#or like I was like should I start biking competitively???
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So at the end of July I did RAGBRAI, Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa. And it took a while for me to like…mentally recover from this one? Which was then like tough/disappointing to feel like I had to?
So what happened was on the very first day my dad and I crashed our tandem recumbent bike 3 times. We spend like 4-5 hours just trying to get the patch to hold and get rolling, but it just wasn’t working. And on the last crash we both got injured (dad some road rash and muscle soreness, me landed hard on me knee).
So we limped into camp (me literally limping) and my mom graciously drove several hours down to us with her bike and my dad’s bike. So we biked the rest of the week on those.
And that’s how I learned that I didn’t know a lot of stuff about long distance biking. I’ve always biked these long repetitive distances on a recumbent bike. But like day 3 on the upright bike I was experiencing a level of chafing I had never experienced before because I’m an idiot and didn’t know you shouldn’t have cotton underwear under your bike shorts.
So that chafing day I biked 45 miles and then my bike popped its tire, and that freaked me out and my whole body hurt and my knee was better but not great (it did okay on the bike but not walking around). So I bailed, and I’m both glad I did and also was like wow weak of you.
Which is rude of me to think??? Like I had biked 85 miles 4500vertical the previous day, but I thought I was like just not mentally tough enough to get thru it??
And the second to last day I also just decided to not bike because my hands were staying numb, and I just needed a break. And I had a great day recovering, but lord the ol noggin was like “are you listening to your body? Or are you a baby backed bitch giving up?”
And I think I was listening to by body, because here I am 5 weeks later and my fingers are finally not tingly anymore. And I’ve been to PT consult now and he thinks I have a bone contusion and that I didn’t fuck up my meniscus. Which is what I was hoping to hear, because I don’t want to fuck up my knee joint if I can avoid it. But also like …lol, what a weird vibe to HOPE for a bone contusion. And my knee still sort of aches but it’s still getting better.
So yeah there were good times, but mostly this Ragbrai was a fucking slog and was hard and then I was sad/disappointed that I didn’t have like a transformative happy experience. And a podcast I listened to used a phrase of “putting a ceiling on your suffering” where you can just…stop. Like you can be like my body is hurting and I don’t have to keep pushing. And I guess I’m glad I have learned that lesson. But it was tough.
And then I turned 32 and I was like dude my body and I did that together and it was scary that things could have been worse. Or like that could have been an injury that gives me a trick knee for the rest of my life, and so I’m thankful to past me that has done a bunch of pre-hab strengthening work to keep my acl protected etc.
Anyway, I avoided posting about Ragbrai because I had such complex feelings about it. But now I’m more ready to celebrate the accomplishment that it still was.
#have I also spent weeks looking at different bikes because it’s time to upgrade?#yes indeed I have#my mom is an inch and a half shorter than me#so part of my body hurt just because her bike isn’t a perfect fit#and I want to take whatever bike I end up with to a bike shop and do a fancy fitting#and my brain has been hunting for a thing to train for and strive for#like maybe next year I’ll bike a century because I want to climb back on this horse and also prove i still got it#or like I was like should I start biking competitively???#because my brain wants to write another narrative#or run a marathon??#but the pt was like no running or jumping for a bit#and also I hate running lol#so here we are tbd on what is next#claireified#Ragbrai 51
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Check Yes Chapter 7 part 1
in which the bats start to suspect that something is going on with Jason
Masterpost
“No, I'm at Jason's place,” Dick read out loud. “Have fun without me.” He put his hands on his hips. “I think I'm offended. Are you offended?”
Damian shrugged, cheeks hollowed around a juice box straw. He had under eye wrinkles from a long day of being a small child. Dick felt vaguely tempted to squish his cheeks, but the bites were still healing from last time and he needed dexterity to grapple.
“I'm deeply offended and think you should remind Jason who is the alpha older brother.” Tim didn't stop his keyboard mashing, splayed upside down on the back of the sofa. His neck was squashed at an uncomfortable looking angle. “Go get Duke and give him fundamental childhood memories. Now is your time to shine. Teach him how to ride a bicycle or Jason will do it for you.”
Dick hummed skeptically. He paced a little. “Duke probably knows how to ride a bike. But still.” He took a couple of steps while he wrestled with himself. “I know that you’re trying to encourage the worst in me.” He tapped his fingers against his hipbone rapidly.
It wasn’t going to work. He didn’t need to be competitive about this. Duke wasn’t really picking Jason over him, he was just- choosing to be with Jason instead of Dick. No big deal.
“Are you really going to take Jason take a W over you?” Tim didn’t even look over at him.
“He’s not winning anything.” Dick frowned at the distance, out the window. It was just that usually these few hours in between Duke’s patrol and bedtime lined up well with his free time after work, before patrol. He liked having the family together. He liked that they hung out in the TV room and fought for control of the TV. It built character, and he wasn’t saying that just because he usually won.
“He’s winning,” Tim said darkly. “You’re letting Duke get away from you.”
Dick ripped away Tim’s DS player and scowled down at him. “Stop trying to rile me up,” he demanded.
Tim gave him a shitty smile. “You’re right. It’s probably better if Duke hangs out with Jason. What’s one more bird who avoids the Manor? We can be a family from a distance. You don’t really need to see Duke grow up.”
“You suck.” Dick let go of the DS and stalked out of the TV room. He ignored the instant scramble behind him as Damian and Tim fought for control of the TV. Tim was probably doomed to two hours of Animal Planet, but Dick felt no mercy as he grabbed his riding jacket and jogged to the upstairs parking garage. He passed Bruce and they exchanged a silent nod.
Jason’s place was annoyingly far away from the Manor. Dick steamed inside his motorcycle helmet for the first ten minutes and then decided to be a better, more cheerful person, and also to do some recon. He called up Roy on his headset. “He-ey,” he sang with the line picked up.
“Dickie McDickface,” Roy said evenly. “Fancy hearing from you.”
“Oh please, McDickface is my father.” Dick swerved around a car that was merging without a turn signal and then gunned the engine so that he could get even with the driver and show them his middle finger. “You can just call me Baby.”
“Will do, sweet cheeks.” Something snapped in the background and then a humming started up. Microwave? “What’s up? You calling just to flirt or do you need to see my face?”
“Just thought of you,” Dick lied breezily. “Since I’m on my way to see my little wing and he’s tried so hard to subsume my place in your heart.” He tightened his grip on his motorcycle handles.
“You really don’t need to compete with him.” Roy said blandly. “You’re different people. I can have friendships with multiple people without one of them being the alpha friend.”
Dick made an unconvinced hum and took a sharp left turn onto the freeway. “If you say so. I’m not arguing with a man with beautiful brown eyes.”
Roy sniggered. “You’re terrible.”
Dick grinned. Gottem.
“I don’t think Jason wants my heart,” he said wryly. “You can relax.”
Dick got much tenser. “Oh?” he prompted. Say what you know! Reveal Jason’s secrets!
“I think he’s got someone else in the picture, he deep-cleaned his place again and last week he sent me pictures of him in three identical black leather jackets asking which gave off more of an air of careless sophistication.” A pan clattered.
“I’m sure they weren’t identical,” Dick said, a little distracted by how hopeless Roy always was about these things. “What were the lapels like?”
A few cars ahead sirens blared and then there was a momentous crash. Glass sparkled high in the air and someone skidded across the pavement while Roy chattered on.
“Anyway, I’m actually making dinner right now. Right, sweetheart? Wanna say hello to Uncle Dickie?” Roy cooed, voice going slightly unfocused as he moved away from the speaker.
A multi-car pileup crashed into place ahead of him.
“Oh, Lian is there!” Dick hit the brakes hard and safely settled to the side of the mess. “Hi, princess!” He puttered through the scene at a low speed, checking everyone out. “How was your day? Did you kick ass on the bar at preschool?” Fender bender, fender bender, angry woman obviously calling the police- seemed fine. Dick hit the throttle and passed the wreck on the side.
A faint childish voice spoke in the background, utterly incomprehensible. Roy translated after a second, deadpan. “Boy Wonder, she says that she conquered like a roman general. She was as powerful and beloved as the second- no, sorry, she said the first emperor of the Chin dynasty. Lian, I corrected- I said the first!”
Dick winced. “Yeah, the first emperor was better,” he said. Massive understatement. “So proud of you, Li-Li!”
“I better let you go. Take care, Dickie. Hope Gotham doesn’t treat you too mean.”
“Gotham is a sweetheart,” Dick said cheerfully. “Enjoy dinner!” He cut the call and grinned to himself, thinking over the new information.
His first thought was that Roy was off-base and Jason had cleaned his apartment because Duke was coming over. But Roy was right about the jacket– Jason wouldn’t be worried about his clothes to impress a sibling.
‘What does this have to do with Duke?’
He turned that part of the puzzle over in his mind as he approached Park Row. It could be a coincidence, sure, but he could smell something more interesting here. It made more sense for there to be a connection than for there to be two changes to routine in a short time frame.
The only thing to do about it was to let himself into Jason’s apartment building, hoist open the staircase window on the floor below Jason’s apartment, and free climb up the wall to let himself onto Jason’s balcony. Jason’s door was only accessible by code, and he was aiming for stealth this time. Dick hunkered down to listen closely.
Duke was definitely in there. He could hear the faint music of a boss battle coming from inside.
‘...That’s definitely weird,’ Dick noted, getting excited about it. ‘Jason doesn’t own games. What’s Duke got on him? Is it blackmail? What do I have to do to force Duke to tell me?’
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Ah, Young Love! [Our Life: Now & Forever]
Fandom: Our Life: Now & Forever
Characters: Qiu Lin, Tamarack Baumann
Notes: takes place during Step 1, so he/him is used for Qiu as that is how he identifies at this point in the story!
So anyway I'm obsessed with how everybody wants Qiu but Qiu only has eyes for MC once they meet so I'm thinking about his silly little boyhood crush. And then I couldn't leave best girl Tamarack out of the love fest so here's just a few little things I was thinking about with them having childhood crushes on u <3
Note that only the demo is publicly available and I am not currently a patron so anything here that is proven true is coincidence and anything proven false is just me having a little fun
Qiu Lin
So like. I've seen Qiu call you pretty twice in the demo. Once when you meet him if you choose to call him pretty first, and again towards the end of what's available in the demo when he's listing off reasons why you should be allowed to join the club..
I just think that whenever he talks about you he always has to let it slip that he thinks you're cute. "They had on a really nice hair clip today!" "Their hair looked so cute when they took off their hat at school." "When I picked them up to walk to school, I was so surprised at how pretty they looked!"
When he told his parents about you he probably said "this really pretty kid surprised me in our yard and we went on a miniature adventure!"
Also (and note that my MC uses she/her so im gonna quote him using gendered terms but only for this one instance) When he's introducing you to one of his friends, he starts off with your name and says "she's a girl!" (Or whatever terms you have set)
So I just think he says the most basic facts about you with so much awe and wonder 🥺 like you wore overalls to school? He talks like you invented denim. You had a funny comment or joke? It's like he's never heard one before in his life when he retells it.
I feel like…the first thing that makes him interested in you is that you're new. Not only does this make you fun to mess with, but it makes you far more interesting than the people he's known his whole life. Plus you, unlike Tamarack, don't immediately brush off the cool things he wants to show you or do with you if it isn't immediately your cup of tea.
Darren and Baxter are sick and tired of hearing your name !! If you're not around Qiu wonders aloud at least once if he should or should've invite(d) you. If he did invite you and you had to decline, then he wonders what you're doing.
The type of kid to skip out on his weekend chores at home and go to your house to help you unpack instead
Ok so MC says they used to live in an apartment, right? Probably in the city? And MC was only allowed to play on their own because Golden Grove is "a safe neighborhood?" What if MC doesn't know how to ride a bike. What if Qiu teaches them…
Whether you get a hang of it or not, he daydreams about doing that thing where he rides the bike and you sit backwards on the seat or on the handlebars or something
When he finds out you can't ride a bike, he definitely shows off by riding around without his hands on the handlebars.
Will teach you how to jump off the swing set too, then will have competitions over who can swing the highest and leap the farthest
I feel like Golden Grove has a cute little main street with a bunch of locally owned shops. If you're interested, he'll show you every. single. business. Even if most of them are "granny shops" he isn't interested in. He'll let you poke around for a bit :)
He has a special page in his notebook for all the little notes and doodles about you
If you look closely at the note he gives you after class, you can see the remnants of a few tiny little hearts that he erased!!
Going back to him offering you to ride on his bike: he probably got you in trouble once because you were on your front lawn and he rode up asking you to go on an adventure with him on his bike. You're expecting a fun little 20 min ride through the walkable path in the woods that'll have you back home by dinner. Instead he takes you to town and buys you ice cream and the two of you have to struggle your way back up the hill on foot and it takes like an hour and a half to get back and your mom was worried SICK
Buys a pack of pens with one/some of your favorite color(s) and writes you notes exclusively in that/those ink(s)
If you and your mom go somewhere and he knocks on your door while you're out, you will come home to see him sitting on the steps to your front porch and waiting for you
Before class starts, he always gives you a funny face or a wave. If you come in late because of a doctor's appointment or something, naturally a lot of the kids turn to look at your entrance, and he immediately waves at you. Maybe even says hi to you out loud if he knows Mrs. Murray is in a good mood / he can get away with it.
If he finishes his work early or something, he'll turn around in his seat and just watch you from across the room with major heart eyes. He smiles wider and waves when you notice.
Anything you compliment him on, he immediately draws attention to around others. Say his hair looks good today? He'll hit you with a "oh but not every other day?" but then tell his seatmates about what you said.
Buys extra portions of his little snack bags of chips and candy or whatever he likes when he can so that he can give them to you during lunch.
Gets on a kick and will pester you about having a secret handshake until you let him come up with one. He likes having special things just you and him 🥺
Probably invites you to his hideout at a specific time and day every week and he gets soooooo excited for that time to roll around.
Tries extra hard in your favorite subject, even if it's one he hates. He's not trying to be top of the class, but he doesn't want you to think he doesn't care about something you care about!
If you like a class he's terrible at, he'll ask for your help! Or, if you struggle in a class he's good at, he'll volunteer to help you out even though he HATES the concept of doing extra schoolwork. That's how much he likes u
He'll do this with any windows but especially if one of your bedroom windows faces his: he will definitely pull a Taylor Swift in "You Belong With Me" and write notes for you guys to read to each other
Since he can't sit with you, he'll write you notes or make you doodles and then pretend he has to get up to sharpen his pencil so he can pass your desk and slip it to you
Tamarack Baumann
Tamarack will straight up just stare at you 👁👁
She follows you around like a lost puppy and visibly brightens up when you're around
Looks forward to school because she gets to sit next to you all day! Like she'll skip happily along the path with you and Qiu and you'll ask her if she's looking forward to all these things and she'll just go "No!" and when you finally give up and ask why she says "because I get to spend the whole day next to you!"
When she goes to play in the woods, sometimes she'll spend a while in the shallower end of the tree line waiting to see if you'll come outside and play with her
Has definitely thrown sticks and pebbles at your back door to lure you out before she gets bored
Likes to go around and pick up the coolest rock, the prettiest flower, the biggest piece of tree bark, a leaf the size of her head…then before she goes home for the night, she stops by your house and gives what she picked up to you!!
If you're not home then she leaves it on your porch with a note, usually held down by a rock if it's not something heavy
She'll be over the moon if you give her cool rocks and stuff you found. Even if you're literally giving her trash, like if you ONLY give her bottle caps or pop tabs you find on the sidewalk, she cherishes them. Would make jewelry out of them tbh
Ok so quick tangent but there's a book I read in about 4th grade called Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, and in it the love interest girl is the quirky type. One thing she has is a little decorative cart on her dresser which she puts rocks in every time she's happy and takes rocks out when she's sad. When the protag goes to her house and finds out, she explains how she has put the most rocks in it since meeting him. They kiss sometime after that and she puts another rock in and tells him about it. I think Tamarack would have a jar or a doll house bathtub and she would do the same thing, putting rocks in it when she's happy! So what I'm saying is give her plenty of rocks so she can exclusively use MC rocks for that
Also will make matching jewelry for the two of you without even stopping to think if you even wear what she's making. She'll buy kits to make special rings and headbands, braid a million friendship bracelets out of multicolored string, use acorns she found to make earrings…anything! She is just as happy if you wear it then she is if you buy a jewelry display stand and show them off in your room. Eventually she adds keychains into the mix for some variety
Doesn't mean to spend a lot of her time waiting on you but she does. On weekends, instead of going directly into the woods, she'll just lie on her back in her yard and stare up at the clouds, completely still, daydreaming (about you) until she hears your door opening. Then she runs to you.
If any of your windows are open, particularly your bedroom window, she'll send a bunch of paper airplanes your way. Most of them make it! However, you've learned that if you find even one paper airplane inside, you're going to have to check that side of the house for more scattered on the ground
Grips onto your arms or your clothes whenever she can. You two are connected.
Makes a BIG effort to like anything that you like as much as you do! And when she follows you around, it doesn't really matter if you're doing something she doesn't care about. She just wants to spend time with you! It does make her whole week if you follow her into the woods, though.
She doesn't take notes in class, but you leave a writing implement out for her and sometimes she'll reach over and doodle a cute bear or something on your paper :)
If you say you're cold, she'll give you her scarf, no questions asked. Is also down to share but don't let her do that while you're walking because it WILL end badly
Has wrapped the scarf around the two of you and tied you guys together before and yes it was the best recess of her life
When walking, she tends to lean into you which sometimes almost turns into pushing you and Qiu into the road if you're not careful
Likes to drag you around places and pretty quickly invites you to her house. She doesn't tell her grandparents that she's inviting you over, so they're surprised by you almost every time, but they don't mind! She's dragging you up the stairs to her room too quickly for them to say anything anyway
#our life now and forever#our life now & forever#our life#qiu lin x reader#tamarack baumann x reader#qiu lin#tamarack baumann#☆ qiu lin#☆ our life#☆ olnf#☆ tamarack baumann#🐚 capricorn ゚+..。*゚+{hcs}#🌠 pisces ゚+..。*゚+{all writing}
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VIEWFINDER.
PART I
Seungmin x reader x Lee Know. (s,a)
Chapters: Part II
Synopsis: An accidental reunion sets the sparks fly between you and Seungmin, but the relationship takes a turn at the end of the summer and you seek help from your frenemy, Minho. (13,7k words)
Author's note: I didn't mean to make it long but then I saw the word count and decided to put it into two parts. For the birthday boy, Seungmin x
📼 Viewfinder playlist.
Summer is here.
The sun is shining so brightly on the clear blue sky and the air carries the smell of flowers along with its pollen, good thing that you're not allergic.
Another good thing is tomorrow is the beginning of summer break and you can put a hold on the stress of being a university student.
The bad thing is you don't have any plans on how you're going to spend it.
However, for tonight, you have a plan and you have to go home so you can get ready for it.
Your apartment is only a few blocks away from the university complex, you always ride your bicycle to and fro. You put your bag and books on the basket of your bicycle before unlocking the chain lock.
"Congratulations on getting the highest score on the quiz!" Someone says.
Even from how dark the shadow is and the insinuating tone in his voice, you can tell who it is.
You put both the lock and the chain inside the basket before turning around to see him, "Minho, should I be relieved or scared that I can't hear the slightest bit of sarcasm in the way you congratulate me?"
Minho is an enemy because the two of you are competing to be at the top of the class and everyone knows that. His smirk implies that it's the latter.
"I'm trying to be nice and you should too. Buy me drinks tonight?"
You also consider Minho as a friend since he's the only one who knows the pressure of being a devoted student and a great drinking partner.
"I can't. I have to meet Rina's new boyfriend," you tell him.
Minho knows you well enough that he understands right away. Another common thing you have with him is he also rides his bike to campus.
"Who is she dating this time?" He asks while backing the bike out of the rack.
You do the same and walk the bike out of the station, it's not safe to start riding it with people walking around.
"An artist and that's why she wants me to meet them at an art exhibition," you reply.
It's so nice riding through the warm, pleasant breeze and knowing that you don't have to study for weeks. You're paddling your bike slowly and savoring every second passed in freedom with Minho riding his bike next to you.
"Do you have any plans for the summer?" He suddenly asks.
You keep your head looking straight ahead, "Nope but I know I'll be seeing you in the library."
You glance at him and laugh, "It's the only way you can keep up with me," you add with a shrug.
Minho scoffs and slows down as both of you reach the intersection, "Be careful. Next thing you know I'll be steps ahead of you," he coyly taunts you.
You can't tell if he holds his handlebars so hard or if the veins on his arms are always evident like that when your eyes unknowingly land there.
You sneer and say, "That doesn't sound like a threat at all."
The lights turn green and this is when you go separate ways with him. He's turning right while you're going straight.
Before he makes a turn, he turns at you and says, "Just remember. You still owe me drinks!"
As much as you want to beat each other academically and have the same level of competitiveness, you both keep it fair and clean.
And that's why you consider Minho as the frenemy.
-
The outfit you're wearing is appropriate and appropriate is enough.
There are no limitations in art so seeing the other people dressed for the art exhibition doesn't surprise you at all. What surprises you is how old Rina's new boyfriend looks but you guess it's because of all the facial hair he has.
"I'm Joe," he introduces himself.
"Nice to meet you, Joe," you say with a nice smile.
"Have you looked around?"
"Not yet. I think Rina can show me around," You reply while sending signals at her with your eyes.
"Ah, sure, show her around, babe," he says to Rina, letting her go from his side.
Once you both out of his earshot, you grab Rina's elbow and ask, "How old is he?"
"Oh my God, I'm old enough to date whoever I want," she answers while grabbing two glasses of champagne from a tray.
"No, but seriously, how old is he?"
She hands you a glass and sips her drink, "He's only 31. Relax!"
You have mixed feelings about her dating a guy 10 years older than her but she's right, she's old enough to make a decision on her own.
After one sip of wine, you trick your brain that it's going to help you relax and it works like usual.
"This is his artwork," Rina says with a proud smile.
It's a puddle of mud on a canvas. You're raking your brain for a good minute and still have zero ideas of what it is about.
His boyfriend calls for her from across the room and Rina answers like the good girlfriend she is, "Wait, I have to—"
"It's okay, you can go," you tell her and you are more than relieved to be left alone.
You look at it again and try to make the meaning of this messy piece of artwork when someone takes a stand next to you.
"Do you like it?" The stranger asks.
"Not... really," you doubtfully answer.
