It would have been nice if the night could have lasted a little longer. You release an audible sigh, at peace. Even with your exhaustion, you're at peace.

Sanji has returned and even with the crew separated ー miles and miles of sea in between ー it feels as all is once again right in the world. Sans the oddity in part of your crew missing, it's like nothing has changed.

Nami draws her maps, plotting calculated yet safe courses for the crew's trip.

Chopper replenishes his supply of medical goods.

Sanji cooks up a storm of seasonings and aromatic fragrances.

Even Carrot's laments that Brook's bones are too hard to garchu properly has become part of your normal. It's nice to see the rabbit mink in better spirits, all the events that transpired at Whole Cake Island considered.

What's important is that you're all alive.

A lot has been gained, a lot has been lost.

Who knew where Jinbei was. Was he already trailing the Sunny to Wano or was he still within the confines of Big Mom's sea? Your guess is as good as anyone else's. You choose to trust in his promise to Luffy regardless.

Looking at the captain in question, your lap as his pillow, you don't fight the affection bubbling beneath your skin. He's battered, bruised but he's alive and he's yours. In the rare moments Luffy is quiet and not bouncing off the walls, it's almost as if he is in a state of meditation. Pondering things, worlds, you're not sure you entirely comprehend.

"You should get some sleep if you're tired," you murmur, lips brushing against his forehead. Whatever he is thinking, you treasure the moments when Luffy simply wants to be alone together even if not many words are exchanged between you.

"I'm not that kind of tired," Luffy protests softly, brow furrowing. Eyes a brown so dark they may as well be black give you a look too stern for the situation.

"Yeah, yeah," you card your fingers through messy black hair, with a chuckle. You remember distinctly thinking two years ago that his hair must be softer than it looks. You're pleased to tell your younger self that their assumption was correct. Luffy's hair is a texture softer than soft. "My mistake, Captain," your tone has a playful lilt to it, nothing a fraction close to serious. "I don't doubt you at all."

Luffy beams, eyes crinkling at the corners and his smile brighter than the sun. "Good!"He nods with his exclamation. "I love you," light as his tone is, the words he says are never meant lightly. He says it blithely, joyously, like freedom itself has finally been gifted upon humanity. His words are a treasure.

Your index finger and thumb glide continuously over a particular strand of Luffy's hair, a grounding sensation. You have to or you'll float far, far away from the Sunny and back into the realm of the sky islands. I don't think you'd let me, though. It's too easy imagining a stretchy, rubbery arm latching around you after looping your waste ten times over. Wherever you go, Luffy is sure to follow not far behind. "Love you too," you kiss his forehead again.

[pushspacetocontinue]

"Heh, I mean, it makes a change to some of the stuff I've heard been rambled about," Travis said, before he took a moment to look the Twins up and down.

He was almost confident he could take them on if that had to happen. But Travis had to admit seeing Rook and Lucien banter like a pair of siblings was kind of nice. He had never really got to have that until very very recently.

"I guess you can," Simon said, as he then chuckled a little bit. He had no idea if Lucien was trying to throw Rook off, but it was amusing all the same.

Russell couldn't help but shift his eyes towards Lucien again briefly, before he then turned them away again. He briefly wondered if he was doing that on purpose, but then shoved that thought away.

Stop it...

"I hope it's, it's a fond mem-memento," Russell said to Willow then, that smile on his lips small but genuine.

"Of course you aren't," Antonio said, "But it's not like this job requires any skills. You don't even have to leave the building."

He then brought out something from behind his back. The Twins could already see from the cover that it was some lewd magazine that Ratchet might have liked.

"I'm giving Ratchet a little break at the moment, if only because humans can take so much at a time, but I feel like this might lift his spirits a little," Antonio said, "I just want you to go and give it to him."

Of course, he was planning to listen from outside the door, just to make sure his experiment (forcing Ratchet to vomit at the very sight of a barely-clothed or naked body) actually worked.

"A task so simple even hired boys like you can do it, right, Timmy and Tommy? Who knows, you might even like the result."

"Yes, he does. But by the end of it, you'll beg him to shut up about it."

"Well, I'd like you to play and not use your magic this round."

"Now, that's a nice idea. I'm going to tip the table just a bit and fuck up all your shots." Rook snorted as Lucien threateningly pointed the cue at her, "Fine! Get out of the way."

"Indeed. You can tell a lot about a person from the state of their hands." Lucien smirked as Rook missed the pocket of just an inch.

He was happy to have finally found a game where he and Rook were evenly matched. And since he was enjoying himself, he leaned even further on the table, just in case Russell was still watching.

The Twins certainly were and so was Willow. She waited for the baseball to be signed, then placed it back in her pocket. "I wasn't."

She really didn't feel the need to add to the theatrics.

The brothers held their ground as they were approached. They weren't entirely sold on the deal being legit yet, thus were ready to jump at the first sign of foolery.

"Looks like we are getting no orientation."

"Figures."

The exchange was mostly between the two of them, as they got in one last jab before switching to work mode. They'd just have to figure out who could do what as they went.

As of now, neither was enjoying the way Antonio seemed to be looking right through them.

"Yes, Coffee Boss said something about it."

"What is it, then?"

[kamiraaah]

My favorite part of Vovo Bucchi is the way she scruffs the babies x3 cutest thing EVER!!!

If you wanted to add more beast like features to her and Ruggie, how would they look?

Grandma Bucchi is the kindest and most caring lady you will ever meet, who at the same time will not hesitate to finish you off if you hurt the children or Ruggie 😤

NOW.... Thats a good question! I like the designs of all the TWST characters, I have some favorites and others have won me over over time. BUUUUT!!! I LOVE SO MUCH the headcanons and redesigns that this fandom ends up doing for all the boys, whether it's adding details that have a connection to the hometown that each of them comes from or something more personal to each one that only adds even more to these characters!

So i would do a LOT of changes for all the boys… 🤔 Well, we'd spend a lot of time here debating that, so I'll just focus on the Bucchi family.

BY THE WAY, I have some sketches I made of Ruggie and vovó Bucchi and i gave them more beastly features! But in this case I made them both to be NPCs in an RPG that I'm helping a friend of mine set up……. But I think it would help to show the things I would add i guess???

But of course in this case it's fitting them into a D&D universe… Now if it's in the context of TWST, it would be a little different!

