#only what he’s mentioned publicly about his own life

[gulliblelemon]

Young Royals Fic Recommendations 5

Find previous lists here: 1, 2, 3, 4

I also have my own fic list here.

running with wolves by intothelight @enjoythesilentworld 28k words. WIP. Rating E. Wilhelm and Simon are on two sides of a war on drugs and corruption and greed. And yet, they just can’t seem to stay away from each other. (Honourable mention to call ur crush! by the same author).

Met You At The Right Time by itsme_hi_imtheproblem @iwouldnevergetintofanfic 45k words. Complete. Rating M. When their kids get into a fight at school, single dads Simon and Wille are brought together at a meeting with the teacher. As the experienced professional that she is, she suggests a joint craft activity to repair the damage that was caused. Both Wille and Simon expect sticky paste fingers and potential meltdowns but surprisingly enough discover that they have more in common than they thought. Their friendship starts out easy, yet the growing attraction between them threatens to make things a whole lot more complicated. (Honourable mention to Crossing Lines by the same author).

Sabotage by @dreamyelectronicmusic 419 words. Complete. Rating G. A moment on a balcony at a party where Simon's boyfriend confronts Wilhelm. “I see the way you look at him,” a voice startles Wille out of his reverie, “when you think he can’t see you.”

land between our bodies by phnelt @phneltwrites 76k words. WIP. Rating E. Simon holds up his phone on his notes app. He’s been brainstorming. It reads: Hi, Wilhelm. Sorry to message you but I’m having a situation at school with some bullies that I could use your help with. I get if you don’t want to. Thanks. An exes fake dating fic. (Honourable mentions to joy that lights the fire and this life’s for you go outside by the same author).

come closer and see into the dark by @bigalockwood 43k words. WIP. Rating M. A ghost pandemic has descended over Europe, the dead back from their restless sleep to haunt the living. When a case goes horribly wrong, Wilhelm’s agency is thrust into a fight against an unknown opponent – and suddenly, staying alive seems harder than ever. If only Simon cared a little less whether stupid Wilhelm lived or died.

your breath lives in mine, even if it’s been a while by allforyoumylove 45k words. Complete. Rating E. Wilhelm isn’t sure exactly when he fell in love with his best friend. All he knows is that it’s taken root deep inside him, that he loves Simon always and unwaveringly, even when he hates everything else. But the timing is cruel. He’s found what he wants, only for it to slip away before he gets the chance to hold on.

If only you dared to watch by @larrylover3000 24k words. Complete. Rated M. A school camp takes them to the woods, leaving Wilhelm face to face with his sexual awakening - and it’s not pretty.

Never Not You by @pagegirlintraining 81k words. Complete. Rating E. It's been twelve years since Wille publicly denied being in a viral sex tape with Simon, and they've been great friends for years. While Simon's in a committed, long-term relationship and his dreams of becoming a successful musician finally seem to be within reach, Wille's still struggling with his fate of being the Crown Prince, and everything that means for his love life. When nothing goes as planned for Simon, though, and friendly comfort turns into more, how will they cope with the consequences? And what if Wille's been keeping a secret from Simon all these years that might very well destroy whatever it is they have? (Honourable mention to Missing you missing me by the same author).

Now we’re falling like snow by @skibasyndrome 7.8k words. Complete. Rating E. The first heavy snow of the season - what a great opportunity for a slow morning and keeping each other warm.

Fools in a Fable by @unfortunate17 39k words. Complete. Rating E. Simon, a journalist at a left-wing magazine, eagerly accepts the chance of a lifetime to write a scathingly honest piece about the newly crowned King Wilhelm, who has a history shrouded in parties, drugs, and gay allegations. His plans, however, go to shit when he realizes that Wilhelm is nothing like he expected.

Can I be close to you? by @vvachillessongvv 1.4k words. Complete. Rating G. Sitting on the sofa they've sat on together a thousand times before, Wille realizes he's in love with his best friend. (Honourable mention to lovers & friends by the same author).

futile devices by @jordensgolde 73k words. WIP. Rating E. Wilhelm is caught in a consuming infatuation with someone who can never truly be his. Struggling to reconcile his feelings, he tries to ignore the longing, but it lingers, a constant ache beneath the surface. Meanwhile, Simon is overwhelmed by the burdens of his work and the unresolved ghosts of his past, leaving little room for anything else. As he navigates his tangled emotions, love seems like the last thing on his mind — until, perhaps, it isn’t.

Falling in Love is a Full-Time Job by signedmeraki @invisiblewille 4.3k words. Complete. Rating T. Wille and Simon are colleagues and roommates and it feels like there's always been... something between them.

The honeymoon suite by @stretchoutfics 14k words. Complete. Rating E. Wille is stuck up in the far north doing his military service, Simon in Stockholm studying. They've come to an arrangement about how they're going to handle their relationship while they can't be together: they're no longer exclusive. After three months apart, Wille has a weekend's leave and they can finally see each other again. They have a lot to talk about. Amongst other things.

[whoblewboobear]

The way this Cody Ko situation is hitting me.. I’m gonna have so much to talk about in therapy tonight like. I’m fucking haunted by that “we good?” Text he sent to Tana cause like- the longer you live with SA trauma the more patterns your start to notice that are routine for abusers. I remember getting my own little “we good” text from the asshole that SA’d and then SH’d me for months after. Like it is textbook. They do the same shit time and time again. It’s just- it’s hard and I should tune out from it but my mind comes back to Noel too. And I hope this isn’t hitting him as hard as other victims of SA that were/are TMG fans. Like this blows but it blows differently when you’ve gone through it. I hope Tana is okay.

[starsintheskyandtheeye]

Respect for the Dead

By Lois Lane and Clark Kent

1,436 words

By now most of the world has been shaken by the news.

Ghosts are real! And ghosts are in danger! The original publication written by Lois Lane can be found here but we are not here to follow that well trodden avenue of discussion.

Here at the Daily Planet we have elected to focus on speaking to the ghosts themselves, rather than debate their existence alongside our fellow papers. During the hunt for the new source of Kryptonite that sparked this discovery Lois Lane made contact with one Danny Phantom. Originally he chose to anonymous but since the outpouring of support from much of the world he has since chosen to come forward publicly.

Given that the ghostly teenager is operating as a hero similar to our own Superman much of his personal history could not be shared. What was safe to share however was very different from what this reporting team had been expecting.

We had gone in prepared to hear the story of what caused a ghost that looks like a schoolboy to lead a life of ghostly vigilantism.

What we got was sweetly sarcastic individual giving us amusing anecdotes of his start as a hero, descriptions of the stranger habits he's gained since his death, and many many tips on how to politely interact with a ghost. At our confusion (who knew there were so many different types of ghost!) Phantom went on to explain and correct several common misconceptions about ghosts. So without further ado; here are the highlights of that discussion.

We begin with what was given to us as the number one rule of human/ghost etiquette. Never ask the individual, be they glowing werewolf, ghostly lunch-lady, or undead rock star, about the circumstances of their death.

It seems simple does it not? A matter of everyday politeness, and yet that is the number one reason for communication breakdowns between ectoplasmic entities and still living humans. Fortunately for the health of the interview this reporting team did not make that mistake. Phantom did not explain the nature of the offense but did not need to. It was clear that the, until then, friendly conversation would have ended abruptly if we had gone any farther down that path.

What we were encouraged (and warned) to talk to a ghost about was their obsession. As Phantom explained, "It's what drives a ghost, why we are still here, or why we formed at all."

When asked about his own obsession Phantom laughed a bit and said, "I'm a bit young for a ghost, so I don't really have one yet, I bounce around a lot. My doctor, he's a yeti, says it's normal for me though! The options are all over the place though. I know one ghost that haunts the high school to prevent bullying, a really nice guy. Another just wants to have her music heard by the world. Unfortunately her music brainwashes people to love her so we aren't super close. Or another that is all about granting wishes, but not in a singing blue genie way, in a fairy tale way, it's a mess whenever she gets over here."

That seems to be a common theme in ghostly/human interaction. Ghosts largely mean no harm but the pursuit of their own obsessions can have devastating effects on any that stand between them and their goal. Something to keep in mind if you're ordering pizza when the Box Ghost is at large.

Hoping it wouldn't cross into the realm of ghostly faux pas we went on to ask how old Phantom is. Once again Phantom seemed somewhat awkward although no more than what seemed to be his baseline when talking to (self claimed) famous reporters, saying only, "Time works differently in the realms. It can be really weird sometimes, you'll be talking to someone that looks like a toddler only to learn that they were last in a human world during the 1400s or something."

As Phantom continued to share however, the everlasting aspect seemed to be the least interesting part of the Infinite Realms, or the Ghost Zone as the Doctors Fenton, previously mentioned as ghostly experts here, call the place where the vast majority of ghosts dwell.

Ghostly yetis practicing medicine, while certainly not the least of the inhabitants were just the start. Phantom went on to share with us a sampling of the being he has encountered in his travels, medieval women moonlighting as temperamental dragons, the very concept of time, a warden of any ghosts that cross his path, and of course the ubiquitous creepy toddler so often featured on the silver screen.

According to Phantom up until extremely recently (whether by ghostly or human terms we were unable to determine) the Infinite Realms was closed off from our own home except for the occasional haunting. Which was explained to us by the telling of what was, to Phantom, a very funny joke about pop culture influencing ghost culture as people died and brought it over with them. From this we can glean several things. That the realms of the living and the dead have never been so far apart as it would have seemed to the living. That the near future will hold many changes as major religions, governments, and the common people hear what the dead have to say as they weigh in on what respect for the dead really means. And that while many things do translate, ghostly humor is not one of them.

Although of course that may be that, despite his real age being possibly many times our own - combined, Phantom is still eternally a teenager. And a teenagers jokes are often incomprehensible to any who do not share that state.

When asked about the sudden ghostly interest in our own living Earth Phantom had this to say, "Lots of ghosts want to go to the lands of the living. Especially anyone that used to be alive themselves. And anyone that didn't is curious what the fuss is about. Earth is so different from the ghost zone but it's still where a lot of us came from. If someone gets a chance to hop through the portal they'll go, to see how things have changed, or to keep things from changing, or just to stretch their obsessions. Really it's a chance to go home, just for a little while," he said, reminding us that for all they look like aliens ghosts are just as human as you or I.

With a few caveats.

The portal Phantom spoke of is an invention by the Doctors Fenton, Ectobiologists. Up until recently Jack and Maddie Fenton had been the worlds foremost ghostly experts, building a portal to the "Ghost Zone" in order to study what up until recently had been considered to be a non-sentient classification of emotional ectoplasmic imprintation.

We spoke to the researchers after our interview with Phantom, at his request. Despite the recent evidence come to light the couple remain the foremost (living) human scientists in the field. When asked about the setback to their work they had this to say, "We were devastated of course. To learn that we won't be able to study spooks -" Jack Fenton broke off there, at an extremely well executed elbow jab from Maddie Fenton who then said. "We got an extreme tunnel vision, a hazard of obsessive science. We were told we were wrong about the existence of ghosts for so long that we forgot to check that we were correct about their nature. We look forward to pivoting to ghostly anthropology and human/ghost interaction technology."

Ultimately we did not learn any groundbreaking secrets, but then if a ghost willing to go on record ( a written record at least, our recorded transcript of the conversation was near unusable due to static) you sit down and listen. We can never anticipate what a reader will take from an article but if we could make a suggestion? In this reporting teams opinion, the balance of ghost and human realms is not unlike the inversion of a mirror. We are reflections of one another. Opposite, yes, and dangerous to one another for it, but ultimately we are all the same. After all what is a ghost but emotion and ectoplasm (according to current science)? And for all that we try to rise above it, what is a human but emotion and flesh?

Fin.

Coming Soon!

Keep an eye out for top ten tips on ghostly interaction and interviews with the Justice League on diplomatic efforts with GHOSTLY ROYALTY!!

[personasintro]

A part of Mutual Help series!

pairing: mh!jungkook x reader

warnings: explicit language, Kiko is mentioned (this deserves it's own warning)

genre: fluff

word count: 1.8k+

a/n: Merry Christmas! ♡

Mutual Help Series

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“Oooh, what could be in here?” Taehyung muses, pursing his reddened lips that has gotten its own intense color thanks to the cold weather outside. 

What was he doing outside when you've been at this place for around an hour? Flirting, of course. 

“Knowing you, probably tons of condoms.” you answer, causing Taehyung to stop shaking the present he's just gotten from Jimin. It stops rattling under his grip as he shoots you a glare across the table. 

Unfazed, you reach with your chopsticks for a piece of meat before you put it in your mouth. Next to you, Jungkook cackles under his breath and Jimin looks proud by your little comment. 

“Well, miss I-don't-need-anyone, we all like to have our fun. Maybe you should try it.” Taehyung bites back. Though his tone sounds serious and deep with his thick accent, there's a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. 

You know how far you can take it to joke with each of your friends. Taehyung's got a thick skin and there's only so little you could actually say to offend him. Not that you would ever want to. Taehyung loves jokes and fun, he loves teasing and most of the time he's the one who takes it too far but never to actually cause a damage to your friendship. Whatever he says, you know should not be taken to heart literally. Therefore, no matter what he says about your single life – you don't take it as an insult. 

“Hooking up with a bunch of strangers? No thanks.”

He grins, “Maybe you should try it.”

“You offering?” you shoot right back, Jungkook choking on his soda as Jimin laughs out loud.

“You know what? Once you grow up a little, text me.”

You snort, “Stop acting as if I was a child.”

Taehyung shrugs, “No, but you're the baby of our group.”

Groaning, you frown. “Don't call me that.”

“Deny it all you want, Y/L/N but we all know the truth.”

“You guys scare almost every guy that looks at me. It beats the point of having fun.”

“Don't say shit like that, now! I'm all for you exploring and having fun.”

“Our point of fun is slightly different than hers, Tae.” Jimin comments, putting more meat to your plate as you thank him with a grateful smile. For the meat, of course. Although, he's not that off about the entire fun topic. 

“We all know what kind of fun we're talking about.”

“Alright, let's move on, yeah?” Jungkook calls, shaking his head at Taehyung.

“Here we go, protective Jungkook.”

“Why do you always somehow bring up sex in every conversation?” Jungkook scolds him.

Taehyung gasps, feigning offense as he points his finger at you. “First of all, she started talking about condoms!”

Jimin laughs out loud while you shoot him a glare for being too loud. God, you hope the owners won't kick you out. Talking so publicly about sex is often frowned upon. No one who wants to enjoy their meal wants to hear someone talking about sex from the other table. Unless those people are… open like Taehyung. He's always been a bit shameless. 

 Jungkook glances at you upon Taehyung's finger that's directed toward you. You shrug innocently. “So what? You automatically got into it.”

“You know it doesn't take too much for me.”

“That's true.” Jimin nods along with Taehyung's response. 

You laugh, “Just open the goddamn present, Tae.” 

He cracks a grin and starts laughing before he rips the package open. Surprisingly, it's not condoms – you would seriously laugh your ass out if it were – but it's a box of popular male fragrances in smaller versions. You recognize all of them, silently praising Jimin for this year's present. 

You all exchange presents for each other. There was an idea coming from Jimin, you think, last year to pick up a secret Santa for each year. But there's something special and thoughtful about buying everyone a gift. And it makes a slight burden to all your wallets, but nobody said the presents have to be expensive. Yet, they're always meaningful and nobody gives shitty presents here. 

You meet every year before Christmas since all of you spend it with your families. You've decided to make your own and celebrate it together, even if it's beforehand. This year it has to be because you're flying back home sooner than usual. 

They were kind enough to meet no matter what, said it wouldn't be the same if you weren't here. 

After that is done, Jungkook is the one to take you home since Taehyung came to pick you up. There's fog everywhere with snow sitting down and not melting anytime soon. You love when there's snow around Christmas time.

On your way home, it's not that late by the time you arrive. Jungkook helps you with your presents upstairs and accepts a cup of tea you offer him with a stern look. You're quick to shed the layers of clothes and make yourself more comfortable. You bring Jungkook his tea and make a hot chocolate for yourself.

“What you got in there?” you ask, plopping next to him as the warmth and scent of home hugs you. 

“A little something,” he says with a cheeky grin. 

Spotting the same Christmas wrapping paper he has used for all his presents, you give him a knowing look. You're about to protest and scold the shit out of him when he shakes his head with another grin. 

“Stop.”

“No, you stop!” you whine, “You already gave me your present.”

And it was great. Jungkook has given you two tickets to a water park that's located on Jeju Island. That alone tells you it wasn't quite cheap.

“It's not much, I swear.” 

“But why? We all decided on one present.” 

Grateful that he's so thoughtful, you're slightly annoyed that he broke the rule that perhaps never was so serious but it makes you feel bad. 

“Just because.”

“That's not a valid reason.”

“Sounds very valid to me,” he sings out, teasing you a little further as you both giggle. “You'll understand it once you open it.” he finishes it with that, urging you to open it.

Hiding the heat in your cheeks, you playfully roll your eyes and start unboxing the little box he has managed to sneak in his jacket. Curiosity and excitement takes over you because Jungkook's presents are always something else. You rip the package and gasp as soon as you recognize the familiar box.

“Kook!”

“You told me you ran out the other day.”

“Did you–”

“Bought it when Jimin bought Taehyung's present? Yeah.” He answers, already knows what you were about to ask. But you're too stunned to scold him for interrupting you.

You open the box and pull out your favorite perfume. A few weeks ago, you don't even know how that conversation came up but you mentioned to him that your perfume is running out indeed. It wasn't anything intentional of course, more of a whine when you were about to spray a tiny amount as you were about to go out. You thought he was barely listening to you, urging you to rush out your ass outside. His exact words. 

But he's always listening. 

“I think I'm gonna be more careful what I'm about to say in front of you. You're gonna buy me everything I mentioned.” you chuckle, taking a good inhale of your favorite flowery and powdery scent. You mostly use it during warm seasons but it's a good one even in the winter.