Maybe it's because you're a left-brained person, you're more adaptable to logical and orderly things that you can't see what it's all about.
"I understand paintings," you share, quietly tapping the floor as you speak, "but artworks like this..."
You dryly laugh at your incompetence and you know for sure Minho will have a good laugh at it if he knows but not this man, he's only staring back at you, waiting for you to finish talking.
"For example, I understand Dali's Persistence of Memory but The Lobster Phone? That, I'll never get it," you share another embarrassing thing about yourself, unprovoked.
It's better to stop talking and further embarrassing yourself. You look back at Joe's artwork and stare at it hoping to find nothing but to pass the time.
When you thought he would turn away and leave this awkward moment, he asks, "How about photographs?"
"Photographs?"
He nods, "I can show you some."
There's no harm in seeing some photographs, you may not get it but it's better than seeing a puddle of mud. Plus, this stranger seems nice and not judgemental.
"I'd love to see some photographs," you say.
He leads you to the other part of the gallery, walking through two big black curtains to enter a whole different exhibition.
The room is dark. The only source of light is coming from the lamps casting lights on each framed black and white photograph hung on the black-painted wall.
It's somehow atmospheric and intimate, it's quiet except for the low chatter of people discussing these photographs.
You saunter to the first photograph you see while he's there walking next to you, watching you taking a look at it with awe in your eyes.
It's just so pleasant to look at and maybe that's just what art is, it doesn't have to be boxed into one thing. You just meant to feel it, profoundly.
"It's amazing," you say with a dreamy sigh.
He senses that you're being earnest about what you said and smiles. He lets you take a look at it long enough that you start to immerse yourself in it.
"Perhaps, do you know what happened to Sisyphus?"
That gets you completely puzzled because why would he ask about a figure in Greek mythology out of the blue?
"Well, it's safe to say he's still rolling the boulder up the hill," You answer with a soft laugh.
He stays quiet for a while and sweetly smiles at you, a smile that makes him somewhat familiar like you've seen it before.
"I'll leave you to figure it out," he says, walking backward until his figure is engulfed by the darkness of the room.
You start to spiral, going over everything you said to him and trying to guess what triggers him to suddenly lose interest, you come down that it has anything to do with the answer you gave him.
You're greatly familiar with Greek mythology to know that he's condemned to infinitely roll a boulder up the hill for cheating the death twice. Must admit that Sisyphus is a slick guy but what has it got to do with all this? Is this his way of flirting? Is he even flirting at all? Who is this stranger?
To keep your mind distracted, you continue your tour around the exhibition and admire each photograph for capturing not only moments but so many emotions.
When you turn to the last wall, you only realize now that you don't know the name of the artist. You bend down to read the card under the photograph.
Kim Seungmin, it says on it and you swear you heard this name before.
You successfully recollect some of your earliest memories from when you were a kindergartner. You had a classmate named Kim Seungmin, he wears glasses and fluffy hair.
You laugh at it because it couldn't be that Kim Seungmin, right?
There's only one way to find out. You talk to someone who might have known him since she's deep in conversation with someone about the photographs.
"Excuse me, but is Kim Seungmin, the artist, perhaps here? Attending the exhibition?" You politely ask.
She seems to be displeased that you interrupt, she looks at you with eyes widening and says, "I'm pretty sure I saw you walked in with him earlier."
"Oh, you mean the guy—" You stop talking altogether as it hits you.
Sisyphus! The Sisyphus he meant is the name of the rabbit you pet together in kindergarten. This only verified that he is the Kim Seungmin you know.
You look around the room for him but can't find him, you exit the exhibition to bump into Rina.
"I've been looking for you!" She says.
"Have you seen a guy with fluffy hair and he's wearing a leather jacket, cute but also cool at the same time?" You ask while craning your neck to spot him in the crowded room.
"That sounds like my boyfriend but he's not wearing a leather jacket so..." Rina answers.
You hold yourself back from groaning. It's typical Rina in love, so smitten, so all over him, and next thing she knows, she finds solace in a bucket of Ben and Jerry's cookie dough ice cream.
"Let's grab some more wine and have another—"
Rina's voice becomes faint as you keep walking around the room hoping to see him again so you can tell him about Sisyphus the rabbit, that he died one year after Seungmin moved away. Unfortunately, there's still no sign of him.
"Rina,"
"Yes?"
"Is it okay if I leave early?" You ask, "You know how I feel about being in an event like this."
She knows that she's the extrovert and you're the introvert, your friendship is based on opposite attraction. She nods in understanding and says, "Be careful on your way home!"
You give her a hug and mutter, "Thank you!"
You make your way out of the gallery after saying goodbye to Rina's new boyfriend and see a group of people smoking outside and none of them is Seungmin.
The sound of someone revving the engine of a motorcycle startles you as you put on your cardigan. Your head snaps to the source of the sound and see that it's Seungmin.
You walk to the side of the road and open your mouth to call him, immediately refrain as he hands a helmet to a girl and most likely to get a ride from him.
So much for a sweet reunion! You can only watch as he drives away on his motorcycle.
The night takes a turn and you don't want to go home wallowing in this unexplainable feeling alone in your room. You pull out your phone to call someone.
The dialing tone is ringing as you walk to the side of the road and hailing a cab for you.
"I haven't slept yet but my worst nightmare is already calling," Minho says.
You can't see him but you bet he's smirking as he speaks, "I know it's past your bedtime but remember the drinks I owe?"
He catches up on your intention right away and with an exaggerated heavy sigh, he says, "Well, if you insist."
A taxi stops right in front of you and you open the door to the backseat, laughing as you say, "See you there!"
-
This is how your summer break starts: with a hangover.
The moment you open your eyes, you realize that that is not the only worst thing you do. You wake up and recognize that you're not sleeping on your bed.
A nerd recognized another nerd's bedroom from a shelf of books and another stack of them is on the bedside table.
"Ugh," you groan while rubbing your temple.
You can see the owner of the bed you're in standing, leaning against his desk sipping his coffee.
"What did you do to me?" You ask as you sit up on the bed.
He takes a small sip of his coffee and delightfully gasps, "Nothing but taking care of a drunk fellow."
You scoff and brush your hair to the back, can't think of what happened last night, "I mean, how did you get me drunk?"
He crosses his arms together in front of him and calmly responds, "You were the one who wanted to get drunk last night, not me."
The more you try to remember it, the more your head spins and turns your stomach queasy, "Can I have anything you're having right now?"
"We use the magic words here," he says with a sneering smile.
You sigh and put on a forced smile, "Please?"
Minho smiles in satisfaction and heads to the kitchen. You've been here before so you can navigate your way from bed to the bathroom to wash up. One of his cats aggressively meows when you accidentally cover her with the duvet.
"Sorry, cat!" You mutter, not quite remember their names since there are three of them.
Another cat walks past you as you open the bathroom door and you wash your face, not realizing there's a writing on your forehead until you see the reflection in the mirror.
Minho must had some fun writing "loser" on your forehead with a black marker, you rub it over with soap and water to clean it.
"You don't want to know what I would do to you if it was a permanent marker," you scold as you walk to the kitchen.
Minho is chuckling as he turns and places a plate of breakfast on the small dining table, "I may be mischievous but I'm not diabolical," he says.
It surprises you that he also cooked you scrambled eggs with toast when you only asked for a cup of coffee he was having, "This is not what I expected," you innocently comment as you pull a chair and sit on it.
"You asked whatever it is I'm having, right?" He refills his cup with more coffee.
You start with a sip of coffee and you can feel that the caffeine slowly works its magic, "I thought your usual breakfast would be Russian literature and the economic section of today's newspaper because you know...you're boring," you say with a scornful gaze.
Minho approaches you and puts one hand against the table, displaying his veined arms at you again.
"I'm offended that you said Russian literature is boring," he says, taking your eyes back to his face again.
You forget about what he said once you have a spoonful of the breakfast he made you, it's just egg but it's so good.
Another one of his cats jumps onto the table and nuzzles its head at Minho, asking to be petted and purring when he finally gives what it wants. He checks the time on his watch and says, "I'm afraid you have to finish your breakfast quickly!"
You bite your toast and glance at the clock on the wall, "It's summer. The library won't be open until 10."
He picks up his jacket from the coat hanger, "It's the first day of my summer internship and I can't be late."
Your mouth is full of food to properly speak but you don't want to skip the chance to tease him, "What? You have a Zumba class?"
He dryly laughs and puts his coffee cup into the sink, "I'll be working as Kim Edison for the summer."
"It can't be Kim Edison the columnist who recently won the journalism prize, right?" You ask with an uneasy smile.
Minho doesn't answer but gives you a suck-it smile that is a combination of smirk and evil smug and you hate it so much.
"I give you five minutes!" He shorty says.
With the little time he gives you, you shove as much food as you can and take a long gulp of steaming hot coffee, almost getting your tongue burnt in the process.
You regret having breakfast as Minho rides his bicycle fast as you sit on the back. You get queasy again from the bumpy ride as your hands hold onto the cardigan that you're using to cover your head.
Most of the students are away for the summer break but you don't want to risk being seen riding a bike with him while wearing last night's clothes.
"Stop fidgeting!" He scolds in front of you.
"I almost fell off to the back!" You scold back.
He makes a harsh turn and sends you tilting to the side, you reflexively holding on to his waist from letting that happen.
"You look faint," he cheekily says as he stops the bike right in front of your apartment building.
You can't feel your legs once you get off the bike, "ugh... thank you," you mutter, too nauseated to respond to his teasing.
He checks his watch again and grips the handlebars, "I have to go. Bye!"
Minho doesn't wait for your reply but paddles his bicycle as fast as he can. Guess, he's serious about the internship thing, and that makes you one step behind him.
New plan for the day besides curing your hangover: Find a summer internship.
"It's too late to find one," Rina says, breaking your spirit as you ask her if she knows anyone who needs an intern or something. She's very well connected in the social scene well, that's what an extrovert does best.
"Why are you still dressed in last night— oh, are you...?" She squints her eyes at you.
You would love to deny it but then you would have to tell her where you slept last night, keeping quiet is the best option.
"Why are you packing?" You shift the topic, seeing her packing her clothes into a suitcase.
"I'm going on a trip with Joe," she says with that stupid grin people in love have.
"You've been dating him for only a week, Rina!" You try to put some sense into her.
"So what? Things are going great and it's not like we have a plan for the summer anyway," she says.
"Then what about our movie marathon, having ice cream by the pier, and feeding ducks at the pond?" You list the things you like to do together besides hanging out in your shared apartment for the summer.
"Feeding the ducks is your thing," she says while rolling a folded towel.
She's right and when you think about it again, you can do those things not only in the summer. You should get on your laptop and find a summer internship because who knows?
"At least, tell me where you're going?" You ask as a good friend.
"We're going on a road trip and you know how it is with an artist, we're going to figure stuff out as we go," she gives you a concerning answer.
You bite your tongue to hold yourself back from saying harsh things with good intentions and choose to step back, "Well..." You think of something cheerful to say instead, "Take a lot of pictures and have fun!"
Rina smiles at you as she shoves her makeup into a pouch, "Thank you, babe!"
You're about to leave her bedroom when she remembers something, "I think I know a friend who needs a cat sitter," she says.
Your spirit descends again and before you can make it to your bedroom, the doorbell rings. You drag yourself to open it and are still surprised by his bushy facial hair.
"Oh, hi Joe!" You put on a smile.
"I came to pick up Rina," he says with a fatherly smile or maybe it's because you can't shake the thought that he's ten years older than both you and Rina.
"She's still packing in her bedroom," you open the door wider to let him in, "Come in, please!"
He steps inside and looks around the room, probably scanning for any artsy pieces in an apartment occupied by two college students.
"Coffee? Water?" You offer.
"I'd like a cup of coffee before hitting the road," Joe replies.
There's coffee left in the pot and you pour a cup for him, bringing it for him as he sits on the dining table. Something pops in your head as you hand him the coffee.
"Thank you," he says.
"Hey, Joe..." your palms are already sweaty even though you haven't asked anything.
He looks up after sipping his coffee, "Yes?"
"Do you perhaps know any of your artists' friends who needs... uhm, like an assistant or an intern for the summer?" You sound so awkward but he already gave you a weird look once he saw you're still wearing the dress from last night.
"Oh, I'm not sure but," he pauses to look at the contacts on his phone and scrolls down fast, "I'll ask around."
You hold your hands up at him, "Oh, no, no, no, it's okay if you don't know any I'm just..." you catch someone's name flashes on his contact list.
"You have Seungmin's phone number," you naively blurt out.
"The photographer? Yes, of course, we held the exhibition together," he says.
You hesitate to ask for his numbers and awkwardly smile at him.
"Do you know him?" He asks.
"He was a friend of mine. We went to the same kindergarten but he moved away, well, he and his family moved out of town, and last night, we met again after years and—" You stop yourself from rambling on and on.
"That's so sweet. Here, let me give you his numbers so you can reconnect," he says, giving you his phone so you can send it to your phone.
"Thank you," you mutter while handing him his phone back.
After almost an hour and an impromptu make-out session by the doorway of her bedroom, Rina and his boyfriend finally leave the apartment.
She's dragging her big suitcase with her downstairs and you watch from upstairs as she waves at you before getting into the car.
"I'm leaving. Don't miss me. Don't forget to get out of the house," Rina knows how to embarrass you and make you feel sentimental all at once.
"Okay, Mom," you playfully respond and return her hand kisses.
-
The cold shower helps with the hangover but it doesn't help with the internship search.
Is everyone going out of town in the summer and leaving their pets because there are a lot of people looking for someone to take care of their pets?
For this once, you have to admit that Minho is one step ahead of you. He's deep in your head and you blame it for getting drunk last night.
You know what? You'll do what Rina told you to do and get out of the house to feed the ducks. You get up but sit back down on the chair as you glance at your phone.
You've been contemplating whether to call Seungmin or not. If you call, what are you going to say to him? Tell him that you asked for his numbers without his consent.
There you go again, overthinking things when you can tell him what happened to Sisyphus. You hit the call button right away, not leaving a second for your anxiety to slip in again.
Your heart is pounding while you're listening to the dialing tone... then it clicks and you hear the rustle of someone picking up the call.
"Seungmin?" You call his name right away just to confirm it's him and not the man with the same name as him.
"Sorry, who is this?" It's a voice that you don't expect to hear: of a girl.
"Oh, I must've called the wrong—"
"No, you're right. It's Seungmin's phone but he's currently busy," she explains.
You should be happy that you are calling the right number but your spirit deflates instead, "Oh, that's okay, I'll just— have a great day!"
You abruptly end the call and decide to settle on texting him about Sisyphus, he can use that information as he pleases. Well, you'd be disappointed if he didn't call you back but you try not to put too much hope on it.
Maybe you should have chosen to get out of the house and feed the ducks.
-
Something is weighing your chest as you get awakened by the sound of your phone ringing. You stare down and see a book resting on your chest, you must've fallen asleep while reading.
The room is dark, you're too lazy to turn on the lights so you grope around your bedside table for your phone to pick it up.
"Yes, hello?" You croak.
"It's me," Seungmin says.
Your eyes instantly snap open and you lift yourself to sit up on the bed, your fingers brushing your hair as if Seungmin were there and could see you.
"You called me earlier," he says.
"I hope you're not mad that I got your numbers from Joe, he's a boyfriend of my friend, he—" You shut your eyes to keep your mind on track.
"I'm sorry I called you," you apologize even though you're not sure why.
"No, I'm glad you called and I'm glad you asked for my numbers," his voice sounds light and airy through the phone, pleasant to the ear.
You think of something to say without getting awkward, "You were busy when I called so... not sure if you're happy with that."
"Yeah, I was in the middle of doing a photo shoot," he explains with a low sigh.
"I'm sorry," you sincerely say. You were too focused on the girl who answered the call than the real reason why Seungmin couldn't pick up the phone himself.
"Stop apologizing," he says with a low laugh.
"Okay," you say with a smile.
"Can I pick you up for dinner?"
The offer comes so suddenly that you don't know how to respond to it. Frankly, you would say yes right away but you don't want to sound eager.
"I'd love that," you say.
"Send me your address and I'll pick you up."
Unlike you, Seungmin is not afraid to show how eager he is. "Now? Like right now?" You ask for confirmation.
"Yeah. Why?"
You check the time and it's 20 past midnight, you break into laughter because it means one of you is disoriented, "Seungmin, it's late."
There's a pause and then he lowly gasps, "Ah... I've been working all day and didn't notice the time."
"I mean I would love but you've had a tiring day already so..." you hate to reject him but you only need to be the one with initiative.
"How about tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow sounds great," he shortly replies.
"Do you still want me to send you my address?"
"Yes, that would be helpful."
He sounds sweet that your head is already filled with daydreams, "I'll see you tomorrow then?"
"See you tomorrow," he repeated.
"Okay."
"Okay."
A part of you don't want this to end but you have to leave room for him to fill himself.
"Goodnight, Seungmin."
"Goodnight."
Technically, the day has turned into tomorrow and you can't go back to sleep knowing that in mere hours, you'll meet him again on a summer day.
-
It's dinner so you have planned out what time you should shower, and do your make-up and hair, you already picked a dress to wear so that's one less thing to worry about.
Except that Seungmin came earlier than you thought and you were in the middle of doing your hair when he called, telling you that he's outside your apartment building. You dash to the window and look for him.
There he is, standing and holding his helmet in one with the afternoon sun shining down on him, making him look like a dream.
You awkwardly wave at him from the window and Seungmin smiles as he looks up at you.
"Come upstairs!" You tell him on the phone.
"Okay."
Did he grow a few inches since you met or... he just that tall and you only realize it now as you find him standing there behind the door.
"You're ready to go?" He brushes his hair that's already messy yet somehow it's only making him more attractive.
You snap yourself out of it and look away, "I just need to change."
"Okay," he says, sounding calm as usual.
You let him wait inside as you excuse yourself to change in your bedroom. You're already in the dress you planned on wearing but it's most likely that he's taking you on his motorcycle, you change into jeans and a peasant blouse for the sake of comfort.
"Okay, I'm ready now," you announce with a smile.
It will be the first you're riding a motorcycle, it doesn't have that much difference with riding a bicycle, right? Except that the other is with engine and not eco-friendly.
Seungmin hands you a helmet, the same one he lent to the girl that night at the exhibition but you are a grown-up and not going to act petty by refusing to use it.
"Let me help you," Seungmin helps you clip the straps together under your chin.
He fixes the hair covering your face and tucks it inside the helmet, "Safety is sexy!" He says with a flirty smile that flashes at you.
Seungmin gets on the motorcycle and turns on the engine, sending it roaring alive. He offers his hand as support as you climb on the motorcycle behind him.
It's like riding a bicycle, you remind yourself but all that is running through your head is of Minho giving you a ride home that morning.
You almost fall off to the back as Seungmin launches the motorcycle forward, only slowing down when there's an intersection ahead.
"You might want to hold on to me," his voice is muffled by the helmet he's wearing.
"Yeah," You can't hear what he says with the helmet wrapped around your head so tight and the sounds of traffic.
Seungmin takes your hand and puts it around his waist, "Hold on to me," he says louder.
"Okay," you nod to let him know that you can hear him this time.
With how fast he rides and your hand is fisting the front of his leather jacket, the gap between your bodies is close to nonexistent. Sitting behind him, letting you adore his square shoulders and you wish you could just rest your head on his back.
Instead of that, your helmet hits his as he brakes hard at the traffic lights, sending your body crashing into his back. You hurriedly scoot farther to the back.
Seungmin holds your hand before you can let go of your hold on his leather jacket, he holds on to it as he waits for the light to turn green.
He slows down as he rides through the suburban area, taking you somewhere you've never been even though you have lived in the city for years.
It feels nice to ride on a summer afternoon with the air softly caressing your cheeks and the sun feeling warm on your skin.
"I am gutted to know that Sisyphus died," Seungmin says in between bites of dinner.
"The homeroom teacher brought a rabbit that looked like him but I knew that it wasn't Sisyphus," you share and shove a spoonful of mashed potato into your mouth.
"Because he had that black dot on his nose, right?"
You cover your mouth to not let him see you talking while eating, "oh, my God! You remember!"
"Of course," he coyly says, "He was our child. How could I forget our child?"
Our child? Seungmin remembers that too. You and he used to play parents for Sisyphus. But you're going to blame the summer heat for making your cheeks heat.
"So uhm... how did you become a successful photographer?" You shift the topic or else your cheeks are going to explode.
"I sort of... going into it by accident. I was studying abroad for law then I joined the photography club and everything happened," he concisely explains with the always calm yet cool facial expression.
"Everything happened," you repeated with a low laugh.
He takes a sip of water and reclines on his chair, "Just like we happened to meet again."
There is the smile again. It's sly yet nice, flirty yet sweet. He makes you all kinds of things with just one smile.
"I'd love to take your pictures," he says out of the blue.
You shake your head and shyly laugh, "I don't think that's a good idea."
"I think it's the best idea," he makes it sound like it's not a request but an order.
The early dinner you had allowed you two to spend the rest of the night walking in the park, enjoying the sunset from the top of the hill and catching up on each other's life.
Seungmin didn't finish his law school, he went on trips around the world to take pictures and do exhibitions. It's compelling listening to him talking about photography, well, he is at his most attractive talking about the thing he's passionate about.
When it comes to your turn to talk about your life, you realize you have your nose tucked in books instead of exploring the world like him.
"Compares to your my life sounds so boring," you say with a sneer.
"You can't compare your life to mine," he says.
He stops on his track and leans against the railing on the edge of a parking building, looking at you, "You get to finish your school and that's a win for you."
"I'm not there yet," you say, standing next to him and looking at the sun sinking lower on the horizon, leaving the day in a beautiful burst of golden rays.
The sunset passed in a comfortable silence, it's like watching the sun slowly tucked in for the night. You turn to the side and see Seungmin basking in the warm glow of the last slivers of sun.
"Ready to go home?" He asks.
Honestly, you don't want to go home yet but what can you say? Seungmin is working during the summer unlike you. The night air is cool and it's helping you relax on the bike ride home. You're holding on to the side of the jacket instead of his waist to stay appropriate.
Seungmin realizes it as he stops the bike at a traffic light, he pulls your hand and puts it inside the pocket of his leather jacket. You can feel his gloved hand but he looks over his shoulder, "Don't let go!"
You nod instead of verbally answering him against the noisy city sounds. Not sure if you're slowly forgetting your way around the city but Seungmin is heading nowhere near your apartment building.