If I'm not mistaken, Ruggie was supposed to be a spotted hyena, right? So I think it would be interesting for him to have more details that show this because… Well, I think it's hard for you to look at him and say "oh he's a spotted hyena!" right at the start. I would also give him a different hair texture and style, nothing too grand, just to further emphasize the fact that he is a hyena~

"But what would grandma bucchi look like?" Well, something like that!

There are many things I could add to their designs but I really like what I have at the moment~ I might change a few things in the design of Grandma Bucchi and all the Twist families but I'll only do that in the very distant future~

[liketwoswansinbalance]

I've been thinking about this dilemma for so long, so I decided to make a poll.

All I can say for now is that I fall into the "situational" category. In my opinion, unless I've forgotten some critical, concrete evidence, it's so hard to tell, to the point that I think it must be nuanced and situational, or simply a non-explicitly-addressed point in canon.

We've nearly always seen him in a position of authority and he's a disciplined character, so we could say "rule-follower." Why would he sabotage his own rules, even if he had authority to supersede them as their creator. So, yes, he is (even tentatively) pro-rules or potentially pro-rule-of-law because of how he wields authority. Indeed, he is kind of a walking rulebook.

But that's no fun. Let's complicate matters, shall we?: he deserts the School in Rise. A notable exception.

(His Monrovia Prison prison-break doesn't count at the moment because that "had to be done," in the spirit of self-preservation.)

Then, what of others' rules?

Maybe he'd follow them only at his convenience? Because he's used to being the authority in every room?

Any rule that doesn't make sense, that would seem beneath him, or just wouldn't fly—he wouldn't follow or allow it.

But... isn't he also intentionally a contrarian over 50% of the time? So, maybe he'd flout the rules just because he can, or, i.e., because he (usually) has immunity from them in his authoritative position.

Yet, if he didn't have that position, would he still rebel? Hard to say.

If he already benefited, he'd have little to no reason to rebel for others' sakes, even if they were suffering, so he's no classic, rebel protagonist vs. a dystopian government. Seems too idealistic for his character.

If he were on the oppressed side of a society, what would he do?

Perhaps, just game the system for himself and himself only, climb the ladder for status, to reach a position of power and erase all evidence of his formerly being oppressed. Bury the old identity, supplant a dictator? (This hypothetical brings to mind Coriolanus Snow, haha.)

How do I know? Or how would I speculate that this would happen in the dystopian scenario?:

1. This "elevating himself" course of action would be the route of least resistance and the least effort, logically. No messy overturning of society as he's just one person. You can make a case for one person, if that person can prove they're "deserving" of more.

2. Canonically, he was willing to install himself in a position of power while others weren't impacted or were negatively impacted, by his conscious-or-not choices.

With sorcery, I feel as if his being oppressed couldn't happen believably. (Search up the logistical problem with the "oppressed mages trope" and you'll probably see a few world-building articles, if you don't know what I'm talking about.)

Ok, then, moving on, there'd still be evidence, internal evidence, in his mind that he was once in some form of some low (social) position (not even referring to Nevers in-narrative, no, I mean as a hypothetical).

Just take the oppressed fantasy class trope—like the Grisha (they are sorcerers/witches, to a degree, and the Small Sciences are nearly indistinguishable from magic, right?).

What would he do there?

Well, I'm tempted to say he'd be like the Darkling, side with those in power (Tsar) and just... grant himself every advantage, secure rights for his own kind (magic-users).

The problem: he may not even reach Darkling levels of "selflessness" or solidarity. At least, he wouldn't view himself as lesser-than, which feels impossible by default, given his ego.

But, we're still left with the question, and I guess the answer is just situational. That's all.

So, the best, approximate answer I have (now) is that he is a rule-follower—until something affects him and his own self-interest personally.

I don't think he could be the rebel-without-a-cause type, but that's already unspecific and a useless categorization.

I view him as a loophole abuser or exploiter (of the literal) because of the one, weight-in-gold, Man-Wolf-involved, Rufius-death scene from Fall.

Classic trickster archetype, as I tend to label him, or The Man of Exact Words and Clauses. And that's within the rules! Of language!

Thus, I'm (currently—you're welcome to try to change my mind) compelled to say: rule-follower at heart, with a rebellious streak, given extenuating circumstances.

Or, alternatively, True Neutral (literally his apathy) in most cases, with a self-serving streak and a severe case of monotropism/one-track mind.

Does any motive or incentive to dismantle anything, systems(?), lurk in the shadows of his mind? Possibly. Well—for anything that serves him (and his causes).

See the problem? Caveats to everything.

Any thoughts or more condemning-or-not judgments, anyone?

[insertmeaningfulusername]

Fanfic writer interview

Thank you for the tag @sinvulkt 💙

What fandoms do you write in?

Literally just various Star Wars media atm. The main focus for 2024 was the prequel era, mostly The Clone Wars and some Bad Batch.

How many words have you published in 2024?

172,387 according to my stats. I wrote more than that though, and I still plan on posting and backdating approximately 5 one-shots I wrote in 2024 but never got around to post.

What are your top three fics you’ve written this year?

I despise/love them all equally I guess if I had to choose, I'm still really happy with these three: Wanted, a gift for @omaano in which Dogma gets morning snuggles from Tup and Fives. Idk why this pairing is so rare, they're underrated!! The Meaning Is Ours, the first fic I ever wrote that's entirely original characters, for the 2024 Trans Clone Week. Both Hunter and Prey, my fic for the DinLuke mini bang in which Luke is a vampire and on the hunt for a certain Mandalorian. I just think it's hot sklfjadlksfj.

What was your biggest pit of despair moment?

Oh boy... maybe writing the gift fic for the Star Wars Rare Pairs exchange. It just kept getting longer and longer!! Which, really, I should have probably expected, because among other ships my giftee requested Polybatch with a focus on Echo getting railed and I just couldn't resist, and of course all the Batch members wanted a turn. And the fic kept being a thorn in my eye even after it was posted because people would request another fic based on a flashback scene that's maybe one paragraph long, all without complimenting the 13k I'd already written 😭 like, you really expect me to write more fic for you when you can't even comment on the fic that's already there??? Idk what to tell you but fanfiction writers aren't content machines where you can just press a button that says "Next story, please!"

What have you learned?

That people will love the fics you think are hot garbage and entirely pass by the stories you put a lot of thought and energy into. It's an old lesson but one I have to keep re-learning.

Did you beta any fics? Any faves you want to shout out?