It's your staple scent. Everyone knows it. It's special. You were using it back at home and it not only smells incredible, it also holds a certain emotional attachment you have with it. 

“Don't worry about that, you're out of my budget.” 

You kick the side of his thigh as you cross your legs under your butt, carefully placing the bottle on the table next to the ripped wrapping paper. “I wanted to buy it after Christmas.” 

“You don't have to anymore.”

You give him a look, questioning his answer for everything as he simply justifies his thoughtfulness in the most basic manner. He always brushes it like it's nothing. But it's very special to you. He is. 

In seconds, you wrap your arms around him and hug him tightly. He lets out a surprised gasp, a low chuckle escaping his lips as he hugs you back. He's warm, smells like a mixture of his wooden cologne and winter air. 

“Thank you.” you mumble into his shoulder before you slowly pull away. “But seriously, you should stop spending so much money on me. Don't you have a girlfriend to spend money on?”

As far as you know, she's fine with it but who knows. Jungkook isn't the type to let anyone get into your or guys' friendships. But he's also in love and people in love tend to be slightly blind, if you must say so. Not that you speak from your own experiences but well, it's quite known. And Jungkook is definitely in love. 

“Don't worry about Kiko,” he assures you, “She'll get a good amount of presents too.”

“Well, I hope she loves you for you and not for your bank account.”

He scowls, causing you to give him a childish toothy grin that acts innocent. “She's not like that.”

“But I'm serious, you should stop spending so much money on people. Especially on me.”

“I spend my money however I want and you know what?” he asks with a grin, leaning closer to you as you watch him with wide eyes. “It's none of your business.” he flicks your nose with his thumb causing you to cuss him out as you push his forehead to get him away from your proximity. 

“So really, just accept it.”

“You're stubborn.”

“You're telling me?” he laughs out loud as if you just told him the biggest joke.

Rolling your eyes again, you purse your lips. “I wanted to be nice, you moron.”

“Be nice by just accepting it. And the simple thanks is just enough, not needed though. The hug was very nice.”

You slap his arm in a teasing manner which causes him to laugh even more. “I'll hug you for the rest of my life.”

“Promise?” he smirks. 

“I promise.” you giggle, nodding.

“Well, then Merry Christmas.” 

“Merry Christmas, Kook.” you smile, the warmth spreading all over your heart. Even though this year hasn't been all rainbow and sunshine, it's alright as long as you have these people right beside you. 

Who cares about presents? They're nice and show the thoughtfulness behind them by each of your friends. What you need the most is just them. And the special relationship you have with each of them will hopefully last your lifetime. Because if it doesn't, nothing will ever be the same. 

Without them you would feel lost. At the moment, you're anything but lost. You have your second family, hoping this tradition between you never dies and will continue years and years.

[goldenhickeysandramen]

Jimin & Jungkook in 2023 – What Makes Them Special?

We've seen a lot of threads about Jimin and Jungkook lately, talking about their lives, sexualities, personalities, relationships, and everything else.

But let’s be real: no matter your stance, their bond is undeniably special—way deeper than just "friends."

It’s always been unique, but 2023 put them under a microscope (of anties, especially). But even then, they did things that screamed "DIFFERENT", pointing to a much deeper emotional connection—one that stands apart.

Let's see...

Jungkook’s ALL-IN Support for Jimin’s Album

Let’s talk about how Jungkook went out of his way to hype Jimin’s first personal album.

This is different cause … he DIDN’T DO THE SAME for anyone else

NOT visiting anyone else’s rehearsals while being recorded,

NOT reacting to their content in VLives,

NOT jumping onto his live streams, and

NOT publicly congratulating anyone else on Weverse, or commenting his related posts

Not saying he wasn’t supportive of the other members (he totally was), but the energy was different. This wasn’t OT7 vibes; this was “Jimin-first” energy.

The member who has supported Jimin the most in Ch2 is Jungkook…….as well as Jungkook is the member that Jimin has always needed to praise the most…

2. Jungkook openly saying he missed Jimin and wanted to spend time with him. FINALLY!

It’s funny how some antis claim the car conversation proves they weren’t seeing each other, even though we literally saw them together at Yoongi’s concert just two weeks earlier.

Plus, AYS was planned way back in April (or even earlier)!

If anything, that convo actually shows how much Jungkook wanted to spend more time with Jimin doing something different (remember the whole thing started because Jimin mentioned they hadn’t travelled together in ages).

And Jimin knew about it and that’s why maybe he always took some time to drop sweet, loving messages for Jungkook during his VLives.

Jungkook not only expressed this longing with his actions but also directly said it on Weverse, making sure both Jimin and fans understood just how much he missed him. No beating around the bush, no subtle hints—he wanted to spend time with him.

Even if we take the car convo literally and assume they didn’t see each other much early in 2023, here’s what haters ignore: they FIXED it.

Jimin suggested a trip, Jungkook was all in, and they didn’t just go once—they went three times. Jungkook’s “FINALLY” wasn’t random; it was relief.

They made it work, spent the rest of the year together, and BEYOND

3. Choosing to do a travel show together and including a visit to Tokyo

This says a lot about their intentions. At first glance, these trips might seem not relevant compared to “others,” as many would dismiss them as purely work-related. But we all saw that wasn’t the case.

With their solo projects already winning hearts, these trips weren’t needed for promotion. Plus, they could have used that time to record more things on their own, as other members did.

But nah, despite their busy schedules, they took three trips, the best on of their lifes, and planned activities the other would love, and simply made time to be together (FINALLY!☺️) and shared that joy with us.

They even spent private moments in the US, Jeju Island (if we count the night before 😉) and in Tokyo, a meaningful place for them, and spent their last days together before enlisting.

Jungkook did also travel to Busan & Jeju with friends, to Japan with Eunwoo or to skiing with Tae & his friends, especially at the beginning of the year, when he had more free time.

The fact that most of these trips revolved around fun physical activities or enjoying food doesn’t seem like a coincidence—after all, this is Jungkook we’re talking about! 😊

These outings were casual, open, and far from secretive or overly intimate. Jungkook shared bits about them openly.

4. Prioritizing Time Together

Whether it was traveling, working, or just chilling, Jimin and Jungkook made each other a priority in 2023. They could’ve easily done other things, but nah—they chose each other. And they told us.

5. Spending the night together

Okay, this might not sound like a big deal... until you think about when it happened. Like the night before Jeju.

Jungkook was fresh off a third US trip that month and must’ve been EXHAUSTED. There was no reason for them to spend that night together since they were going to be glued the next three days—except for wanting to share a private moment before the trip began, since Tae became a last-minute special guest.

6. Shared Domestic Vibes

Jungkook cooking for Jimin, making sure he eats well, and knowing all the little things about each other? That was COUPLE energy!

Inside jokes, fave meals, random daily updates—they know it all. Considering the members haven’t lived together since like 2020, it says a lot.

7. Not being bothered when fans drop hints that clearly suggest a romantic connection.

They’ve never shied away

8. Flirting online

Because YES, THIS HAPPENED. If you know, you know. 👀

9. Enlisting together

What more can be said about their choice of the buddy system? They chose to go through this big, life-changing moment TOGETHER.

10. Being Each Other’s Daily Constant

And making it clear, in both big and small ways, that they are an integral part of each other’s daily lives, challenging the narrative pushed by their most toxic fans.

Like Jungkook casually sharing in his last Vlive that he's with Jimin (every day)—they see e/o after his cooking duties or even in the shower (!)—and Jimin constantly showing how important Jungkook is to him.

What some call “name-dropping” is just them being honest about how much they mean to each other.

Stuff like plushies, bathroom selfies, or confirmation because of an fan's artwork pushed by a restaurant’s owner trying to make a buck are just silly theories— Let’s be real… Claims about their sexuality or relationships in 2023, blurry videos, or IG posts by random people are just baseless speculation.

And EVEN if some of the rumors out there did hold some truth, they wouldn’t change, NEVER, Jimin and Jungkook’s obvious REAL LOVE and emotional dependece we can all see —clear and undeniable.

[anakinstwinklebunny]

MAFIA!ANAKIN HEADCANONS

TW: at some point it contains sexual content, so if you're sensitive to that or don't feel comfortable with it, please do not read for your own safety and comfort. Kinda violence, ani is a criminal, italian phrases/words (i do learn this language but if there's any mistake, im so sorry), mentions of drugs and gambling, ani with troublematic childhood, ITS VERY LONG!!

Mafia!Anakin who didn't know happiness until he met you. Yes, he had money, he had luxurious life but when you appeared in his life, you filled an empty hole in his heart

Mafia!Anakin who spoils you like crazy. You want something, you'll get it the same day, unless your behavior is out of place

Mafia!Anakin who keeps you away from most of his business for your own safety. He'd not forgive himself if something would happen to you because of him/his job

Mafia!Anakin who taught you how to use a gun so you could protect yourself when he's not around;

"No, again," his voice cut through your thoughts, firm and authoritative. Normally, Anakin was carefree in your presence, but teaching you how to use a gun was a different matter – he took it very seriously.

"What's wrong now?" you retorted, rolling your eyes in annoyance. You had been doing this for hours, with nothing but mistakes and failures, and your patience was wearing thin.

"Your grip...again," he said firmly, stepping closer behind you. He reached out to adjust your grip, his hands guiding yours. "You need a firmer grip, angel."

"I already have a firm grip," you retorted stubbornly.

He couldn't help but let out a small chuckle "Not as firm as it should be," he gently corrected "it's not a puppy you're holding in your hand, dolcezza." His hand wrapped around yours, adjusting your fingers and gripping them even tighter, forcing you to hold the gun properly. "This is what a firm grip looks like."

He pulled away, fixing his gaze on you again, searching for any mistakes. You tried your best to keep still, clutching the damn thing in your shaking hands. Generally, you didn't like such objects, but with Anakin, it was slightly easier. You knew he was doing this out of concern for your well-being.

"Your feet are too close together." He observed, moving in closer. "Having such a small base gives you less balance, which you don't want. You need a steady position in situations like these, angel. Otherwise, things can go very wrong."

He gently pushed his knee between your legs, widening your stance. You involuntarily stirred a little at his action, but he continued "You need to be sturdy, firm. But at the same time, flexible"

"You don't stand like that when you use a gun," you pointed out

he chuckled again, his breath warm against the back of your neck. "That's because I've been holding one ever since I was a kid, angel. You're just learning, sweetheart. You need to learn the proper stance first. We'll get to my type of stance when you have the basics nailed down."

He gently adjusted your stance, his hands steady on your hips. "Keep your feet hip-width apart, and relax your shoulders. It's all about balance and control."

Mafia!Anakin who's obviously possessive over his treasure, his pretty angel. If any man dared to look at you in a way that made you uncomfortable or made anakin question the man's behavior, anakin would make sure he would never look at you again

Mafia!Anakin who takes you to casinos which are filled with rich guys and lavishly dressed women. The place where crimes begin. He'd most of the time let you sit on his lap while he plays gambling, asking for your favorite number for his own luck

Mafia!Anakin who makes sure everyone knows that you're his and only his. Multiple marks on your neck from his lips, his hand on your waist and much more was just basics to publicly claim you

Mafia!Anakin who speaks to you in change between Italian and english, often calling you tesoro, dolcezza but also angel, baby, sweetheart

Mafia! Anakin who finds you and his close friends that he works with as his only family

Mafia!Anakin who shows you the world; takes you to different places in other countries for vacation

Mafia!Anakin who's absolutely in love with your reactions to his gifts for you; your wide smile, your sparkling with excitement eyes, your endless 'thank you' between your kisses

Mafia!Anakin who keeps you away from any drugs his friends bring since he wants to keep you away from such things

Mafia!Anakin who would throw himself on train for you. Who would take a bullet for you if he'd have to, if it meant to keep you safe and happy. Who would do anything you want. Even deprive someone of their life, since he did much worse things

Mafia!Anakin who has a habit of using new things on your delicate body;

you both laid in his king-sized bed as he worshipped your body with his plush, pink lips, gently pressing kisses against your stomach. Between his slim fingers he held the tweezers to occasionally add more radiant diamonds inside your belly button

"I love using them on you. You're just so hot," he murmured against your skin

"So irresistible," he continued with a huskier tone "Such a pretty girl..so beautiful..so gorgeous."

He moved his lips to yours, gently brushing them against each other "You would never leave me, would you?"

You shook your head defiantly, locking your gaze with his blue eyes that you could so easily drown in

"Good girl"

Mafia!Anakin who would never dare himself to treat you like he treats others. You're his favorite girl, his pretty angel and he'd be damned if he even dared himself to adress to you with such coldness or disrespect

Mafia!Anakin who loves the sound of your voice. You could just talk about nonsense, or about the book you've been reading and he'd be completely mesmerized by the sweet, gentle sound of it

Mafia!Anakin who finds you as his only source of comfort. After a rough day all he'll do is clinging to you, burying his face in the crook of your neck, savouring your scent. In your presence he could easily calm down, easily forget about the earlier events, at least for some time.

Mafia!Anakin who has a heart of ice but for you he'd burn the world

Mafia!Anakin who killed a man with the nearest object he could find (a book) just because he dared himself to touch you

Mafia!Anakin who hates to argue with you but when it happens, it always ends in the bed with rough love making

Mafia!Anakin who made love to you in every room, every small or bigger place in your shared penthouse

Mafia!Anakin who sometimes, if you're okay with it or insist yourself, takes out his frustration and indignation on you in bed;

"they're just so stupid" he growled in anger and annoyance, letting it all pour on his rough thrust "They can't do one thing correctly.. I swear to god if they mess up another goddamn thing, I'm going to kill them all. Every. Single. One of them"

"they're so useless. So pathetic." he leaned to kiss your neck "They can't do anything right, can't follow a single simple order to save their lives"

Each thrust in and out seemed to go even deeper, hitting this sweet spot that made you see those delightful stars as moans slipped through your mouth. Your eyes kept fighting to stay open, to see this desperate, awfully beautiful expression on his face. This sweaty curls, all messy and getting to his sharp blue eyes, this clenched jaw, his muscles that ripped and were, especially now, looking more defined and flexible than earlier. Gosh, the sight was enough to bring you over the edge

His eyes turned more soft, his own thrusts becoming more gentle. He was proud of himself, making a complete mess out of you and every time he loved to see you like this. All breathless and with marks all over your skin

"But at least I have you to help me release all this pent up anger.. you're so good at it, tesoro. So good for me...Only you can undo me, angioletto" he whispered, his breath growing ragged with each movement of his hips. "Only you can save me from my anger"

Mafia! Anakin who is a switch; yes, he can be a dominant one but he can easily turn into a submissive boy from only you being on top of him;

"Ani..it's so big.." you mewl, trying to adjust to his size in a new position

your words made him let out a low, pleased moan. He couldn't leave his pretty girl all helpless now, could he? His hands roamed towards your hips to help you move on his lenght "You flatter me, principessa" he groaned "Feels too big for you, does it? Too much?"

As much as his words could be true, you didn't want to admit it. You didn't want to stop it "mh--no..just.. perfect" with his help you lifted and slammed down on his cock

Your actions caused him to throw his head back and dig his long fingers to your soft flesh

"you feel so good..." he mumbled. Seeing you accustom to his size, he moved his hands through your body, feeling the need to squeeze, grope and touch every spot

"Dio, you're gonna be the death of me..." He whispered, driving himself deeper into you to feel more friction

Feeling his member pulsing against your walls only gave you another reason to tease him more, to bring him over the edge in the most pleasant way (for you)

"Oh gods..." he mumbled, his teeth gritted as he felt you increasing your movements "You're gonna...drive me... insane, c-cazzo.."

"you're gonna be a good boy and fill me up?" you moaned, watching his screaming in pleasure face

A shiver run down his body after he had heard your breathless words. There was something about seeing you turn from a sweet girl to a taking charge woman that absolutely turned him on more than he would like to admit

"Y-yeah.." he panted, his eyes opening to fix on her face, "I'll be a good boy for you, I'll fill you up... I'll do anything you say... anything to please you, bella"

Mafia!Anakin who goes absolutely crazy when you surprise him with new lingeries, costumes for cosplays; it all drove him insane

Mafia!Anakin who gives you the experience of three times in a row (making you finish for the three times);

his lips gently pressed against your neck, going up to whisper words in your ear "You tell me if you need to stop. You're so tired, I don't want to go too far and hurt you, ok?"

And you, all weary and sensitive after all what happened, could only nod in response. When his lips were going down your body, to your specific spot, your hand went down to grab at his curls, tugging on some strands around your fingers as he finally wrapped his lips around your clit-all with his eyes on yours

"You'll be walking with a limp tomorrow, mio piccolo coniglio" he mumbled between your flesh

Even if you were already tired, the shockwaves of pleasure went through your body, causing your moans to get louder

"Ani.." you whined breathlessly

The sound of his name leaving your lips made his entire body shudder. He loved the way you'd moan, whine and cry out his name. It was like a drug to him, and he craved it, craved the way you sounded and the way you tasted "Gods I love you" he breathed against your core

"the dearest god..." you moaned as his tongue lapped at your folds, making you arch your back

"You taste so good, sweetheart..can't have enough of you, never can.." he speeded his movements which was enough to make you scream

Mafia!Anakin who often talks to you about his traumatic childhood which obviously made a huge impact on his future

Mafia!Anakin who's basically a criminal; wouldn't hesitate to kill someone if that person was in his way

Mafia!Anakin who finds comforting in teaching you Italian. Just loves hearing you speak that language, even if you may suck at it

I've never really thanked you guys for being here, with me. For all your support, for all the lovely sweet comments. For reaching out to me in my inbox/dms..thank you for 301 followers! Really, love all of you with all my heart. Sending big hugs and kisses!