It's when he takes his bike into a different apartment building that he's certainly not taking you home. After taking off his helmet he helps you take off yours in the dimly lit room of an empty parking basement.
"I thought we were going home," you fix your hair quickly with your fingers.
He puts the helmet on the handle of his bike, "But I didn't say which home," he says.
It's only right for you to get nervous, not only that you in Seungmin's studio slash apartment but he wants to take pictures of you too.
"This is a bad idea. I–I'm awkward," you stammer, clasping your hands together in front of you.
He takes your hand and leads you to the sofa, telling you to sit while he walks to a big collection of cameras from analog to digital and dozens of lenses in various sizes.
"Just relax," he says as he finally settles on his choice of camera.
"Act normal, you know, get comfortable," he picks a lens and carefully attaches it to the camera.
That's the problem. You're not normal in the first place and you're not confident unless someone is talking about your favorite books but weirding him out with your book talk is not the way to charm him.
He takes a practice shot and you suddenly shrivel up, turning rigid on the sofa.
"Relax those shoulders," he says while taking steps closer to you and keeping his finger busy clicking the camera.
You're trying to relax but knowing that the camera is taking pictures of you at every angle. It's so obvious that Seungmin puts down his camera and walks up to you.
"Shoulders down," he says with his hand on your shoulder and gently massages it.
"Sit as you like, make yourself comfortable."
You look up at him and nod as he speaks, helping you to loosen up by rubbing down your eyes. But it's the way he looks at you that convinces you that he means no harm.
"You can put your legs up if you want," he encourages.
You shake your head and shyly laugh, "I can't do that but can I borrow one of your magazines?" You point at the stacks of magazines and newspapers on top of the cabinet.
Seungmin must have taken a hundred of pictures already but that won't stop him. He puts his camera so close instead of using his expensive lens to work, making you giggle at how he leans so close.
His hand reaches your face to tuck a hair behind your ear and calmly, he says, "You have beautiful eyes."
"Oh, no, it's getting ridiculous now," you bashfully say as he goes to the back of the sofa to take a picture.
You're following him, tilting your head to the back while covering half of your face with the magazine you're hardly reading.
Seungmin puts away his camera and then leans down as he pushes the magazine away from your face. Then the next you know is his hand caressing your face and slowly he leans in.
It's as simple as putting his lips on your lips but inexplicably it feels like something you've done a million times already. It's easy, pure but the urge in the way he brushes his lips over and over again also makes it feel like such a long time coming.
You close your eyes as his hand slides down from your jaw to your exposed neck and it stays there until he slowly pulls away from the kiss.
Seungmin smiles as you foolishly stay there and stare at him with your mouth parted open, still reeling from the kiss. He continues taking pictures as if nothing happened.
You compose yourself as fast as you can and look down at your lap once Seungmin is done taking pictures, carefully putting his camera back in its place.
The city view at night reminds you that it's getting late and you might have overstayed, "I'd better—"
Again, Seungmin is ready with his hand outstretched at you to help you get up from the sofa. Once you're on your feet, he puts his arm around you and pulls you close so that you can feel his warm breath fanning your cheek.
"You'd better what?" His eyes are piercing right into yours.
He makes you nervous but in a good way, "I'd better—"
Seungmin kisses you again and he doesn't hold back this time. His tongue skillfully pries your mouth open and slithers in the second you let him in, invading your mouth to taste more of you.
The kiss is fiery and sets your body ablaze, explosive.
Even though your lungs burning for oxygen, you let out a whimper when he breaks the kiss. You didn't think that he would hear it.
He puts his other arm around you and asks again, "Is there anything you'd better do than this?"
It's amusing to him asking you a question that he damn knows the answer to.
With your lack of knowledge and the sex expertise on a road trip with her older boyfriend, you're left with no choice but to figure things out as you go.
You do the same every time Seungmin takes off a piece of his clothing until they're all littering his bedroom floor. The only thing that's left on you is the white underwear you're wearing, it's not a flattering one but for an unplanned sexy time, you hope it will do.
You hugging yourself while Seungmin keeps kissing you with his hands roaming your body, guess he's trying to make you calm but you're just so aware of yourself and your appearance.
Seungmin sees that so he holds your face in his hands and presses a soft peck on your lips, "Don't hide from me."
He glides his hands down to your shoulders and his eyes are following them as they take your hands away from covering your bare chest.
His one hand is straying from the course and goes down your chest, splaying his hand on your sternum then softly sighs.
"Your heart is beating so fast," he speaks so low yet it's echoing in the dark of his room.
"Are you scared or excited?" He asks as he shifts his eyes back at you.
You swallow air and answer, "Both."
Seungmin smiles in response. Keeping the hand on your beating heart, he presses another kiss on your lips, long and lingering.
He then continues the kisses down your neck, collarbone, chest, and the valley of your breasts and keeps going until he kneels on the floor.
Seungmin looks up as he places a kiss on your abdomen, his lips take a right turn, and kisses your waist and down to your hips. His other hand is hooked on the elastic band of your underwear and he's pulling it down as he places kisses down your inner thighs.
"You're so beautiful," he says while still kneeling on the floor, looking at you with wonder in his eyes like he's seeing of divine.
That inexplicably makes you feel like a goddess and he's on his knees worshipping you. Your hesitant hand makes it to his cheek and he keeps it there, pressing on it then kisses your wrist.
You offer your hand for him this time and help him get up from the floor after getting a boost of confidence from the way he's looking at you.
Taking a step closer, you embrace yourself and this moment, letting him in and take you places.
The kisses he planted all over your body are searing and you feel hot all over especially when he kisses you close to where you wanted him to be.
Both of you wanted it so much and your bodies can't hide it anymore. Without looking, you know you're drenched and his erection is hard to miss.
He pulls a condom out of his bedside drawer and you take it from him, wanting to do him this favor just so you can say it back to him once you roll the rubber down his length.
"And that's why safety is sexy," you say with a sly smile.
Even with your lack of experience in the sexual field, you can tell that it's not always about the performance. Not that Seungmin has problems with that, he's doing it very well, he's fucking you so hard that your body shakes with every thrust but it's the way he softly gazes into your eyes.
You don't even try to make your brain work, you just gaze back into his eyes and all of a sudden, he hastily kisses your open mouth.
"What are you thinking?" He asks with a tender caress on your cheek.
"Nothing," You shake your head and then blatantly say, "It just feels so good."
You don't even try to impress him, your brain is shutting down so everything you say is unfiltered, and that only amuses him more.
Seungmin takes both of your hands and interlaced them together, pinning them on each side of your pillow. With or without him picking up the pace, you're already on the brink of your climax.
"I think I'm—" You barely finish your sentence when you get hit by waves of pleasure.
You're whining against his lips as he keeps holding your hands tightly in his and puts them around his neck so you can hold him as you relish your orgasm.
A few kisses later, you have Seungmin spooning you from behind and his hand is freely exploring your body while he keeps your mouth busy with more kisses.
"Can I have you again?" He softly asks and you nod without thinking.
The sight of his member makes you feel intimidated at first but you surprised yourself at how well you took him earlier. The intimidating feeling is now being replaced by the craving to have him inside you again.
Seungmin holds your thigh still as he pushes his cock from behind and you whine as you feel him entering you little by little.
"Oh, you're so hard," you mindlessly blurt out again.
Seungmin tolerates you so much but instead of getting offended, he brings his mouth close to your ear.
"That's how much I want you," he shamelessly admits at the same time he launches his cock deep inside you.
"Oh!" You moan and muffle yourself with the back of your hand.
He takes your hand away from your mouth, "Keep making those noises for me, baby."
-
It's like a dream or maybe it is and the worst part of dreaming is that it stops the moment you wake up.
If it wasn't for the morning sun that forces you to wake up, you'd still be living in your dream. Alas, you prepare yourself to be disappointed but when you open your eyes, you realize that it's not a dream.
You're naked under the cover and you're sleeping on his bed,
It happened so that means Seungmin is... you roll to the other side to find the space next to you is empty except for the crumpled sheet.
"I'm here," Seungmin must have seen you looking so disoriented on the bed.
You smile out of embarrassment and lift yourself while clutching the duvet close to your chest. You watch as he makes his way to the bed carrying two mugs of what you assume is coffee from the heavenly smile of it.
He sits on the edge of the bed and sweetly greets, "Morning!"
You're about to say it back to him when he presses a quick peck on your lips. It takes you a while to reel yourself back from the kiss and finally reply, "Morning!"
He finally hands you one of the coffee mugs and you take it with both hands, inhaling the heavenly smell of it before taking a small, careful sip.
Seungmin brushes your hair away and puts it behind your ear, placing a kiss on your bare shoulder before taking a sip of his coffee.
"What do you usually do in the morning?" He asks.
"Not much. Just breakfast, coffee, check emails, reading the news," you regret telling him your boring mundane things and stop yourself from embarrassing you more.
"How about you?"
"I wake up, toast and coffee. I go back to sleep when I don't have work to do," he calmly answers with his hair looking fluffy and inviting you to touch.
"Are you working on something?" You curiously ask since he seems so laid back or maybe it's just you who likes to keep yourself busy at all times.
"Not really but I'll be working on a few things this summer," he replies and puts away his coffee mug, "It's summer break, isn't it?"
"Yes," you shortly reply.
Seungmin places his hand on your back shoulder and draws lazy circles on the skin with his finger, "Do you have any plans for summer break?"
You stall by taking another sip of your coffee before embarrassing yourself again, "No."
His fingers trail down your spine as he softly sighs, "Then you're going to spend the summer with me."
You are usually opposed to a spontaneous idea like this. You need plans, you need orders yet you turn your head to the side to look at him, then say, "Okay."
"Okay," he repeats and leans in to kiss you.
And just like that, a plan is made.
-
Time is relative.
When you spend the day on your own, it feels like forever but when you spend the summer with Seungmin, a month passes by so quickly.
In conclusion, Albert Einstein was always right.
With Seungmin, you're living the dream life. You're wearing his clothes, living in his place, sleeping on his bed, riding on his bike to explore new places together, you're spending your time with him in your wake and you still miss him in your sleep. Gosh! You're getting loopy in the head.
Seungmin has work to do today, he offered to take you with him but you have to check your place, you're responsible for taking care of it while the other occupant is away on a road trip.
He drops you off outside your apartment building, taking off his helmet just so he can properly kiss you before letting you go.
"I'll pick you up later," he says.
"Okay. Be careful!" you place a long kiss on his lips for the last time, watching him ride further away from you.
The good news is the place is still intact and tidy just like the last time you see it. You clean up the place knowing that it's collecting dust, packing some clean underwear and clothes for you to take to Seungmin's place.
Not sure what time Seungmin will be done with work but seeing a stack of books abandoned for weeks, you decide to return them to the library before getting fined for it.
It feels strange not coming to the library for weeks and the smell of books hits you with a wave of nostalgia. You take your books out of your bag to the librarian lady who's just as surprised to see you when she usually gets sick of seeing you.
"Haven't seen you in a long time," she says while fixing her glasses.
You politely laugh and keep it low remembering that it's a library, "I suddenly have a different plan for the summer."
You're waiting by the desk as she thoroughly checks if there's any damage to the books when someone injects himself into the conversation.
"And the so-called plan is slacking off the whole summer?" Minho says, carrying a stack of books in one hand that makes the veins on his arms pop on his skin.
You turn around and sneer at him, "I'm trying this new thing called 'Get-A-Life' and I think you should try it too."
Minho puts the books down on top of the desk with a low thud, "I'm actually on this thing called 'Get-A-Summer-Job' and I think it works wonders on me."
You look away from him and secretly make a mocking face. The librarian lady pushes a form for you to sign and your phone beeps with a new message.
She glares at you for forgetting to put your phone in silent mode, "I'm sorry."
You hurriedly open to check a new message from Seungmin that he'll be done in two hours and you write a quick reply telling him you'll be waiting for him.
"You know I started to get concerned that you may have decided to give up," Minho says as he keeps the door open for both of you.
The stinging rays of the sun greet you as you step outside, reminding you to stay indoors or look for a shade to shelter in.
"I may be slacking off but once the summer ended, you know that I have never left my place," you tell him with eyes squinted from the bright sun.
Minho slings his backpack on one shoulder, "and that is behind me."
You sigh and shield your eyes with your hand, "It's summer break and you meant to be slacking off on summer break."
And you have two hours to spend on your own before Seungmin can pick you up, unless...
"You're supposed to have fun, you know and I can show you how," You suggest an idea with a grin.
He unlocks his bicycle from the rack and backs it out, he's probably analyzing your intention with his piercing stare, "What do you have in mind?"
You blank out for a moment from being under the sun for too long, "You and me, cold beers?"
"You mean, 'you and I'," he fixes your grammar.
You hold yourself from snapping at him and exhale air, "You know what, I'll just—"
"Okay. But you're paying," he immediately changes his mind.
There's a dive bar nearby where students usually go whenever they need to hit the snooze button on stressful university life and it's way cheaper than the other bars in the area.
You're having a sandwich aside from the cold beers while Minho settles on a tray of chips for the snacks.
"You can just tell me you need someone to accompany you having lunch," he says.
As expected, he's too smart to miss a thing. Not that you're afraid to have lunch by yourself, he happened to be there so why not?
"You can have a sandwich for lunch too," you tell him.
He shakes his head and pulls out a book from his backpack, "I had lunch."
You shrug and take another bite, "Then order as many cold beers as you want."
Minho starts reading his book, sticking his sharp nose in between pages and taking a sip of his beer once in a while.
"Where have you been though?"
You look up from your meal and wipe your mouth with a napkin, "Pardon?"
"I thought I'd be seeing your missing poster on the morning news," he says as he flips a page.
You know he's joking but his calm expression tells you otherwise, "Oh, my God! You're officially diabolical," you shriek.
He puts his book down and looks at you, "Have you ever thought I'd be most likely the one being asked about your whereabouts?"
"I've been going around the city with someone and I know that you don't care but he's an old friend of mine," You recline on your seat and cross your arms together in front of you.
"You can stop worrying about what you're going to tell the police if I went missing," you tell him with a smirk.
Minho takes the information for a moment as if it were a piece of information that needs to be thoroughly processed before going back to his default setting of being a nonchalant being.
He rests his back on his seat and picks up his book to continue reading.
After receiving a text that Seungmin is on the way to pick you up, you paid for the food and beers. The day is warm with the sun almost disappears for the day.
"Do you need to 'Get-A-Ride' too?" He pokes fun at you as he walks his bicycle.
"You must have waited hours to say that back to me," you say with a sigh.
"I can give you a ride home. Just like that morning," he smirks as he gets on his bicycle.
"No, thanks, Minho. I'm getting myself a ride home," you tell him.
He stays on his bicycle with his hands on the handlebars and looks at you, "Do you want me to wait with you?"
Minho actually knows how to be a gentleman, he just chooses to act snobby and cold around you.
"No, it's okay. He'll be here in a minute," you assure him.
He contemplates for a while before putting his foot on the paddle, "Okay, then. Thank you for the beers!"
You smile and wave your hand at him as he rides his bike in the direction of his apartment building.
A few minutes after Minho leaves, Seungmin appears with the sound of the roaring engine of his motorcycle. You're smiling as you're seeing him getting closer and closer.
He takes his helmet off and stays on his bike, watching you walk up to him.
"Hey," you say with a smile.
"I'm sorry, I have a girlfriend," he jokingly says.
You stop on your track, but seeing the sly smile on his face, you know he's playing with you, "Well then, can I get a ride?"
He gestures for you to come closer so he can whisper into your ear, "Oh, you'll get a ride for sure."
As the bike stop at a traffic light, Seungmin would either hold your hand or bring it close to his mouth to kiss it. Tonight, he chooses to rest his hand on your thigh with his gloved finger rubbing the skin.
When the lights about to turn green, he puts both of your hands around his waist. You hold him tight with your head resting on his back as he speeds up, sending the bike gliding through the city streets.
The ride gives you a new kind of high.
Seungmin knows how to get the engine hot and ready, using his hands or his mouth to get you even wetter than you already are. His touch is searing and firm, calculated to make you roar in pleasure. His mouth is hotter than the sun on a summer day, setting you ablaze every time his lips touch your skin.
He knows when to slow down and to speed up, he knows how to brake before sending you to your high early. When he knows that you're close though, he accelerates, he's going all in and freely riding on your body.
Faster and faster, knowing no limits, not stopping until both of you crash and break into smithereens, floating in immense pleasure.
The rush, the adrenaline, the ragged breath of life and death. There's nothing like it.
The ride is worth the high.
-
When Seungmin isn't working you spend the days exploring new places together.
He's been lending you one of his cameras so you can take your own pictures on the trips you take together on his bike. He taught you how to develop films in his little red room, he's patient enough to teach you every step of the process and not let you touch dangerous chemicals without him watching.
Seungmin also takes your pictures at every chance he gets, doesn't matter if you've just woken up or in the shower, sleeping, or eating a toast on the bed. Pretty sure he's running out of films just taking that kind of picture of you.
It's only fair that you take pictures of him too.
The first thing Seungmin does in the morning is make coffee and he takes his coffee seriously. He grinds the coffee beans himself, he boils the water until it hits the perfect temperature of 205 Fahrenheit before pouring it and he lets the coffee drips into a glass pot.
For you, Seungmin looks the sexiest when he's putting on a serious face. His jaws tensed, making his facial bones more defined and his mouth is slightly pouting without him realizing it. You have taken, at least, a dozen pictures of him looking like that in your camera.
As he waits for the coffee to be ready, he will come to the bed for some cuddles with you or discuss which part of the city you're going to explore today.
Today his routine slightly changes after handing you your coffee, "I'll be away the whole day for work."
"Another photo shoot?" You wildly guess.
He blows over his coffee before taking a sip, "Got invited to a photography club," he vaguely says.
Seungmin invited you when he wanted you to come with him but he didn't today so you guess he wanted to go by himself. It's time for you to get some clean underwear anyway.
"Okay," you answer with a smile.
"How are you going to spend the day?" He asks with a soft caress on your cheek.
"Well, there's not much to do without you," you say with a pout, "I think I'll just go home and get a few things."
Seungmin smiles and presses a kiss on your lips, "Don't bother packing any underwear. You're hardly wearing one around me."
You break into laughter, "Well, thanks to you."
"Are you going to wait for me?" He softly asks, twirling a strand of your hair around his slender finger.
"Always," you answer without a beat.
"I'll pick you up later?"
"Yes, please."
The photography club is doing an outdoor session and it's in the neighboring city, Seungmin leaves after taking a shower and kisses you while you're still snuggling in bed.
You leave Seungmin's apartment in the afternoon, waiting until the day is a little cooler before getting out. You take a taxi to avoid the heat and come home to find that someone is in the apartment.
Taking a cautious step, you peer inside Rina's bedroom which you always left the door closed at all times is wide open. You spot the bathroom door is open as well and decide to check it by tiptoeing until you're right next to the doorway.
Slowly, you peer inside and find Rina in the tub. You barge your way inside and shout, "Rina!"
She's just as surprised as you that she's sloshing water out of the tub, "Fuck! You scared me!"
You hurriedly put a towel for the puddles of water on the bathroom floor, "why are you here?"
"I live here," she innocently replies.
"Yeah, I know but there's still a week left on the summer break," your eyes shift to the box of macaroons on the side of the tub and you can tell right away that the answer is not going to be good.
"Joe and I broke up," she says and shoves a whole macaroon into her mouth.
You kind of saw it coming but you don't want to be in her face saying I-told-you-so. You choose to be a good friend and sit on the closed toilet, "Oh, no, what happened?"
She shakes her head and stuffs her mouth with more macaroon, "That jerk dropped me off in the middle of nowhere!"
"Oh, my God! He's the worst!" You say while disgustingly looking at the crumbs of the macaroon floating on the surface of the water.
Rina has always been the brightest and the most confident out of you two. It's saddening how miserable she looks right now when she can get any man who's twice better than Joe.
"Why don't we get drinks tonight?"
Rina gives you a puzzled look, "You once said it's a bad idea to turn to alcohol in times like this."
You meekly nod because you did say that to her but that was coming from the you who hasn't met Seungmin, "It's true but... why not, you know? As long as I'm there watching over your alcohol intake, I think we'll be okay."
Rina can't get out of the tub faster than this, she doesn't even bother putting on a towel and walking to her bedroom naked.
"What happened to you?" She asks after taking three shots of Jägerbomb as a starter.
"Nothing happened. Just met a guy, not much," you nonchalantly answer and take just a tiny sip of your first shot.
"Met a guy? That means a lot coming from you," she says, chasing after her tequila shots with a glass of coke and rum.
You would be offended if she wasn't a friend but she's always been an outspoken person, "I'll introduce you to him someday."
That reminds you to send a text to Seungmin telling him you'll be sleeping in the house tonight and most likely take care of Rina's hangover the next morning.
"For your information, this guy drives a motorcycle," Minho appears out of nowhere carrying his drink in his hand, and plops down next to you.
"Oh, Minho! I miss seeing your pretty face," Rina half-heartedly says.
"And I miss seeing you drunk," he says back.
You elbow his side and stop him from spoiling more about Seungmin, not the right time to tell Rina about him when she's heartbroken and halfway drunk.
"What's going on, Rina?" Minho coyly asks, ignoring your warning glare.
She lets out a heavy sigh and stacks her hands on the table before resting his chin on it, "Never fucking date artists," she gives him an irrelevant answer.
"They're cocky, they think they're mighty and right and know the world better," she rambles on and on.
Rina gulps her drink and not even wince at the bitter aftertaste, "Fuck them and their free-spirited shit."
Minho holds his drink with one hand even with the drops of the condensation rolling down his hand, "Once the free spirit has taken hold of a man, there's no way of getting it out of him."
Rina looks at him with unfocused eyes then raises her glass at him, "Damn right!"
It doesn't mean that all artists in general. Even though Seungmin is an artist, it doesn't mean that he'll act the same as Joe. He's kind and caring, he's intuitive. He may be spontaneous to the point of almost impulsive, but he's great. You don't know why you should feel called out with what Rina has said.
Minho kindly offers his help to walk Rina up the stairs until you get her to her bed. You take off her shoes and cover her with the duvet.
"Want a glass of water?" It's the least you can do for him after helping you carry drunk Rina.
"Yeah, please," he still catches his breath when he answers to you.
"How do you know the guy I'm seeing drives a motorcycle?" The question just sort of pops into your head.