I betaed or cheerread two or three things but I don't know if they've even been posted...

What three fics have you read this year that you love?

I have to admit that I don't read a lot of fanfiction, but these three I've found in my bookmarks: Ready Room by countessofbiscuit, in which Fi and Corr make out - ultra rare pair content from the Republic Commando novels and so sweet and silly (like Fi) and just a tiny bit bittersweet! Nine-Seven by Trudemaethien, with some platonic Sev & Niner. It's just so refreshing to see aroace headcanons finally arriving in fandom. Save an AT-RT (Ride an ARF Trooper) by BilbosMom, WaxerBoil, containing both smut and humor - my favourite combination!!

What ideas are percolating for next year?

Nothing concrete so far. Maybe finish some of the WIPs in my pile, try to write more than one fic for the Codywan First Kiss Bingo so I'll at least get a bingo, and try to write something for the @cloneshiprarepair monthly ships (go check out this event btw, there are some crunchy ships getting served up!). Probably try to sign up for fewer exchanges because I can feel my interest in Star Wars slipping.

No pressure tagging @lesbiankiliel @wolveria @loverboy-havocboy @violentcheese @bilbosmom-belladonna @forloveofcodywan @anxiousotters @five-oh-thirst @the-starry-seas @hastalavistabyebye @theproblemwithstardust @violetjedisylveon @elimaryholmes @rooksunday @ladylucksrogue

[bradleysass]

Honey - @black-brothers-microfic - wc: 630 - Starchaser + Sirius

The fluorescent lights of Tesco buzzed overhead, casting a sterile glow over the trio standing at the entrance. Sirius, clad in his usual leather jacket and fingerless gloves, looked as if he'd been dragged here against his will—because he had been. Regulus, ever the unwilling participant, scowled at the bright overhead sign like it personally offended him. And James… well, James was currently discussing their grocery store survival strategy.

"We need a code word for when things go south," James said suddenly, pushing up his glasses in that determined way he did before saying something dumb.

Regulus sighed as if he had already aged ten years just by being near him. "A code word? You want me to just fucking squawk like a bird while I'm at it?" He folded his arms, unimpressed. "It's a grocery store, Potter, not an underground mission."

Sirius, who had been silent up until now, fiddled with his gloves, watching them like they were a particularly riveting television program. "You two do realize we're just here to buy pasta and maybe some cheese, right? Not rob Gringotts?"

James ignored him. "Right, so the code word—honey."

Regulus closed his eyes, inhaled sharply, and counted to five before responding. "Honey?" he repeated, voice laced with sheer disbelief. "Of all the words in existence, you pick honey?"

James grinned, as if this was the most reasonable choice in the world. "It's easy to say. No one will suspect a thing. And if we get separated, all you have to do is yell it, and I'll come running."

"That's such a stupid word," Regulus deadpanned. "I'd rather just yell for you if we end up in different aisles." His voice held a slight edge of defeat, as if he knew resistance was futile. Talking to James for too long had that effect.

Sirius snorted, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I can't believe I know either one of you."

James slung an arm around Regulus's shoulders, practically bouncing on his feet. "C'mon, love, let's go get that pasta."

Regulus grumbled but allowed himself to be steered inside, already regretting all of his life choices leading up to this moment.

—

Fifteen minutes later, things did, in fact, go south.

Regulus had made the mistake of leaving James alone for two minutes—two minutes!—to find a decent bottle of olive oil. By the time he turned back, James had disappeared.

He cursed under his breath, glaring at the rows of packaged food as if they were somehow responsible for his predicament. Of course James couldn't be trusted to stay put.

Sirius, who had been perusing the snack aisle, wandered over with a bag of crisps in hand. "Lost your boyfriend already?"

Regulus shot him a glare. "He's not—" He stopped himself, exhaling sharply. "Forget it."

"Guess there's only one thing left to do," Sirius said, an infuriating smirk tugging at his lips.

Regulus narrowed his eyes. "Don't you—"

"HONEY!" Sirius bellowed at the top of his lungs.

Several heads turned. A middle-aged woman gave them a suspicious glance. A teenager stocking shelves nearly dropped a can of beans. Regulus wanted the earth to swallow him whole.

And then, down the aisle, James's head popped up like a golden retriever spotting his owner. He grinned brightly and jogged over, completely unbothered. "Oh, you actually used the code word! That's brilliant, Reggie—"

Regulus smacked a hand over James's mouth before he could finish that sentence.

"We are never doing that again," he muttered darkly, ignoring the way James's shoulders shook with laughter against his palm.

Sirius, still munching on his crisps, clapped a hand on Regulus's shoulder. "I don't know, little brother. I think honey suits you."

Regulus didn't dignify that with a response.

Next time, James was staying home.

[thenweatefivesoups]

I would like to take a moment to talk about a Dog Man character.

This character is super popular. Some people hate this character with a passion. Some people think this character is adorable. Not many people think this character is very deep.

But I do, and I'd like to talk about him for a second.

Think you have a guess?

It's Li'l Petey.

You may not agree with me. After all, he's the kid-appeal character who loves poop jokes and diarrhea punchlines just for the fun of it. "He can't possibly be that deep!", you say.

But consider how he came into existence: cloned from the (so-called) world's most evilest cat, created to do nothing but heinous acts, and when he didn't fulfill that purpose and instead acted like himself, he was abandoned.

Not even a day old, and not only did he get abandoned by his only caretaker, he eventually found the strength somewhere to forgive him. And not only that, but claim that this caretaker is, quote "easy to love".

It takes a ton of compassion, a truckload of love, to forgive something as traumatic as that. And later, in Grime and Punishment, Li'l Petey encourages Petey to do the same to his father. Make no mistake, this is not because Grampa deserves it; rather, it's because resentment, as Carrie Fisher once put it, "is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die."

While Li'l Petey forgives those who did wrong to him, he does not redeem everyone. Sure, he reformed Flippy, Molly, and Petey, and attempted to do it to Piggy, but my main point is that he stopped trying to reform Grampa. He talks to him in For Whom the Ball Rolls about love being an action in addition to a feeling:

And then he visits Cat Jail in Fetch-22, thinking Grampa's changed. After all, if the most cold-hearted villains (Petey, Flippy) had good hearts deep down, couldn't his Grampa have one too?

But after the eighth book, other than a brief "good night" in Grime and Punishment, Li'l Petey completely stops interacting with Grampa. He doesn't even say a word to him in Big Jim Begins, despite the fact that they crossed paths multiple times. Why is that?