TAG LIST: @kingdomhate @ysrjune @divineani @erosmutt @emmaloo21 @haydensprettyprincess @mistress-amidala @catnipaddictt @fuckmyskywalker

(if you want to be removed or added then don't be shy and let me know 💋)

[convenientalias]

Why Nirvana in Fire Wins at Revenge Story with Identity Porn

Nirvana in Fire was my first ever cdrama that was a revenge story with identity porn. Since then, I've seen many other dramas along similar lines. A League of Nobleman. Blood of Youth. City of Streamer. Fighting for Love. Legend of Anle. Long Ballad. Princess Weiyoung. Rise of Phoenixes. Sword Dynasty. Weaving a Tale of Love. Word of Honor. Some of them are quite good but none of them really hit the same way. So, apart from the fact that it was the first one I ever watched, I thought I'd made a brief list of reasons why I think Nirvana in Fire is the best.

Lin Shu's Identity

I just appreciate that when shit went down and Lin Shu's whole family and army and many of his friends were killed and he became a man on the run, he was a full-grown man (okay, still pretty young, but definitely not a child) with his own life and even an army position.

A lot of these identity porn dramas will have their MCs meeting ppl for the first time in many years, in disguise, but they only knew these ppl when they were children. Childhood friends are great and all that, but can they hit as hard as the complicated, fleshed out relationships that Lin Shu had and lost? He had a friendship of many years with Jingyan. He had an engagement and a longstanding friendship with Nihuang. He has friends from the army, younger cousins playing the role of "we don't even understand what happened back then and maybe that's better", older friends and relations who he actually knew as an adult.

Simultaneously, his past identity increases the threat of discovery for Lin Shu. He's a known factor to many, many people in the capital. Yes, they think he's dead. But small things like a hazelnut allergy or his mannerisms or his previous friendships with people are still memorable enough that even with a completely different face, if he's not careful, he might give himself away. He's not infiltrating a group of strangers or people who only knew him as a kid. He's infiltrating a group of people who were close to him for many, many years of his life.

HOWEVER. Lin Shu's identity is not so important that everyone in the capital is still obsessed with him twelve years later (with some exceptions). This isn't Mysterious Lotus Casebook where we're all still pining for Li Xiangyi, because...

2. The Chiyan Case Wasn't Even About Lin Shu?? (Also, No One Cares About That Ancient History Anymore (Jingyan, Sit Down))

The Chiyan case wasn't about the Lin family at all, really.

No one specifically wanted Lin Shu dead or had a big grudge against his dad or anything. It's all about power, military and political. For some conspirators, it was just about getting a leg up in court. But mostly, it was about Prince Qi, the previous crown prince. The Lin family just happened to be friends with him and ended up in an uncomfortable (highly murderable and frameable) position.

Lin Shu may mourn his family, but for the majority of the show, he doesn't talk about it. He doesn't talk about his mother and his family back at the capital either committing suicide or being killed indiscriminately. He only mentions his father's name a handful of times in the whole show. Lin Shu's drive is that his father's ARMY was killed, tens of thousands of men. That's the weight on Lin Shu's shoulders: the death of all these innocent men because they were in the way. The Chiyan Case; the Chiyan Massacre. The denouement of Lin Shu's victory (not to give too many spoilers) is not just his father's name being cleared of a treason charge. It's when there's finally a memorial put up for the Chiyan Army, with memorial tablets that he can publicly visit to pay respects.

Why does this make it a better revenge story with identity porn? A couple reasons. First, Lin Shu is very much the center of the story and has very personal beef, but he treats himself like a tool and his objective isn't about himself or familial connections (they're part of it but they're not everything). He doesn't even know all the people he's avenging. That's fine; he'll still carry that weight. I just think it's neat.

Second, the fact that the Lin family (and the whole Chiyan Army) were really just collateral damage for getting rid of Prince Qi really emphasizes just how careless the current regime is of the value of human life.

Third, as Meng Zhi says when Lin Shu comes to the capital, everyone at court is busy with their own little power struggles and no one has time to care about Lin Shu or protect him. Lin Shu's like yeah that's fine :) I'm not anyone's focus anymore and the Lin family has been swept under the rug like we never existed :) and no one even talks about the Chiyan case anymore for fear of being accuse of treason :) that's all okay because I'm about TO MAKE THIS EVERYONE'S PROBLEM ANYWAY and honestly the fact that everyone's trying their hardest to forget will just make them more oblivious when I come to fuck them up.

3. All Of This is Whose Fault, Again?

That's right, folks, we're in a show that knows that when shit goes down at court and your family gets framed for treason and the emperor orders them executed, sure, you can blame the conspirators who framed them all you want, but also, YOU KIND OF DO HAVE TO BLAME THE EMPEROR.

People have said enough about how great this is on a thematic level of accountability but seriously I've seen so many shows dodge this. ~It's not the emperor's fault bc he was misled by these conspirators~ or ~the emperor is only a puppet emperor, if he actually had power instead of this evil person, he would put everything right.~ Or, if they dare to blame the emperor, maybe he's just an evil emperor and was bad all along. NIF says yeah, he was lied to on many levels. There was a whole complicated conspiracy going on and many people to blame. But he could have taken things slower. He could have required better evidence. He could have trusted people who had supported him for many years, at least enough to listen to their side of the story BEFORE KILLING THEM. And why didn't he? It's not because he's an idiot. It's because he's an emperor, and emperors don't like seeing other people gain enough power to even potentially become a threat. It's because he wasn't looking for the truth, he was looking for an excuse to kill. And he's not unusually evil for that; this kind of callousness towards murder and grasping for power at all costs is more the norm at court than any kind of honor or morality.

The Emperor's a nice guy sometimes! He used to fly kites with Lin Shu when he was young! His sons give him a headache, but honestly, relatable, they'd give you a headache too! He likes Consort Jing and honestly, who wouldn't! And he killed one of his sons, one of his closest friends, and an entire army, and he would do it again without hesitation. He's not especially evil. Being an emperor is bad enough.

4. Other Bad Guys

It's worth mentioning that Lin Shu's opponents are not stupid.

Xie Yu and Xia Jiang, Prince Yu and the Crown Prince, even the Empress and Noble Consort Yue: They aren't all geniuses, but they aren't idiots flailing around in spite. They're pretty smart, and if Lin Shu wants to take them down, he has to be smarter.

It's also worth mentioning that this is not one of those shows where the protagonist happens to take down his opponents mostly by standing still and just defending himself when they lash out at him. This seems like an obvious thing in a revenge drama, but the number of times I've seen the opposite, the protagonist swearing revenge and then just struggling with self preservation.... but no. Lin Shu has A Plan. He is going to be proactive and actually take his enemies down. Admittedly he will do this by revealing their past misdeeds but this isn't a case of "the misdeeds will just happen to pop up". This is a case of "I will actively unearth skeletons from where you threw them in a well in an abandoned manor".

TO SUM UP

Without going into the things that make Nirvana in Fire a great show in general (great acting, good pacing and plotting, good costuming, and so on and so forth) I think the main things that make it hit for me as a revenge story with identity porn are 1) letting the MC's past identity be that of a grown man who actually had a life (more connections to the past, but also more to lose and more danger in the present as a result), 2) the fact that the offense that the MC is avenging wasn't even like a personal thing to the offenders (bc! it's fucking infuriating!), 3) the fact that the drama is willing to face the root of the problem (the problem is both corruption at court and the fact that the highest arbiter is flawed, not just individual conspirators), 4) the supply of multiple good antagonists, and 5) LETTING THE MC ACTUALLY, ACTIVELY PURSUE REVENGE AND THAT'S THE MAIN PLOT AND WE AREN'T SPENDING MOST OF OUR SCREENTIME ON SIDEPLOTS AND ROMANCE OR MERE SELF PRESERVATION. These may not seem like large things but my friends, you would be surprised how many revenge dramas I've watched at this point that can't do them.

ok I'm done ranting. Feel like most of this is actually stating the obvious but I'm just in a mood and had to get it out. (...also possibly I've been let down by some revenge dramas lately but I won't get into it. it's okay. we can't all be Nirvana in Fire; only Nirvana in Fire can be Nirvana in Fire.)

[vivwritesfics]

Fire Is The Devils Only Friend

Chapter Five

There was no such thing as making it on your own with a high profile boyfriend. That was why she kept her relationship a secret. But then after a PR fuck up, her boyfriend is forced into PR relationship and she's left on the side lines, missing him

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Carlos didn't tell her that he had bought her book. He didn't mention it when he kissed her goodbye, leaving her with Piñón. But it was in his bag as he headed to the Grand Prix.

With Rebecca Donaldson at the Grand Prix, there was very little Carlos could do to show her that he loved her. But any spare moment he got, he was reading her book. In his drivers room, in the back of the garage when he wasn't needed, he had her book open.

Fans noticed immediately. They first noticed that he was reading. But then they took notice of what he was reading. At first it was no big deal. She'd been in the garage a couple of months ago, so it wasn't the most outlandish thing in the world.

But then one fan pointed out that the book had only been released in English. He was reading the book in English!

The theories from the fans started. Well, were they theories if they were correct? The ferrari media team watched if all unfold. They knew they had to get on top of it and quick.

So, while she was sending her mother a picture of Piñón with his head on her lap, a picture was circulating instagram. She hadn't touched instagram since the day she found out about Carlos and Rebecca, and she didn't touch it this time.

A screenshot from Carlos's account, his latest post, in fact, was he and Rebecca Donaldson, hand in hand as he kissed her head, popped up below the picture she had sent her mother. 'Is this him?' Her mother had typed beneath the picture.

"Fuck," she choked, turning the phone off and throwing it to the side. Piñón went to chase after the phone, but she held onto his collar, crying against his fur.

She thought she was okay with it, but she wasn't. She hadn't been prepared for the onslaught of emotions that came with seeing that picture.

"He kisses my head like that," she said to Piñón. "I don't think we have any pictures like that together."

Of course, she didn't know the context, didn't know why that picture had been posted. She didn't know it was because Carlos had been caught reading her book, and that fans were beginning to get suspicious.

She wiped her tears and grabbed Piñón's lead. Taking nothing but a set of keys, she left their house and took Piñón for a walk.

It was therapeutic, taking Piñón on his walk. He led the way, taking her on the trail he usually walked with Carlos. The three of them had never gone together. It was usually Carlos. Normally, when she took Piñón, she was careful, avoiding main roads and potential pictures being taken.

But, today, she couldn't find it in herself to care.

"Is it my fault?" She asked Piñón as she sat on a bench. "I mean, if I hadn't been so against us being public in the first place would this have happened?"

Of course, Piñón didn't answer. He couldn't answer. He was a dog.

She thought she could do this. She certainly loved Carlos enough to try. But this, seeing another beautiful woman doing all of the things she wished she could do with him, was too much.

And even if Carlos publicly broke things off with Rebecca for her, he'd always be seen as a cheater and she'd always be seen as the other woman. It could ruin her life.

Well no, that was exaggeration. But she didn't see it that way, she wasn't going to see that way, not for a while. At the moment, Piñón was the only thing keeping her there.

Carlos was on the podium. It was a win, actually. She watched on the television as he stayed ahead of the rest of the grid. He was showing Ferrari exactly what they would miss if they dropped him. It gave her a little slither of hope.

But that hope soon dissipated. She wore a small smile as Carlos climbed out of the car. He ran over to celebrate with his team, and then his father. The father that didn't know she existed.

Behind his father, she was there. Carlos hugged her as she stepped towards the barrier. Hugging wasn't so bad; they couldn't be seen ignoring each other, after all.

But then Rebecca's hands were on his face and she pulled him in for a kiss. The camera zoomed in on them as Carlos shut his eyes, melting into her.

Fuck, she couldn't do this.

For the second time in two weeks, she packed up her things and placed them in her car. Tears rolled down her sheets as she turned the few frames full of pictures of her and Carlos around so that they were facing the wall.

Last, she grabbed Piñón's bed. He wasn't her dog, and she had no intention of keeping him from Carlos, but she was going to take him with her, keep him well looked after while Carlos was away.

And then, when Carlos came to pick him up, she'd break up with him.

Piñón sat in the back of the car as she drove to her mother's house. "Oh, buddy," she whispered. As they drove. He slept on the drive, unaware that anything was wrong. She couldn't help but be envious of him, of how unaware he was of what was going on.

Her mother opened the door as soon as she saw her car coming up the drive. "You couldn't do it, could you?" She called, watching her climb out of the car.

She scowled as she grabbed Piñón. When she saw him, her mother gasped and let out a laugh. "You kidnapped his dog? That's hilarious," she said taking the dogs lead from her daughter.

Her daughter, who said nothing as she got her things from the car. Her mother could never understand this, could never understand what she was going through.

"I saw them doing all of the things that I wanted to do with him," she said quietly as she walked into the house and unclipped Piñón's lead. "I couldn't do it. I couldn't watch it, I couldn't watch him pretend to be with her while I sat at home, looking after his dog."

She scratched Piñón's ears. Piñón, who, at that moment, she'd miss most of all.

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[ashtavula]

Hihihi! Could I please request a royalty/nobility au with the housewardens? Like them as a dashing Mr. Darcy, if that makes sense.

So, since this is pretty open ended, I'm just going with headcanons on what sort of role they'd have in this au. Though it might be more like an otome au? But if you like it, or want to see more, please don't hesitate to ask!

Royalty AU - The Housewardens

You are the only heir to the throne, and now, you've been given a "simple" task. Find someone to marry before the year is over! Your butler clears his throat, and names some of your potential suitors...

Riddle - The Marquess' Son

-Riddle is the sole child of Marquess and Marchioness Rosehearts. His family is well known for funding medical research, and they're generally well respected. At least, publicly. In private, many nobles whisper about the cruelty of Marchioness Rosehearts, and Riddle's overbearing strictness. Your butler also states that, when your parents announced your eligibility for marriage, she was the very first to put her son's name forward. It makes you think that Riddle had no say in being a candidate.

-Riddle himself is rumored to be at odds with his family, considering his friendship with the local baker, Trey Clover, and other commoners. His mother has publicly denounced the idea that her family mingles with the lower classes, but Riddle continues to be spotted around the bakery regardless. It makes you wonder if he's not quite as strict as the rumors claim...

Leona - The Second Prince

-Leona is the second born prince of a neighboring country. His brother, King Falena, has maintained his country's status quo, but it's becoming rather obvious that Leona doesn't approve of his family's excessive lifestyle while their kingdom's poorest starve. Supposedly, Falena is growing increasingly desperate to marry Leona off to a foreigner so he can be removed from Sunset Savannah's political sphere. Leona's own people talk about him being a lazy, power hungry rebel, and this gives you pause. You haven't heard a single positive thing yet. There must be more to the man than this...

-Your butler goes on to mention that this is merely what your country's spies have found out. According to official correspondence, Leona is a laid back man with a handsome appearance, and a sharp intellect. The sheer difference in those descriptions startles you, and makes you wonder. Who exactly is Prince Leona?

Azul - The Information Broker

-Azul Ashengrotto is the head of the country's biggest information guild. Hiring his Octavinelle Agency is the best way to dig up dirt on anybody, and no one knows just how he acquires that much intelligence. Your parents have listed him as a potential candidate in the hopes that, should you marry him, he would give you access to the wealth of information he has at his fingertips. According to rumors, you must give him something of equal exchange for anything he tells you. You frown as you hear about people selling things like their voices, and their magic to him. He can't be that cruel. Right?

-According to people who have made deals with him, he has a taste for the finer things in life. He'd certainly jump at the opportunity to court you, as you are the heir to the throne. Before your butler can finish, a strange man enters the room. His mismatched eyes gleam as he hands you a letter, stamped with the Octavinelle Agency insignia. The letter is simple, but it sends a chill up your spine. "Your Highness, if you are considering marriage, then please come by my agency. I can tell you anything you wish to know about your suitors, and I'll even waive my usual fees. The only thing I ask in return is for your company. Signed, Azul Ashengrotto." Before you can question the man, he slips out of the parlor. How peculiar...

Kalim - The Merchant Prince

-Your butler clears his throat, and moves on. Next on the list is Kalim Al-Asim, heir to the Al-Asim Trade Company. Merchants under their banner travel far and wide, bringing wondrous things that many people have never seen before. In his country, rich merchants practically become royalty, and Kalim's family is the wealthiest of those families. If you choose him, it will invigorate your country's economy, and your parents approve of this. Also, according to the people who have seen him, he's cheerful and compassionate.

-However, your butler warns that his family has a dark side. In the Scalding Sands, poison is the weapon of choice, and Kalim's life has likely been threatened numerous times. And that his own siblings and cousins are likely his biggest enemies. If you married him, you'd be subjected to the same treatment. You'd constantly have to watch your back, and worry that every sip of wine would be your last. Is that truly a life you wish to lead?

Vil - The Duke

-Vil Schoenheit is the youngest Duke to grace your country's nobility. He's also the fairest. Countless numbers of men and women fawn over his beauty, yet he has rejected every advance that has come his way. This had led to nasty rumors that he has impossible standards, and that his heart must be made of ice. He apparently also has a keen mind, though there are some whispers that he uses that intellect to brew deadly poisons. Who those poisons are meant for, nobody knows.

-His dukedom also contains some of your country's most beautiful locations. Lush forests and thriving apple orchards span his lands, and his people prosper under his rule. However, people do wonder why all of his citizens seem to be good looking, and why nobody seems to oppose him. Is it just a coincidence, or is there a darker reason behind his seemingly perfect dukedom?

Idia - The Inventor

-Idia Shroud is, without a doubt, one of the smartest men in your kingdom. However, his reputation, and several rumors, precede him. He's known for being extremely reclusive, and he's almost never been seen in public. Instead, he trusts an automaton, Ortho, to complete various tasks. And the few times he has been spotted sparked a frenzy of strange rumors. There's talk around the capital that he's been cursed, marked by unholy fire. Your brows furrow. Is he truly one of the candidates for your hand in marriage?