Minho drains the glass of water before answering, "I saw you and him at the intersection the other day."
Seungmin has been giving you rides to and fro, it'll be impossible if Minho hasn't seen you on the street once. You walk him to the threshold and watch as he walks out the door.
"Thank you for the help," you mutter.
"No problem," he coyly says.
A moment passes just you and him looking at each other as he stands there with a line drawn in between.
"Goodnight, Minho," you say for the last time.
"Goodnight," he says back with his voice low.
-
Rina's words are lingering in your head after not getting a reply from Seungmin the whole night.
Maybe he forgot or his phone died. There are so many possibilities but he is your Seungmin, you knew him from kindergarten, he may have gotten rid of the glasses and the braces, but it's Seungmin.
One thing for certain is to avoid talking about Seungmin, especially his profession when Rina is still in this state, a mix of hangover and still completely heartbroken.
"I bought you soup," you murmur as you brush her hair while she's still sleeping on her bed.
Rina is slightly stirring in her sleep and snuggling to her pillow.
"Heat it before you eat it okay? It'll help with the hangover," you tell her again.
She hums in reply and clutches at her duvet even though the day is warm since it's almost noon. You quietly leave the apartment to go to Seungmin's place.
You smile the second you see him standing next to his camera collection while cleaning one of them with a small cloth.
"I miss you," you murmur as you hug him from the back.
Seungmin carefully puts down the camera, then pulls your hand, turning around on his feet to see you. He looks at you up and down, then flicks his eyes back at you.
Oh, you forgot how meticulous he can be. He probably notices that it's the same dress you were about to wear on the first date.
He cups your jaw in his hand and compliments, "You're beautiful!"
Oh, that's not what you expected him to say but it's good. Maybe it's because you've been wearing jeans a lot with him that he finds you looking different in a dress.
"Now, give me a twirl!" He orders as he takes one of the cameras.
"You want me to–" you ask for confirmation before you're embarrassing yourself as usual.
"Yes. Spin for me!" He has his camera ready and aimed at you.
You take a step backward and spin on your feet for him, sending the hem of your dress floating around you. You keep spinning as he endlessly takes pictures without stopping.
"I'm getting dizzy," you tell him while half laughing.
Seungmin is also laughing and he finally stops taking pictures, he walks up to you to wrap his arms around you. He stares into your eyes for a moment, then softly kisses you on the lips.
"I miss you too," he says against your lips.
You don't want to sound demanding but seeing Rina going through her heartbreak reminds you to be cautious about who you're giving your heart to.
"You didn't reply to my text," you tell him with your hands on his chest.
"I'm sorry," he simply apologizes.
That should be enough. He knows he's at fault and he apologizes for it, that should be enough to put your mind at ease. Or so you thought.
"I have something for you," he takes you to the bedroom and sits you down at the end of the bed.
Seungmin is rummaging inside his backpack to pull out something, it's something familiar, a pack of jelly candies. You can confirm as he opens it right in front of you and he takes one of the ring-shaped jelly.
"Do you remember this?"
You stare at it and remember this is how you and him became parents to Sisyphus, you got married at the playground with him putting on the same jelly ring on your thumb because your fingers were too small for it back then.
You nod as the memory is playing in the back of your head, "Of course."
Seungmin smiles and puts the jelly ring on your ring finger, kisses it after. You and him look at each other and somehow it feels like you're getting transported back in time to when you were both still five years old.
"I'm happy that we meet again," he intertwines his hand with yours on your lap.
"Me too," you say with a gentle squeeze on his hand.
Meeting him again feels like fate and for once, you're not going to search for any logical reasons behind it. You want to let go, you want to set yourself free.
You close your eyes and lean in until your lips meet the softness of his lips, melting them together into a kiss that breaks your heart open.
Seungmin lays you down on the bed and then he lays down next to you, his hand trailing the side of your body while his lips endlessly brushing over yours.
"It's crazy how I can't stop kissing you," he mutters with his lips glistening wet and red.
Hearing that only makes you want to kiss him more. You overlap half of his body with yours, your leg is hooked around his leg as his hand now resting on the arch of your back.
He draws his hand back to the nape of your neck to find the zipper of your dress, then he pulls it down slowly. The zipping sound echoes in the room that is now flooded with the afternoon sun.
After parting it open, he wastes no time to slip his hand and touches your skin. He reluctantly lets go of the kiss and props his elbow against the mattress as you stay lying on your stomach next to him.
With only his fingertips, he lightly touches your skin before replacing them with his lips, making a trail of kisses down your spine.
You lowly moan for every wet kiss he plants on your skin and moan as he crashes his lips on you again, kisses you so hungrily. When you think his hand will stop where the zipper ends, it keeps going until it stops on the back of your thigh, right where the hem of your dress is.
"Gosh! You're so soft..." he speaks so low it's almost like a whisper.
Seungmin puts his hand under and gently squeezes on the flesh on the back of your thigh, his finger is teasing the lacey fabric of your underwear.
Your hand makes its way to the collar of his shirt, popping the buttons open by yanking at it while trying to keep up with his kisses.
He's palming your ass cheek in his hands long enough until he can't help himself, he parts your legs open to make a space so he can touch you there.
You're moaning into his mouth as he slides his finger inside you, he pulls it out only to add another finger into you. You feel full with two digits inside you but that's because he knows what to do with them.
"Oh, Seungmin..." you sigh with your eyes fluttering shut.
You have to actively tell your brain to drag your hand down his bare chest and touch him there, doing the same favor for him.
His semi-hard cock sprung out of its confine the second you pull his underwear down, wrapping your hand around it and slowly stroking it, up and down as slow as the way he kisses you right now.
With the bright daylight, you can see that his cock is red and veiny, pulsing with so much desire in your hand. Using your thumb, you rub the tip in slow, circular motions.
"I can feel you clenching around my fingers," his lips brush yours as he speaks.
You giggle in response and that only exhilarates him more that he tugs at your lower lip and gently bites at it, "I'm so impatient to be inside you."
You hastily kiss him with tongue and all, "Want you inside me too," you whine.
Sex used to be something that makes you anxious and falls apart from the inside. However, with Seungmin, it's so easy and natural, that you're not afraid to ask for what you want, where you want to be touched, and how you want to be touched.
Most times you believe it's not the sex itself that makes the whole experience good but it's the way he treats you during and even after the sex.
Seungmin turns to your neck, littering the sensitive skin with hot and wet kisses. Each kiss is longer than the previous until he pulls away with a low gasp.
"I have to tell you that we run out of sexy," he suddenly shares.
You look at him in confusion, "Huh?"
He softly kisses your jaw and then your lips, "We're running out of condoms."
With how often you have sex, it's no surprise that the two of you blow a big budget on condoms. But you're always taking your birth control even when you're not that sexually active and you trust Seungmin to do it without the second layer of protection.
"We can do it without," you tell him.
Seungmin looks like he has just received a piece of news that's hard for him to comprehend. He only looks at you with eyes wide and filled with unexplainable glints.
"Are you on birth control?" He asks for confirmation.
"Yes."
"Is it okay with you?"
"I trust you," you earnestly tell him.
Seungmin softly smiles hearing your words before leaning in, kissing you ever so softly like he's kissing the wind.
Taking his position by hovering above you and you're still lying on your stomach under him, he lifts the hem of your dress, then pulls your underwear down.
He throws away his shirt and takes his time to tease your entrance with his cock, either he does it to prepare you or himself.
You look over his shoulder to see that Seungmin is putting on a serious face, "We can take it slow."
He leans down to capture your lips in a kiss, "I like slow."
The speed is not the issue here, a raw groan rips out of him as he pushes his hard cock inside you. Without the layer of protection, his cock becomes sensitive and he can fully feel you, how your walls wrapped so tightly around him.
He curves his hands under yours and buries his head in your neck, taking a moment to adjust himself inside you. You guide his hand to fondle your clothed breasts together with him.
"You feel good inside me," you mewl as he plants his mouth on your shoulder.
His cock feels incredibly good and hard, you can feel it throbbing as you said those words to him. It's like having sex for the first time again.
"Oh, you have no idea," he sighs with a haste kiss on your lips.
Seungmin is thrusting into you just as he promised, slow and steady. You crumple the sheet under you as you're cumming already around him, not sure if he knows as he keeps the motion of his hips going.
He pauses to change positions, turning you over to lay on your back this time, and this way, you can see how magnificent he looks under the sun.
The broad shoulders, the tousled hair, the clenched jaws, and the muscles on his body, oh, Seungmin is just perfect.
"You're perfect..." you say with a dreamy sigh.
He can see the admiration in your eyes as you stare at him with your hands turned up on the bed, he softly smiles and leans in to kiss you.
"No, you're perfect," he says back with his face only inches away from yours.
Seungmin knows how to take control as he adds speed to his thrusting, sending you close to your second orgasm. He loses control a little after you cum, holding your hands by the wrists and pinning them on each side of your head.
"Mmh, yes, yes..." you moan, getting closer and closer to your climax.
From the way he's throbbing inside you, you reckon he's close to his high as well. He's not stopping even after you're cumming for the second time, he keeps chasing and chasing...
"Oh, fuc—" his curse falls short as he collapses on top of you.
"You're cumming inside me, mmh?" Your hand is tangled deep in his soft locks.
That reminds him of what he should have done, pulling out of you as he planned but you stop him, holding him close as he's coming down from his high.
"Stay inside me," you say as you hold the side of his face and let him crumble into your arms.
The two of you spending the rest of the afternoon nestling on the bed, cuddling and talking, passing time like this with him feels even more intimate than sex.
Seungmin takes your hand and makes a trail of kisses down your inner arm, stopping when his lips meet your knuckles. He takes your finger adorned with the jelly ring and puts it into his mouth, taking the jelly ring with him and chewing on it.
"You eat our wedding ring!" You blurt out.
He pecks your lips, "I'm hungry. Let's order something!"
There's only one week left to summer break and you want to enjoy every second you get to spend with Seungmin, even though you have to lie to Rina about the guy you're staying in with, you're not going to let anything get in the way of your happiness.
After dinner, you both take a shower together. Seungmin offers to wash your hair for you, his fingers applying gentle pressure on your scalp and meticulously washing the suds off your hair before moving on to wash your body for you.
He stands behind you, one hand holding one side of your waist while the other is slowly lathering your skin with a bar of soap.
Even though you're taking a cold shower, it doesn't stop the temperature from rising inside the shower. His lips taste cold and warm when he kisses you, his hands are slippery yet firm, and the heat his body is emitting seeps into you as he holds you close against him.
The second both of your naked bodies hit the bed, it's instant coziness. You feel snug and content lying so close to him under the cover.
"I don't want summer to end," you sadly tell him.
"Me too," he seconds your remark.
Keeping your head still with his hand holding your chin, he slowly kisses you with his eyes closed, "Goodnight," he softly murmurs.
You give him a long peck on the lips in return and say it back to him, "Goodnight."
It's almost 1 a.m. The summer night is peeking through the windows with the stars winking at you and the warm breeze slipping through the cracks of the windows caresses your cheeks. You can't sleep. You are happy.
-
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Fuck you, stargirl
Victoria Pelova x Reader
summary~ You’ve played with Victoria for aslong as you remembered, she was always faster, more technical and had so much more talent. It was hard to love her but harder to hate her.
Victoria was a different player, someone you couldn’t not notice on the field. Victoria Pelova was something different, outstanding. She amazes you, every time. She was kind, funny and an absolute baller. You’d hate to admit it but she was one of the greatest and that’s why she bothers you so much. She has everything and you’d never be like her. You’re not as funny or social as her, not as technical or fast either.
From the moment you met Vic, she has been nothing but kind to you. The two of you had gotten along at Concordia, your childhood club but then you into jong oranje. Playing at national level was something.. different. It was more competitive, everyone wanted that starting spot on the team.
After your first international break you and Victoria got back to the club, playing with the boys. The brunette had a starting spot for all four games, you only got subbed on in two games and around the 60th minute.
Vic was a good friend, someone you thought deserved everything she got. She got noticed and you loved that for her. It just stung a bit. The coach liked her more, the team liked her more and the fans liked her more.
When Victoria asked you to bike home with her after training you accepted. You’ve always biked home together and she’d tell you about her day but today she just couldn’t stop talking about National Camp and how it felt to score her first goal. Yeah, she scored her first goal on her debut.
“Het was geweldig, ik heb echt nog nooit zoiets gevoeld. Stel je voor hoe het zal voelen als we straks op een EK staan.” (It’s amazing, i have never felt something like it. Imagine how it will feel when we’re at the Euros.) she yelled enthusiastically. She was looking at the future like it was written in the stars, she was so sure of it all. “Vic over een paar jaar sta je zelf in het WK, het winnende doelpunt the scoren.” (Vic in a few years you’ll be at the World Cup, scoring the winning goal yourself.) I smiled at her. She frowned at what you said, ‘you’ll be at the World Cup’? “Wij gaan over een paar jaar naar het WK waar jij een tackle maakt die ons team zal redden.” (We are going to the World Cup in a few years where you’ll make a tackle that’ll save the team) Victoria grinned. You gave her a halfhearted smile and said your bye’s, disappearing behind the corner you turned left at.
When you got scouted by ADO Den Haag a few weeks later you were surprised to say the least. Their scout approached you after a game where you got a starting spot and played well. He told you about the procedures and what they would be asking of you. Later that week you had a talk with the coach and both of your parents. It was official, you were finally making moves into the professional football world.
When you biked home from training after a hard session, you finally told the brunette. You’ve been torturing your bottom lip for about an hour now, chewing on it like it was gum. How could you even tell her this, she should be the one making a move like this.
Vic was talking your ear off like always when you cut her off. “Vic, ik ben gescout door ADO. I kon geen nee zeggen, ik weet dat we samen zouden gaan maar ik moest. Het spijt me.” (Vic, i got scouted by ADO. I couldn’t say no, i know that we would go together but i had to. I’m sorry) you word vomited. The midfielder gave you a small smile after a little pause, “Ik weet dat je geen nee kon zeggen. Goed gedaan.” (I know you couldn’t say no. Good job.).
She understood it, it’d be okay. You thanked her for understanding and said your bye’s like always. Just this time without the ‘see you next week’.
To say you hated yourself for this decision was an understatement. You hated yourself for not staying and especially for ghosting Victoria. Why did you even ghost her.
Vic texted you, telling you how the team was on top of the league and that they missed you. You gave short and dry answers and eventually she stopped texting. She didn’t tell you about how many goals she scored or how the boys on the other team were so mad about losing to a girl, something that was your favourite thing to watch together.
You’ve been playing for ADO for about 7 months now and you still weren’t a regular player. You gave your everything but that wasn’t enough apparently.
AZERION VROUWEN EREDIVISIE !
Victoria Pelova, de Concordia youngster heeft getekend voor ADO vrouwen. Ze zal over een paar weken haar oude team genoot y/n y/l/n volgen naar de groen gele club.
Victoria Pelova, the Concordia youngster has signed for ADO women. She will follow her old teammate y/n y/l/n to the green yellow club in a few weeks.
You read it again and again but it didn’t change. She was going to be in the spotlights all over again and you’ll be the second choice. When the news had sank in you realised you’d actually have to see her again.
When you arrived at the ADO training ground you didn’t expect to be met with the sight of a brunette tying her shoelaces. It was still early, you always came in earlier, trying to train extra for that spot in the starting lineup. You already had your training gear on so swapping your boots next to the field would do. Unnoticed, or so you thought, you walked towards the freshly cut grass.
The trainings went like normal, nothing really changed. Except for the glances. And while you didn’t get a starting spot, Victoria did. Victoria Pelova was ADO’s new stargirl, their key player that would lead them to a league win.
You didn’t get any playtime anymore, you needed a change, a new club. And when you didn’t get a call up for the Under 23’s you knew you had to go elsewhere. Start fresh, create a new you, a better you. Bayern München contacted you and you had to say yes.
You did good, working on yourself like you’ve never done before. The girls, staff, fans and coaches liked you. You were a stargirl for once, Bayerns stargirl. That cdm position was yours and no one could take it away from you.
sydneylohmann posted on their story
You got into the National team again but this time it was the seniors, the team you’ve always wanted to be a part of. You made your comeback, the new you. Victoria was still in the Under 23’s so you didn’t have to see her yet, you dreaded that moment.
Victoria moved to Ajax not much later after your move to Germany. She was doing good, not that you were watching her or anything. Ajax ended on top of their league and got into the Champions League. They did so good they ended going through to the groupstages and what a surprise, Bayern got grouped with them. Just what you needed.
The first game was away and Victoria absolutely destroyed you on their home field. It gave you throwbacks to when she’d effortlessly ran and turned around those boys. But that was when you played together, when her talent was on your side. The game ended in a draw and a POTM for Pelova.
You shook hands with the red and white girls. “Goed gespeeld” (Good game). There was only one girl left, she avoided you, saving you for last and you knew it. You walked away, not caring about a stupid handshake. “Wacht! Y/n wacht nou even!” (Wait! Y/n just wait!) your ex teammate yelled.
You stopped in your tracks, didn’t say anything and didn’t move. “Ik snap je niet, waarom doe je zo?” (I don’t get you, why are you acting like this?) Victoria asked you confused. How did she not know. Everywhere you went, she went and stole the fucking show. Now you’re finally doing good, on your own and she’s making a fool out of you again. “Niks, ik was je gewoon vergeten.” (Nothing, i had just forgotten you) you shrug.
That was a fucking low blow, even you knew it. You heard her walk away and sighed. The moment those words came out of your mouth you regretted it. You didn’t forget her, you couldn’t. How did you manage to make this situation even worse.
The second game against her team was even harder. The brunette girl was going in for hard tackles and was on you every moment. You couldn’t do anything about it and got subbed off in the 67th minute. Ajax scored a goal and you lost on home ground.
I wasn’t long after that you couldn’t avoid her anymore, she got selected for the World Cup roster and that meant you had to see her everyday for atleast two months. This was the absolute hell.
You dreaded the camp and when it finally came you had to drag yourself out of bed and into your car. Waiting for your arrival was the media intern photographing you. “Hi, goedemorgen” (Hi, goodmorning) you waved to the camera.
Walking into the big hall you spotted a few of the girls, hugging and greeting them. Daan came walking towards you, bringing you in for a big hug. “Hey kleine, hoe gaat het met je?” (Hey little one, how are you?) she asked. “Ik ben niet echt de kleine meer maar goed, denk ik.” (I’m not the little one anymore but good, i think) you trailed off seeing the brunette walking in. “Oh y/n, jullie waren beste vrienden. Je kunt haar niet altijd blijven ontwijken.” (Oh y/n, you were bestfriends. You can’t keep avoiding her forever) Daniëlle sighed. You shrugged and walked towards the others. You’re not in the mood to talk about it right now.
You roomed with Jill, like always. Over the past year and something you’d told her practically everything, including the Victoria things. About your friendship, how you destroyed it, the jealousy, the guilt and your big big crush on her. Well you didn’t exactly tell her that but she just knew.
After an afternoon of looking at Victoria from across the room like a creep you flopped on your bed and opened instagram. You went through your highlights, in search for that one story. The one with you and the talented midfielder, the one you swore you ‘hated so much’.
11 October 2017
“Kijk je weer naar jullie foto’s samen?” (Are you looking at photos of the two of you together again?) Jill asked unimpressed. You groaned and sunk into your pillow. “Aaghh, ik heb het zo verpest!” (Aaghh, i messed up big time!) you screamed into your pillow.
Jill laughed at your misery, “Het is niet te laat, je bent gewoon een sukkel. Maak het goed, Vic zat de hele avond naar je te staren.” (It’s not too late, you’re just acting stupid. Make it right, Vic has been staring at you all evening) Jill said sitting down next to you. But honestly, could you make it right again?
You didn’t do much to make it up to her. You tried to act normal but your new normal was ignoring her. The hate you thought you had for her was so much more than that. It wasn’t really hate, it was so much more complicated. You hated that she was better but you also loved it. You hated that she was social, sweet, funny and silly but you loved it even more.
Both you and Victoria didn’t make any minutes at the tournament and you were gutted. It had been your dream, both of your dreams. And the loss to the USA was even harder. You were almost there, almost the World Champions.
Nothing really changed after the Euros, you still didn’t have any contact with the Ajax player. You were still playing for Bayern but it began to bore you. There wasn’t any change and the Bundesliga was too comfortable for you.
So you moved again, in January 2023 you signed for the Gunners. Your dreamclub, the club both you and Victoria had dreamed of playing at together. You made your dream transfer, and she did too.
ARSENAL NEWS !
After signing y/n y/l/n, Arsenal has now also signed the other Dutch woman, Victoria Pelova. The two play together for The Netherlands with our striker, Vivianne Miedema and used to play together at ADO. We’re delighted to Welcome Pelova into our squad.
You’d already met a few of the girls and Viv you knew already so when you walked onto the training ground you weren’t so nervous anymore. But it really bothered you that Vic had yet again taken a bigger part in your life. At this point you were almost living with eachother. Training went by rather quickly and you got home as soon as possible.
The team won every game the first month and you played in three of them. Victoria had already made her way into the hearts of the fans while you were.. overshadowed by her. But it was okay, she deserved it. You didn’t like the spotlights on your personal life anyway.
It was when you made a bad timed tackle in the quarterfinals of the Champions League and got send off with a second yellow that Vic decided to talk to you. You stormed off the field, not agreeing with the ref in the slightest, it wasn’t a good tackle but you didn’t really touch her, she wasn’t hurt.
You stomped into the tunnel. ‘Fuck fuck fuck is this gonna cost the team’ was the only thing on your mind. What if they didn’t make it through because of you. You’d never be seen the same again, you’ll lose your spot.
With your head in your hands you were overthinking every single aspect of your life. And then, someone opened the door. “Wat is je probleem y/n!” (What’s your problem y/n!) Victoria yelled. You sighed, refusing to look up at her. “Kijk naar me als ik tegen je praat! Jezus, wat is er!” (Look at me when i’m talking to you! Jesus, what is your problem!) she stood infront of you, expecting an answer.
“Niks, laat me met rust.” (Nothing, leave me alone) you said, just like the last time you really had a conversation. “Er is niet ‘niks’, waarom haat je me zo erg? Wat heb ik gedaan, ik dacht dat we dit samen wilden, samen in de Champions League finale voor Arsenal.” (There is not ‘nothing’, why do you hate me so much? What did i do, i thought that we wanted this together, the two of us in the Champions League final for Arsenal) Vic sighed defeated.