Because when they went to Cat Jail, he was tricked, knocked out, and the next thing he knew, he was waking up in a recycling bin.

You've gotta wonder if this gave him flashbacks. To when his life was hard, and filled with fright, after he suddenly became an unloved orphan. At the very least, this would have spooked him, especially since he ran home (this kid's a pigeon I'm telling you) and saw Grampa disguised as Petey, but no sign of his Papa.

The last thing I want to talk about is character development. Yes, even if it isn't as obvious as Petey or Chief, he did have some growth beyond what was mentioned earlier. Certainly more than Dog Man did (ha).

Initially, Li'l Petey constantly keeps his head in the clouds; Petey points this out in For Whom The Ball Rolls. He's a driving force of optimism and compassion, which sets him apart from other goofy kid characters, especially Molly. (I should right an essay about that too)

But Li'l Petey is kind to a fault. He invites his grandfather to his house to make his Papa feel better, and their house is trashed and eventually robbed. He convinces his Papa to visit him, thinking he can change just like those he reformed did, and they both got drugged. He leaves the house to save the world, and his Grampa leaves to end it. Ultimately, the end of Fetch-22 is when Li'l Petey finally stopped trying to redeem Grampa, instead opting to forgive him and move on.

In Grime and Punishment, Petey asks if he only fights when he's face-to-face with pure evil. Initially, Li'l Petey doesn't respond. But guess what happened three books later?

He did encounter pure evil. And obliterated it.

Contrary to popular belief, he's not always a pacifist; he's learned when to fight and when to use love over the course of the story. That kind of growth is very subtle and very underrated.

And that concludes my analysis on a Dog Man character who many find "annoying" and "pointless". And as this supposedly annoying, pointless character always says:

[katsu2ji]

fool for you — m. fushiguro

a/n: i love writing megumi as a cheesy lovesick idiot fool because he IS a cheesy lovesick idiot fool. an oblivious one, at that.

megumi didn't even intend to make a joke. he was being completely serious, talking in that deadpan, monotone voice that everyone around him was all too familiar with. he was talking about gojo, of course—he'd done something stupid, yet again.

despite his intentions (or rather, lack thereof), you thought what he said was funny. he was surprised when he heard you laugh; it was a sound that made him turn his head to the source of the noise, his face a mixture of flustered and confused.

"what? what did i do?" he asked, his eyes wide. he looked over your facial features, committing them all to memory without him even consciously thinking about it. christ, you looked—

"no, it's nothing," you answered, smiling at the boy. "it's just the way you said that just now was funny. sorry, i hope you didn't think i was laughing at you."

he was silent for a few seconds before realizing you had spoken; he blinked, coming back to himself.

god, what was going on with him? he was fine two seconds ago, but now he couldn't even look you in the eye. his stomach was doing some odd thing; he felt like he was simultaneously going to throw up and some, strange, other feeling that he wasn't sure how to describe.

"oh—no, i didn't think you were laughing at me. i just..." he paused, looking for his train of thought, "i didn't think what i said was very funny but, um—"

he mentally cursed himself, feeling like an idiot. why the hell couldn't he speak? why couldn't he look at you?

this had been happening a lot recently—the stuttering over his words, being unable to make eye contact you at certain moments—and with the way it's making him act, he wasn't sure if this an avenue he wanted to keep going down.

he took a breath, feeling his cheeks get hot. he ignored the it as he finished his sentence, "i'm glad i was able to make you laugh, i guess?"

jesus, he probably looked like an moron.

later, as he closed his eyes for bed, he couldn't stop thinking about that exchange. never in his life had he felt like he'd made such a complete and utter fool of himself, but he couldn't figure out why it bothered him so much. and that bothered him even more.

he replayed your laugh in his head over and over, the sound turning over in his mind like a lullaby in a music box. he wasn't sure why the thought of your laughing, the look on your face as you did so, struck him as much as it did.

and that wasn't the first time that had happened when it came to you, either, he reminded himself; there had been other moments when you'd done something that stirred up mysterious feelings inside him, like that one time you grabbed his hand to pull him along somewhere, or when you had slumped over on the train and fallen asleep on his shoulder. his mind was spinning now, keeping him from sleep.

what was it about you? everytime you done something or said something that he had found particularly...endearing...he felt the same feelings that he felt today: the warming of his cheeks, his stomach feeling like it was doing somersaults, his words tripping over his tongue. what was happening? why was he acting so unlike himself? why was he acting so—

his eyes shot open as he pieced everything together.

"oh god," he whispered to himself in the dark, staring up at the ceiling wide eyed and awake. as it finally settled into him why he'd been acting like so stupid around you lately, so completely out of character, he threw his hand up over his face and took a deep, loud breath.

oh god, he thought, repeating himself. i'm fucked.

katsu2ji © 2025. please don't copy, modify, or do anything of the sort with my work! i work very hard and you simply do not have my permission.

[redpill-tfs]

Hey, I was talking to some guys that were coming out of a gym about the red pill and they said that it might help me bulk up a bit since I am scrawny. I don't feel well. I think I took the wrong red pill.

That's strange. I do outsource some red pills to some alpha jock bros every once in a while, so it may have been one of them. Let me check the records and see if there's anything there. It will just take me a few moments.

Ah, yeah I see it. This bro found some weak scrawny liberal guy in front of the gym and thought he needed fixing. That must've been you, bro. It looks like you did take the right red pill, but its effects have been delayed slightly. Usually the transformation should be instantaneous. I guess this one is just taking a bit longer.

According to my notes, the bros thought you might need some help fitting in at the gym. They have a certain image they try to uphold, you see. You should be developing a lot of muscle soon. The biggest biceps you've ever seen, combined with absolutely massive pecs. It'll be tough to find any shirts that fit your new size. You'll probably be able to dead lift 400 pounds easily.

That's not to say you skip leg day, of course. Those massive tree trunks prove otherwise. And your feet will grow in size considerably, up to a size 15. I know some guys will absolutely want to sniff 'em. You probably could make loads of money on those homos. As you should. Being in your thirties can get expensive sometimes.

Your tattered clothes will begin to reform themselves to fit your new dudebro persona as you enter the gym. A solid pair of compression shorts and a red t shirt, perfect for working out in. As a bonus, you'll also receive a red hat. I'm sure you don't need me to tell you what it says. It's your favorite slogan after all.