-Aside from the rumors that swirl around him, he's genuinely skilled. Ortho is a completely sentient automaton, and several of his other inventions have changed the average citizen's quality of life for the better. He's the reason your kingdom is more advanced than any other, and that counts for a lot. He's a bit bizarre, but rumors about his supposed "curse" stirs your curiosity.

Malleus - The Briar King

-Your butler shivers, and mentions King Malleus in a hushed tone. He is the King of Briar Valley, a strange land that nobody has ever actually seen. There are old tales about his kingdom. Stories that state that the land is populated by the fae, and that their king is not truly a fae, but a fearsome dragon. These tales claim that any being who opposes the Briar King will be incinerated in a plume of dragon fire, and that he demands complete loyalty from his subjects. As you begin to wonder why your parents would give you such an option, you get your answer. For the first time, Malleus has left his kingdom, and is visiting yours. This might be your kingdom's only chance to forge an alliance with the powerful, mysterious fae.

-There is a bit more information than just wild tales. According to your butler, an odd fae visited the castle yesterday, and told your parents a bit more about Malleus. This fae stated that his king was not quite as intimidating as the stories claim, and that Malleus yearned for companionship more than anything else. Your gaze softened. You, as the heir to a kingdom, knew that a royal life could be a lonely one. If he also felt the ache of solitude, then, he surely couldn't be a monster, like the people say.

Now that you've heard about your potential suitors, only one question remains...

Who will you choose?

[domiiomii]

It is interesting to me how we don't actually see much of Viktor's life in Zaun besides his interaction with Singed but it is clearly something he carries deeply with him. One could think maybe Viktor hated Zaun, he seemed to isolate from other kids, or think he felt resentment that because of his birthplace he became ill, however none of that seems to be true because from the start he was always pushing to make the hextech available to the people of the undercity and when he gets his own power his first instinct is exactly that, to go back home and help those who have been ignored, who need it the most, who are just like him.

Perhaps it is not so much about growing up in Zaun but rather that Piltover made sure that he knew he didn't belong there. He knows he is an outsider, in every way, he says it when he meets Jayce and describes himself as a "A poor cripple from the undercity", which is very peculiar because we don't see anybody else in the series, despite the multiple characters from Zaun who are disabled, speak like that or seem to have those thoughts because disability is such a commonality there.

Viktor's "insecurities" if you want to call them that don't come out of thin air but out of the way he was clearly treated in piltover, him not wanting to speak publicly during Progress Day is sad sure, but it is not just because he saw his existence as "less than", but because he clearly was reminded of it constantly. It is not that he lacked the confidence, he clearly believes in himself, he knows his abilities, but he also KNOWS he won't be taken seriously, either because he is from the undercity or because he is disabled.

This very point is made clear through the scene with Mel when she argues for making hextech weapons, it is such a harsh reality check of Viktor's place in piltover. Viktor's voice doesn't matter at all to those in power, no matter how brilliant he is, no matter how much he has changed their lives. Mel doesn't even look at Viktor, she doesn't talk to him directly, Viktor is talked over by Mel and Jayce who are again literally standing over him while he sits down, the whole scene has the two of them having a conversation with Viktor in the room but ignoring him. Mel doesn't even try to argue her point with Viktor because to her Viktor's thoughts and opinions don't matter at all. In the end she tells Jayce and Jayce only "The decision is yours".

Another particular point is how she tells Jayce only "The peace is already broken Jayce, I'm only asking you to prepare to defend your people." YOUR PEOPLE meaning piltover and again all this being said right in front of Viktor an outsider, a man from the undercity, discussing how they will use the technology he helped developed against HIS OWN PEOPLE, people just like him. Very important detail here is that right after this interaction Viktor goes to the undercity and asks Singed for help after he realizes piltover will never help him, he goes back for help the only place he can get it because despite how much Piltover has benefited from Viktor's mind, he is never welcomed and his thoughts on what his work should be used for are not heard at all, everything of value is taken from him then he is left to die.

It is very funny how Piltover is regarded as this "beacon of progress" when you see how they treat their own population of the undercity where they don't even see them as equal citizens. This very point reflects in how Jayce is able to climb the social ladder while Viktor is always relegated and eventually even his name is scrapped from the technology he helped develop, he is a stranger in his own "city".

Talking about Jayce is also worth mentioning that, aside from Sky (also from the undercity), Jayce is the only person in piltover we see who cares about Viktor and the point is not lost on me that he comes from a lower much smaller house (not that his relationship with Jayce is perfect don't get me started on the "You were never broken Viktor" thing, that is a post of it's own). The relation of Viktor to the other elites of piltover we see is just bleak, Mel as established completely disregards him and even when he is at death's door I don't think she cared about him, she cared that Jayce cared about Viktor.

And then the worst of all, Heimerdinger who by all means should have been Vitkor's first ally as his professor is actually so quick to dispose of him and without a second thought and tell Viktor to destroy the technology that could very well be the only possibility to save him. The difference in how Himmerdinger acts with Ekko and Viktor is night and day, he denies Viktor any help to figure out how to save him while he "sacrifices" himself for Ekko's time machine. Now, how is a time machine not as dangerous as magic? I don't understand but this makes sense in the context that Viktor's life as a disabled person from the undercity seems to be established to be of less value.

For better or for worse piltover made sure that Viktor never forgot where he came from so him returning and helping the people who would never get help otherwise, people just like him, was the only path he could really follow.

On a personal note I find it so sad that the very clear class divide line in the plot was flatten in favor of “This is not about ideologies or territory, this is about saving humanity” when the very reason Viktor even became what he became and took the choices he did to what he thought was the best to save as many of the people like him as possible IS because of that class divide and it is because of the way piltover treated the undercity because of the pollution that made him sick and because of the the way piltover ignored the situation of the people they harmed.

[spacerockfloater]

Me watching Feyre convince herself that Tamlin is a disgusting monster who only used her to get his power back and then stopped caring for her the moment she became his because he was some selfish lunatic who wanted to keep her as his useless plaything the more time she spends with Rhysand and his Inner Court:

Tamlin. The guy who helped her family even if he only needed Feyre. The guy who had to watch the love of his life die screaming in pain as Amarantha broke every bone in her body. The guy who crawled in front of Amarantha and begged her to spare her while his own blood drowned him. The guy who slept at Feyre’s feet each night out of paranoia that something would happen to her, not him. The guy who let Feyre roam his court and help whomever she wants until she found out that these people had their own healing to do and the help they actually needed, looking up to someone, was not something she wanted to offer. The guy who had to watch her reject him publicly by hesitating at the altar and never even mentioned it because he didn’t want to embarrass or upset her. The guy who had to watch her get abducted every month by his nemesis, a known sadist. The guy who waited and gave her space. The guy who was searching for a way to break the bond all of these months even though she furiously blamed him that he was not doing enough to cancel her bargain with Rhys, a bargain she willingly made and was responsible for. The guy who was willing to let her go even if it meant condemning an entire world. The guy who launched himself at Hybern to save her sisters.

And he’s crazy because he wanted to keep her safe in their fucking palace for one evening?

Reading Feyre’s narrative after she started hanging out with the people of the Night Court made my skin crawl. I kept gripping the book furiously and mentally telling her “Wait, that’s not what fucking happened” every time she spoke about Tamlin. It was horrifying because this is exactly what I always imagined people who abandon you do: leave you and then tell people their own, made up version of events.

Watching her stop speaking about him with love and slowly paint him as her tormentor was like watching a train wreck you couldn’t prevent:

- I love Tamlin and he loves me and we have sacrificed so much for one another.

- I love Tamlin and both of us are dealing with a lot right now, but we’re trying and we’ll make it.

- Tamlin loved me and he made some wrong decisions but I still feel like I’m cheating on him.

- Tamlin’s actions were wrong and I hope we’ll sort things out once we all calm down.

- Tamlin gave me everything but he still made some wrong decisions.

- Tamlin really cared for me but I don’t need what he has to offer me anymore.

- Tamlin was right about my safety after all but I have decided I don’t care and don’t forgive him.

- Tamlin only wanted me because I was useful and then stopped caring for me.

- Tamlin is a selfish prick who used me and then tossed me aside and wanted me to be his stupid ignorant pet and he didn’t give a fuck about me and I hate him and want him to die.

Feyre. Feyre. FEYRE. Wake up. None of this is true. You’re spiralling and you’re blaming him for every little thing he ever did that slightly inconvenienced you while you forgive and justify each and every one of Rhysand’s horrendous crimes against you, all of his countless lies, all of his manipulation.

I think she just never loved Tamlin and that’s why it was easier to hate him.

[vanishingcherry]

GRADUATION + HATE + LOVE

this is a social media au based on an anon request sent to @silverstonesainz, who left it open for someone else to make.

i hope you don't mind that i made it instead anon, enjoy! (sorry the name's kinda stupid my brain isn't working)

masterlist

๑ ⋆˚₊⋆────ʚ˚ɞ────⋆˚₊⋆ ๑

liked by yourbff, charlesleclerc, lilymhe and 245 others

yourusername lil photodump

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lilymhe so so pretty

↳ yourusername marry me

↳ alex_albon thats my girlfriend

↳ yourusername not for long

yourfriend love youu

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charlesleclerc ❤️❤️❤️

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yourusername dinner dates by the sea

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carlossainz55 so thats where charles ran off to after the meetings

↳ yourusername yes and?

yourbff SO CUTE

charlesleclerc pizza

↳ yourusername yummy 🍕

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charlesleclerc congratulations to yn for graduating oxford! so so proud! je t'aime ❤️

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yourusername thank you amore ❤️

↳ charlesleclerc te amo

f1fan YAYY CONGRATULATIONS YN!

charlesfan1 its weird cause hes so publicly supportive of yn but ive never seen yn publicly support charles

↳ f1fan5 i know right? ive never seen her tweet or talk about him in the paddock

charleseclair she studied at OXFORD?!

hamiltonsroscoe OH MY GOD WHY AM I JUST FINDING OUT HE HAS A GIRLFRIEND

yourfriend congratulations!!

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charlesleclerc recently it has come to my notice that some of the fans have been sending hate to yn and making hurtful comments.

yn is one of the most beautiful people in my life, and I am extremely lucky to have her. she deserves the entire world and it hurts not only her, but me too when I see the messages that she has been receiving.

she is absolutely perfect for me and I love her with all my heart. we have mutually chosen to keep our relationship private, and ask that you respect that. if you were one of the people who sent the hate, know that supporting me means supporting the people I love as well.

@.yourusername je t'aime toujours

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You woke up to the constant sound of notifications coming from your phone. Rubbing your bleary eyes, you try and lean back in an attempt to reach the side table, stopped only by the tightening of the arms around your waist.

"Go back to sleep". Charles's voice is muffled, only part of his face visible with the rest smushed against the pillow. "Its too early."

Smiling softly, you lift his arm from your body. He groans, eyes opening to look up at you.

"Theres a lot of notifications amour", you explain. "I need to check what it is."

Rolling his eyes in defeat, he lets go of you, letting you pick up your phone and open twitter to see why so many people were talking about you.

Eyebrows furrowing in confusion, you see many people mentioning a post that Charles had supposedly posted last night. Looking over to him, you ask.

"Did you post something on Instagram yesterday?"

"Huh? Oh yeah." He doesn't bother elaborating, choosing to instead let his head fall back on the pillow, closing his eyes to block out the light.

Chuckling at his reaction, you switch to the Instagram app. Immediately met with 4 different pictures of yourself, you scroll down and read Charles's caption. Sighing when you realise he too had seen the tweets, you put your phone away, lying back down to face him.

"You didn't have to post that amour."

"I wanted to. They were being mean to you." he replies without a second of hesitation. "Je t'aime, d'accord? They have it all wrong, it is me who doesn't deserve you."

Nodding, you reply. "Thank you."

You snuggle closer to him, tucking your head underneath his own. You feel him press a small kiss to your forehead before once again pulling you in, his grip keeping you from moving.

Softly, you whisper. "Je t'aime toujours aussi."

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yourusername mon amour

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[leonstoenailunderhisbed]

You’ve bewitched me, I wish to never be parted from you

Summary: A war lasting three years became heavy on the front lines. Many people died and lost their homes from the actions of one kingdom. But to end the war, both kingdoms agreed to seal an alliance through an arranged marriage. Caught in a loveless marriage with the crown prince, a whirlwind of emotions blasts through foreign land as you try to make your life in the enemy kingdom bearable.

Warnings: slow-burn. Leon is a piece of dick in the beginning. angst. smut. cunnilingus. mentions of pregnancy. arranged marriage. reader is a princess and Leon is the crown prince. enemies to lovers (i think?). inaccurate historical information. READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.

Word Count: 12,900

A/N: final chapter😖 I hope everyone likes the ending, pls don’t hate me if you haven’t reached the ending🙏🏼

[pt.1][pt.2]

“As our hands are held, if only you could stay beside me forever” — Snow Flower, Mika Nakashima

Leon slept deeply, holding you close to him, his body instinctively seeking warmth and comfort. It was the most peaceful sleep he had in a long time.

As dawn approached, the sun peeking through the windows, Leon’s eyes slowly opened. He looked down at you, your head resting on his chest, your arm draped across him. He took a moment to just be, enjoying the feeling of your body against his, the soft sound of your breathing. For the first time in his life, he didn’t feel lonely.

The sound of birds chirping could be heard from outside, the sunbeams shining through the windows, illuminating your skin. You had yet to wake up, feeling a bit exhausted from last night. Maybe you should sleep in today and leave today’s work for tomorrow.

So much happened, he went from hating you to having sex with you and admitting things to you that made your heart swell in a way you never thought it would.

His mind was racing with thoughts about what had happened between you two. He couldn’t believe the change that had occurred in his feelings for you. He had gone from hating you to loving you, from being cold and distant to opening up and being vulnerable.

As he watched the steady rise and fall of your breathing, he reached out and gently pushed a strand of hair out of your face. You shifted slightly on his chest, your cheek pressed against him when you felt him push your hair away from your face. Your lips were slightly parted as you breathed calmly.

The door opened of your shared chambers and a servant came in along with your maids but then they halted at the sight of you two. Their eyes, once again, wide with shock. They’ve never seen Leon be so affectionate, all they saw was Leon be mean and rude to you.

Leon's head snapped up to glare at the servants and your maids as they entered the room, their faces a picture of shock and surprise at the sight of him holding you.

They all quickly, and almost comically, hurried out the room. They’d have a gossip day about this later on for sure. Even though you were married, no one would’ve thought that you’d be together like this. He watched as they quickly scurried out of the room, no doubt already spreading rumors and gossip about what they had seen. It annoyed him, the fact that everyone was so surprised that he could show affection towards you. He let out a huff of annoyance before looking back down at you, his expression softening. He gently caressed your cheek, his touch light and tender.

He wasn’t a soft person, not publicly. Everyone saw him as the prince who was ambitious and wouldn’t be afraid to use whatever means to ensure he remained the heir of the throne. But with you, he seemed like a different person. He went from a cold and distant husband to affectionate and caring with you.

Leon's mind went back to the past, to the pain and loss he had experienced. He had blamed you and your kingdom for the death of his mother, blaming you for the pain he felt. But now, as he held you in his arms, he realized that he had been wrong. He had hated you to protect himself, to shield his heart from the hurt that he had gone through. But somehow, someway, you had broken through his walls and now, he was left with the realization that he had fallen in love with you.

The covers were over your naked bodies but the warmth coming from his body was more than enough to keep you warm even if the sun shined through the window. Leon continued to hold you close, relishing in the feeling of your body against his. But as the realization of his responsibilities for the day crept into his mind, he knew he couldn’t just stay in bed with you all day. He slowly extricated himself from your embrace, careful not to wake you. He sat up on the edge of the bed, taking a moment to just look at you, peaceful and tranquil in sleep.

As much as he wanted to stay, he knew he had to go. Duty called. A servant came through the door quietly to help Leon get dressed for the day, all while the servant kept his eyes on Leon and not on your still sleeping form.

“Your Highness,” the servant said in a quiet voice as to not wake me up, “The king wants to see you in his study,” he said with his head dipped down in respect. Leon’s father wanted to meet with him? That’s odd, they just had a meeting yesterday with your father. But, like always, he had to obey the king’s orders just like everyone else.

Leon nodded silently to the servant. He knew he had no choice but to heed his father's summons, no matter how much he didn't want to leave your side. He rose from the bed, the covers falling away and revealing his naked figure. Leon was unashamed, not even bothering to cover himself as he stood and let the servant help him get dressed.

He shot one last glance at you, still sleeping peacefully, before he left the room. The servant helped Leon get dressed before they both left the room, walking towards the king’s study room.

“Your Royal Highness, the crown prince is here,” said the servant as he held the door open for Leon. The king sat on his desk with papers roaming around.

“Ah, yes, yes, come,” the king said as he waved his hand for Leon to step in.

Leon stepped into the room, his heart heavy with a sense of dread. He had no idea what his father wanted to discuss, but something in his gut told him it wasn't good news. He approached the king's desk, his eyes locked with his father's, who looked up at him with a mixture of concern and authority.

"You summoned me, Father?" Leon inquired, his voice steady and controlled despite the unease he felt inside.

“Yes, I did, son,” he said as he looked up from the stack of papers to look at Leon, “Please, sit down,” he then glanced at a servant on the right, “bring some tea.”

The servant nodded and left the room to get what the king asked while the king looked over at Leon once more, “How are you this morning?” He asked, even though it seemed like just small talk. The king was an okay type of father. He was always busy with work to spend time with his family, hence why Leon was so close to his late mother. But now the king seemed to make an effort.

Leon nodded and made his way towards the chair across from the king's desk. He sat down, his back straight, his demeanor serious, but inside, he couldn't shake off the feeling of unease.

"I'm well," Leon answered, his voice steady, "And yourself, Father?"