“Oh fuck you stargirl! Je doet alsof je niet weet waarom ik zo doe maar je weet hoe je altijd alles krijgt. Je bent beter in alles, ik kan niks voor mezelf hebben. Je bent overal, Arsenal, Nederland, mijn hoofd!” (Oh fuck you stargirl! You’re acting like you don’t know why i’m acting like this but you know that you always get everything. You’re better in everything, i can’t have anything for myself. You’re everywhere, Arsenal, The Netherlands, my head!) you said extremely frustrated. “Ik dacht eerst dat als ik je zou ghosten je weg zou gaan, uit mijn hoofd. Maar je gaat niet weg, het wordt alleen maar erger… Ik vind je heel erg leuk en dat maakt alles erger, ik heb je altijd leuk gevonden.” (At first i thought that if i ghosted you you’d go away, out of my head. But you won’t go away, it only got worse… i really like you and that makes everything worse, i have always liked you) the last few words left your mouth like a whisper, only meant for your own ears but hers heard them too.
“Oh” was the only word that left her mouth. You had prepared yourself for this moment for months, every scenario had played through your head. Except this one.
“Ja, ‘oh’. Vergeet maar dat ik dit ooit heb gezegd, het maakt niet uit.” (Yes, ‘oh’. Just forget that i ever said this, it doesn’t matter) you said standing up, ready to leave the stadium.
“Wacht! Wacht y/n!” (Wait! Wait y/n!) she called you back. She stopped you by taking your hand in hers. “Ik had het gewoon niet verwacht. Toen je niet meer reageerde op mijn appjes en daarna, die dingen zei-“ (I just didn’t expect it. When you didn’t respond to my texts and after, you said those things-) you winced at the thought of the words you had said to her the last time you spoke. “- toen dacht ik al helemaal niet meer dat je me mocht, laat staan dat je me leuk vond. Maar y/n je weet toch al dat ik jou de beste voetballer vind, dat ik overal kom voor jou en dat jij degene bent die ik leuk vind, al jaren.” (-i thought you didn’t like me at all, let alone that you liked me. But y/n you know that i think you’re the best footballer, that i go everywhere you go and that you’re the one that i like, for years now) your teammate whispered looking down at both of your dirty boots.
Smiling at her words you spoke again, “Hmm, zeg dat nog eens” (Hmm, say that again). Victoria laughed, looking you in your eyes. “We hebben het wel gedaan hè, nu alleen het WK nog.” (We really did it huh, only the World Championship now) you gave her a smile. She leaned in and placed a kiss on your lips. One that was just as sweet as Victoria herself.
y/n_y/l/n
liked by liekemartens and 117.829 others
🍝💌
comments
katie_mccabe11 the girrllssss
jillroord so my method worked huh
↳ y/n_y/l/n shut up
daniellevddonk kleine kinderen
↳ y/n_y/l/n jij bent 1.20cm, dat is echt klein
victoriapelova stargirl 💫❤️
viviannemiedema sukkeltjes
oranjeleeuwinfann wait who’s that??
A/N don’t know what to think of this fic but it’ll have to do.
#woso x reader#woso fanfics#woso community#victoria pelova#arsenal wfc#engwnt#nedwnt#jill roord#danielle van de donk#vivianne miedema#oranjeleeuwinnen#victoria pelova x reader
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Distracted
Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x reader
Word count: ~1.8k
Summary: Wanda and Y/n spend the night in a club
A/N: This came to mind while I was riding my peloton bike, idk why
Warnings: fluff, angst
Wanda tried to feign interest in the rather one-sided conversation she was having while she sipped on her drink and kept an eye on you.
Tonight she was working which wasn’t abnormal, but it also happened to be one of the few times where you had accompanied her. She’d decided that it was acceptable for two reasons. One, she wasn’t expecting this meeting to be particularly dangerous, and two Bucky and Steve were both here as well.
They blended in well with the patrons at the night club that Wanda used as her meeting place. It was busy enough that not many, if any people took notice of her in the VIP area, and it wasn’t like it mattered much anyway. Wanda only really cared about keeping an eye on you.
You had invited some friends out tonight, and you and your group of friends were enjoying the queer-artist inspired set. Although all of your friends were taken, Wanda had to remind herself multiple times not to get jealous when she caught one of them dancing closer to you than she deemed strictly necessary.
“Do you agree, Ms. Maximoff?”
The only sign that Wanda was caught off guard by the question was the subtle tightening of her fingers around her glass. She kept her expression neutral as she turned back to the woman across from her and nodded despite not having any idea what she was talking about. Last she remembered; they were reviewing notes for the meeting that should be starting any minute now.
She knew that she had to be more attentive for what came next. The woman she was talking to was visiting from the East Coast to discuss a supposedly mutually beneficial arrangement. Apparently, the sudden surge of competition Wanda found herself facing was due to a runaway wannabe drug lord. She knew she could probably handle it on her own, but when the leader of the most influential group of criminals in New York asked for an audience, she knew she shouldn’t say no.
That said, she wasn’t sure what Bianca Sullivan had to offer her, and if she’s even be able to match it. She realizes she should have paid more attention to her talking points than how you continued to dance with your friends, but it couldn’t be helped. She was only human after all, and you looked way too good in those shorts.
The first sign that Bianca had arrived was the appearance of two of her guards setting up shop in the VIP area. When Wanda glanced toward the back entrance, she noted unfamiliar faces introducing themselves to her guards and then there she was.
The brunette was exactly what she expected. She had a severe expression and gave off the impression that she didn’t take shit from anyone. Wanda could respect this and she found herself smiling slightly as she stood up to greet the woman she’d only spoken with once. She watched out of the corner of her eye as her assistant left to get a waiter’s attention.
“Ms. Sullivan, welcome. I appreciate your willingness to meet here.”
Wanda didn’t bother to say that she wouldn’t have met her anywhere else. This was her territory, and it was only polite for the brunette to meet her here since she had something she wanted after all. Luckily, she sensed that the woman who offered her a brief yet firm handshake had a formidable business sense. She merely nodded before she settled into the plush seat across from Wanda with an enviable amount of grace.
“I appreciate you meeting with me at all, Ms. Maximoff. I know it’s a little unconventional.”
Although it was unnecessary, Wanda offered a small nod before she glanced to the waiter who brought Wanda a new drink and asked Bianca for her order. She isn’t surprised in the least by the other woman’s order, but she keeps her opinion to herself.
“I have to admit I’m intrigued. The group I’ve been dealing with has only grown since they first declared themselves a couple of weeks ago.”
Wanda watches as the brunette scowls at the thought, but she doesn’t get a chance to ask for the reason. She’s surprised by how upfront the other mob boss is. She discloses that someone she believed to be her ally, betrayed her, attempted to murder her, but when she’d failed, she fled here. It seemed like a random choice, but Wanda’s realized that very little that happened in her line of work was random.
It seems that she was right.
“I’m surprised that she made it this far, but unfortunately, for you, she’s causing trouble. I think I know how to handle her.”
Wanda finishes up her drink listening to the woman’s proposition. It seems simple despite the inherent complications of having Bianca’s people operating in her territory for a minimum of three weeks while they work on cleansing her city. She understands why Bianca doesn’t ask her to do it. Simply watching her talk about her former friend is telling enough. She feels responsible for her, and she wants to be the one to take her down.
“If you’re open to it, I’ll stay for as long as it takes to get rid of her.”
A familiar song reaches Wanda’s ears and she has to force herself to ignore it as she considers the cons of such an arrangement. She knows that the other woman isn’t here to stay and steal her business, but her presence is going to cause confusion and maybe even panic. She’ll have to spread the word that they have a new ally.
After almost a minute of deliberation, Wanda nods and sits up in her chair so she can set her glass down on the table between them.
“I don’t see why not. We’ll work out the arrangements and make sure my people don’t get in the way of yours.”
Bianca finally cracks a smile and Wanda is in the process of returning it when her gaze moves to over the brunette’s shoulder.
Baby don’t you like this beat? I made it so you’d sleep with me.
The way you dance to these words gives Wanda pause and she knows that the woman across from her notices. Still, she recovers quickly and tries to scrub the way your hips move against your friend’s from her brain. At least for now.
“Have you made hotel arrangements yet? I can offer a few suggestions if not.”
Bianca politely declines her offer with another genuine smile that Wanda feels is reserved for very few.
“Thank you, Ms. Maximoff, but my fiancée has already taken care of it.”
Wanda nods and the pair continue to talk logistics until Wanda’s distracted again a few minutes later. She plans on wrapping things up quickly so she can join you. Or maybe drag you from the dancefloor and into the nearest dark corner.
After arrangements are made to meet again tomorrow and talk strategy, Wanda decides to cut this meeting short. She sees Bianca’s gaze drift over her shoulder once again toward where her guards are, and she wonders who just arrived.
“Well, I won’t keep you any longer. I look forward to speaking with you again, Ms. Sullivan.”
Bianca nods and they both stand at the same time, their minds already on something else entirely.
“You as well, and thank you for your hospitality, Ms. Maximoff.”
Wanda barely notices her leaving the way she came as she makes eye contact with you. You’re smiling at her, and as soon as you realize you have her attention you take advantage of it. Wanda watches your mouth move, and you raise an arm and motion her toward you.
Baby, why don’t you come over?
Wanda doesn’t hear you say the words, but they still have their desired effect. She abandons the VIP area for the bustling dancefloor nearly running into half a dozen people on her way to you. She notices none of them and they seem to scatter the closer she gets to you. You’re still smiling and dancing as she reaches out for you, and she barely notices how your friends have discreetly turned away and formed a barrier between you and everyone else.
“It’s about time, Wands. I’ve been trying to use my feminine wiles to summon you for ages.”
Wanda rolls her eyes at your exaggerated tone before she pulls you closer by the hips with a huff. She takes a moment to admire the way you move as the beat of the song picks up. She tightens her hold on you when she remembers that you’ve been dancing like this without her for almost an hour.
She leans in so she doesn’t have to shout, and she smiles as you wrap your arms around her neck.
“I’m lucky that I’m the only one you summoned dancing like that.”
She hears you laugh and she pulls away to see you smiling mischievously before shrugging seemingly unconcerned.
“What can I say? Your meeting was taking too long.”
Wanda rolls her eyes again before she leans in to kiss you like she’s been wanting to all night. She pulls you flush against her and allows herself to pretend that it’s just the two of you. Even if it’s only for a few minutes.
Bianca smiles as she embraces her fiancée with a tired groan. It’s past 2am their time, and she’s exhausted, but at least she’s accomplished something. She’s glad that Wanda is amenable to their alliance because now she’s one step closer to ending things once and for all.
Maria puts an arm around her shoulders and shoots her a knowing look. She’s suddenly so relieved that her fiancée was willing to make this trip with her. Forget the fact she may not be in New York again for weeks. She always felt more settled when the redhead was around.
“Is it time to call it a night?”
Bianca considers having another drink with her fiancée, but it’s loud and she’s practically dead on her feet. So instead of cozying up here, she decides that the hotel that Maria booked will be more than sufficient.
“I think so. It’s been a long day.”
Maria smiles as she guides the taller woman down a dimly lit hallway toward the back of the club where they’d parked. She ignores the normal shadows that follow them everywhere and considers how she can help her future wife decompress.
“Agreed. I think a hot bath and a massage would be a perfect way to end this day, hmm?”
Bianca smiles brightly as she follows Maria out into the parking lot. She pauses just long enough to plant a kiss on her lips, much to the chagrin of her bodyguards, before nodding in agreement.
“I couldn’t agree more.”
Masterlist
#wanda maximoff x reader#wanda maximoff#wanda maximoff x female reader#wanda maximoff fanfiction#wanda x reader#silver springs#silver springs drabble#mob au
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Carpenter Sisters Headcanons
Sam Carpenter & Tara Carpenter
Notes: Just some headcanons of my favorite sisters (aka my beloveds). Wanted to give you something since I've been pretty inactive this month partly due to the Christmas special I'm planning (which is coming soon) I also just love Sam & Tara sm, they will forever live on no matter what
Sam Carpenter
We should all already know this but, Sam is all the above when it comes to Tara. Big sister? Check. Dad? Check. Mom? Check, check, check
Makes Tara carry around a bunch of self-defense weapons like a taser, pepper spray etc
Texts like an old man. She doesn't know a whole bunch of "text lingo" so Tara uses that to her advantage. She'd text you "Kys" thinking it meant "keep yourself safe" because that's what Tara told her. She definitely uses these emojis: 😂 🙂
Is completely lost when it comes to "slang terms" and abbreviations. Tara: "You ate that Sam." Sam: "Ate what? I'm not even eating." Tara's laughed/made fun of her for it while Sam remains confused
Hates being called Samantha. It reminds her of how her mother would scold and ridicule her. When Tara started calling her Sammy, she couldn't be any happier with the given nickname
Never got Tara's love for Horror growing up, but tried to understand for her. In her opinion, it's illogical how most of the characters act, but Tara likes it so she doesn't mind giving it another try
Definitely introverted. She's more outgoing with people she's comfortable with; Tara, Mindy, Chad. Growing up, she never socialized a lot
Will always set everybody else's plate before her own
The Core Four have game nights and it can get... intense. Let's just say on multiple occasions (whether that was Tara buying her out during monopoly or Chad and Mindy giving her yet another +4 in Uno) she has been extremely close to flipping the table
Could laugh to the point where she's gasping for air, I can imagine her and the Core Four just wheezing over the dumbest things
Definitely had "the world doesn't understand me so I cope by blasting music very loudly in my room, not gaf who I piss off" phase. One of the songs she would blast was Creep by Radiohead (canon event. I can't interfere.)
Tara Carpenter
Could sleep anywhere, and always sleeping any chance she gets. I'd say she's a night person, and hates being woken up so early in the morning. And I can imagine she's a sleep talker too
Growing up she had a favorite stuffed animal she carried around everywhere with her and refused to sleep without it
She was a thumbsucker growing up, which she was teased for
Never learned how to ride a bike
She's always hated needles. Whenever she was forced to get a shot when she was younger, she refused to take it without Sam being in the room with her. Sam would let Tara squeeze her hand as tightly as she needed to
Cannot drive for shit. I just know this woman is a bad driver, Sam and the others just hold on to dear life and cross their fingers when Tara gets into the driver's seat
Her car is a complete mess, like you'll just find the randomist stuff in there. There's probably no limit to what you could find if you just try hard enough
She wakes up in the weirdest positions and thinks, "How tf did this even happen-"
Bullies kids on roblox (I don't make the rules)
If someone messes with Sam, they better count their days
She can get soo competitive. If she's winning, you'll know. Can get cocky when celebrating, chanting and everything
Her, Chad, and Mindy would put together one of those "performances" when they were little in order to convince Sam to let them stay up late or have a sleep over. Sam said yes every time
Tara's a shark defender. She believes they're extremely misunderstood creatures
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A/N: I need a Sam & Tara for Christmas
#tara carpenter#sam carpenter#tara carpenter x reader#tara carpenter x y/n#sam carpenter x reader#sam carpenter x you#tara carpenter x you#jenna ortega#sam carpenter x y/n#melissa barrera#tara carpenter headcanons#sam carpenter headcanons#scream headcanons
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Honestly, how shinichiro managed to worm his way into my heart still surprises me...
He deserves love too! Nobody is "normal" by any standard so how does such a cute weirdo like him get rejected 20 times?! Whatever if none of the girls who rejected him want him, I guess that means no competition for being his one and only 😏 This one is for my shinichiro lovers!!! He may be a loser but he can get a w while being a lovable dork. If takemichi can get bitches, then it shouldn't be out of the question that the same can apply for Shin!
Premise- You're walking in the usual crowded halls and there you bump into the boy who every girl gossips about at school. He's weird, he doesn't know how to talk to women, he's been rejected 20 times... Wait what? How does that happen?!
The only real thing I should note for this little fic is that you and Wakasa are familiar with one another. The relationship can be familial or platonic. Might give some background in a follow up part if anyone is interested in exploring that aspect in detail. Reader,as usual,is gender neutral for inclusion of all who read.
Lose to win
Shinichiro Sano x Reader
How many dates would you go on with this guy? Honest answer for the shinichiro simps out there, I know you're out there!
Personally, I'd go on however many dates he wants. If none of those girls want him, I'll take him myself 🙄 their loss
Honestly school is shit. Especially when you're the subject of gossip and your friends have better luck with pulling than you. That was the case for Shinichiro Sano. Poor guy had been rejected 20 times, he was about ready to give up and just fully dedicate himself to the gang life with his love for bikes. Walking down the hall with him were his friends Wakasa Imaushi, Takeomi Akashi, and Keizo Arashi (Benkei).
"Honestly Shin, I'm starting to worry about ya bud. You are just woman repellant, I feel so sorry for you."
"Maybe his charisma just doesn't work on girls? You really need to stop letting your intrusive thoughts win, man... Girls avoid you like the plague and I don't need you scarin' off the bad bitch I snagged this week..."
"You'll find someone eventually. Girls are picky. If it doesn't work out, who knows? Maybe datin' ain't it for you. If not, you got us! We can go out and kick some ass! Cheer up man!"
Shinichiro gave a small smile to Benkei 's attempt to lighten the mood. He gave a frown to Waka and Takeomi, feeling the white-haired boy give him a light punch to his arm with a chuckle. Some friends they are, he joked until he felt an impact with his chest that prompted him to stop with his friends pausing as well. You had bumped into him on your way to class and bowed your head, embarrassed for getting in his way.
"Sorry... I wasn't watching where I was going. I didn't mean to bump into you! I'll get out of your way... Sorry for the inconvenience. I'll-"
"No no you're fine! This hallway is pretty crowded so it was inevitable for this to happen."
Shinichiro laughed, rubbing the back of his neck while his friends looked down at you. You were going to move aside and continue your trip to your classroom when Wakasa spoke to you.
"Yo y/n, before we let you go off to class, I got a question for ya. You got a type?"
The question was completely out of left field so it flustered you a bit. What kind of question was that? Wakasa is prone to asking odd questions, sometimes to perform his own personal social experiments among other students or simply for his own personal reasons. Maybe to try and see what kind of person they are? You'll never know, Waka has always been aloof and a bit mysterious in your time of knowing him. You shrug and figure maybe this was a test of his, so you'll bite.
"In partners? I guess it doesn't really matter as long as they're not an absolute dickhead or douchebag just looking for some ass. I can't stand people like that..."
You trailed off as you had glanced up at Shinichiro who looked like he wanted to be swallowed up by the floor beneath him. You slowly put the pieces together as you remembered overhearing girls giggling and laughing or gagging in over exaggerated disgust about some boy named Shinichiro who had supposedly asked them out, but they either blew him off or he somehow screwed up his chance by saying something weird that creeped them out/ turned them off from pursuing anything with semblance to a date. You then glanced over to Wakasa as you were now curious to see where he was going with the question now answered.
"You've probably heard around the hallways, but this guy has had an unlucky streak with the ladies. Unlike everyone else, you're one of the nice ones here on campus. You can probably see where I'm going with this."
You nodded, looking back at the embarrassed delinquent busying his gaze with the floor to avoid looking at his friend who was smirking slightly at the response. A gentle tilt of the chin upwards was almost enough to put the boy into cardiac arrest as he instinctively swallowed against your hold. His charcoal eyes meet your (e/c) ones in hesitation,you can see the anxiety building behind them. He watched your lips as you spoke your next words, his ears at attention.
"Shinichiro Sano. 20 rejections? What did you do to scare them off?"
"Too honest and open."
"Speaks before he thinks."
"Being himself is apparently the worst advice to give him..."
You weren't expecting the three boys to list every fuck up the guy made for every girl he potentially had interest in. You almost felt bad for his string of bad luck, but you figured Waka chose you for the most obvious reason.
You didn't have the best track record with dating either. Although you don't like to admit it, you can sympathize with the guy. Girls, as a joke or genuinely, have warned/told you not to get involved with Shinichiro. Social suicide they said, you'll never be able to eat with the little friends or acquaintances you have due to associating with the weirdo, he's not worth it, and so many other disheartening things they spewed from their mouths.
Who were they to tell you not to give the guy a chance? Half of the girls spouting that crap are either dating his friends, fucking with them, or haven't gone out with the guy and are simply regurgitating what everyone else is saying so they don't get the side-eyed by the ones who started spreading the information around. Some say he's bad in bed, others say he's not loyal, one girl said she couldn't stand the smell of smoke from his cigarettes, another said he's impulsive, and so on. They all had something to say about him, never positive things. You would decide, not them. You had a mind of your own and you could tell a person's intentions based on their behavior.
So what if he's bad in bed? Sex ain't everything in a relationship after all.
Most of the girls couldn't say anything about being unfaithful to their lovers when the hypocrisy in their words couldn't have been any louder.
You honestly couldn't say anything about the cigarette smell, but he should quit while his lungs are still healthy and taking in oxygen as they should. The smell is an easy fix, just spritz cologne lightly and it should overpower the nicotine. Some girls don't mind the smell or taste.
As for the impulsive part, that comes with being a teenager. Hormones play a part as well as other factors. You were a bit impulsive yourself so maybe every now and then you say something wild or out of turn that would have the class eyeing you like hawks and wishing you could vanish right then and there in the moment. Perfectly natural for both men, women, and those in between. Nothing new, nothing bad.
Half of the things they listed weren't heinous or anything worth slandering his name for. If not to put these stupid rumors to rest, then just to satisfy your buzzing questions and learn more about the boy who supposedly repels girls away instead of attracting. You don't know what the fuss is about, he's a good looking guy and from the times you've passed by him and his friends, he's a pretty chill and easygoing person. He's never caused trouble, his grades are decent, has no problem with making friends, and you wouldn't assume he's the type of guy who goes around beating up other students to assert his dominance and show off his strength. Shinichiro Sano seems like your average guy who might,one day, work as a mechanic.
"You're L/n-san, right? Y/N? Y-you don't have to if you don't want to... I wouldn't want to waste your time or bring down your reputation by asking you out. I'd only cause problems for you and the guilt would eat at me..."
"What are you talking about? What reputation? I'm not losing anything from going out with you. If anything, I think I wanna be the first girl to ask you out for a date~ If that's alright with you."
You stopped his train of thought right then and there, a smile he swore took the breath from his lungs and made his heart thump hard enough to nearly trigger a panic in him. You asking him ,out of all the guys at school, on a date? He swears up and down his face has never been so hot and red like a cherry tomato before. The smugness of his best friends couldn't have been so loud and visible to the raven-haired delinquent.