You love wearing that hat, don't you? It shows everyone you mean business and you're not afraid to show your beliefs. Sure you get some looks for it, but fuck those libtards, right? Real men will get the message. That's also why you wear that cross around your neck at all times. What kind of Christian would you be if you didn't show off your faith to everyone? People see you and think "That guy's got it all figured out." They especially love your beard and keep it maintained. The ladies love it!

You head over to the weights as the mental changes kick in more. Your brain slows down a little, not needing a lot of its extra processing power. It's okay though. You'll forget you were ever smart in the first place. You don't need to know much anyway. You only need to focus on a few things anyway for your new life.

Bros, to drink a cold beer with while watching the game. Also someone to spot you while you work out.

Chicks, to fuck of course. Nothing gets you harder than thinking about breeding her and bringing another conservative alpha into the world.

Queers, to stick in their place. They belong under you, a true alpha male, sniffing your feet or sucking you off. No homo, of course.

Faith, to guide your values. You attend church every Sunday without exception. You're on great terms with your pastor, who taught you everything you need to know about being on top.

Trump, to guide your politics. You know RIGHT is right and those communists and illegals just want free stuff from your hard earned money. They may have won some battles in the past, but never the war, and you're excited to see Trump's legacy continue into a second term.

You finish your bench presses, getting ready to meet with your first client of the day. You remember you're a personal trainer at this gym, getting those bros to become even stronger and more dominant.

By the time you get this message, I'm sure the changes will have happened. If that's the case, feel free to ignore this and go about your day, as nothing in this should be new to you. But if you ever see a scrawny looking guy at your gym who looks out of place, I'll send you some red pills just in case. You'll know what to do with them.

[skeletinmoss]

The curse of the dark Phoenix

Chapter 22: Council

First chapter | Previous

"Yes... I would like a word with them too," King Thomas agreed as he stretched himself.

"Terance said they are in the sanctuary," he told them, bending down to touch his toes, giggling in excitement when he succeeded.

"You can tell me what really happened while we head down there," he instructed as he got up and walked in brisk steps towards the doors gesturing with his hand to call his sword to his hand and opening the heavy doors. "Even magic is easier!" He exclaimed, delighted.

"Halt. Who are you?" One of the guards announced as both aimed their blades at the king.

“Where is the king!?” they demanded.

"I am right here. I am the one who covered for you when you skipped on practice, James," the young king declared, flustering the guard who immediately lowered his sword. "So let me through. I am going to talk to my council!" King Thomas said, pushing past them.

"Your highness, wait up," Roman insisted as he rushed to the king’s side, followed closely by the others.

"A magical bond, huh?" King Thomas asked curiously as Roman caught up. "Yes, it was an accident. I was caught off guard by the ashes and such," Roman shrugged. "I imagine you were," his king mused before turning to Virgil. "What happened? I was hoping I'd get answers through this investigation. This is beyond my wildest hopes, though," he told his mentor.

Virgil nodded and explained what they'd been able to figure out so far.

The king frowned, and they came up on the door that led to the sanctuary. "Something always felt off. But I had no proof," he mused. "I can't believe he stabbed you," he added.

"It's all just assumptions for now. Once Remus figures out where the ruins are, we might learn what really happened for certain," Virgil said.

"Hm," Thomas nodded before laying a hand on the door, and with a magical glow, it opened.

"Come on," he instructed, heading down, the spring in his step returning in moments.

Virgil chuckled at Roman's amusement. "I can't blame him. After my crash course on aging, I imagine experiencing youth again Iike this comes with a deep appreciation for the lack of body aches," Virgil concluded. That made sense.

"Good catch on pulling him away. I guess I forgot to warn him with the nerves," Virgil admitted.

"You weren't sure you'd reincarnate," Roman concluded. His voice teasing, but his heart disapproving.

"I wasn't sure if I’d manage to return myself to late twenties. There was a chance I’d end up in my thirties or something," he admitted casually. Though his heart was genuinely remorseful.

"Hm, that would explain the grey hairs," Roman mused, getting a playful push from Virgil in retaliation.

They both laughed, and they got to the bottom of the stairs. Startling Terance, the real one.

"Y... your majesty?" Terance asked, shocked. The rejuvenated king handed Terance the sending stone back.

"Thank you for letting me borrow this. Where is the council?" Thomas asked.

"Ah... the- the meditation room sire," Terance explained.

"They are trying to connect with their guide?" Roman realized.

"And they’ve been in there for days? This is gonna be good!" Remus cackled.

"Curious that they waited until you three were successful," Janus mused.

Virgil was extremely annoyed at this news and strode forward only to come to a sudden stop when he caught sight of one of the statues. "The fuck?" He said.

"Those were made right after the plague. I had nothing to do with them," the king promised.

"Is that supposed to be the council of ten?” Janus huffed, unimpressed as he looked at the 10 statutes set along the walls.

"Why in the world, do I have six arms?" Janus huffed.

"Um, to symbolize that you have a hand in many pots?" King Thomas suggested.

"At least you look like you. I'm hotter than this guy by miles," Remus complained, indicating the monstrous, vaguely humanoid looking collection of animal parts, that was supposed to represent him.

"Well, you do like to change shape," Patton offered.

"Uhu. And what symbolism has this?" Virgil wondered. Indicating the much more scantily dressed, winged statue that held Virgil's likeness holding a bouquet of flowers in one hand while reaching out benevolently with the other, eyes downcast to anyone who passed bye. Roman had only been in the sanctuary for the ritual and had been too distracted to pay it any mind. Which was a good thing. It would have messed too much with his head. Both for the ritual and upon meeting Virgil in the flesh later.

“Those types of clothes haven’t been in style for centuries,” Virgil huffed. Roman blushed as he realized that at one point they had been in style, very much so, specifically for people of high rank. Though he was pretty sure that when it was in style it wasn’t common to have only half the chest covered.

"Let's focus on the task at hand," Logan suggested.

"Yes, excellent idea," the king agreed leading them to the ritual chamber.

They could hear arguing on the other side of the doors.

"Killer entrance?" Virgil suggested.

"Oooh can we?" Remus grinned excitedly.

"I think it would serve them right," Janus agreed. The three ancient high mages gestured to be given room.

Thomas, Roman, Patton and Logan stepped back and watched as they transformed to their guide forms.