The king hummed and nodded as he tidied around his desk, but not too much as the papers remained on his desk, “I’m well, thank you,” he replied. He leaned his elbows forward against the table, “The reason I called you here was because I need you to do something,” he finally revealed.

The king took the contract your father gave him and waved it around, “You see, after giving it much thought last night, I decided to do something. I did not appreciate the Coast Kingdom telling me about their daughter potentially being infertile.”

Leon's shoulders tensed at his father's words. He knew what was coming, he could feel it in the pit of his stomach.

"What is it you want me to do, Father?" he asked, his voice carefully controlled, betraying none of the anger he felt growing inside him.

The king put the contract back down on his desk as he continued, “I’ll send some men down there under the pretense of aid. There’s currently some pirates stealing from the coastal towns and the king has asked me for help. I want you to go down there not just to help but also to investigate this matter more.”

He leaned closer to whisper but only loud enough for Leon to hear, “I need you to find out if what he said was true. I can’t have a daughter in law who can’t give heirs,” he said quietly.

“I want you to report back to me after you’re done dealing with the pirates. It might take weeks or months, however long it takes, just get to the bottom of this,” the king said before he looked back down at his papers on his desk, the servant coming back with the tea.

“You’re dismissed,” he said to Leon as he picked up a tea cup and started to drink. Leon's jaw tightened even further as the king whispered his instructions. The thought of having to go down to the Coast Kingdom and investigate your fertility, all to appease his father's desire for heirs, made him feel nauseous.

"Yes, Father," Leon replied through gritted teeth, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. He stood up, giving his father a nod. He turned and headed out of the study, his mind racing. How was he going to tell you about all this?

“By the way,” the king said right before Leon could leave the study, “you are to leave by the end of the week.”

“And it would be best if you kept this information to yourself,” the king added, “let your wife know that you’ll just be going for the sake of the pirate problem.”

Leon stopped in his tracks, his hand on the door handle. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to calm himself before turning back to face his father.

"Understood, Father," he said through gritted teeth.

He was tempted to protest, to argue that he should be honest with you about what he was really going down to do, but Leon knew it would be pointless. His father's words were orders, not suggestions. As Leon continued on with his day, you woke up a bit later than you usually would but it was a rest you deserved after last night.

You were sitting in the library, reading, when your maid suddenly came and approached you, “My lady, you have a visitor,” she said softly as she bowed her head. You turned your attention to her and furrowed your brows. You had a visitor? That was weird. You didn’t call for anyone today. You nodded at her and put your book back on the table and stood up, “Alright, let’s go then,” you muttered and followed your maid to the guest waiting room.

As you entered the guest waiting room, you saw a woman sitting on the couch. You’ve never seen her before, you curtsied to her and sat down on the couch across from her, “How may I help you?” you asked politely. The woman had a hint of judgment in her eyes and there was something about her that made you uneasy about her presence.

The woman, who sat ramrod straight on the couch, lifted her gaze to meet your eyes. Her eyes flicked over you, taking in your appearance with a judgmental gaze. She didn't speak for a moment, letting the silence stretch uncomfortably long. When she finally spoke, her voice was cold and calculating.

"My name is Lady Beatrice," she said, her tone laced with a hint of disdain, "And I've come to give you... some advice."

You furrowed your brow and stared at her confused, “Advice?” you repeated quietly. What could she possibly advise you with? You already had a court of ladies in waiting that helped you.

“Whatever do you mean, Lady Beatrice,” you continued politely, sitting straight and poised on the couch. Lady Beatrice's eyes narrowed as she looked at you, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Oh, it's nothing major, my dear," she said, her tone a little too sweet and saccharine, "I simply wanted to... offer some guidance to a young, inexperienced princess like yourself."

She leaned back in her seat, crossing her legs. Her eyes scanned your appearance again, her gaze critical and unashamed. Inexperienced? You were raised your whole life to be the future queen! Who does this woman think she is?

“With all due respect, Lady Beatrice,” you started, still in a polite tone, “I don’t need guidance. I have enough here in the palace.”

Part of you couldn’t help but feel like this is more than just guidance. Lady Beatrice chuckled softly, a smirk playing on her lips. Your denial didn't seem to faze her in the slightest.

"Nonsense," she said, waving her hand and brushing off your words, "I'm sure the palace teaches you the basics, but there are always... things left unsaid."

She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, her gaze unwavering, "You're going to be queen one day, princess," she said, her tone dripping with condescension, "but you don't even know your place yet."

“Pardon me?” you said under your breath at her words. Who was this woman to tell you that you don’t know your place? You inhaled softly and stared at her with a more serious expression, “Lady Beatrice may I remind you that if you insult me I will have the guards escort you.”

Lady Beatrice's smirk widened into a sly grin as you warned her. She leaned back in her seat again, her eyes gleaming with mockery.

"Oh, how intimidating," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "The princess of the Coast Kingdom, threatening to have me escorted out by the guards. How terrifying."

She let out a laugh, a cold, heartless sound that sent a chill down your spine.

"You don't scare me, princess," she said, her tone almost patronizing. "And neither does your threat."

“What is it that you want, Lady Beatrice?” you asked politely with a serious face. You’d rather have her go straight to the point instead of getting under your skin. Lady Beatrice paused, her expression turning serious as she stared at you, sizing you up. Her eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of cunning in them.

"What I want," she said slowly, her voice dropping to a low murmur, "Is simple."

She leaned forward, her gaze unwavering.

"I want you away from Leon."

“Excuse me?” you abruptly said as you narrowed your eyes at her. Your tone firm and slightly angry. Who was she to call him without his title? And why did she want you away from your husband.

“That is an absurd request, Lady Beatrice,” you said firmly, “His Highness,” you purposefully corrected her, “is my husband. I can’t stay away from him.”

Lady Beatrice's smirk widened into a cruel sneer as you corrected her, her eyes narrowing at your words.

"Oh, princess," she said, her tone dripping with mockery, "Don't be so naive. You really believe that he loves you? That your precious Leon cares about you?"

She leaned closer, her eyes glittering with malice. "You're nothing but a pretty face he's been forced to marry for the sake of politics. He tolerates you, but that's all."

You furrowed your brow and parted your lips. No, she’s wrong. Leon made love to you last night. And the day before that you kissed and held hands. He’s turned a new leaf, right? But a part of you couldn’t help but lean into her words. It was a bit strange how he suddenly started to treat you nicely with no explanation. And maybe you were naive to believe he changed for the better.

“You’re wrong,” you muttered weakly, a turmoil of thoughts and emotions swinging in your head. Lady Beatrice smirked at the uncertainty on your face, sensing your turmoil. She leaned back in her seat, her gaze locked on you.

"Am I, princess?" she asked, her tone sweet yet malicious, "Take a closer look at your dear husband. Really look at him, and tell me I'm wrong."

She paused, watching your reaction, “He's not as kind and caring as you think. He's cold, calculated, and manipulative. He uses people to get what he wants. And you, princess? You're just another tool for him to use."

She was getting to me but you didn’t know, all you could think about were her words. It was true that Leon was ambitious but he was also calculated and strategic when it came to getting the things that he wants. And you knew that he wanted to be the heir of the throne. Was he using you, pretending to appease the king and everyone else around? Was he just playing with your feelings? You didn’t know. What’s to say that he’ll go back to treating you coldly once he gets the crown.

“You don’t know him,” you replied, trying to keep faith in Leon even though her words were like poison. Lady Beatrice chuckled coldly, her smirk growing wider.

"Oh, princess," she said, her tone patronizing, "I know him better than you could ever imagine. We grew up together, spent years in each other's company. I know his true nature, and how cunning he can be."

She leaned forward, her gaze intense, "And I'll let you in on a little secret, princess. He doesn't love you. He's never loved anyone in his life, except himself. You're just a tool to him, a pawn to be used in his grand game for the throne."

You were silent for a while, slowly letting her words settle in your mind. You needed some air to clear your head. You abruptly stood up from the couch as your gaze fell down on her.

“I don’t know who you think you are to come in here and say those mundane lies about my husband,” you said firmly, “I’ll have to ask you to leave.”

You left no room for debate, you clearly wanted her out and away. Lady Beatrice's smirk faded at your firmness, replaced with a cold expression. She slowly stood up, her eyes narrowed at you.

"Fine," she said through gritted teeth, "I'll leave. But mark my words, princess," she spat out the word princess like it was an insult, "You'll regret putting your trust in Leon. He'll crush you like a toy once he gets what he wants."

She turned and walked towards the door, throwing one last smirk over her shoulder before disappearing from the room. Your heart was hammering inside your chest once she left and you sat back down on the couch, puffing out some air as you thought about her words. All of this just made you more confused about Leon.

You sighed and got up after you gathered my thoughts. Then, you walked out of the room and continued with your duties; practice your dance in the ballroom, go to the library to learn from your teacher, deal with minor problems in the kitchens, and more miscellaneous tasks. But as you did your duties, her words lingered in your mind and you couldn’t help but hear her words every time you saw Leon in the halls by coincidence. Each time you saw him, Lady Beatrice's words echoed in your head; he doesn't love you. He's never loved anyone. The seed of doubt she had planted deep in your mind began to sprout, and no matter how hard you tried to push it away, it refused to leave.

It didn't help that his expression was cold and aloof each time you saw him. He didn't even bother to smile or greet you. What if she was right and you were just naive?

-

It was evening and Leon was training in the training grounds with his good friend Andrews. As they sparred, Andrews couldn’t help but spark a conversation, “So, Your Highness, I heard you’ll be joining us down at the docks in the Coast Kingdom.”

Andrews wasn’t aware that Leon also had another assignment aside from helping with the pirate issue. Leon effortlessly parried Andrews' attack, his blade meeting Andrews' sword with a clash of steel. He smiled faintly at his friend's words, his eyes never leaving the other man's stance.

"It's been too long since I've been in the heat of battle," Leon said, circling around Andrews, his feet moving nimbly, "I missed the adrenaline, the rush, the *thrill*."

He lunged, his sword aiming for Andrews' side, "Besides, I have another assignment while down there... a very important mission given by my father."

Andrews raised his brow but he knew that Leon wouldn’t say anything since it was probably secret, “How are things with the princess?” He suddenly asked as he dodged one of Leon’s attacks.

“I heard from some of the servants that you two woke up together in bed,” he said as he smirked and wiggled his eyebrows at Leon.

“I see my advice worked,” he said with a smug tone, “They don’t call me Cupid Andrews for nothing.”

Leon rolled his eyes, a smirk playing on his lips, "Careful, Andrews. Your ego's about to explode."

He ducked, narrowly avoiding a swing from Andrews' sword, "And you might want to keep your voice down. You never know who's listening."

He feinted to the left, before making a quick jab to the right, "But to answer your question, things with the princess are... fine."

Andrews knew things were more than just fine, Leon looked like a man in love. Totally smitten. Like a teenage boy.

“Hm,” Andrews said with a grin, “Yes, I’ve heard things were fine last night,” he wiggled his brows again. Not letting Leon know that some people heard the lovemaking that happened last night between you two.

“So, I take it you two are now on good terms?” He asked a bit more seriously. Leon scowled as Andrews winked and wiggled his eyebrows, knowing exactly what he was implying, "Keep it up, and I'll knock you on your ass this time."

But his expression softened slightly at Andrew's next question. He considered it for a moment, lowering his sword for a second.

"We... we've come to an understanding," he replied, his tone not fully believing his own words, "Our relationship is... better than before. She's not as annoying as she once was."

Andrews raised a brow and looked at Leon intrigued, “Ah, so the prince has followed my advice. I assume you don’t hate her now?” He asked. It was true. Leon didn’t hate you, the words he whispered to you, the confession of being each other’s, of your bodies becoming one under the passion you both enjoyed.

“So,” Andrews said as he stopped sparring and leaned against his sword as he stared at Leon, “How is she?”

Leon paused, his expression unreadable as he considered how to answer Andrews' question. He too lowered his sword, leaning against it as he thought. He sighed, his eyes flicking to the side before settling back on Andrews, "She... she's not what I expected."

He ran his free hand through his hair, "She's not like the other ladies at the palace. She's... fierce, stubborn, witty."

He paused again, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips, "And she's not afraid to speak her mind. I... I sort of like that about her."

“Sort of?” Andrews repeated with a small smirk on his face. Then he hummed, taking Leon’s words and analyzing his behavior.

“What else do you like about her?” He asked Leon. Andrews, being the wise man and loyal friend he is, knew that Leon’s emotions ran deeper than what he led on. He knew Leon had trouble opening up to new people but to hear that he was able to even be intimate with you, the wife he used to hate from his political marriage, was like being woken up with cold water. Leon was silent for a moment, his gaze focused on the ground as he mulled over Andrews' question. He fidgeted with his sword, his fingers tracing the handle as he tried to find a suitable answer.

"She's... kind," he finally said, his voice quiet, almost as if he was talking to himself, "She cares about the people, the kingdom. She's smart, smarter than I gave her credit for."

He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing, "She's beautiful. Her smile, her eyes, her laugh..."

“What about her laugh?” Andrews asked, his expression softening as he stared at his friend, watching Leon’s nervous behavior. Leon chuckled faintly, his eyes still fixed on the ground as he spoke, "Her laugh... it's contagious. It's like a melody."

He glanced up at Andrews for a moment, a small smile on his lips, "Whenever she laughs, it brightens up the whole room. No matter how bad my day's been, just hearing her laugh makes it better."

He paused, running a hand through his hair again, "And it's like... like I can't help but smile too, whenever her laughter fills the room."

Andrews couldn’t help but smile softly at Leon, he really was in love with you while not knowing it.

“You like her,” Andrews said quietly, not a question but rather a statement. Leon was silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on the ground as he wrestled with his thoughts. Andrews' words hung heavy in the air, and Leon knew there was no point in denying it. He took a deep breath, his expression resigned, "I... yes. I like her."

He looked up at Andrews, his expression conflicted, as if he was struggling to come to terms with his own feelings, "But... it's complicated. She's my wife, yes, but it was never supposed to be about feelings. We were only married to end the war."

Andrews sighed and stood up straight, sheathing his sword back on his waist as he stood in front of Leon.

“Your Highness,” he said a bit seriously, “just because it’s a political marriage doesn’t mean you can’t make it into a loving one. You are joined together now by forces beyond your control.”

Andrews looked down at Leon’s sword before he took it from his hands and examined it as he spoke, “You two ended the war, but there shouldn’t be an end to your feelings. If you like her, if you grow to love her, you know she’ll be yours because one day she’ll be your queen just as you’ll be her king,” he said as he gave Leon his sword back. Leon took his sword back, his grip on the handle firm. Andrews' words echoed in his mind, and he knew there was truth in them. He stared at the blade of his sword, his expression contemplative, "You make it sound so easy, Andrews," he said quietly, "But it's not. We come from different worlds. Her life as a princess is so different from mine. She's gentle and kind, while I'm cold and aloof."

He lifted his gaze to meet Andrews', "How could I ever hope to be the husband she deserves?"

He sighed and felt his face soften at Leon’s words, “There’s no point in hoping if you’re not trying,” he whispered to Leon.

“Get to know her better,” he encouraged, “take her out on a stroll, drink tea with her, make love to her, hold her close to you. Treat her as if she was the only woman in the world.”

“You two may have duties to produce an heir, but you know deep down that she’s much more than what her duties make her out to be,” he muttered. Leon was quiet for a moment, mulling over Andrews' words. He knew there was truth in them. He knew he couldn't continue to pretend that his feelings for you were non-existent.

He sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair again, "You make it sound so simple," he repeated quietly, "But what if she doesn't feel the same way? What if all she sees me as is a duty, an obligation to sire an heir?"

Andrews chuckled softly and put his hand on Leon’s shoulder, “Mate,” he suddenly started to speak informally, “if she didn’t feel the same way, she wouldn’t have tried to win you over since the first day of your marriage.”

He let go of Leon’s shoulder and took a step back, “You gotta trust her. You told her some terrible things in the past and yet here she is, staying loyal to you.”

Leon's expression softened as Andrews reminded him of your loyalty. He knew you hadn't done anything to betray him, and your continued efforts to try to win him over, even when you had no reason to, showed that you were trying. He let out a deep sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly, "I suppose you're right," he mumbled, "But I just... I don't know how to proceed."

He ran his fingers through his hair again, "I'm not good at this, Andrews. I've never had to... woo a woman before. Not like this."

Andrews chuckled quietly and shook his head, “My lord, you’re already married. All there is to do is be there for her in every part of your life.”

“You don’t have to be good, you just have to be yourself,” he continued in a soft tone, “that’s what women like. Women…they like a guy who doesn’t pretend to be someone they’re not. Women are smart and very observant, don’t underestimate them.”

Andrews simply wanted to help his friend, title or not. But he may or may not be speaking from experience. Leon let out a soft scoff, "Be myself," he repeated, a hint of disbelief in his voice. "As if that's something to be proud of."

He leaned against his sword, a frown on his face, "I've never given any woman a reason to fall for me, Andrews. I'm cold, callous, aloof – everything a princess like her shouldn't want."

He sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair again, "I fear I am too damaged to be anyone's knight in shining armor now."

Andrews could see the frown on Leon’s face and he couldn’t help but feel bad for him, Leon’s character was a complicated one but even Andrew understood him better than he understood himself.

“You may be damaged now but what are you doing to be the person she needs in the future?” He suddenly asked after a few seconds of silence.

“You can’t keep telling yourself you aren’t good enough for her if you haven’t tried,” he muttered seriously, “You must try with all you are. You can’t expect her to fall in love with you if you don’t put in the effort.”

Andrews' words hit Leon like daggers. He knew he had a point. He couldn't keep wallowing in self-pity and expect you to fall mindlessly in love with him if he didn't try to give you a reason to. He looked down at the ground, his expression contemplative, "You're right," he mumbled, "I have to try. I can't expect her to want to be with me if I don't give her a reason to."