It's a big deal because, while you aren't picky about who you date and go out with, you still have standards and on top of that, major trust issues as a result of relationships that have crashed and burned for many reasons you don't want to think about or remember right now.
"Is it cool if I join you guys for lunch period? For once, I don't wanna eat by myself like I usually do. Maybe I can also get to know the gossip topic himself better so I have a better read of him. I have a fairly good idea of who he is,but I wanna hear it from his mouth for myself."
"Y-yeah! It's perfectly fine for you to hang with us! T-the more the merrier right?"
He can't get any cuter or be more of a dork, you thought to yourself with a soft smile. The boys walked you to class and you breezed through most of the lectures with ease. Before you can even squeeze in a little nap, it's lunchtime and unlucky for you, you completely forgot to make yourself lunch this morning before you took off towards the school grounds. You sighed in disappointment,trudging to the roof as you also didn't have enough money for even a little snack to suffice. All you brought with you on the way up was your sketchbook for doodling while you ate, but maybe today was looking up for you.
"Hey. You made it...Did you forget to make yourself lunch before you went to bed again last night?"
The look on your face gave Wakasa his answer, he chuckled as Shinichiro had been telling Benkei that he was saving the extra bento he made to hopefully give to someone (preferably someone who was a good cook) as a taste tester for his cooking. Ever since his little brother and sister started teasing him about being a bad cook, he had become determined to improve his culinary skills in the kitchen to get his rotten little siblings off his back and prove he was a good cook. The lunch he made tasted fine to him, however a second opinion was needed due to his taste being an "unreliable source" to his siblings and grandfather. No more takeout, he would learn to cook for them. Plus, it makes good practice.
"Alright, what idea kept you up this time? I'm assumin' ya jotted it down in your handy sketchbook so let me have a look and see."
While Benkei was distracted by whatever you had stayed up late to work on instead of getting your precious sleep, Takeomi saw the extra lunch Shinichiro made as a perfect opening for the two of you. He nudged their leader and nodded his head over to you to signal him into seizing the golden opportunity to learn more about you. The messy haired bundle of nerves that was Shinichiro gave a subtle nod to his friend's encouragement, sighing deeply as Wakasa sat on one side of you and Benkei sat by Takeomi. You and Shinichiro were sat in the middle as the five of you sat against the fence walls along the school rooftop, Waka seeming to get the same idea that Takeomi had when he remembered the extra bento his friend was holding onto.
"Uh hey Y/n? So I've gotten into cooking recently on account of wanting to get better at it for my lil siblings and grandpa. S-since you forgot to make lunch for today, I figured maybe you could try the extra one I made and have that if you like it. If it's cool with you, I wanna see what you were working on last night too in exchange. If you're not cool with that, I'll still give you the lunch either way!"
You nodded, a bit nervous about showing him the doodles and pieces you scribbled away in the confines of your sketchbook, but you figured it wouldn't hurt for him to see. You didn't think you were the best artist and admittedly didn't think you were good at cooking to really be a good judge of taste testing. Wakasa would shut down any and all belittling of your skills, be your number one cheerleader, and encourage you to pursue your hobby. If you didn't think you were the best cook, shut up. How dare you call his friend a bad cook? He should have you cook something for him and he'll judge it for himself.
Shinichiro traded you the lunch for your sketchbook under the single condition that he didn't laugh and make fun of what you worked on until 2 in the morning before finally falling asleep upon satisfaction of your finished product. Let it be known that you rarely show anyone your work on account of being laughed at and/or bullied for the subject matter of your pieces. You were an anime fan, you liked to watch anime at night and often imagined scenarios between you and your favorite characters from the media, if inspiration struck (more often than not as you're getting ready to go to bed) you would draw said idea in your sketchbook, erasing and redrawing line after line until it looked exactly like your daydream or was close enough to it.
Watching with held breath as the charcoal eyes of Shin glided across the page where your latest piece from the night before sat. He admired each line you drew, the expressions, poses, no space on the filled canvas was left untouched by the observant eyesight of the gang leader. You were so worried about what he thought about your artwork that you hadn't touched the lunch he gave to you. What did he think of the doodles you made? Was he gonna laugh at you too? So many questions flow into your mind, filling your stomach with dread and slowly regretting handing over your sketches.
"I recognize this character! I've seen the anime before, but I can't remember the name. God... What's it called? Oh! A/n (Anime/name)! It was really good!"
"You've seen that anime? Y-you watch anime? I didn't think you were the type to be into that."
"Well, I remember reading the manga for it and thinking 'what's the anime like?' so I watched it and I got invested! This art is really cool! I like the way you drew them, is this your character in the anime? They look really nice."
You smiled, nodding as Shinichiro didn't need you to tell him what was what. He did notice you hadn't touched the lunch he made yet, he looked through the other pages before he was satisfied with taking in your work and committing it to his memory.
Eventually, you opened the bento and found delicious food inside,wafting to your nostrils and making you salivate from the aroma. Shinichiro watched you drool over what he cooked this morning,pride blooming in his chest at the sense of accomplishment but he needed to know if you would eat it. He needed you to take a bite and give him your thoughts on how it came out. Now you were the one being observed closely with bated breath by Shinichiro as you thanked him for the food, bringing a portion up to your lips taking a bite of what you grabbed. The flavor made you tear up with a smile, chewing thoughtfully to savor the taste in your mouth.
You won't forget the looks on their faces as Wakasa cackled from the range of emotion in his friends in response to what you said about Shinichiro and his food. Shinichiro was redder than a strawberry and trying to cover his face, Benkei nearly spit out his food from how wild your response to the food was, and Takeomi was just as flabbergasted if not in utter disbelief at what came out of your mouth. Once Wakasa could breathe somewhat and finally wipe the laugh tears from his lavender eyes, all the snow haired boy had to say was:
"I told you you weren't the only one who blurts out weird shit on impulse! I tooold you!!!"
You hadn't even realized what you said until you saw Shin turn into a tomato with his coal eyes wide open in shock and other things in the mix. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't flattered by the comment on his cooking. It meant he was improving and his practice was starting to pay off. Did you really love what he cooked that much? If so, he'd make a personal note to try and cook more for you in the future. Maybe he could even taste your cooking one day if the date was still gonna happen and it went well. The date was still on and you'd make sure it was fun for the both of you. This date would be the best one that you and Shinichiro had ever been on.
"Ready to go?"
You gave Shinichiro a nod, looking forward to how this date would pan out. Even if the date didn't go well, you would give him the opportunity to take you on another one to make up for it. The two of you had fun riding around together, watching the world pass by as you were behind him on the bike. He'd check on you every few minutes to make sure you were okay, slow down if he felt you were nervous about the speed he was going, he was very accommodating and that alone made the afternoon all the more enjoyable for you.
Shinichiro took you to the movie theater, you had tickets but wouldn't tell him what movie you were seeing. You wanted it to be a surprise,and you had good seats in the back with a perfect view of the screen as long as no one blocked it in the middle row. You two had all kinds of snacks and the best part about this theater was the security doing their job to ensure the watchers had a good time which meant they made sure everyone turned off their phones or put them on silent. If they didn't, well they would "mysteriously lose signal" on their phones and would be forced to go outside to get better reception. If they brought noisy kids, quiet them down or leave. If you stepped out of the viewing room for any other reason besides going to the bathroom or getting more snacks for the movie, you weren't allowed back inside to avoid disrupting the movie for everyone else.
If the adults who were disregarding the viewing room rules of turning off their phones brought kids, the children would have to leave with the parents or whomever the adult in attendance was. They were serious about their jobs and they too respect the rules of the viewing rooms. You had gotten mildly annoyed because as the movie was getting good, that's when the wailing of upset babies, ringing phones, and loud talking began.
Unbeknownst to either of you, Wakasa happened to be in the watch room with the two of you, acting as the discreet wing man once he spotted you both on the way in. Waka did his part and helped jam the signals of any moviegoers who were on the phone when they shouldn't have been. Many complaints followed by irritated teens and adults alike exited the theater to get better reception to their dropped calls or messages they couldn't send, falling into the trap of being kicked out via signal jammers. If they came with kids, the kids would be escorted to their families to avoid the risk of leaving them unsupervised. It's not like they would be allowed to come back inside once they were out anyway.
With the amount of noise now back at acceptable levels, you could hear the movie and enjoy your large shared bucket of popcorn that you got for the two of you to share. Although you both weren't focused on the movie, moreso on one another as you both softly conversed in the back row while munching on your snacks and sipping your respective drinks. Really, you two were using the time to get better acquainted with one another by learning about your common interests and what lives you two lived. By the time you two noticed the movie was nearly over, you felt kinda bad for not watching it because you didn't know what the movie was about.
You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding when Shinichiro admitted he wasn't really focused either. He'd already seen the movie several times so it didn't really matter, but he still had a great time with you and that's all that really mattered at the end of the day. The movie could have been absolute garbage and he'd much rather talk with you than watch it because he really liked you. You'll admit that,on some level, part of you is happy that other girls aren't attracted to Shinichiro and think they're out of his league. Because you aren't too sure you'd have been able to compete otherwise if there had been anyone else that was interested. If it were up to you, you'd keep this handsome,dorky sweetheart of a boy all to yourself and Shinichiro wouldn't mind it. If this is what being loved feels like, then he's all yours and how can he refuse someone as sweet as you if you ever suggested being his one and only lover? He can't and he won't.
I hope I did Shinichiro justice 👉👈 Same with Wakasa and the other boys too, they haven't been animated yet but with how they act in the manga, I assume they're a couple of bros that fuck around and tease their leader about his failing love life. They might shit on him for it but hey, they aren't your friends if they don't at least try to help set you up with someone they think you have a shot with or try to cheer you up if you've been rejected back to back. Bros roast each other but they've got each other's backs when they need it.
#tokyo revengers#shinichiro sano#shinichiro x reader#shinichiro sano x reader#shinichiro sano Tokyo revengers#tokyo rev#tokyo rev x reader#wakasa imaushi#Benkei#takeomi akashi#arashi keizou#tok rev
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Do you think the ranch visit 2014 ended with like slightly annoyed sex because Vale just annoyed with Marc beating his record but also slightly admiring him
i love this because its true. marc is ANNOYING ! of course it cannot be ignored that vale is ALSO annoying (max biaggi fight. hello.) like they match each others freak in that regard, but at what point do you look at this sexy ass twink who is obsessed with your dick and your bike (sex to vale. is motorcycle racing lest we forget he keeps that m1 in GROPING distance and marc is like GOD i wish that were me so it does. work comma sexually. for them. like a lot. but i digress) and obsessed with your ability to ride it and be like hmm. maybe this habit is NOT so cute. when beforeeee you thought hey hes just like MEEEEE and got HORNY about it. well obviously if youre vale it is when he doesnt let you win at your own goddamn track at your own goddamn house in front of your own goddamn brother and various peers. that shit is irritating. which i do think marc realizes now, but is also largely unrepentant about because he's hilarious. free my girl he did all that but it was funny. our marc not famous for his wealth of tact and restraint on the track. and vale is thirty six staring down one last chance to maybe win his tenth. and earlier that week when he beat marc at that karting event he said finally somewhere you dont win. so yeah when marc doesnt roll over and let him get the lap record that day in 2014 all of those endearing traits where they overlap and are similar. change. morph. arent so cute anymore. the light shifts. the music hits a minor chord. ominous. foreshadowing. chekov's gun carefully being placed on the wall. and suddenly. kind of a theme with them huh. vale hates him for all the things he learned from vale.
so. we are here to ask how that emotion translates to nasty sex. obviously. like all of these complex emotions do NOT mean that vale does not want to get his dick sucked lmao. like he's here he's thirsty marc's been in a tiny little titty huggin black tshirt all day its happenin. AND. it should be noted that in a very real sense this is their first sleepover. first time fr hanging out outside the paddock in a place where there is PRIVACY. no real REPORTERS. an actual locking DOOR. no way to hide from the fact that theyve been all over each other for like TWO YEARS now. AND multiple yamaha M1S that can be used as somewhat SEXUAL PROPS. (vale feeling also perhaps. emotionally complex here. a lil delicate. like YEAH i can invite my coworkers i like to hang at my track thats bro stuff but what about my years long situationship that —*static noises in vale's brain* like remember this is where MARC thinks things start to change between them...)
so yeah vale ends up like. amping up that competitive edge a little in bed. making this a fuckbuddy thing more than a RELATIONSHIP thing as much as he can in his head and with his hands and failing miserably and feeling even WEIRDER about that. so he's. i think he's working hard at putting marc where he wants him. hot hands a little rougher on the curve of marc's waist. cupping his ass making him gasp. sending him to his knees and making him suck his dick hot and nasty. teasing a little edging on the little feminine nicknames theyve never talked about but that make marc squirm and flush prettily. edging marc with three fingers in his ass while he whines for it. dragging it out. exerting a little control. not mean at all everyone is having fun (marc. out of his MIND.) just. excising some tension. its probably nothing hes just in his head. holding marc in his hands as he looks up at him. and marc trusting it. marc going. marc being just where vale wants him. just like he never does on the track. and marc thinks everything is fine when its happening thinks everything is AMAZING. but after that is when vale starts to go a little cold......
#like he is like hmmm i taught this kid everything he knows :) until its like damn okay this kid is evil. who did that. surely not i.#btw rosquez finding friction in all the ways they are similar is like. the most aquarius4aquarius thing about them.#they have to be original or theyll DIE#motogp#callie speaks#asks#rosquez#anyways all this to say vale wakes up postfuck in the middle of the night to go piss#and marc is in his tiny ass briefs crouched on the bike next 2 the bed visualizing silverstone like a FREAK and vale feels. noraml.#someone asked me to post about marc hole today. and by god i will.
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we all know that the Wayne kids are each other's best friends. but with Steph, each one of them partners with her for specific reasons.
with Dick, it's mostly about beauty, skincare and hair. they tell each other which make up brand is better, which eyeshadow color and eyeliner technique matches the other's eyes, which face mask gives the best nutrients on their faces, which hair mask suits their hair color. they even do each other's make up and nails when they're both free. Dick asks her if they are any new skincare products that are released from this brand that they both like. Dick keeps thanking Steph for that perfume she suggested that Wally loves on him.
with Jason, it's about food. Steph isn't much of a chef herself, let's leave that all to Jason, but she's the person he usually asks to try when he tries a new recipe. maybe it's because they're usually the ones who eats after patrol together while the rest of the family choose to rest and go home. or it's because it's Steph who usually suggests to the family about the snacks they're going to have during movie nights. or the restaurant they should try for the weekend. they sit on the rooftops while eating Big Belly Burgers as they talk about the food that's famous in Italy or Greece.
with Tim, it's about boybands and concerts. i mean, Tim has crushes on boybands and Steph is the same, so they're the perfect combination. Tim goes to her to fangirl about a new boyband song and they argue which member is the best singer or the hottest, if you ask Tim. Tim, being a nepo baby, gets VIP tickets and it's Steph who he invites to when attending concerts. they wear neon colors and have posters, and lose their voices by the end of each concert.
with Duke, it's about bike rides. yes, the rest of the family knows motorcycle rides, but Duke has created a special bond with Steph with it. it all started during morning patrol, The Signal passed by Steph's university and she knew, he needed help. so she hurriedly used this Halloween mask to conceal her face and use one of her professor's bikes just to help Duke. of course she gave the bike back and parked it exactly where her professor did. they sometimes travel outside of Gotham with just their bikes, either as vigilantes or as civilians.
with Damian, it's the games. Steph loves playing around the family like setting up traps and poking at them with the water and paint guns. Damian finds this very intriguing, so he goes to her when he wants to plot something for each family member. they also go to the carnivals together. Steph is more than willing to be competitive with Damian when it comes to carnival games. or even just a game of Scrabble and Chess.
and with Cass, well, Steph partners with Cass in everything. they're together.
we already know this.
#steph centric one#batfamily#batkids#batfamily headcanons#stephanie brown#dick grayson#jason todd#tim drake#duke thomas#damian wayne#cassandra cain#stephcass#batman#batfamily prompt#dc comics#yel chronicles
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"do you like butts?" | ft. rin , shidou, isagi, nagi, !!! suggestive + established relationship + boys are pro players ! + short drabbles + self indulgent
₊˚⊹♡ ITOSHI RIN: "What kind of question is that?" Rin scoffed before looking at you. "It's a genuine question that needs to be answered duh!" You say before ruffling with his hair earning another eye roll from the man. "If you so wish to know. I don't care about them, it's normal to have one and if I'm attracted to someone. It won't be because of their behind. Happy?" He responds looking at your face. He sees you thinking as you tap your chin. "Then what do you find attractive if it isn't my butt?"
"Why're you asking me these questions all of a sudden?" He procks an eyebrow as he side eyes you, you shrug and he groans. "Well, I like competitive women. With a burning soul with passion. Someone who would be equal to me. For you, you and I are equal in skill for soccer. I can train and compete against you and it would feel like I am competing against myself.
"So you only find me attractive because I am good at soccer?" You exclaim, crossing your hands over your chest before turning yourself away from Rin. "I didn't say that." "But it sounded like you did!" "Doll, even if you sucked at soccer, I would help you improve. But from the moment I met you, I knew you were competitive. That's what I like." He says before tucking a piece of a loose strand of hair behind your ear, you slowly turn back to face him. "So really you don't find any part of my body attractive?" You pout and you recieve another eye roll from your boyfriend who slowly came closer to your ear.
"I most definitely find your legs attractive, especially when they're wrapped around my waist." He whispered into you ear before placing a peck on your ear lobes. Leaving you to become a blushing mess.
₊˚⊹♡ SHIDOU RYUSEI: When you go to the gym. It isn't usual for you to wear anything tight of some sort. You find them always getting inbetween your thighs and you constantly find yourself pulling at it mid sets so you always opt for a looser fit. But, you've fallen behind on laundry which brings you to slipping on short black bike shorts that stopped right under the plump of your butt.
Spank.
"Ryusei!" You shout as you turn to find your boyfriend who stood behind you. Staring at you with the biggest grin on Earth. "Sorry, just had to y'know." You scoff before placing your hands on your hips, "Do you like butts or something?" you ask before dusting your behind and walking besides your boyfriend to finish up getting ready. "I like your butt, I mean how could I not? Look at this!!" He follows behind, groping at your butt. You roll your eyes, "Tell me more." You flirt, looking at him from the mirror in which you stood in front of. "Oh babe, you don't want to get me started on that." He says, his eyes becoming hearts as he looks down. "I like the shape of your butt. It's round and plump. The recoil...makes me go insane..." He says as he pokes at your butt until you swat his hands away. "Should wear these types of pants more often." Ryusei says following your every moment to the kitchen, filling up your water bottle. "Are you gonna fill my water bottle or just gawk at my ass?" You chuckle as you see him watching. "Just gonna watch...your movements are too entincing. Can't wait till you come back home.." He says, coming close to you wrapping his hands around your waist. You push his loose pieces of hair behind his ear, "You can come with me.." "I know. But as much as I want to. I know you're going with your friends and I don't like being there with them...so I'll let the guys stare at you today...because I am gonna have this ass all to myself tonight." He says as he continues to grope your bottom and placed scattered kisses over your face and neck.
"Behave yourself while I am gone~" You laugh. placing a hand on his chest before placing a kiss on his lips then grabbing your gym bag, heading out for the gym.
"I can feel the dopamine coming~"
₊˚⊹♡ ISAGI YOICHI: "Yoichi, what do you think of butts?" You spoke randomly, catching him off guard you see him start to blush at your question. "Um..well. Y'know I like your thighs.." He slowly speaks, grazing his hand up your thigh, teasing.
"I think butts are nice...they're soft but nothing can compare to your thighs.." Yoichi says with confidence, looking you up and down. Now leaving you as a blushing mess.
"Yoichi~ don't do that!!" You say, not daring to give him any eye contact, removing his hand from your thigh. "What? You asked me what I thought and I answered.." He says slyly, "Don't get all coy on me..y/N."
"I am not! I just wasn't expecting you to respond in that way!" You say, getting up from the couch as you hurriedly walked to the kitchen to splash water on your face. "Now your turn. What do you think of butts?" He bluntly asks as you patted your face with a kitchen towel.
"I like them..because you can do this!" You exclaim out loud as you caught him off guard by slapping his butt, you let out a cheeky laugh until you saw his grin that was plastered on his face. "y/N get back here!" He chases after you, looping him from the kitchen island.
"Don't be a bad girl." He chuckles before tricking you and grabbing you by the waist and throwing you over his shoulder. "Yep, I stand by this. I rather your thighs than your butt." He says before putting you down.
"What is that supposed to mean?" You ask and before you knew it, you were being cut off with a smack on your bottom. "Yoichi!"
₊˚⊹♡ NAGI SEISHIRO: "I don't care. Butts are butts. I shouldn't need to spend time on thinking if I like a persons butt or not." He slurs out as he takes a sip of his orange juice. "So you don't mind if I don't have a butt?" He sighs, dropping his head into the crook of your neck before using one of his free hands to squeeze one of your cheeks.
"Sei! What're you doing?" You say, startled as you see his game on pause, you could feel his smile laying on the crock of your neck. "You do have a butt. Look I am gripping it." He says before pulling it and ending it with a spank, jolting you forward. Rubbing yourself on his lower half. "Shouldn’t be comparing yourself to others y’know..” He says and you can hear the clicking of the keyboard as he resumes his game. Here and there he'd pepper kisses around your face and neck.
“I am not comparing myself...I just wanted to know if find them attractive..." You whisper, traveling your hands up from his neck into his white hair, twisting it through your digits.
"I find anything attractive about you but you know what I really find attractive?" He asks and you hum, letting him continue. "I find myself rather attracted when I find you under my desk, eager to rip my pants off.." He continues and you unconsciously squeeze his hair in response and you hear a chuckle.
© satoberrie 2023 | should i do other characters?
#ִ ࣪𖤐 satoberrie#ִ ࣪𖤐 sumijade's writing#blue lock#blue lock fanfiction#bllk headcanons#blue lock x y/n#bllk rin#bllk shidou#bllk nagi#bllk isagi#isagi yoichi#nagi seishiro#shidou ryusei#itoshi rin#bllk x you#bllk rin x reader#bluelock#shidou headcanons#nagi headcanons#isagi headcanons#rin headcanons
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Non-compete
chapter 1
A/N: Reader is female. No physical descriptors used. Let me know if i fucked up and not do that. Chat me up i don't bite!