Virgil beat his wings and blew the door open. He'd have to teach Roman how to do that.

He imagined seeing the solid oak doors be dammed open was already a shock. But to have a Chimera and a basilisk come through, and it definitely warranted the horrified screams.

Roman entered right behind Janus, prompting Virgil to land on his shoulder.

He took a look around the room. No one was turned to stone but they were all understandably frightened.

"We're back," he announced, trying not to laugh. It was a little funny.

"You!" Desmond, the de facto leader of the council and honestly a particularly insufferable character, exclaimed. "You return. You disturb our meeting! And you bring these beasts in!?" he surmised accusingly, but also still terrified.

"I should have known sending you out was a mistake. You probably faked your rituals! I knew you were trouble the moment you walked into my classroom. You snotnosed, novice wannabe..."

Roman dipped into his magic, calling it not to his hands but his voice. He thought of Janus swaying the knight and king Thomas ordering Virgil to transform.

"Shut your mouth you petulant overhyped stagnant wind bag," he said calmly. Stunning the head council mage into silence. Not in disbelief. He tried to talk back but found his mouth incapable of producing sound.

"I believe the term 'wannabe' is better suited for a mage pretending to be worthy of the position of Star council while he hasn't evens scratched the surface of what that entails," he added.

"May I present. The true high Mage of the stars, Virgilius fate spinner, the dark phoenix,” Roman offered. Virgil took his que and jumped off of Roman’s shoulder. Soaring up to the roof and then diving down, changing form mid dive and landing in his human form. They were far enough underground that the sun didn’t overpower his amulet anymore it seemed.

He looked down on the trembling councilman.

"Me and my friends have a few questions we'd like answered," he said, prompting Janus and Remus to shift back to their human forms.

"And you better answer honestly," the king warned as he joined them.

Roman was struggling not to laugh at the way the councilmen stared at the king, realized what had happened, and all flailed in wordless panic. It seemed as though his spell had affected every council member in the room.

Realizing they couldn't talk had them even more upset, which was even funnier.

"How did you do that?" Virgil asked.

"Um... I just channeled my magic through my voice instead of my hands, and I used the insult to get him off guard so he'd be more susceptible... kind of what Janus did..." Roman pointed out.

"Janus can sway people a little with care. Thomas managed to give me an order because I already swore myself to serve him on his 18th birthday. This is neither of those things," Virgil smirked. Then Roman realized.

"Did I just make my own spell?" He asked, astonished.

Virgil nodded fondly. "Congratulations, Roman, great wizard high Mage off disarming wit," he bid

"Wait, wasn't buddy new?" Patton asked.

Virgil pursed his lips. "That would have to be put up for debate for a jury as golems aren't new exactly. So they’d have to debate on whether Buddy is distinguishable enough from others to be considered unique. But in Roman's case, Buddy falls under herbalism, so it doesn't count regardless," he explained.

"Oh, right. Forgot about that," Patton admitted.

"As entertaining as this is, and it is truly a delight to behold," Janus said, looking at the frustrated council members. "It will be hard to interrogate them if they can’t talk," he pointed out.

"Oh, right," Roman realized. He frowned in concentration and took a deep breath.

He focused on the head council member, felt the hold if his magic, and loosened it. "I will shut you up in an instant if you get annoying," he warned.

The councilman nodded in understanding, though he clearly wasn't happy about it.

"Your majesty... they used forbidden magic on you?" he asked, horrified. Hm. He might have been just as much of a believer as Roman was a few days ago.

That or he was upset that their king no longer believed in the rules set out by Gustav.

"Clearly the plague wasn't what Gustav said it was. And I will trust my mentor and my family's longest ally above the fear mongering tales of someone who jumped on the opportunity to improve his influence as soon as his friends started disappearing," the king countered.

The councilman clearly didn't know what to say to that.

"Tell us what brought you here," Virgil ordered.

The man hesitated but gave in. "Knowing that the ritual could, in fact, be survived, we made the executive decision to attempt to complete it. We could not have great mages in our ranks without rising ourselves. Especially if they succeeded in finding the arch mage. We weren't going to bet against them a second time." Roman nor Virgil were very happy with the implications off that. "We decided that it would be in the best interest of the kingdom if we took the next step in our studies. If the arch mage hadn't disappeared, he would have given us his blessing long ago," he continued.

"We were unsuccessful so far," he admitted displeased.

"How did you get chosen to be members of the council?" Virgil huffed

"We were tutored and hand-picked by the arch mage himself." Clearly, that was a point of pride to him. And a few days ago, that had earned him Roman's respect by default.

"And you were his favorite, right?" Janus mused. Oooh, good plan. Flattery tends to loosen the tongue.

"Well, he had me as second in command do I suppose he saw potential in me," the older man agreed with false modesty.

"Then he must have given you some insight in his plans for the kingdom," Janus continued.

"Yes, actually. It was imperative that the king didn’t pursue magic again, for the sake of his health.

The council was to focus on keeping relations with the neighboring kingdoms stable. We didn't have the manpower to provide the idyllic lives of the past.

Distribution of information related to magic could only be done by official libraries and with approval of the council. Those sot of things. To protect the people from forbidden knowledge. I did a lot of governing in the five years before he disappeared as he spent a lot of time in the tower. Personally, I think the dark magic from his past had finally caught up to him. Truly tragic," the mage concluded.

Roman looked at the others. Something felt off.

"Why didn't you ever try to find Gussy if you are such a devoted fanboy?" Remus wondered curiously.

That clearly was the right question.

"Well... you see... uh..." he stammered.

"I suppose you liked the power that came with his absence more. Where is he?" Virgil pressed.

"I really don't know. Last I saw him he was headed for his tower. He claimed he had figured it out. He didn't give more details," the mage rushed slightly panicked. Good. He deserved it. Power hungry prick. What kind of sick person bet against people surviving anything?

"Guards!" Virgil called.

The two knights who'd blocked their path earlier sheepishly shoveled into view.

"That was a good stealth spell. Your teacher can be proud. Would you mind putting the council under house arrest? I'll make sure they don't use their magic," Virgil instructed.

"W-what? I don't know what you mean!" One of them stammered flustered.

"We already know of the secret mages. Don't worry. Now," Virgil made a gesture and a faint purple glow lit up the entire group of mostly still mute council men.

"There. That should hold out for at least a week," he noted.

"You have no right!" The head council exclaimed.

"Actually the only one who'd have more right is the king himself," Logan countered.