He took a deep breath, his eyes meeting Andrews' again, "But where do I even start?"

“You’re already married, that’s a start,” Andrews muttered as he looked at Leon with a pensive expression.

“Start going up there. How you are in bed isn’t just enough. You need to be consistent and dependably good. You can’t just kiss her one day and ignore her the next, you need to show her how much you love her everyday,” he said, “even if it scares you. No one talks about how terrifying it is to serve your heart on a plate for the other to take.“

“Be the man she not only deserves but also needs. Protect her. Love her. Cherish her. Guide her. Just be there,” he continued, “time will do its thing and when the time comes, you’ll find yourself rewarded.”

Leon listened intently to Andrews' advice, his expression contemplative as he absorbed every word. He knew Andrews was right. He couldn't just expect you to fall in love with him if he only showed you affection when it suited him. He nodded slowly, a look of determination in his eyes, "I understand," he said quietly, "I have to be there for her, always. I have to prove that I'm worthy of her love."

He took a deep breath, the reality of the situation sinking in, "It won't be easy, but I'll do it. For her."

Andrews smiled at Leon’s determination, he brought his hand to his back and patted it, “There’s the crown prince I know,” he smirked playfully. Leon chuckled faintly at Andrews' playful remark, "Watch it," he muttered, a small smile on his lips, "I am still your prince."

“The crown prince I know wouldn’t give up, do it for her,” he muttered before he let go of him and started to walk away. He watched as Andrews walked away, his words echoing in his mind. "Right," he said quietly to himself, "For her."

“Don’t forget, we leave by the end of the week, who knows how long we’ll be away from this place,” he called out to him before he entered the knight’s quarters. Leon remained standing there for a few moments, his thoughts turning to the upcoming trip. How long would he be away from you? He wouldn't allow himself to admit it, but he already missed your presence.

-

Since it was nighttime, you were in your shared quarters contemplating Lady Beatrice’s words. What if Leon didn’t feel the same way you did? He did ignore you earlier today when you passed by him in the hall but what if he was busy thinking too much? Maybe you were judging him and not giving him enough credit. You sighed and laid down on your bed, staring up at the ceiling as the same turmoil remained in your thoughts. A war between opposites ideas: is he using you or does he love you?

As Leon stood there, contemplating Andrews' words, he couldn't help but wonder what you were doing at that moment. Were you also thinking of him, just as he was thinking of you, wondering if his feelings were mutual? He knew he had to do something, say something, before he left for the trip. With a newfound determination, he turned and started walking towards your shared quarters.

Maybe Lady Beatrice was right and Leon didn’t feel the same way you felt about him, maybe he didn’t change and is only pretending so the king can be satisfied with him. You sat up and blew out the candle from your side of the bed before you laid back down and pulled the covers over your body as you closed your eyes. Leon stepped into the bedroom quietly, his heart pounding in his chest. He could see your sleeping form in the dim moonlight, and a sense of protectiveness washed over him.

He walked over to the bed and sat down gently on the edge of the mattress, his eyes fixed on your face. He took a few moments to just watch you, the steady rise and fall of your chest as you slept, the soft expression on your peaceful face. He reached out to brush a stray strand of hair from your face, his fingers barely touching your skin, as if he was scared to wake you.

Leon let out a soft sight, feeling a pang of sadness in his chest. Here he was, ready to confess his feelings and make amends, and yet you were asleep, blissfully unaware of his turmoil. He watched you for a few more moments, his heart heavy. He wanted to shake you awake, to tell you how he felt, but he didn't want to disturb your sleep either. With another sigh, he leaned down and placed a light kiss on your forehead, whispering so quietly that it was almost inaudible, "Sweet dreams, my love."

-

The next day it was as if the roles were reversed, instead of him ignoring you, it was you ignoring him. Lady Beatrice got to you and you started to believe her words. So for the sake of your heart, you ignored him throughout the day. As Leon noticed you deliberately avoiding him throughout the day, he felt a growing sense of dismay in his chest. He didn't understand what he had done wrong, and your avoidance was making him even more confused and frustrated. He tried to approach you several times, but you always found an excuse to slip away from him, and he didn't want to force himself upon you.

Even if you kept avoiding him, you may or may not have done something for him. One day, you overheard the knights talk about their journey to your kingdom and how they needed to help fight off some pirates with the help of Leon. You felt guilty for ignoring him so you went to your shared room and started to sneak through his things.

When he returned to their shared quarters that evening, he found you sneaking through his things. He walked into the room quietly, seeing you going through his belongings, he cleared his throat to announce his presence. Your heart nearly jumped out of your chest when he cleared his throat, you quickly turned around to look at him with wide eyes.

“My lord,” you whispered and curtsied to him. Leon's expression was unreadable as he looked at you, his eyes narrowing slightly. He could see the guilt on your face and the way you avoided looking at him. It was clear that you'd been avoiding him all day. He took a few steps closer to you, his gaze flicking down to the bags behind you. He knew you'd been going through his things, and he had a pretty good idea what you were doing.

"And what, pray tell, are you doing going through my belongings?" he asked, his voice cold. You heard his cold voice and it only added to your belief that he didn’t love you back. Which broke your heart a bit but you hid it deep beneath your feelings.

“I was just making sure you got everything for your trip,” you muttered and glanced up at him. It wasn’t a complete lie, you did want to make sure he was all set and ready for his trip to your kingdom. Leon's expression softened slightly at your words. He knew that you were doing this because you cared about him, even if you had been avoiding him. He could see the concern in your eyes, even if you were trying to hide it.

But the fact that you had been avoiding him still gnawed at him. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the bed, his gaze fixed on you.

"Is that all?" he asked gruffly, "You've been avoiding me all day, and now you're suddenly concerned about my packing?"

You bit the inside of your lip, it wasn’t his fault that you were avoiding him. You were naive and manipulated by Lady Beatrice.

“They said you were going to be away for a long time,” you whispered, noticing his annoyance and gruff tone. His journey could last weeks, maybe even months. Then, a servant came through the door, “We are ready for departure, my lord.”

Leon's expression remained gruff as he heard the servant's words. His gaze wandered over you, studying your face intently. It was clear that he was still hurt and confused by your behavior. But duty called, and he couldn't put it off any longer. He was hurt by your avoidance and you were hurt by the lies of a woman who claimed to know Leon better than you do. He knew it was time to start their journey, but he couldn't shake the feeling of irritation towards you. He glanced down at his bags and then back up at you, "I see," he said slowly, "You only care because I'll be gone for a while."

You were speechless, your mouth agape as you furrowed your brow and looked at him, “No, that’s not—“

But you quickly stopped yourself, remembering the words of the woman. He doesn’t love you. You’re only a pawn in his game for the throne. Instead you opted for something else, you glanced down at the floor as you spoke, “Have a safe trip.”

Leon heard the change in your tone as you avoided directly responding to him. It only served to deepen his confusion and hurt. He nodded, his jaw clenched, "I will," he said shortly, his voice cold. He picked up his bags and started moving towards the door, but he stopped and looked back at you, his eyes locking with yours. He wanted to say something, but the words stuck in his throat. He wanted to tell you that he loved you, that he didn't understand why you were acting this way. But instead, he just said nothing. As the servants came to carry his bags out the door and outside, you went over to the window to watch him get inside the carriage.

Your heart ached, you still loved him very much and you felt guilty for avoiding him. But what if Lady Beatrice was right? What if you were a fool?

Leon climbed into the carriage, his eyes fixed on the ground, his thoughts filled with confusion and hurt. He could feel your gaze on him as he got into the carriage, and it made his heart pang. As the carriage started moving, he looked up and saw you watching him from the window. He held your gaze for a few moments, his expression conflicted and his heart heavy. He then looked away and sat back in his seat, the carriage rolling down the cobbled street, taking him away from you.

-

After a few day’s travel, Leon and the other knights had arrived at the Coast Kingdom’s docks where the ships were. Leon had two missions. One: help fight against the pirates. Two: get to the bottom of the alleged claims of my infertility as per requested by his father. A servant showed him to his bedchamber, where he slept near the docks in a less expensive room. Leon unpacked his things, neatly folding his clothes and laying them out on the bed. As he reached the bottom of the bag, he found something that caught his eye—a hair ribbon. It was one of your hair ribbons meant to be tied to his sword.

He picked it up and held it in his hands, recognizing the fabric. It was yours. He ran his fingers over the ribbon, a pang of sadness hitting him. He wondered why you had put it in his bag. Was it a gesture of love, or just a token to remember you by? He couldn’t be sure, but the sight of it only made him miss you more.

Back at the castle you remained alone and melancholy, missing him terribly as you sat by the window and hoped everyday for his return. That was until you thought about sending him letters. And so, every day you’d write him a letter and have it delivered to him. But you noticed after the third day since his departure that he hasn’t replied.

Unbeknownst to you that the letters would get lost in the mail due to the storm near the seas of the docks where Leon was. They were currently on a ship fighting pirates in the middle of a rainstorm. Rain poured down harshly, soaking everything in its wake and blurring everyone’s vision every few seconds as the ship swayed. Leon, soaked to the bone, was fighting off pirates on the ship. The storm had made the seas choppy, and the ship heaved and groaned under the strain.

"Keep your guard up!" he shouted above the howling wind and rain, his sword cutting through the air. But his mind was elsewhere. He found himself thinking of you, wondering if you were alright back home. He silently longed for a letter from you, a sign that you missed him just as much as he missed you. Days turned into weeks as he fought the pirates and figured out the fertility issues. Turns out it really was just based on a woman’s health and since I was a relatively healthy woman, a doctor told Leon that everything should be fine should I bear his child.

When a few weeks started to pass, you started to feel more tired than ever. You’d wake up later than usual and feel yourself longing for him. You felt bad for treating him coldly and avoiding him. Guess distance does make the heart grow fonder.

“My lord,” a knight said as Leon and the knights were in the cabin where they were staying. It was nighttime and the storm was long gone. Everyone was tired after a long day of fighting the pirates away in success, “when can we go home? I miss my bed.”

“Don’t you miss your family?” Another one spoke as he looked at the knight with a raised brow while the other shrugged his shoulders, “Hey, when you have kids, you take every chance you get to take a break.”

"Ha! True that," chimed in another knight, "My little ones run me ragged all day long, especially the younger ones".

Another knight spoke up, "And the women too, huh? They keep nagging day and night."

Leon had been mostly silent, listening to the knights talk amongst themselves, lost in thought about you. The conversation steered towards returning home, and a pang of longing hit him. He missed you too, more than he cared to admit. Andrews was part of the knight squad that got sent to help with the pirate issue, so in his nature, he saw Leon all silent. He moved over to sit next to Leon. He then looked down at Leon’s sword, noticing a ribbon tied to it which resulted in Andrews letting out a soft chuckle, “She gave that to you?” Andrews asked as he pointed to the ribbon.

The ribbon, wet from the storm, was tied tightly to his sword to ensure it wouldn’t fall off during battle. Leon glanced down at the ribbon tied to his sword, his thoughts immediately turning to you. He ran his fingers over the fabric, feeling its dampness from the storm.

"Yeah, she did," he responded, his voice soft, "She snuck it into my bags before I left."

He paused for a moment, his gaze fixated on the ribbon. Seeing it reminded him of you and made him yearn for your touch. Andrews chuckled, “Sneaky princess, that one,” he muttered softly, only lightly teasing Leon.

“I knew she had a bit of rebellion in her,” he said, “I didn’t always buy the whole proper princess, I guess you really rubbed off on her,” he chuckled again. But upon seeing Leon’s fixation on the ribbon, he knew what he was feeling, “You miss her, don’t you,” Andrews muttered quietly so only Leon could hear. Leon's gaze remained fixed on the ribbon, his fingers gently touching the fabric. Andrew's subtle tease made him smile faintly.

"Yeah, I do," he admitted quietly, his voice just above a whisper, "More than I care to admit."

He looked up at Andrews, his expression a mix of longing and guilt. "I didn't appreciate her as much as I should have before I left," he continued, his voice growing somber, "I just hope she doesn't think I don't care."

“Why do you say that?” He asked, Andrews didn’t know how we left things before Leon left. "Before I left," Leon began, his voice low and heavy, "We weren't on the best terms. There was a misunderstanding and I think I hurt her, even if she didn't show it."

He looked down at the ribbon again, tracing his fingers over the damp fabric. His brow furrowed in thought, and he sighed quietly.

"She was avoiding me before I left, and I don't know why. It's been eating at me this whole time," he admitted, his tone tinged with sadness and frustration. Andrews sighed and looked at the ribbon as Leon’s finger started to trace over it, “You really think she’d be heartless enough to think you don’t care about her after a small argument?”

“She gave you that ribbon, she clearly loves you,” Andrews said. He was a bit frustrated that everything between you and Leon seemed to be troublesome when love was supposed to be comforting.

“When a lady gives her ribbon to a man, it’s a declaration of love,” he muttered to Leon, “she knew you were going to be far away and she gave you her favor.”

Andrews chuckled quietly, “Gods, you really are bad at wooing a woman,” he teased Leon. Leon's cheeks burned at Andrews' words. He knew his friend was right, that the ribbon was a symbol of love and affection. But he couldn't shake the feeling of guilt and insecurity that gnawed at him.

"I know," he admitted, his voice tinged with embarrassment, "I just... I'm not good at expressing my feelings. And now that I'm so far away, I feel helpless. I can't fix things, I can't show her that I care."

He let out a weary sigh, his shoulders slumping heavily. Andrews’ eyes widened just a bit at Leon’s helplessness, “Woah—woah—woah,” he said as he watched Leon’s shoulders slump.

“You think it’s over?” He muttered to Leon, “You think that just by being away from her ruins your chances of making her feel loved and happy? Are you insane?!”

He took Leon by shoulders and shook him as if to put some sense into him, “When we go back home, you are going to take that woman out on an outing—I don’t care if you take a stroll with her in the gardens or drink tea—you will make time for her. Clear your schedule and give her your undivided attention. And then, you’re going to make sweet love to her that night, don’t matter if you’re tired after the first round—don’t stop until she’s satisfied,” He said firmly, almost authoritatively. Leon's eyes widened at Andrews' impassioned speech, his surprise quickly turning into a mix of embarrassment and determination. His cheeks flushed and his mind raced at the thought of taking you out, spending time with you, making love to you. But there was one thing he couldn't shake off.

"But what if she's still avoiding me?" he asked, his voice tinged with vulnerability, "What if she doesn't want to see me?"

He internally groaned at Leon’s insecurity and shook him firmly one more time, “Your Highness, with all due respect, it doesn’t matter.”

“You really think she will still avoid you after weeks of not seeing you? Poor princess is probably sleeping alone in your bed for Christ’s sake!” He shook him again, “And if she doesn’t want to see you then too bad for her because that won’t fly with you.”

“Dress nicely, wear her favorite fragrance on you, bring her flowers—prove to her you are worthy of being seen by her,” he said before he let go of Leon. Leon nodded silently, absorbing the words of his friend. He knew Andrews was right, of course he was. He just needed a push in the right direction.

"You're right," he muttered, determination slowly filling his voice, "When I get back, I'll do just that. I'll court her like she deserves, and show her how much I care. I won't let anything get in the way."

He looked up at Andrews with a small smile, his shoulders pulled back again, his usual confidence returning. Andrews nodded and patted Leon’s shoulder before he leaned back against his chair, resting his hands behind his head as he closed his eyes.

“And fuck her real good,” Andrews muttered with a sly grin, “Or how I like to call it,” he said as he opened his eyes and turned to face Leon, “Love her until she can’t walk, Andrews style.”

Leon's blush deepened at Andrews' advice, but a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He let out a quiet chuckle.

"I think I can handle that," he responded, a hint of cocky confidence back in his tone. He looked back down at the ribbon tied to his sword, running his fingers over the silken fabric one more time.

"Thanks, Andrews," he murmured, "For the kick in the ass I needed."

Andrews softened and shrugged nonchalantly, “No problem,” he muttered and looked at Leon as he ran his fingers over the ribbon. There were a few seconds of silence that took over the two, “I could’ve definitely said more about the Andrews style though,” he said cheekily. He was only trying to cheer Leon up. They were good friends, Andrews being older and wiser by a few years but it didn’t matter as they got along pretty well. Leon rolled his eyes at Andrews' comment, his smile growing wider, "Oh, gods forbid you talk about your "style" for too long."

He chuckled softly, shaking his head. The easy banter with his friend was a welcome distraction from his constant worry about you, his wife, back home.

"Just focus on your own love life," he teased back, "Or lack thereof, I should say."

Andrews scoffed in feigned offense, “Excuse me, Your Highness, but I’ve got plenty of love to give.”

“Have you seen the cuties in this kingdom?” He muttered, forgetting for a hot minute about Leon’s married life, “I saw a babe down the street when I was out patrolling the docks. She was so into me,” he spoke with a smug tone.

“Her eyes said everything, she looked at me as if I was the only man ever,” he continued. Leon shook his head with humor, "You're incorrigible, Andrews," he said, his tone fond. "Always chasing after the next fair maiden."

He chuckled again but couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. He couldn't remember the last time a woman looked at him with such interest, except for you of course.

"You should settle," he advised, "Find a nice girl, someone who can keep up with your... energetic spirit."

Andrew sighed and shrugged his shoulders, “Who wants an old man like me, eh?”

He smiled, though it was a bitter one, “No girl wants to settle with a man like me,” he continued, “and being a knight makes me too busy.”

Andrews was a bit old but society deemed him too old for settling and forming a family. He may be joking on the outside but deep down, Andrews also wanted to get married and have kids. Leon's expression softened, seeing the bittersweet look on Andrews' face.

"Hey, don't talk like that," he chided gently, "You're not too old for love. And being a knight might keep you busy sometimes, but that's not a bad thing."

He paused for a moment, an idea forming in his mind.

"In fact," he said slowly, "I might know someone who could use a knight in shining armor."