Summary: Your super genius younger sister is offered a chance of a lifetime to work for either Oscorp or Stark industries straight out of high school. Her choices leave you stuck in an unrequited love triangle.
Warning: Slow Burn, Adult content only! 18+ only please. Dark! There is potentially triggering stories ahead.
Norman Osborn x Reader, (not in this chapter Peter Parker x Reader)
💻
You sit in the hallway, tapping your shoe against the linoleum floor, nerves building as you wait with your sister. Emily however was the opposite, ever calm and more focused on her laptop than the upcoming interview.
Because of her age, a guardian, you, had to be present for it. You're so proud of her, she is the smartest person in the world, at least in your opinion. Your little genius had always been miles ahead of her peers and most adults. By the time most kids were learning to ride bikes she was already competing in national science competitions, collecting trophies like playing cards.
But all those smarts came with a downside—she got bored easily, and that’s when the trouble would start. If she wasn’t challenged enough, she’d find creative ways to stir things up, both at home and in school. Her teachers were constantly asking to move her up a few grades, but you refused—you wanted her to have the full experience of growing up with her peers, even if it meant managing a bit of mischief along the way.
At home, she’d tinker with electronics or 'improve' things around the house, which usually ended with something sparking off. Sure it led to the occasional electrical fire, but she meant well.
"Stop your embarrassing me." She hisses swatting you away.
"Your tags popping out," you whisper, recoiling back with a frown. You just want everything to be perfect for her.
"Fine." She sighs reluctantly. You perk up when she relents to your mothering. Its a bad habit you know, but it's a hard one to break.
“He is ready to see you now." The young, sharply dressed woman announces suddenly, catching you both off guard.
Emily stands first, clamping her laptop shut and shouldering her bag as you stand to follow.
“Excuse me are you her guardian?” She halts you abruptly.
“Oh yes, I was told she needed to have a guardian with her for this.” You answer unconfidently. Had you misread the email? No Emily would’ve said something. You look to your sister as she clutches her laptop, she just as confused as you are.
“I’m sorry Miss, but guardians must wait outside. If she proceeds to the next phase you’ll be allow to chaperon.” The lady explains.
“O-Oh sorry, sorry about that. Well um good luck Sparkles,” you stutter out nervously taking a stepback, nearly stumbling back into the chair.
She grimaces at the pet-name, and you instantly realize your mistake. You shrivel as you sink into the chair avoiding her gaze. She's annoyed, she’s told you before, but it just slips out sometimes.
“Well OK then I think we’re all set to go now, right?,” Emily asks sharply turning on her heals to face the professional woman.
You don’t look up as they leave through the double glass doors. No doubt when this is over she will be in a mood.
💻
The longer the wait the more nervous you feel. You try not to think about what is going on beyond the conference walls and slyly people watch.
Everyone seems to be your age or way older and that worried you. More and more this seems like a bad idea. You didn't want her thrusted into adulthood like you were. There were so many missed experiences that you wished you had and didn't want that for her. She was much too young for this. She should be applying for universities not presenting prototypes to old men in suits.
The conference rooms door open and you sit up anxiously. You perk up when you hear Emily's voice. She sounds happy, that had to be a good sign. At least you hope so.
You watch as Emily exits first, followed by a man who looks much older than your father. They don't seem to register your presences as they immerse themselves in technical language that you can’t follow.
You stay seated, pretending to go through your phone, trying your best not to embarrass her again. If the interview went bad they wouldn't still be talking right?
Emily mentions your name, you catch it, and tense when you find them both walking over to you.
"Mr. Osborn this is my sister," Emily introduces you suddenly. You shoot up from your seat too quickly, nearly spilling over your bag as you try and greet the man. He doesn’t seem to notice as he extends his hand and approaches. You force a smile, hoping he can’t see the nervous energy creeping through you.
“Hello,” you squeak out as he shakes your hand firmly. “N-Nice to meet you Mr. Osborn.”
"You can call me Norman," he corrects with a smirk. You look to Emily and gauge how your doing. She’s smiling, but somehow you know she isn’t happy with your performance thus far.
"You have a brilliant sister. Did she learn everything from you?"
"Oh no… I could never. I wish I was half as smart as her." You stammer out under his intense gaze. It feels like he is watching ever word that comes out of your mouth. It's nerve-wracking; you don’t want him to judge your sister poorly because of her bumbling, idiot of a sibling.
"She has always been super supportive. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for her." Your sister cuts in quickly and you're grateful.
"I see. Well you did a fantastic job." He states before turning his attention back to your sister. You feel relief to be out of the spot light, it was never a place you longed to be, unlike her. "I wish I could stay longer, but I have another meeting to get to."
“Thank you for the opportunity Mr. Osborn.”
You snort at her professional facade, but when she frowns, you quickly look away and stifle it. It's so cute. You’d never heard her sound so mature before.
“Nonsense its an honor to meet such a promising young woman.”
💻
#dark peter parker x reader#dark Norman Osborn x reader#dark!peter parker x reader#dark!Norman Osborn x reader#dark peter parker x black reader#dark Norman Osborn x black reader#dark!Peter Parker x Black Reader#Dark!Norman Osborn x Black Reader#Dark Peter Parker x WOC reader#Dark Norman Osborn x WOC reader#Dark!Peter Parker x WOC reader#Dark!Norman Osborn x WOC reader
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So I’ve taken a few days to really think about this and my gut feeling hasn’t changed.
I think eventually Oscar and his Mum will come to regret that Red Flags podcast.
I think my first concern is the day before it came out I’d seen an old Lando interview when he talked about when you first get into F1 everything is exciting and you agree to everything, but after a couple of years you want certain things to stay yours and private. His Mum gave some very interesting stories but I question do we need/should we hear this?
As she relived some of the stories it became clear that Oscar isn’t this super cool mental warrior in the car, that’s just his stoic personality. My concern for that, is when things go wrong, where does the worry and anxiety go? Can he vocalise it? The story about the bike accident is a good example of this.
People talk about Lando being in his head, I fear Oscar is never out of his.
He also comes across as not picking up on social tells. Like to him this is a thing and he is unaware of the panic that is causing to everyone around him.
It also makes me understand some what why he was seemingly fine with accepting a first win that a lot of people see as gifted.
I also feel like McLaren purposely play down Oscar’s errors because of this. They won’t point something out that could cause a social media pile on as they don’t know how he will react to it. It will come eventually but for now if they can side step it they are.
This is really difficult to discuss as I don’t want it to come across I’m insulting or belittling his intelligence. I’m also not a psychologist so I can’t tell you if this is symptomatic of something. I just got the sense we have seen deeper into Oscar and may be on a personal and competitive level, it wasn’t really something that was needed. Because to me it says, there is work still to be done.
People criticise Lando and Charles for being an open book, Oscar’s family have chosen to start opening that book and I think they may wish they hadn’t.
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the labyrinth - chapter one
a/n: do you guys have any idea how hard it is to get my friends to beta for saltburn?
warnings: farleigh being farleigh, which includes underage drugs, drinking, cigarettes and sex 18+
fic summary: ariadne gavin and her childhood best friend turned enemy return to saltburn for the last time
Ariadne is twenty-one now, and can hardly recall the last civilized conversation she had with Farleigh Start while sober. Everything about him is grating. She can't even imagine how he used to be her best friend.
He bites his lip as he throws an arm around his girl-of-the-week, whose name has come and gone from Ariadne's mind so quickly it was like she'd never heard it at all. Alicia? Felicia? She doesn't know and doesn't care. She doesn't. And she absolutely cannot smell the mix of his citrus and sandalwood cologne - a signature scent that they had picked out together when they were twelve, and yes, hers was the matching, feminine version of the same collection - and the sharp tang of cigarettes. She is not looking at his hair and thinking about how he's using the wrong conditioner because it's frizzing, and probably not even wearing his durag since he's waking up in a different bed every morning.
She's not paying attention to any of that.
She sits comfortably on India's lap, laughing breathily at whatever joke the girl just made. She doesn't know and doesn't care, but India tightens her grip and presses a red lipstick print into her neck, she takes another hit off of her blunt and waits for Farleigh to fade away.
Ariadne and India aren't dating, but they are fucking. Poor replacements for the two boys at the table, but replacements nonetheless.
Besides, if Ariadne had learned one thing during her education, it was that boys got off on girls making out. She liked it personally, but she knew some girls did it just to catch Felix's eye. Their loss, Felix didn't find Ariadne hot so he found none of the girls she kissed hot either. India has yet to learn this lesson.
Felix is talking about how some nerd was his hero or something because of the flat tire on his bike, Ariadne doesn't know and certainly doesn't care when the nerd himself catches Felix's eye.
Ariadne takes one look at the man and knows that Felix is going to string the poor boy along for months without even realizing it. Or, maybe he did. Ariadne doesn't care. She doesn't care much about anything these days, and when she does, she takes another hit, another shot, another something until the world fades again.
When she's sober and has no homework, she remembers to care about Farleigh, so she makes sure those two states never occur at the same time.
Against her will, she notes the way Farleigh's jaw tightens when Oliver Whatshisface approaches the table. This must be Oliver "Thus" Quick from his tutoring sessions.
Ariadne snorts as Farleigh shifts in discomfort and sinks back again as the conversation turns to who Ollie is, what college he's in, and other shit she wouldn't even care about sober.
Her attention tunes back in when the shot chant begins.
"Jagerbombs!" She and Farleigh demand at the same time. She shoots him a look of annoyance.
Farleigh makes a low rumble in his throat that only she knows to watch for. "It's your round, man!"
"I should go to bed," Oliver mumbles, suddenly green.
Farleigh shakes his head and curls entrancingly, so much so that she almost forgets to pay attention to what he's saying. "No, no, no, no. You can't snake out of your round."
Oliver squirms in his seat. Something about him is offputting, now that Ariadne's finished her blunt and is coming down from the high. "I'm not," the boy mutters.
"It looks like you are." Farleigh laughs, but Ariadne knows he's not joking. She knows that the alarm bells in her head are going off in his, and even more so, she senses his competitive streak flaring up.
The table boos except Felix, who seems to sense Oliver's unease. Ariadne rolls her eyes. Ever the angel, their Felix.
He's going to get himself killed that way. It's unnatural to Ariadne that anyone could be as trusting as he is.
"Okay, okay." Oliver concedes. Maybe Ariadne's imagining the way he seems to sneer at Farleigh as he gets up.
Oliver manages to get to his feet and heads for the bar, and Ariadne's final assessment begins to click into place. This kid was a gold-digging little weasel, but probably too weak to do any real damage, except for Farleigh, who seemed to be pissed off by the dude's very existence.
"Farleigh," Felix scolds.
"What?" Farleigh fakes innocently. She sees the way his round eyes widen and his lips open just enough that even India's head falls onto her palm in adoration. There's no denying that Farleigh is pretty.
"Just cut him a break, mate." Felix pleads.
It's not going to work. Whenever Felix asked any of them to be nice to his strays, they always got meaner. Her and Venetia included.
For example, poor old Eddie last year.
"What?" Farleigh repeats lower.
He'd never liked receiving orders from the Cattons. When they were younger, she might have soothed him back down, but it was no use now. She couldn't even if she wanted to.
The crack had become a canyon, just like her dad had foretold.
"That round's gonna cost a fucking fortune." Felix continues.
"Pub rules, Felix." Farleigh grins.
Silently, she agrees, but she decides she can't be here anymore. Farleigh's pretty, white and fox-like smile, had very suddenly become too much for her.
"I'm off." She declares suddenly, sitting up. The group groans and complains good-naturedly, and she watches Farleigh stare at her with an intensity she had grown used to.
She sits in her car for twenty minutes, smoking a cigarette and trying to pretend every time she's with Farleigh she can't feel him in her skin when she hears a tap-tap-tapping on her passenger window.
The man himself, grinning his evil grin.
She can't help herself. She unlocks the car.
"There you are, pet! I looked out the window and I saw you hadn't even driven away! How weird is that, hm?" He teases in that tone which he only takes with people he can't stand. She'd never imagined she'd be on the receiving end of it.
She takes another long drag of her cigarette. "You used to hate when they called me that. You almost broke Felix's nose over it."
"Pass." Farleigh demands. She hands him the cigarette and he puffs it gently. "You gave a shit about me then too. Venetia called me a dog and you fucking bit her. At fourteen."
"I was a weird fucking kid," Ariadne mumbles.
"What the hell happened to us?" Farleigh asks. His long fingers twist a ring, which she deciphers as nerves. She hates that she knows that. Because she wonders, if they aren't friends, and they aren't lovers, why does she know him better than she knows herself? Why does she think about the little things he's done since they were children and worry about his health? Why does she make sure with a glance that he's eating well?
What the hell happened, indeed.
Ariadne knows exactly what happened to them. She had a crush on someone incapable of loving her back and took the lowest of all low roads in her envy. She doesn't say that. She just shrugs. "I dunno, Far. I really don't."
Farleigh leans across the console, palm resting on her cheek, and kisses her.
For a moment, Ariadne sinks deep into the feeling. How many years had she craved his affection? How many times had she let him ruin her life just for a chance of this? His soft, plush lips on hers, their foreheads pressed against each other, his hot, warm tongue twirling with hers. It felt beautiful and religious and, above all else, right. Just fucking right. Like this was how it ought to have been all along.
But then she realizes that this isn't what she was waiting for. She pulls away, gasping.
"My dorm or yours?" Farleigh asks breathlessly.
Ariadne wants to cry. She doesn't want this. She wants him, but she wants all of him, not a night like he gave everyone else.
She shakes her head. "I can't. I can't, I-"
She scrambles for anything to say that isn't "I like you, and I've had a crush on you since we were seven."
"You can't cheat on Alicia." She settles on instead.
"I don't give a fuck about Alicia!" He huffs.
Ariadne sobs. "I know! I know and that's the problem, Far. You used to be so sweet. You used to love everyone and you would never hurt someone's feelings without a reason and I don't even recognize you anymore!"
Farleigh stares at her. "Is that why you stopped talking to me? Because I'm too mean, because newsflash, princess, you're not exactly all sunshine anymore either."
"I stopped talking to you because of Arabella Vaillancourt." She whispers before she can stop herself. Why would she say that? He's going to know exactly how immature and obsessed she is and-
Farleigh scrunches his nose. "Who?"
Ariadne bangs her head against her steering wheel. "You don't even remember. You shattered my worldview and it was so insignificant you don't even remember."
"I-"
"Get out of my car, Farleigh," she begs. She wishes it had venom in it. She wishes she had yelled or something. Instead, all there is left is exhaustion and heartbreak.
He doesn't argue, and that hurts even worse.
She doesn't speak to him again until graduation. Steals glances at him sometimes, after he breaks things off with Alicia, and shares twin looks of annoyance every time Oliver does something irrevocably stupid, but never words.
She misses it. Even arguing with him had been better than not having him at all.
Until, suddenly, on the last day of term as she packs her things, Farleigh bursts through her door.
"Felix invited Oliver to Saltburn." He says like he's announcing a death.
Ariadne groans. "You've got to be fucking kidding me, Start."
"He's worse than Eddie from last year," Farleigh complains, throwing himself on her bed like they're fourteen again.
Ariadne nods. "Like, times ten. Am I the only one who can tell that this kid is fucking insane?" She whines.
"No," Farleigh hums competitively. "I know it too."
"Shut up, this isn't about you," Ariadne commands.
Farleigh holds his hands up in the air in surrender before he gets distracted by her bookshelf.
"Is this that old copy of Pride and Prejudice I got you?" He asks.
Ariadne shrugs. "Yeah. I wasn't going to get rid of a perfectly good novel just because I was mad at you."
"Was?" Farleigh grins.
Ariadne sighs. "Am." She amends. "You are a mistake and a scourge on the earth."
"And," he licks his lips, "The first friend you ever had."
She doesn't dignify that with a response and sets about finishing packing her clothes.
"Do you ever miss Bel-Air?" He asks suddenly.
Ariadne closes her eyes and can almost smell the sea salt of Malibu Beach. Remember the small staff of her home rather than the expansive staff at Saltburn.
She also remembers her and Farleigh's mothers at the mini-bar drinking themselves into oblivion and her father yelling at her to be perfect and finds she even misses that too.
"Every day. You?"
"Yeah," Farleigh says, suddenly sounding very small.
He perks back up. "Arabella Vaillancourt was the girl I lost my virginity to at prep school," he declares proudly.
Ariadne bites back a smile. "Good. Now prove to me you've changed since then."
Farleigh practically skips out of her room.
Later that day comes the six-hour night drive back up to Lowick from school. Ariadne cherishes the drive. It's the only time she spends with the Cattons now when all of them are sober.
Venetia stretches her arms, as catlike as ever. "So, what're we going to do about the O-word?"
"Orgasm?" Ariadne guesses.
Venetia smirks. "Maybe for Felix, but I meant Oliver."
"Dad didn't get you the flat in town so you could be a bloody spy, y'know." Felix huffs.
Venetia pats his cheek. "But he never said it wasn't."
"I don't want to fuck him," Felix says sternly.
Venetia raises an eyebrow. "Then why the fuck did you invite him?"
Ariadne sighs. "I wish I fucking knew, Vee."
"Ari and I agree; the dude's a fucking creep," Farleigh says.
"I swear to god I saw him watching me change. And did you know he almost fucked Annabelle but he kept bringing you up and that's why she stopped hanging around?" Ariadne complains.
"Wait, what was that?" Farleigh raises a hand.
Ariadne doubles back. "He tried to fuck Annabelle. Little weasel-freak."
"I think he meant the part about Ollie watching you change, Pet, which I don't believe. He's gone through a lot. Did you know his dad died last week, right before exams?" Felix sighs sadly.
Ariadne rolls her eyes. "He's such a little snake I wouldn't be shocked if that was a lie. And I'm not kidding, I straight up saw him outside my bedroom window just staring at me."
"God, he deserves a good fuckin' punch, maybe it'll set him straight," Farleigh mutters. He's seething, and for once, Ariadne can't even tell why.
"Well, clearly not straight if he's hanging off Fi like you guys say," Venetia snickers.
They all laugh - even Felix- and the topic shifts to god-knows-what.
Ariadne scoots closer to Farleigh in the backseat, feeling like she did that first summer on this road.
On the first day at Saltburn, while they await Oliver-the-Golddigger's arrival, Ariadne holes herself up in her room to avoid running across the Weasel.
Ariadne only ever reads Pride and Prejudice at Saltburn. It is her yearly reminder that love is fickle and takes time and sometimes cannot be seized at all.
On her eighteenth birthday, she had gone with Vee to get the words "from admiration to love; from love to matrimony," along her wrist. Once, she had told Felix that the only people who understood her were him and Elizabeth Bennett.
A knock at her door has her scrambling up. "Dinner's in an hour."
She's shocked Farleigh came for her instead of Vee or Felix.
Farleigh leans against her doorway, already in his slacks and button-down, though his bowtie is disastrously loose.
"How'd you know to get me?" She hums, opening her closet.
Farleigh shrugs. "You always read when we're here. Figured you might lose track of time."
Sometimes she thinks that he must observe her as much as she does him.
"Is this a part of me telling you to show me you've grown?" She asks, pulling her tee-shirt off to slip on the black, floor-length dress for dinner.
Farleigh whistles lowly. "Maybe. Or maybe I thought it was unfair that Oliver saw you naked before me."
"You jealous bitch." She snarks. "Zip me?"
He strides across the room towards her - it doesn't take long, because he's always been much taller than everyone except Felix - and slowly zips her dress up. His fingers barely ghost over her skin and her whole body shudders.
"You look good, Gavin." He mutters.
She turns and fixes his bowtie. "Back at ya, Start. Y'know, you'd be gorgeous if you could keep your mouth shut."
"How will I lick Uncle James' boot, then?" He hums sarcastically.
She kisses his cheek. "You're improving, you should know." She pats his chest.
She walks past, but she knows he pumps his fist in the air from the sound of his clothes rustling.
Loveable damn idiot.
Dinner is an absolute bore. Elspeth gushes over Oliver, Poor Dear Pamela retells her sob story, and Venetia takes two bites of her dinner. Oliver is wearing one of Felix's suits. she can tell, the arms are too long, and the cufflinks are some old ones he had gotten for his sixteenth birthday.
She says nothing but shares a long glance with Farleigh. He rolls his eyes and she snickers.
Farleigh follows her up to her room. She was expecting it, to be fair.
He undoes his tie and throws it across the room before releasing the top few buttons of his shirt.
"Zipper." She reminds him. His lithe fingers are skimming her waist and her back, all the way up to the top of the zipper, and then back down again.
She throws on a tee shirt. "Go grab some house clothes from your room." She huffs. "Your hair has been bothering me since Oxford 'cause you've been doing it alone, I've got to do something about it."
He exits and returns in a tee shirt of his own and a pair of Fila sweatpants.
Ariadne missed this more than anything. The feeling of churning her fingers through his scalp. The way he simply relaxed into her palms. She loves it. She loves him.
Oh. Oh fuck. She loves him. She doesn't just like him, or have a crush, or want to fuck him out of her system, as she had been insisting since she was a kid. She loves him.
She breathes deeply, finishes his hair, and wraps it up in his durag. "When your curls pop back tomorrow, you'd better thank me."
He snorts. "Yeah, sure. Night, Ari."
"Night, Far." She watches him close the door to his room across the hall and scrambles over to Venetia's, swinging the door open.
Venetia is on the bed, painting her nails. "What?"
"I'm in love with Farleigh," Ariadne whispers, still shocked.
"Sorry," Venetia said automatically.
Ariadne slows her breathing to be heard. "I'm-"
"No, I heard you." Venetia interrupts. "I just think it's unfortunate."
Ariadne lays down beside Venetia and allows the girl to pet her hair. "What am I going to do?"
"Seduce him," Venetia says simply, petting and swirling a curl off Ariadne's head.
Ariadne groans, rolling away. "It's not that simple and you know it! I don't just want to fuck him, if I did I would have said so."
"So what, you want to marry him? Because I'll tell you now that's a bad idea." Venetia hums.
"No! Well, maybe? I don't know!" Ariadne whines
Venetia pins Ariadne to the bed. "Do not do anything stupid until you've decided what you want from him. I mean it, Pet."
Ariadne shrugs her off. "I'm not going to hurt him." She mumbles.
Venetia giggles. "Wasn't him I was worried about, Newmo."
Ariadne climbs off the bed, flipping off Venetia. "I'm going to sleep. Night, Vee."