“Virgil was mentor and closest confidant to the first king, and after that a very close advisor to every king and queen that followed up until Thomas’ father. He was Thomas’ mentor both in life and in magic. He was head of the council of ten since its founding. He was general to our armies. He has every right,” Logan argued.

“Well put darling,” Janus purred in approval, making Logan blush.

“He is right. Unless the king disapproves, he has the authority to order the knights to detain you,” Janus added.

The councilmen paled. “Should I take back my spell, or is it better if the knights don’t have to listen to them complain?” Roman wondered.

"Hm. Best not. Just in case one of these fossils works themselves up unto a heart attack," Virgil mused.

"Hey!" King Thomas protested. Being older than most on the council, he would take offense to that.

"I said what I said. I'm still a bit shocked that I didn't need to save you from a heart attack at any point during our conversation," Virgil stated seriously. Roman could feel he was just teasing, though.

Which, honestly, was wild to Roman even though he could understand how Virgil's relationship to the king was different from most of his subjects.

"Well," he sighed. "You lot get one chance. If I hear complaints, you'll have to suffer in silence," he warned as he let go of his hold on everyone.

"To be honest, I was only aiming for him," Roman admitted.

"Your magic is more potent now. It's like waking up with much more physical strength. You'll walk around using much more force than necessary and constantly break things or misjudge how hard something will be to lift for you.

You have to relearn it a bit," Virgil offered.

That made sense.

Ten soldiers came in and took the disgraced council away to their chambers.

"Good. With that out of the way. What is next?" King Thomas asked.

"Well, me and Roman need to get in 8 hours... I'm pretty sure I locked my room, so that should still be around," he said.

"Even if it hadn't been locked, Father and I would never have allowed anyone to rake it," the king promised.

"Good. I remember the way," Virgil smiled.

"Patton, can you help Remus narrow down which ruins Gustav might have been talking about?" Virgil asked. Patton nodded. "Of course, I'll do my best," he promised.

"And I shall help this one get ready for his ascension. We'll do the ceremony shenanigans you boys wake up," Janus offered, laying his hands on a flustered Logan's shoulders.

"And i presume you will want to teach the baby bird to fly?" He added.

"That would be for the best. The sooner we start, the easier he'll pick it up," Virgil explained.

"And then we'll go and kick Gussies butt!" Remus grinned eagerly.

Thomas frowned.

"With the council gone, the country needs you here more than ever," Virgil pointed out.

Thomas nodded. "Come back soon. Hopefully, with more old friends," he bid.

"We aren't gone yet," Virgil smirked, laying a comforting hand on Thomas' shoulder. "We'll probably stick around a day or two. I would like to pay your father my respects. Hus is the only funeral in your family line I missed. I wish to rectify that as best as i can," he explained.

"He would appreciate that," Thomas smiled carefully.

Virgil squeezed his shoulder and turned to Roman.

"Care to join me?" He asked. Roman smiled and took his hand.

And suddenly, they were in front of a dark wooden door decorated with silver stars.

"That took a bit more out of me than I thought. Good thing I'm about to sleep like the dead," Virgil mused tiredly. Waving his hand.

The door glowed and opened for them, revealing a Room with a large bed and a desk.

"Cozy," Roman noted.

"Through that door, I have access to my own home should I need anything," Virgil revealed, pointing at a door half hidden behind a silk purple curtain.

"Really?" Roman asked.

"It saved time traveling. And teleporting here every time was a pain. The room is mostly for show. I rarely slept in the bed or used the desk. But no one knew that. Virgil smirked, amused as he ked Roman to bed.

"No memories this time. We both need actual sleep," Virgil pointed out.

Roman nodded. Just looking at the bed made him realize just how exhausted he was. 8 hours sounded great.

They got ready, and soon enough, they settled in each other's arms.

Roman was too tired to feel flustered about it.

He barely heard Virgil wish him a happy dream before he was taken by darkness.

He was walking down a forest path. Following something.

The plants around him felt more alive than usual. Welcoming him. He could swear he saw deer and birds and rabbits pause what they were doing to acknowledge him.

The very ground he walked on seemed to urge him onward. Humming a tune he came up with but never finished ages ago.

The forest gave way for open sky, and the sun was setting before him in a welcoming ocean. The moon popping in in the sky. Even merging with the sun for a brief moment, forming an eclipse. Which shouldn't be possible.

Then Roman realized what he had been chasing.

A light phoenix was sat a few steps before him. Glowing against the darkening sky.

Roman walked over and very carefully reached out.

The phoenix bowed his head, and as soon as Roman's finger touched his head, they were one and the same.

He looked around and took to the sky. Higher and higher. When he looked down, he saw no ground but endless night. He was surrounded by stars that happily blinked at him. Rejoicing in his presence.

He landed on nothing and bowed.

The sky enveloped him with live and joy and sorrow like nothing he ever felt before.

He empathized. When the righteous fury came, he did not flinch back. He had nothing to fear.

The fury simmered down and hope took its place.

Roman righted himself full of determination.

There was no one there with him. But he felt almost like someone kissed him on the forehead.

He felt encouraged.

He bowed again and took flight once more. He intended to return to earth. He found himself approaching a light that got brighter and brighter. Until he shot upright in bed.

[moonwolfblues]

Chapter 2, here we go!!!

You Look At Me Like I'm All You Want (I'm Hardwired To Be With You) by MoonWolfBlues

sterek | General Audiences | 4,695 words | 2/? Read on AO3: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2

---

Stiles woke up groggy and out of it. His mouth felt like cotton and his limbs ached. He reached out gently with his magic, assessing his immediate surroundings. He could sense that he wasn’t at home, but he didn’t seem to be surrounded by enemies either for once. He’d woken up in restraints enough times to recognize the feel of them and that wasn’t what was happening here. Actually, he had no idea what was happening here.

The last thing he remembered was the explosion and feeling the pack bonds break before running for his life through the preserve.

He couldn’t hear anyone talking, so he risked opening one eye. Of course, he regretted it immediately when he was met with the hard stare of what could only be an imposing alpha. And not one that he recognized. It was just his luck that his spark would go on the fritz at a time like this. He should have been able to sense an unfamiliar presence with his magic, but for some reason he didn’t sense her.

He groaned and opened his eyes the rest of the way. He had been caught and no amount of faking on his part would get past an alpha’s keen senses, so there was no point in trying to hide that he was awake.