Andrews raised a brow and looked at Leon, “Are you trying to take my title as Cupid Andrews?” He quipped. But he was intrigued by Leon’s suggestion. He knew someone that might be for him? Who knew the future king could play matchmaker.

“You do?” He muttered, “and who is this someone?”

Leon chuckled at Andrews' joke, but his expression quickly turned more serious. He knew this person would be a good match for his friend.

"There's a lady-in-waiting in the palace," he began, "A young woman named Victoria."

He held up a hand to stop Andrews from interrupting, "Hear me out. She's sweet, she's smart, and she has a sharp wit. She might just be the perfect match for you."

“A lady-in-waiting named Victoria? Doesn’t she work for the princess?” He asked Leon with a bit of skepticism. But Andrews couldn’t help but feel intrigued. Victoria was one of your ladies-in-waiting. Leon’s seen her a few times whenever she’d come help you get ready in the morning.

“I don’t think I’ve seen her in the castle before,” he muttered as he tried to think hard. Andrews barely even steps foot inside the castle so he barely knows the staff that works inside. Andrews sighed before he nodded, “Alright then, I’d like to meet her.”

Leon nodded, satisfied that Andrews was at least receptive to the idea.

"Good," he replied with a small smile. "I'll arrange for you two to meet when we return."

He looked out the window, the dark sky signaling it was late and he should get some rest.

"For now, we should both get some sleep," he said, standing up from his chair, "We have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow."

Leon chuckled softly at Andrews' teasing use of “Your Highness.”

"You'd do well to remember that title in the future," he replied with a smirk, "Now go get some rest."

He watched as Andrews walked away, then made his way to his own bed for the night. As he settled down, his thoughts once again turned to you. He yearned to see you, to hold you in his arms and tell you how much he loved you. Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough.

-

The next morning everyone was set to go back home. Leon rode the carriage as they trekked through the Coast Kingdom, nearing the West Kingdom that was their rightful home. You sat by the window until you saw a familiar carriage near the palace. Your eyes widened slightly and you ran out of your shared chambers in your night dress that reached your ankles. You didn’t care about putting on your slippers, you only wanted to see Leon.

So, you ran down the halls and stairs barefooted until you made it to the entrance of the palace where you impatiently waited for Leon’s carriage. Leon had been dozing off in the carriage, still tired from the journey, when a sudden commotion outside jolted him awake. He looked out the window just in time to see you running up to the entrance of the palace. He quickly told the driver to stop the carriage, and as soon as the door was opened, Leon jumped out and rushed over to you.

You ran as fast as you could, not caring if it’s unladylike to basically be out in your nightwear without shoes. When Leon was close enough, you basically jumped and threw your body at him. Leon caught you in his arms effortlessly, crushing your body against him. He wrapped his arms around you tightly, holding you close, almost possessively. Your arms wrapped tightly around his neck as you stuffed your face on the crook of his neck, your body pressed tightly against his, “I’m sorry,” you whispered against his skin and you cried on his skin, “I’m sorry, please forgive me,” you practically begged. He could feel your tears against his skin, and your whispered plea for forgiveness broke his heart.

"Shhh..." he whispered in your ear, his voice gentle and soothing, "There's nothing to apologize for, my love."

He pulled back slightly, just far enough to look down at you, his hands coming up to cup your face and wipe away your tears with his thumbs.

“I wrote to you,” you said in between sobs as your hands gently wrapped around his wrists, “Everyday I sent you a letter but you never sent one back.”

“I thought you hated me, that you were mad at me and that you were ignoring me,” you continued crying and speaking, your breathing hard as you tried to breathe but you were crying so much.

“I didn’t mean to avoid you. I was scared. I thought that you didn’t love me and that you were just using me and–and I’m so incredibly sorry for doubting you. I should’ve trusted you over Lady Beatrice’s words, I should’ve been better, I didn’t mean to make you angry,” you sobbed uncontrollably and gasped heavily, “I should’ve been better and told you how I felt. I hid my feelings from you and I’m so sorry, I don't want you to be away from me again.”

Leon's heart ached as he watched you sobbing and trying to catch your breath, your words tumbling out between your tears.

"No, no, my love," he whispered, his thumbs still gently wiping away your tears, "Never think I could hate you, or not love you. You are the very beat of my heart."

He pulled you closer, wrapping his arms tightly around you once again, holding you close against his chest.

"Don't apologize," he murmured, his voice tender, "You have nothing to be sorry for. I was worried, yes, but never mad at you."

You rested your hands flat on his chest as you pushed him back just a little to look up at him, “I think I love you,” you whispered. Your heart beating fast, your tears rolling down your face, your emotions were all over the place but you knew you loved Leon.

That’s what it was all along. Love. You love Leon. Always have.

“I love you,” you repeated once again in a whisper, your voice was quiet as you cried, “I have loved you since the first day of this marriage. I loved you even when you hated me,” the words spilled out of you as you cried, the raw emotion laced in your voice was genuine, “I wish to never be away from you. I want to be by your side more than just king and queen, more than husband and wife. I wish to be truly yours, to touch your soul.”

Leon listened, his expression growing more and more tender as you spoke. Your heartfelt words touched his soul, and he felt his own emotions swelling in his chest.

"My sweet love," he said softly, his hands coming up to gently cup your face again, "You have always been mine. From the moment our hands were tied together by fate, you became the other half of my soul."

His thumbs brushed over your wet cheeks, wiping away your tears, "And tonight, I pledge to you that I will never leave your side again. We are one now, truly and completely."

You cried once more but out of relief and joy, your hands pulled him back to you and you stuffed your face in his chest. His clothes got wet from your tears but it didn’t matter right now. Right now what mattered was that after months of confusing emotions, you finally found out the truth. That you loved him and he loved you. You felt silly for ever doubting him.

Leon held you tightly in his arms again, letting you cry against his chest as he stroked your hair soothingly. All that mattered was you, the woman he loves, with him again. He buried his face in your hair, inhaling your scent. The past few months had been hell for him, thinking you hated him, that you didn't trust him. But now, with your confession, all his doubts faded away.

"Oh, my love, my sweet love," he whispered against your hair, "I love you, I love you so much."

You cried some more as you stood outside the entrance of the castle in each other’s embrace. After a while, you had calmed down and heard a servant walk over you two.

“You Highnesses,” the servant said addressing both of you, “Your bags have been carried to your chambers,” she said as she dipped her head towards Leon before she turned to you, “My lady, let’s get you inside. Your feet might get injured,” you looked down at your feet and chuckled quietly, still coming down from crying. You sniffled and nodded, wiping your face with your hands, “Yes,” you muttered. The servant then began to walk back inside.

Leon looked down at your bare feet, feeling a protective instinct, he picked you up in his arms, holding you against his chest as if you weighed nothing, and began to follow the servant inside. Your eyes widened a bit and you quickly wrapped your arms around his shoulders as he picked you up princess style, but it made your heart skip a beat. He gently pressed a kiss to your temple, his eyes filled with a mix of love and possessiveness.

"I should've never let you run out here barefooted," he murmured in your ear. Your cheeks flushed a bit red, “I was excited to see you,” you mumbled a real excuse. You truly did want to see him, hence why you were in your nightgown.

As he started to walk inside the castle, the servant stopped right outside your room and opened the door for Leon to bring you inside. Then, the servant closed the door and left, giving you some privacy. Leon carried you into the room and set you down on the bed, his hands sliding down to your hips to keep you steadied against him. He looked down at you, his eyes roaming over your form, taking in the sight of you in your nightgown, your hair loose and messy, your cheeks flushed. He crouched down in front of you, his hands still holding your hips, his thumbs tracing small circles on your skin through the thin fabric.

"Do you have any idea what you do to me," he said, his voice low and gravelly.

“No,” you whispered, “I don’t.”

You looked ethereal, like a vision from a dream as you laid on the bed with your nightgown slowly riding up from his thumbs tracing small circles, your hair was messy and your eyes were red from crying. Leon chuckled at your clueless response, his eyes darkening as his gaze roamed over your form, taking in every small detail, every small movement.

"You are an innocent incarnate," he said, his voice low and husky, his thumbs still tracing small circles on your skin, going slightly further up your hips, pushing the nightgown further up.

"And you have no idea of the effect you have on me," he continued, "The things you make me want to do to you."

The nightgown slid up your thighs, exposing your bare legs to him. His words were like magic because you felt myself wanting him like that one night you shared. To feel him inside again and show you he loves you. You wanted him to ravish you, to feast on you, to make love to you. Like how Andrews said, to make love to you until you can’t walk. It didn’t matter if Leon got tired, you’d go all night until it was engraved in your head that Leon loved you.

You were naked under your nightgown so you felt flustered. You parted your legs just enough for him as he was crouched between them. When Leon noticed you parting your legs for him, his eyes darkened even further, his fingers slowly tracing the inside of your thighs, caressing your soft skin.

"Naughty little princess," he murmured, his voice low and rough, "Did you forget to wear something underneath that nightgown?"

He moved closer between your legs, his breath fanning against your already wet cunt, his hands moving up further, pushing the nightgown up to your waist.

“No,” you answered in a whisper, “I always go to bed like this.”

Your nightgown scrunched around your waist, revealing your bare lower half to him. His hands remained on your thighs as his face was between your legs. Leon swallowed at your confession, feeling a sense of possessiveness wash over him, knowing nobody else had ever seen you like this except for him. He leaned in closer, his hands tightening their grip on your thighs.

"Then you really are a naughty princess," he murmured, "Wearing something so revealing, just for me to see."

His head dipped down, his lips brushing along the inside of your thigh, his tongue darting out to taste your delicious exposed folds. You closed your eyes tightly shut and let out a shuddered gasp, your hands gripped the bedsheets as his tongue darted out to lick your slit.

“Leon,” you whispered quietly in a breathy tone, feeling good with his tongue. Leon inhaled deeply, drinking in the sweet, addictive taste of you on his tongue. He could feel your body tense beneath his touch, your gasp like music to his ears.

"You are the sweetest thing I've ever tasted," he murmured against your inner thigh, his words husky and low, "I could devour you."

His hands moved up, his fingers digging into the flesh of your thighs as he pushed your legs further apart, giving himself more access to your core. Gasps and breathless moans escaped your lips as he kept tasting you. He devoured you like a starved man and you were his full course meal. Your grip on the bed sheets was tight, your knuckles were turning white and you felt yourself become breathless.

Your eyes were closed tightly shut as you rolled my head back against the pillows of your big canopy bed.Leon couldn't get enough of you. Feeling your sweet taste on his tongue, hearing your soft noises, your gasps and moans all made him want to lose all his control.

He wanted you, all of you. He wanted to mark you, to possess you, to make you his completely.

His lips and tongue continue to work their magic, exploring every inch of your core, tasting and devouring you with a hunger that only grew stronger with every passing second. His tongue flicked at your clit before it entered you and started to taste you from the inside, making his cock throb in his trousers.

One of your hands suddenly moved to grip the top of his head, his hair tangled in between your fingers as you pulled him closer to you. Leon let out a guttural moan against your core as you pulled his head closer, his tongue delving deeper, tasting you, devouring you with a fervor.

Your moans were starting to become short and breathless and a familiar coil in your abdomen started to grow tight as you neared your orgasm. He could feel your body tense and he knew you were close. He continued his assault on your core, his lips and tongue working in perfect unison, pushing you over to taste your sweet cum on his lips.

But when you opened your eyes and saw Leon in between your legs, it was like an explosion, your thighs closed tightly around his face as you writhed against him. The band snapped and you came on his face. He licked his lips, savoring the taste of you, his tongue still darting out to lap up every drop.

You were left panting and your grip on his hair loosened as you closed your eyes and tried to catch your breath.

"You taste so good," he murmured, lifting his head to look up at you, his chin glistening with your juices. He moved up, his body resting between your legs, his chest hovering over yours. He leaned down, his lips gently trailing along your jaw, up to your ear.

“Want more,” you whispered as you felt his lips on you, “I want to try and conceive again.”

It wasn’t out of duty, not anymore. It was a request from the bottom of your heart. You wanted him and you wanted him to know that shamelessly. Leon let out a low growl, the sound filled with desire and possessiveness, as he heard your whispered words.

"You want me," he said, his lips moving back down to your neck, gently nipping at your skin, "You want me to give you children, to make you a mother."

His hands rested on either side of your hips, his fingers digging into your skin, "Are you sure you can handle it, my love? Can you handle me, night after night after night?"

You nodded and tilted your head to the side to give him more space for his lips, “Yes,” you confidently replied in a breathless whisper, “Let me be the mother of your children as well as the queen of your kingdom.”

Your hands wrapped around his head, gently tugging at his blonde hair, “I’ll take that and more. Every night and every day until we’ve made our family.”

You pulled him back and made eye contact with him, your eyes full of not just lust but also love. Real love, “I beg nothing more but to be happy with you,” you whispered tenderly as your hands cupped his face. Leon paused, his eyes locking with yours, his heart swelling with an overwhelming sense of love and desire for you at your words.

"You are my love, my wife, my queen," he said, his hands coming up to cup your face, "And by the gods, I will make you the mother of my children, and I will make you the happiest woman who's ever walked this earth."

He leaned down, his lips meeting yours in a deep, passionate kiss, his arms wrapping around your body and hauling you up against his chest, as if to pull you even closer. For the rest of the night it was full of lovemaking. Maybe he did follow Andrews’ advice as he didn’t stop until both of you were tired. He took his time, making sure you were loved and taken care of despite him filling you up with his seed multiple times.

By the time morning came up, you were once again wrapped in each other’s arms naked under the covers. You clung close to him like a koala, not wanting to let him go as you slept in the morning.

-

Preparations were being made months ahead of the coronation, in which Leon asked you to help him with. There were days where he cleared his schedule just to be with you. He devoted himself to you; listening to you talk when you’d walk along the garden, he took you out to picnics with your favorite foods, he would even be as sneaky as pulling you to a room and makeout with you in the middle of the day. That man was attached and so madly in love with you that he refused to not be by you.

“Good news, Your Highness,” a doctor said as he turned to look at Leon who had been waiting on the foot of the bed. Recently, you’ve been experiencing sickness and nausea so, Leon being the protective husband he is, called in for a doctor to check on you.

“She is not sick but rather…” he said as he looked at both you and Leon, “it would seem that she is with child.”

Leon’s eyes widened and he was rigid still for a moment before he looked at you and hugged you tightly, not caring that the doctor saw him be so affectionate to you, “Thank you,” he whispered in your ear. You hugged him back just as tightly, feeling so happy that you were finally going to start a family with him.

On the day of the coronation, you and Leon knelt before the king who held the crown for Leon, “It is within my power to bestow to you, my son, the responsibility and duties of your rightful kingdom. I declare you king,” he said as he put the crown on Leon’s head, the crown fitting him and matching his extravagant outfit fitting for a king.

“And to you,” he said as he turned to you with a crown on his hands, a smaller one but it was the queen’s crown, “I am honored to bestow to you the powers of a dutiful queen, whom is to stand next to the king and aid him endlessly,” he then laid the crown on your head, the piece of jewelry proving to be heavy but you carried it with pride.

You and Leon stood up, staring at your now loyal subjects. He turned to glance at you, his hand finding yours and intertwining his fingers as he held your hand in a tight but tender grip.

That evening was the celebratory dinner, where everyone was invited, including Andrews accompanied by Victoria. He followed Leon’s advice and settled down, proving that even despite finding love at a later age, one could still find someone they were meant to be with.

It was the era of peace as marked down in the history books, what began as a rivalry between a married couple turned into a loving marriage where you and Leon were inseparable. He never once stopped loving you, even after having your first child, he wanted more and more. He just couldn’t get enough of you. Leon also changed some rules, he demanded that you join important meetings as you were now queen, reminding the lords and counts that you were more than just a wife. You were his equal.

The people of the West Kingdom called it the New Era of Peace. In which your legacy wouldn’t be forgotten for the sacrifices made for not just the war but also to the love of your life.

The End.

[taeiun]

this love is small.

synopsis: some of the little things that they do in your relationship

who: zb1 x gn!reader (not including yujin)

categories: fluff, some crack, headcanon styled scenarios

warnings: mentions of food in jiwoong + taerae's parts, light swearing

word count: 1.1k

✧ JIWOONG !

✧ jiwoong gains a newly formed sixth sense when it comes to your needs; he knows your favourite snacks by heart and also picks up if you guys are low on them without even looking at the cabinet.  you don’t even need to ask him to grab a snack for you because he’ll just know. probably knows when those foods are on sale before you even open your mouth to tell him. like, he’s probably already picked up three bags of those chips you really enjoyed last time and they’re waiting on the counter for you.

✧ will send you a notes app shopping list so that you don’t get jumped scared by the random appearance of shrimp chips and sour candies constantly and wonder how they got there half the time when you both haven’t even talked about being out of them.

✧ ZHANG HAO !

✧ hao keeps a collection of short, vlog-like recordings of the two of you in a private, for his eyes only folder on his phone. he watches these whenever he misses you or feels down and needs a pick me up. these videos will range from past dates, his commentary as he records you sleeping, to not even a two second moment of you laughing. you might find the angles unflattering, but he treasures each and everyone, watching them with a goofy ahah smile on his face.

✧ the others have 100% definitely, not even up for question, walked in on him in the middle of a watching session. he’ll just be sitting curled up in bed, blanket draped around him, with the lights turned off and earbuds plugged into his phone. this ends two ways. 1) the member leaves before he can notice and all is well or 2) they tease him only to end up with a pillow to the face

✧ HANBIN !

✧ whenever he’s on tour or can’t see you for long periods of time, hanbin will keep a list of things that happen throughout the days he’s gone to share with you. he never wants you to feel left out of his life and wants full communication with things. he can send you all the pictures you want of his travels, but nothing beats the actual stories.