"G'night Pet!" Venetia grins.
When the morning rolls around, Ariadne stretches out of bed at first light, throwing on a pair of house shorts and a cropped tank top. She would never have the old money urge to waste her nice silken robes on a simple breakfast at Saltburn.
She waves hello to Miss Portia, the maid, as she makes her way down.
"Morn' Liam, Joshie." She grins.
The two footmen wave to her. "Good Morning, Miss Ariadne."
Liam clears his throat. "Your boyfriend's already at breakfast."
"Oh fuck off, you nosy little-" Ariadne starts, but silences before Felix can pass them.
"Enjoy Breakfast, Ma'am," Liam grins.
Ariadne scrunches her nose and blows a raspberry at him before she makes her way to the table.
Farleigh's curls look decidedly better, she notices smugly, and she knows he's aware. He's already holding a cup of coffee and is probably the only one in the house who takes coffee instead of tea beside her.
"G'morning, guys." She hums. Everyone gives her similarly apathetic greetings. Felix looks like he fell out of bed.
She's halfway through her scrambled eggs when Oliver makes his way down the stairs. "Morning."
She waves, zoning out. Weasel.
"You sleep well, mate?" Felix asks, leaning a little over the table to look at Oliver closely. From an angle where she knows at least Farleigh and Felix can see her, she pokes her cheek with her tongue and pokes her finger in the air, mimicking a blowjob. Farleigh snorts so hard that coffee almost shoots out of his nose.
"Uh, yeah," Oliver mumbles. He's so mumble-y. It's grating.
"Hey, Oliver, have some breakfast." Felix coaxes.
Ariadne looks at Farleigh and rolls her eyes hard. She watches him smirk and feels a flutter of pride at the effect.
Duncan places Felix's boiled eggs on the side of his breakfast platter and retreats quickly.
Ariadne raises a hand and awkwardly points to her coffee cup, and a maid - Amelia, she thinks, the nice ginger one - pours her a new cup and then places the appropriate amount of creamer in it.
Ariadne silently mouths thank you and shakes her hands in a prayer-like stance. Amelia blushes and disappears from the room as if she were never there at all.
"Can I have a full English breakfast too, please?" Oliver asks quietly.
Ariadne looks at the table housing the food, and then to Farleigh, and then at Oliver the Weasel, and then to Farleigh again. She watches his eyes follow the same path and dip down to the magazine in his lap to keep from laughing again.
"Breakfast is on the side, darling," Elspeth says helpfully. "Just help yourself."
"How would you like your eggs?" Duncan asks, returning.
"It’s fine. I can get them." Oliver stammers. She rolls her eyes. Didn't he just see Felix's eggs delivered onto the plate?
"Not the eggs. The eggs are made for you." Farleigh corrects.
Felix gives him a sharp look, but in Farleigh's defence, he wasn't even being mean that time.
"Exactly. And everything else is on the side." Auntie Elspeth finishes.
"Fried over easy, please," Oliver says queasily.
"Ollie, we were just talking about the Shelley biography." Felix interjects, sweeping in to rescue the weasel.
Ariadne was sure they were, but she surely wasn't paying the conversation much mind. Until Oliver's arrival, she had been at peace, shockingly enough.
"Shelley who? Shelley, Belinda’s sister Shelley?" Poor, dear, idiot Pamela asks. Ariadne looks at Oliver. Pamela was Oliver's best future. A leech and an idiot who couldn't help but overstay their welcome.
"Oh, Percy Bysshe Shelley. The poet. The Romantic poet." Sir James explains as though speaking to a child.
"Oh." Pamela says simply because she is simple.
"Do you know the story about Shelley’s doppelgänger?" Venetia hums, hidden eagerness just below the surface of her tone.
Ariadne rolls her eyes. She couldn't count the amount of times Venetia had brought this up since she'd learned it.
Sir James, clearly sensing his daughter's nefarious tone, looks at her warily. "His doppelgänger?"
"Mmm. Shelley’s housekeeper was cleaning one of the rooms when Shelley walked past the window and waved at her. So, she waved back before she realized that Shelley was in Italy. And she was on the top floor of the house." Venetia had always had the perfect voice for telling a scary story.
"Oh, Vee. Stop, stop, stop. I won’t sleep." Felix balls up his fists and covers his ears.
Felix had always been a bit of a wimp, though Ariadne meant it in only the most loving of ways. Over countless summers they had held bonfires and told scary stories, and without fail, every time they did, All of them had to sleep in Felix's room because he was too scared to go to sleep. Ariadne is never annoyed by it though. It's a reminder of how sweet and pure their dear Felix is.
It was a stark contrast to Venetia, their resident investor in the macabre and overall gloomy and grotesque.
"A few hours later," Venetia continued, undeterred, "he drowned."
"Oh! Oh, that’s just given me goosebumps. Look, Pamela." Elspeth says dramatically.
"Oh, no." Pamela sighs in the same dull tone she says everything else.
"Look, Fi, the only important thing about Shelley was that he was married to the mother of science fiction." Ariadne comforts.
"I heard he fucked his sister, so there's that too," Farleigh adds helpfully.
Ariadne snorts, and so does Venetia.
"Oh, for God’s sake!" Sir James chides.
The weasel pokes his evil little head up. "I think that was Byron."
"Fucking English majors." She mouths to Farleigh. He gives a slight smile and nods.
Pamela and Elspeth talk nonsense about people Ariadne doesn't care about, so she reaches over the table, snatches Felix's apple from his plate, and bites in.
"What the hell, pet?" Felix whines.
Ariadne rolls her eyes. "You don't even like apples that much!"
Duncan delivers the eggs to Oliver's plate. "Thank you so much," he says, big blue eyes darting around like a frightened animal. then, the eyes peer down, and Oliver grimaces at the eggs.
"Is everything okay, Ollie?" Felix asks, that sweet, tentative sound in his voice that, when directed at the right person, could make you spill your deepest secrets and greatest fears.
The way he calls him Ollie, the way the Cattons always take to nicknames for their pets, makes her jaw tick. It's such an odd but effective way to claim possession over someone, and it didn't even occur to them that they were doing it.
"Er, ‘course, yeah. It’s just. Runny eggs. I get a bit sick from them."
Ariadne can't resist the urge. she whistles, quietly. Duncan is going to be pissed. The Cattons, especially Elspeth, will be horrendously embarrassed. The whole kitchen staff will have their asses handed to them.
"Sorry." He says as Duncan clears his plate of eggs, and again when Duncan leaves for more.
Farleigh smirks into his magazine. "Well, I'm goin' up to my room." He declares.
Venetia nods. "I'd like to head back to sleep an hour more."
Ariadne snorts. "I'm sure you can show Oliver to the pool by yourself, right Fi?" She grins wickedly, making a good show of yawning.
Farleigh waits in the doorway for her, and she flicks him in the chest as she passed him. He sets to follow her, undeterred. "Later, losers." She hums as she swings out.
#farleigh start x black!oc#farleigh start x original female character#farleigh start x oc#farleigh start smut
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So I activated the "Blending In" preset in the Chronivac and set it to Slow Burn mode. I'm not sure how long it would take to make changes, but to have some fun, I also made sure I'm only partially aware.
Went to this gym nearby, though maybe it was bad timing that there were those toxic school bullies and big meatheads. Well, they're actually fine when they start talking with me like I belonged. Maybe they're alright.
Of course you're not one of them. You play the cello in the school orchestra, are active in the student council and are involved in animal protection. But still, it was cool with the guys. Their tips sounded quite useful. And after you had a big protein shake with the boys after training, you had a lot of fun farting in the competition. No question, you came in last place.
Then outside the gym they went back to pretending they didn't know you. Nick, the alpha meathead, almost ran you over with his motorbike in the gym car park. Anyway, maybe he just didn't see you.
The next morning you wake up full of energy. You jump out of bed, do 100 push-ups and 100 sit-ups and go to the bathroom. Hehehehe, should there really be some beard fuzz? You shave every morning anyway, hoping that the beard will finally grow more. Maybe that will finally be successful. Don't bother with the shower. Today you're going to the gym again after school anyway, so you can take a shower then. A quick sniff in the armpit. Still working. To save time, you put on yesterday's gym clothes for school.
In class today you find it harder than usual to concentrate. In maths you actually nod off for a few minutes. But Nick actually greets you in the corridor with a fist bump. And he even talks to you when you finally get to lie on the weight bench and lift weights after school. After the workout, the boys ask you if you'd like to come watch football in the diner. You'd love to. But you have driving school today. You want to finally get your licence for the motorbike.
The next morning, when you go to the bathroom after your run, push-ups and sit-ups, you notice that you didn't shower yesterday. Armpit check. Fuck, you finally smell like a man. And the hair in your armpits finally comes out. You pose in front of the mirror. Yes, the training is paying off. And the protein shakes too. You'll be further ahead in the next farting competition.
You forgot to do your homework at school. That has never happened to you before in your life. When your French teacher asks you how you want to excuse it (en francais, s'il vous-plait), you let out a loud burp. You have detention. The boys in the back row applaud. And burp even louder. Gym is cancelled today. Or rather, it will take place for all of you without dumbbells during detention. With burpees and farts. When you are released, your teacher has to hold a handkerchief over her mouth and nose.
On the way to school, Nick and you have a race on your motorbikes. Shit, you lose. And the winner gets to fart in the loser's face during the bench press. Nick's farts are the worst. Thank God the first two hours are sport. Football is your favourite hobby after pumping iron. And Coach is very happy with you. Let's see if the quarterback position works out for you next season. At the end of practice, Coach reads out a message that you are specifically asked to shower after practice. Classmates and faculty have complained. What pussies! But you combine the pleasant with the useful. When jerking off in the shower, you become second in width to the cum.
Saturday at last! All day in the gym and then cruising with the bikes in the evening. Nick is already waiting for you, talking football with your old man. And about the army. If graduation doesn't work out, this could be a real alternative for you. Your father was in the Navy Seals himself and, unlike your mother, doesn't think it's a bad idea.
At the gym, Nick is whining about how envious he is of your beard growth. And how shitty he thinks it is that his parents don't allow him to get tattoos. Anyway, after the summer it's either college or military academy. Then you can do whatever you want.
#male tf#muscle tf#reality change#chronivac#inked man#hairy pits#male transformation#muscle transformation
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Tobin Heath loves women’s cycling and she has some ideas
Pro footballer Tobin Heath sat down with Matilda Price for the Wheel Talk Podcast to discuss her love of cycling and the sport within the wider landscape of women's athletics.
Football and cycling sit at vastly different ends of the women’s sports spectrum. Football is the biggest sport in the world, and the women’s game has become emblematic of the women’s sport movement, boasting some of the biggest competitions and stars in the world. Female footballers are household names, and the sport is estimated to draw in half a billion Euros of revenue per year.
Cycling, on the other hand, is niche to start with, outside of a handful of Western European nations, so the women’s side of the sport is only going to be smaller. The sport is undeniably on the up, and in its best-ever shape, but it’s nowhere near the global boom of women’s football.
In many ways, women’s football and the strides it’s taken in recent years should be something women’s cycling looks up to, and plenty of stakeholders in the sport are doing that. But for one high-profile star, the admiration goes the other way.
At the start of the Tour de France Femmes in Rotterdam, footballer Tobin Heath was a surprising sight, and not always a familiar one to the very cycling-focused community around the Tour. For anyone unaware, Tobin Heath is widely considered one of the best women’s footballers in the world, and she’s a veteran of the sport. With the US national team, she’s won Olympic golds and World Cup titles, she’s won two NWSL Championships with the Portland Thorns, and she’s enjoyed stints at Manchester United, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain. Hopefully, that conveys to even the uninitiated the stature that we’re talking about with Tobin Heath.
Fresh off of a trip to Paris supporting her USWNT teammates at the Olympics, Heath switched to full-on fan mode at the Tour. The two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion rode with Canyon-SRAM, sat down with Demi Vollering, and immersed herself in the race as a special guest of Strava.
“I was amazed. When I went there, I was absolutely amazed at the experience,” Heath told Escape Collective. This is an athlete who has won gold at two Olympic Games and two World Cups, and played in or been at many of the biggest events in women’s sport in recent years – but she didn’t know quite what to expect at the women’s Tour de France.
“I was amazed at the access that I had to the athletes. I didn’t know what to expect, but then I got to do all these insane things that, when I equate it to my own sport, I’m like ‘that would just never happen’.”
Cycling may be a world away from what Heath is used to, but after starting her own riding journey and then heading to the Tour this summer, it’s safe to say she is hooked – and she must just be the star superfan that women’s cycling needs.
Where it started for Heath
So, how does one of the best footballers in the world end up in cycling? They’re not two sports that traditionally cross over much, and particularly with Heath being from the US, the general interest in cycling is even smaller.
The 36-year-old’s story starts in a familiar way: she turned to cycling after an injury. Heath is not retired, but hasn’t played football competitively since 2022, owing to a recurring knee injury.
“It kind of just happened because I’ve had a long-term injury from football – from my many years of playing football, it’s kind of par for the course of being an athlete,” she explained. “But I was doing some extensive rehab, and I couldn’t run, so I was doing a lot of cardio-based cycling in the clinic, and it was just miserable. Biking, no windows, on this Wattbike, it was so miserable.
“But I had a really good friend, James Hotson, who’s a triathlete, and I was always curious about cycling. I’ve always loved cycling as getting around, I’ve always loved being on a bike, just that sense of freedom and there’s kind of a childlike nature about it. And I was always asking him questions about it, about the cycling community, the training, like I’m obsessed with training regimens and stuff like that. So I guess the universe conspires in a lot of ways.”
Heath’s injury, her curiosity and the cycling scene in LA, where she’s based, all came together in the perfect way. One second-hand bike later – “I didn’t want to make the huge investment into cycling, it’s a really big barrier to entry” – and Heath was away.
“Next thing you know, I’m fully kitted, I have the best bike ever, and [James] is like ‘this is my friend Iz King’ who is a professional gravel rider in the area, and she gave me everything. This was when there was no looking back for me, because as soon as you put on the kit and you have all the bells and whistles, this is when I became a full-blown poser.”
Heath may have thought of herself as a poser at first – in fact, she still calls herself that when talking about being at the Tour – but her passion and enjoyment for the sport was very real.
“There was an unlock of being able to exercise in a way that I couldn’t before, in terms of getting heart rate zones that were equivalent to playing a full 90-minute match. I was like ‘oh my gosh, finally I can push myself’ in ways that my injury had limited me in a running and football perspective.
“So there was that, but the biggest unlock was getting outside and in nature and feeling that sense of freedom and discovery,” she added, recalling how football allows you to be outside and in the fresh air in a way that recovery perhaps doesn’t.
“I remember the first time I came back from a really big ride, and my partner was like ‘you’re like a changed human’. I feel like that was pretty cool, after a long time struggling with an injury and having so much frustration from a physical standpoint, to get this feeling of almost release and relief, and at the same time joy.”
As you might expect from a pro athlete, Heath soon started mixing in some performance and data aspects into her riding. Football, she pointed out, is also incredibly data-driven these days, so it was a natural carry-over, and an empowering thing to be able to see and use her own data.
“I think what was really cool is the community aspect, but also with Strava and the many hook-ups into that platform, it gives you this access to data that I feel was limited when I was a professional athlete. We kind of just were given training programmes, we worked, and then the data was passed off to all the scientists and the performance staff.
“It’s really cool and powerful to have your own data and to see it and then to be able to compare it to others. I think there’s a competitiveness with that, but I also think it’s just a really fun way to track yourself and your own progress. So I’m really enjoying that aspect of it, because when you go out and push yourself, you do see it – I’m at a point in the sport where I’m seeing significant gains. When you become elite elite, you’re talking about the tiniest percentages of gains that make you better than the person next to you, but I’m at this level where I’m seeing gains upon gains. And I’m loving it because I’ve lived in such a thin air for so long in terms of the tiny little nuances of performance, so it’s really fun to be in a place where you’re like, wow, I got significantly better today.”
Cycling in the women’s sport landscape
Through her involvement with cycling, Heath began to work with Strava, and it was via the brand that she ended up at the Tour de France Femmes.
As cycling journalists, we don’t often get to interview athletes outside of our sport, so given the time with Heath, it was hard not to ask about how she perceived the sport, particularly in comparison to her own background and the women’s sport forerunner that is football.
Most of what Heath experienced on the ground at the Tour was hugely positive, but there were a few things that surprised her about the profile of the sport.
“I was so disappointed in just the lack of information,” she said. “I remember I was going to interview Demi Vollering, and I was trying to find as much information about her as possible. This is one of the best cyclists in the world, if not the best, and I wasn’t even able to find a story of how she got into cycling, you know, one of the most basic things. I went to her Wikipedia page and there wasn’t even a personal blog on her. I was like ‘this is messed up’ because when you go and speak to her, and you learn about her craft, then you watch how good she is, you’re just like ‘oh my gosh, this is a gold mine’.”
After an immersive few days in the Netherlands, Heath also experienced the crushing reality of the limitations of women’s cycling coverage – an unfortunate rite of passage for all new fans.
“I remember it was the final day of the Tour, which was one of the longest days, and I woke up early to watch it, and they didn’t start showing it until halfway through the race. And I was like, can you imagine a World Cup final, we’re playing in the World Cup final, and they turn it on at half time? I was just like ‘this is so not cool’, I thought I had gotten the time wrong or something, because I was like ‘I know they’re racing right now’.”
Coverage is a huge issue, but one thing Heath’s presence at the Tour highlighted was just how little cross-pollination with other sports cycling has. In the US, ‘women’s sport’ is practically an entity of its own, with particularly the NWSL and NWBA existing on a similar plane with similar audiences and fans. TOGETHXR, another brand who were working with Strava at the Tour and created the famous ‘Everyone Watches Women’s Sports’ t-shirts was founded by four athletes from four different sports – Alex Morgan, Chloe Kim, Simone Manuel and Sue Bird. All this means that when one sport succeeds, the others rise with the tide.
In Europe and in cycling, however, that intermixing is not quite there, and that’s something Heath picked up on too.
“When I was interviewing a lot of the riders, I thought it would be a great icebreaker question – ‘what football team do you support?’ – and I thought being in Europe and the majority of the racers being European, I thought it was going to be the best icebreaker there is. And… nothing. I swear, there was no crossover from cycling to football.
“I told Demi, I was like ‘oh my gosh, you’re like cycling’s version of Viv Miedema’ [decorated Dutch footballer, currently at Manchester City] and I was like ‘oh are you good friends with her?’ because I thought, small nation, sporting nation, all this stuff, there’s only a couple of elite women athletes there, this is a no brainer, these are best friends waiting to happen. And she was just kind of like ‘yeah yeah, no no’. Those are the missed opportunities, right?”
Coming from the NWSL – arguably the most successful women’s sports league in the world – Heath knows a thing or two about where those opportunities for growth lie, and how to harness them. One foundation of the NWSL in particular is independence – most of the teams in the top-flight are women’s-only teams, not associated with men’s teams.
“That’s where I’m really passionate is about independent ownership around women’s sports, because I believe that the women’s sports landscape looks very different to the men’s sports landscape, and you’re diminishing all the value that’s found in women’s sports if you try to copy and paste what men’s and women’s sports are like,” she said.
It’s a debate we regularly have about the women’s calendar and teams in cycling, and we’re not closer to an answer as the sport seems to be at a crossroads between forging its own path, and following the men’s sport’s model. For Heath, it’s about not placing any more constraints on women’s sports.
“I believe that the things that are being built by and for and looking at women’s sports as a completely new landscape are going to be the most powerful, the most successful ways to build, [rather] than to just try to be like ‘let’s make it exactly like men’s sports’. As long as that’s going to be the case, if that’s how people are looking at women’s sports, it’s always going to remain smaller than men’s sports. Yes, it will continue to grow, but it will always be smaller.”
Bringing cycling to a new audience
Like all women’s sports, what women’s cycling needs to grow is more attention and more investment. As someone who came to cycling via the women’s Tour de France, rather than the men’s sport, Heath also knows that, alongside the arguments for independence, there are arguments for using the well-known touchpoints in the sport as springboards.
“It actually reminds me of the men’s and women’s World Cups,” she said. “The Women’s World Cup, it’s kind of that similar feel, where it has this global brand to it, it has this global reach, there’s a lot of history. So even for folks that don’t know the history of the Tour, and they don’t know that it just started for the women, so if they’re just coming to the sport they’ll just assume it has the same history as the men’s Tour. So I think that’s a lot to leverage in that moment. And it is a global event, it’s something that brings folks together, and I think the global nature of the sport is what makes it so special,” she said.
As someone who’s been playing at a senior level since 2004, Heath has seen both league football and the international tournaments grow almost exponentially into global brands and events, and when it comes to investment in women’s sports, she knows one thing to be true: it’s going to be worth it.
“I think [growth] happening. I think it’s all about investment. But with so much of women’s sports, it always feels like we kind of have to show the numbers before we get the investment, and that’s not really how investment works. When people argue about it, they’re saying ‘oh the revenue’s not there’, but you invest to get revenue, it’s a simple business model. But in women’s sports, we haven’t been able to get to that point. I think we’re on the basement level of women’s sports. When you look at if you were to invest in men’s sports, we’re talking about big numbers, especially from a footballing perspective, but when you invest in women’s sports, you’re also talking about big numbers. If you invest now, it’s going to take ten, twenty years, but you’re going to make so much money.”
In posting about cycling to her 750,000-strong Instagram following, and talking about the Tour de France Femmes on her popular RE-CAP podcast, Heath is doing some of the work in bringing the sport to a whole new audience, and importantly, an audience who are already passionate about women’s sport. Rather than go after cycling fans and men’s sports fans, women’s cycling should look to attract the wider female sport audience.
“I think there’s something in actually just building the community around women’s sports and creating more pathways to get from one sport to another in women’s sports, because I think there’s a lot of crossover between the things that I’m invested in and care about as a global women’s football fan that are easily translatable into women’s cycling.”
That conversion has definitely worked on Heath. She’s already hoping to come back for the full Tour next year, and is passionate about getting the word out about women’s cycling.
“I had already gotten hooked on cycling, but then I went to the Tour and when I was learning about all these incredible athletes, I just became really obsessed and really passionate about bringing more attention to the sport and learning more, becoming a fan, and just getting involved and active in it, because I just feel like there’s so much there to appreciate and love.”
We certainly think so too, and with a star as high-profile as Tobin Heath fighting its corner, women’s cycling has found a very exciting new supporter.
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