He moved to sit up and groaned even harder at the pain in his side. He looked down and put his hand to the newly applied bandage. Hmm… they cleaned his wounds? So they weren’t completely evil. But if he remembered correctly, the wound wasn’t that deep, well not deep enough that his bond and spark shouldn’t have started healing it by now. Which could only mean, “I’m not healing.”

This seemed to catch the alpha’s attention. “Should you be?”

“Well yeah, that’s kind of an advantage to being an Alpha’s mate. One of the cooler ones if I do say so myself.” He was rambling. He really needed to stop doing that in front of potential enemies. “That’s beside the point. Where am I? Why did you bandage my wounds?”

Her surprise turned to apprehension at his mention of mates but she didn’t move from her place at the door. “What Alpha do you serve?”

“Okay, guess we’re not answering any of my questions today.” He rolled his eyes and looked around the room. From the small window near the ceiling, he could tell it was daytime and that he was underground, most likely in a basement if the lack of furnishings and damp air was anything to go by. He couldn’t have been out that long, probably a few hours tops, so they couldn’t have dragged him far.

In fact, when he sent his magic out again, with a clearer head this time, he could feel it sing with the magic of his own territory. “My name is Stiles Stilinski, and I am the emissary of the Hale Pack.” He looked back over to the alpha and stared her down with his own brand of well-earned fierceness. “Which you should already know, seeing as we’re still on Hale land.”

The look on the Alpha’s face would be comical if she didn’t remind him so much of his dad, imposing and fierce with a touch of softness that only a parent could hold. And wasn’t that a sobering thought? Immediately, he felt the grief pouring over him in waves. It was all he could do to not cry out at the loss of his pack, of his friends and family and loved ones.

It took him a few moments to compose himself. When his eyes met the alpha’s again, they had softened somewhat. He mentally rolled his eyes. Stupid werewolves and their stupid sniffers always snooping on his emotional state. He used his spark to clamp down on his emotions. Putting a wall up between him and his grief. This wasn’t the time. He would have to deal with the loss eventually, but not when he was in the presence of an unknown alpha.

The silence was stretching longer than he was comfortable with. Granted, all silence made him uncomfortable, but he was determined to wait this out. He had done enough answering. It was the alpha’s turn to talk.

She looked like she had a lot of questions but the one he didn’t expect was, “What do you know about my son?”

His head tilted to the side, a habit he picked up over the years from spending too much time with his pack. Her son? He didn’t know her son. Why would he…? But then gray eyes flashed in his mind and he remembered who had tackled him to the ground just before he passed out. He thought it had been a dream but by the look on the Alpha’s face, it wasn’t.

“Derek…” he said it with the same love and grief that he had earlier. The emotions in his chest were battling for dominance. Grief at his death, at the loss of both their soul bond and pack bond. And cautious relief at the potential of Derek being alive. “But that’s not possible. He’s de-“ he couldn’t bring himself to say it, so instead he shook his head.

Think, think, think. What are you missing?

There was the weird light in the preserve as he was running for his life. There was the magazine-worthy mansion where the burnt-to-hell Hale House should have been. He could feel that he was on Hale land. And there was his spark going on the fritz and not recognizing an enemy five feet away from him… unless the alpha wasn’t an enemy.

“No,” he whispered, “you can’t be.” But when he looked up into the face of the strong woman in front of him, he could see the same dark hair and pale gray eyes as Derek. The same hard set of brows that could speak so well without needing a single word to be spoken aloud. He looked at her in horror and awe, “You’re Talia Hale.”

“Yes.” She said, stone-faced. “And who are you, Emissary Stillinski?”

“But you can’t be.” He yelled in exasperation, his arms flailing around him. “How are you alive? Did I bring you back without meaning to? Did Peter? God knows he has the practical experience.”

And he lost her again. The confusion and frustration was rolling off of her in thick waves. The more he said, the deeper set her frown became.

He was working himself into a frenzy, his mind working too fast. So he did the only thing he knew: he trusted his gut and released his spark in full force, letting the magic reach out of him in search of answers. He could feel his eyes and tattoos glow violet with the power. In the low light of the basement, he shone like a lava lamp, the light pulsing in time with the beat of his heart.

He heard her gasp, but it sounded far away with his attention focused elsewhere.

It didn’t take long to find answers. He felt Talia in front of him and a small group of people outside the door of the room they were in, how he hadn’t heard them with his enhanced hearing, he wasn’t sure. But above them he could sense floors and floors and floors of people. And all he could picture was the family gathered at the front of the house when he launched into the clearing. Most of them with dark hair and gray eyes. The… Hales.

“You’re alive,” he whispered, his voice gradually building. Goosebumps were quickly building along his arms, though he barely noticed them. “You’re all alive. How did you survive? No, scratch that. What about the fire? And Kate? And the mountain ash barrier? Did that just never happen? Oh my god, my brain hurts. How can you all be alive?” He just barely managed to miss hitting himself in the face with his flailing, though he did manage to pull at the injury on his side, and boy, did that hurt.

When his eyes were finally able to focus on Talia again, the reality of the situation hit him. Derek was alive. And he grew up with a loving family. And he never had to take on the guilt of their deaths. Never had to carry it with him while bad thing after bad thing tried to topple him. By the end of his questions, he was crying. Full-on blubbering with big ole baby tears.

Talia looked extremely uncomfortable with the turn of events but he didn’t care. He was too happy for the Derek that got all of this.

She stepped towards him, probably hoping to strangle him into stopping the waterworks. But her voice was unexpectedly soft when she spoke. “How do you know about the fire and about what the Argents tried to do?” She paused, “...And why do you smell relieved that their attempt failed?”

He sniffled like the strong man that he was, not even trying to wipe the tears away because he knew they weren’t going to stop any time soon. “Because from where I’m from, they did succeed, and it tore him apart. But here… here he gets to wake up every day to a family that loves him and cares for him, and that’s the best news I’ve gotten in a long, long time.”

She looked stunned that a stranger could care so much about her son. “Who are you?” she asked with wonder in her voice.

“I’m Stiles. And I think I may have accidentally altered time and space as we know it so you might want to call Deaton.” He smiled at her continued surprise at his knowledge of her life. “You still work with him, right? If the fire never happened, then he would still be your emissary.”

She nodded in confirmation.

“Then get him over here ‘cause we’ve got a lot to discuss.”

Read the full chapter on AO3.