✧ he mainly keeps tabs of things he did but will include the members’ shenanigans if he thinks they’ll make you laugh. starts a new list every time he has to leave and each one is dated, the activities labeled for what day and the time gone written at the top.

✧ MATTHEW !

✧ a big chatterbox when it comes to you, especially when it comes to his family. phone calls, messages, will even in emails to relatives, the conversation will drift to you no matter the topic. the only criteria needed for this to happen is for someone to simply breath in his direction.

✧ matthew pivots the conversation so fast that it gives his family whiplash. they aren’t complaining though; it’s nice to see him so happy and they can tell just how much he cares about your relationship. he wants them to love you as much as he does and by telling them these fond memories, he’s sure they will.

✧ TAERAE !

✧ the silly man he is, taerae will send you selfie updates throughout the day of where he is. you could probably make and sell your own bootleg, limited edition, taerae of zb1 pcs with how many you get from him. from walks to the company building to convenience store runs, he’s always sending you a picture of when he leaves to when he arrives at the destination as a way of assurance he’s safe.

✧ stores all of these in a folder labeled “for yn and yn only” and refuses to post them publicly, no matter how good you tell him some of them are. the background settings of his photos are always interesting. sometimes the members will be there, sometimes it’s while he’s in a storage closet. it’s funny until you wake up to find selfies of him at mcdonalds at 4 am with a handful of chicken nuggets shoved in his mouth.

✧ RICKY !

✧ spoils you so much. he knows that love doesn’t mean the amount of money you spend on someone but he can’t help but buy trinkets that remind him of you. the thought process is basically just: “oh. this kind of looks like yn.” and proceeds to checkout with a ditto keychain. ricky pays close attention to what type of accessories you tend to wear and prefer for this very reason. if your ears are pierced, you’ll find a new pair waiting for you on your desk that look eerily similar to his… like what? nooooo he totally didn’t go and buy subtle matching stuff pfttt nah- ok yes. please wear it; coordinate matching outfits with him.

✧ also, don’t bother asking for the prices of these things. he’ll never tell you because he knows that you’ll pay him back and he doesn’t want that. he doesn’t expect anything back and wants to make sure that you understand that he wants to do these things. you also probably won’t want to know because oof scary.

✧ GYUVIN !

✧ omfg he will abuse voice memo privileges to hell and back in order to let you in on dumb jokes and random thoughts. gyuvin constantly has his phone close within his reach just because of this so that he never misses the chance to blow your mind with… whatever falls from his mouth. even when in bed. the voice memos range from “i love you so much i don’t know what i’d do without you” to “did you know you are always within three meters of a spider?”. you never know if you’ll be swooning or sleeping with one eye open with these.

✧ the worst ones come at night for sure; he’ll wake up suddenly, blindly search for his phone, string together a weird ass sentence that only he’d be able to decipher, send it, then knock himself out again and sleep without remorse for his actions. he should be paying for your icloud with how much storage he clogs with those messages.

✧ GUNWOOK !

✧ he’s classically cheesy in a way and sends you screenshotted song lyrics that describe his feelings or remind him of you. “#LiterallyUs” and it’s paper rings by taylor swift. can be unserious about it though. one time, you couldn’t hang out with him because of exams and he responded with “tell me why / ain’t nothin but a heartache”.

✧ there are times where gunwook will not only send the lyrics, but also a clip of him singing that certain part of the song. he mainly sends these versions at night from the bathroom, and you wonder how none of the others have stormed into the room and told him to shut up.

^ . _ . ^ !? told myself to take it easy and not post again this week but um... this is a heavily edited fic from my old blog @/luvjiun that ive been meaning to repost. hehe ok junjun out >_<

© taeiun 2023. all rights reserved. do not copy, repost, translate, modify, or claim any of my writing as yours.

[inchidentally]

we all know Oscar speaks to media in carefully rehearsed and self-approved soundbites rather than risk impromptu vulnerability. which as a total side note is so fascinating bc he and Lando both call themselves over-thinkers but it manifests for Oscar in choosing to risk potentially being misconstrued as reserved or even cold/apathetic over giving the media/unkind public any part of his heart or soul to play with - whereas with Lando, he'd rather maintain the freedom of authenticity and then weather the brutal storms of being misunderstood - or accidentally misrepresenting himself. Oscar has no interest in becoming known as Himself, he just wants to be there in the racing history books with the people he's always admired and measured himself against. Lando wants to write his own story and have it be remembered by those who matter to him, Oscar wants to keep himself to himself and only focus on the parts of his career that matter to him and those close to him.

it's such a unique distinction between them and is equally laudable and authentic, but it's also so much a part of how they just Work So Well despite not taking a single one of the obvious easy methods to establish a friendship/bond or using any of the obvious easy ways to maintain it. (and even more notable bc unlike Lando with Carlos and Daniel where there was the age/life/hobbies difference and Lando had to adapt to the older guy's interest and friend groups, Lando and Oscar could've easily rolled with already sharing mutual friends, starting out in the same karting company, the same video games, same generation and references, and crucially Lando's best friend for life. the way they could have utilized all of that to push the great new bromance but didn't. that Max comfortably brings up Oscar on his stream so it's not like there's any issue there. it was a deliberate choice for them not to lean into something - at least publicly! - that the public would absolutely eat up.) like, they started from the mutual respect for what they're both trying to achieve in this sport and their own personal struggles and have built entirely off of that foundation. idk that fact and the way that get caught tilting their heads and smiling fondly at each other still just akjkkasfgagfagjflsagflj)

and like, Lando's deep pride in what they've built together as teammates and the history they are creating together and him finding his leadership and his strength in no longer being the kid, the little brother or the fanboy.

ANYWAY SORRY Oscar's soundbites are in no way fake or PR or advised by anyone else, it's that they're pre-rehearsed and parsed for anything a stranger could get their fangs into. he doesn't want any of his life with Lily out there for consumption so he lets her take the couple photos for his IG and he has his "my girlfriend would say/think/do" lines ready to go where they can be inserted and satisfy people wanting more of his romantic life. and the safety of Mark Webber as yes a supportive/father figure in his life but also a good source of harmless media humor. he has his "thanks to the fans and sponsors" "good to see all the fans out there" "my main focus is to improve my own performance" etc etc ready to go when talking about racing and what is owed to the people allowing him to have this rarified career. bc all of that is his Adult Life and happened after he became aware that gaining notoriety and sharing bits of his life would inevitably have it's very bad side. even tho he met Lily and Mark in his teens, his career and life trajectory were much closer to what his life is now than his life at say 14/15/16.

but he avoids or stumbles when talking about his own family, how he feels about the team in his garage who so closely represent people he doesn't want to disappoint, about Lando, about guys like Logan and Liam who he's spent significant parts of his childhood with, has only once mentioned Max F despite them being wrapped up in COVID protocol together and Max confirming that their relationships is still really good. the threads to childhood and a time when his privacy was never an issue are way too live and charged with those topics - to different degrees and different ways, but it's the same reason why he clams up and often doesn't have a handy soundbite ready.

WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS holy shit I cannot fucking stop rambling - is that him constantly saying how Baku meant more to him than Hungary and that Hungary was about ticking a box but Baku was when he knew how it felt to truly win - is because sometimes the soundbites are for necessity and to avoid further probing. the sponsors, his romantic life tidbits, the way he's trying to improve himself - sometimes they're specifically so that he can offer up a pink, beating piece of his own heart to show to people while never putting it directly in their hands.

Lando, their relationship, their teammate dynamic, what they talk about, the emotions they feel about each other, what happens behind that shared doorway of theirs - all of that is Off Limits and even the soundbites are incredibly rare. (the tiny glimpse of their solidarity against DTS with the "no, I'm with my team" "fuck 'em" and the intensity of looking into each other's eyes while they mutually process things being both a little eerie but so <3 !!) equally he will NOT talk about how he loves or feels about his mum, dad and sisters or any feelings and the soundbites are even rarer.

there's something to be said about neurodivergence and the decisions over what feels intimate in a controlled, safe reliable way (Lily, his own race performances, Mark Webber, funnily enough now in a smaller way Carlos who he admires/gets uniquely annoyed by) and what feels intimate in a don't-have-full-control, tied to childhood emotions, kinda scary way (his family, Lando, the impact he has on his team/McLaren) and it not at ALL meaning that one is more or less or important than the other, just different - but that is wayyyyyy too overstepping even for me to go into/even be able to go into or theorize. it's just kinda... (wild gesturing) there.

but Lando, Hungary, Baku… those have dark, visceral blood running through them. those things slot directly, terrifyingly into his hidden most intimate childhood feelings about dreams, ambitions, sacrifices, passions, insecurities, pains and joys etc (Andrea kissing both their heads lovingly?? feels so indicative and expressive on it's own of what was going on). Lando as a person and a driver pushing so fully into Oscar's attention and his ambition from literally age 13/14 - and not in the usual pre-F1 likes/comments that we as fans knowingly blow up into something deeper than it is - but in a oh wow he truly notched Lando into his own personal measure of ambition and also just found him fascinating/cool in a way he didn't do with any other driver! and it remained fully consistent up until he had Lando in his day-to-day life and didn't need to follow him any other way anymore! but it's unchanged from telling his mum he won't have to face such harsh expectations his first season bc Lando is so good to just recently saying he's proud to have The Best as his teammate to measure against. that's just !!! that's perilously close to an open heart!!

so when he cultivates soundbites for these things to present to the media/public, it's far from him dulling them down or acting dispassionate: in that case he could choose to just cultivate a white lie or a bland enough fib to get people off his back. it's actually because he so badly wants the world to know that he /knows/ Hungary was a mess and that neither he nor Lando ever had a hope of not being as vilified by one side as they were angrily defended by the other. that the relief of Baku that was evident in BOTH of them is something Real To Him. he will NOT say he didn't earn Hungary and he will NOT say that he ever would have expected Lando to be okay with giving back the lead bc neither of those things has ever been a question for him. but he very much does want people to see him authentically and feel the warmth behind the words when he says that Baku is for him The Win he wants to talk about and it's for the reasons we can easily assume. that if he speaks any more plainly than the soundbite then Lando's fans could rip into it or his own fans could rip into Lando over it or F1 fans could start claiming he's a cold blooded winner OR a teammate simp who doesn't have the killer instinct needed.

no, he won't hand that over to the media or the masses. he'll give a private little smile, add a warm, soft knowing lilt to his voice and return to Baku 2024 as the moment when his childhood earnestness hugged his adult ambition and that Lando and the Team and Andrea and his family are all tied up in that in ways that anyone with basic empathy can imagine. if someone needs it spelled out, if they are too biased or too dense or too emotionally undeveloped to learn human beings based on anything except dumb, deliberate invasiveness then they're precisely the people he's intending to keep at the gate. (*because it's precisely those people who have also latched their teeth onto Lando's vulnerability, claiming to be his biggest fans, storming around the internet and comments sections speaking for him and about him with an authority they never earned and being just as misguided and wrong as the people who only want to hate him)

idk just, every time he talks about Baku and gets that sweet smile on his face and I remember Lando striding around with sweet freedom filling his lungs and leaping up to shower Oscar in champagne at the group photo and the utter giddiness shared in having that awful shadow's chill off of them… like, it means SO much to him <3<3

[mejaemin]

como te quiero yo - h.js

chapter one ˖⁺‧₊˚✦

wc ✿₊⊹ 1.3k

synopsis ✿₊⊹ the relationship between rising artist joshua hong and you, popular beauty influencer, has finally come to light. this story follows you and your lover, living life happily despite whatever anyone says in the outside world.

warnings ✿₊⊹ established relationship, angst, hurt/comfort, mentions of hate/criticism, this is not an idol au, allusions to breaking up, it doesn’t happen tho !!! i love love and writing this made me feel single

author's note ✿₊⊹ happy birthday to shua !!! ఇ ◝‿◜ ఇ i love this man so bad its not even funny. i couldn’t put it into words even if i tried. here’s a little something to celebrate his day ♡ it’s a little sad for a birthday gift so maybe (maybe) i’ll write smth happier for a proper one ??? until now enjoy this !!!

main masterlist | ctqy masterlist

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it’s been just under two weeks since you and joshua have publicly announced your relationship and he’s already gone offline. it took months of discussion and procrastination out of fear, but with the support of both your teams, you decided to go public. it’s been almost a year since you got together, and it only feels right to say something. not everyone was happy, but you backed the decision up with the very unapologetic fact that you both were adults, fully developed ones at that, and to say either of you to really be single at this age would be a lie.

to say that joshua’s nerves were completely under control, you’d be lying. it’s not that he’s worried about disappointing anyone (though that’s still upsetting for him to think about), it’s more about the chance of fans not accepting it. they can whine and complain all they want, but for them to do so and then additionally ignore or stop being a fan would break his heart. it was already iffy for him to do something like this so early in his career, so for him to try something like this was quite dangerous.

don’t even get him started on you. you’ve already been popular on the internet for a while, and had millions of supporters across all platforms. you were loved by many, enough to feel comfortable with sharing the news. you waited for joshua to be ready, however, out of respect. when you first got together you revealed that you were no longer single, and for his own comfortability you kept it at that. ever supportive of his feelings, you stayed patient and waited for him to be ready to reveal whatever else he wanted to.

contrary to him, you were handling it well. with lots of experience, you were able to keep calm and ignore everyone’s negative comments. there were a few times where you were upset by comments towards your relationship, but again you weren’t afraid to clap back. joshua stayed silent, still afraid of upsetting anyone, but through the many couple photos and replies on live streams, you made sure everyone knew you weren’t quitting because a few people were unhappy.

enduring the past few weeks of this is what led you to where you are now, sitting across from each other at the dinner table of your shared home in silence as you eat. joshua’s non-dominant arm is stretched across the table holding your hand, his thumb leaving comforting strokes on the back of your palm. when you look at where you’re connected, the silver bracelet matching your own glimmers under the soft lighting of your dining room.

you’re really trying your hardest to stay strong for your lover, but it’s hard when you worry so much, especially with how he has yet to let you in. this is why you stay dead silent while eating, sacrificing your regular chitchat to make sure you don’t break. however, joshua puts his fork down and speaks up, calling your name in a soft whisper.

when you look up, he continues. “do you think we’re doing the right thing?”

you’re about to ask what he means when his eyes flicker to your bracelets and back up. the tears pool on your waterline as you respond. “us? of course we are, joshua. are you really thinking what i think you are?” the hurt in your voice couldn’t be hidden even if you tried.

his eyes widen and he immediately begins shaking his head. “n- no, baby, of course not. i just.. was now the right time?” when you finally manage to clear the tears in your eyes and look at him, he’s got a troubled look in his eyes as he bites at his lip.

you let go of his hand so you can get out of your seat. walking over to stand between his legs, you cradle his face in your palms and pull his lip from his teeth with your thumb. on instinct he wraps his arms around your waist and rests his chin on your stomach. you run your finger over his bottom lip, gliding over the teeth marks and reddened spots from being bitten at. you lean down to kiss his forehead, returning to your previous position to run your fingers through his hair.

your face is so full of love, trying so hard to show him how real your feelings are. your hands caress his skin with utmost care, knowing him well enough to be sure of the fact that there’s so much doubt and anxiety in his head that needs help being removed. he’s still new to this lifestyle, and so you coddle him that much more as he makes his adjustment. unfortunately, the start of his career was not so kind to him. you can only hope it gets better.

after a few beats of silence, joshua hides his face in your stomach, and you keep quiet to continue massaging his scalp. just a minute later you feel water begin to seep through your shirt, and his body shudders as he cries silently. you pull away, kneeling in front of him.

the sight in front of you makes your heart hurt, seeing the way he’s avoiding eye contact as tears continue to run down his cheeks. you bring your hands to either side of his face, thumbs gliding across his skin gently while wiping tears away.

“oh, love…” you start. just hearing your words has his head dipping down into his hands, his emotions getting the best of him.

you get up, leading him to your shared bedroom. laying down first, you invite him into your arms before covering your bodies in the comforter. he lays there on your chest for a few moments before clearing his throat, having calmed down.

“i just.. can’t stop reading comments, and i’m-“ he pauses, taking a deep breath. you return to stroking his hair, holding him close to your chest. “i’m worried that they’re right.”

you kiss his crown. “about what?”

“they think you could do better. that you could find someone bigger than me.” he speaks softly, almost mumbling.

“that’s not true, you know that.” you’re immediately shooting the idea down, refusing to let it even become something bigger.

“but seriously. i’m an inconvenience to you. if you were with someone who was as popular as you, you’d probably get support. but everyone’s mad because i’m just some random guy.” he’s sitting up now, looking into your eyes. it’s always been a thing for him to speak with you directly about serious things.

you grab his hands, holding them tightly in your own. the little magnet attached to the end of your bracelets comes together, and you can’t help but smile at it. “you’re not just some random guy, you’re my amazing boyfriend who could never ever be an inconvenience to me. i don’t care about how popular you are, because you make me feel so happy. you’re literally everything i could ever ask for, and truthfully, i’d rather have you than anyone of my status because they’re all assholes.”

he nods, choosing to stay silent. you squeeze his hands in silent reassurance, and he does the same. you speak up once again, “you don’t inconvenience me. you make my life infinitely better, shua. please don’t listen to them, okay?”

he takes one hand away to wipe his eyes one last time before looking at you, smiling softly. “okay.” he pulls you into a hug, your heart-shaped magnets splitting, your real ones connecting in your embrace. “thank you so much darling, for everything. i’m very lucky to have you.”

you pull your head away to kiss him, soft and full of love. “of course, love. i’ll always be here for you, and we’ll survive this. i’ll make sure of it.”

he hums, not responding in favor of keeping you in his arms. you stay just like that for the rest of the night, in each other’s arms. it started out rough, but ended so much better. words of affirmation are all that were needed to begin the process of healing wounds, and it proves that you’re right. nobody is being inconvenienced, and your love runs deep enough to prove that this is only a minor road bump, and everything will smooth out in the near future.

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