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bunnys-kisses · 1 month ago

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mean!daniel & mean!max - a match made in hell

both men snickered behind your back as you poured them their drinks. it was their second of the afternoon. out on the boat. the bright sun was bugging your eyes but you had to stay focused. the tag of the collar you wore gleamed in the sunshine. 'property of max verstappen' the gold tag read against the black leather of the collar that was secured around your neck. and don't think about trying to take it off, max was currently playing with the key to the lock between his fingers. it wasn't coming off until max wanted it off. and while max marked your throat with italian leather, you knew your left ass cheek was bruised after daniel didn't want to keep his hands to himself anymore. he liked watching how the fat of your ass jiggled when he groped and slapped the skin. marking it in a dangerous purple.

"where's the drinks beautiful!" daniel barked a laugh and max nudged him in the side which resulted in them both laughing. max added, "c'mon, i'd hate to cut your allowance." you could feel their hungry gazes on your backside. hungry like animals as you tried to finish making their drinks. most women with enough self respect would've snapped back, even splashing a drink in their faces. but you continued to pour the gin into the cup with shaky hands. almost dropping the bottle on the counter when you felt the shock of pleasure race up your spine. you slammed your free hand onto the counter and tried not to moan. these sick fucks, these horrible sick fucks. you composed yourself and tried to keep on steady legs, but the heels you were forced to wear only made your steps awkward as you brought the drinks to the two men on a tray.

they watched you almost stumble over to them. your breasts bounced with each step. the bikini you wore did little to support your larger chest, but then again you used the term 'bikini' lightly. it was a pathetic excuse for swim-wear. you were certain if max kept you naked all afternoon it would constitute swim-wear better. you handed them their drinks, bent over a little to hand it to them personally. but when you tried to go back to the bar counter to put the tray back, max stuck out his foot. and without thinking you tumbled over and onto the floor.

you almost landed face first with your ass up. you braced yourself with your hands. but even that struck pain through your palms and forearms. you let out a pathetic whine and tried to get yourself up, but you were kept down by a shoe against your back. maybe it was sick revenge. you were christian horner's daughter, and both men had a bone to pick with him. max drove a shit car and daniel had been jerked around enough by the team principal over the years. didn't even give the aussie driver a proper goodbye when he was booted from formula one. it didn't help that max made it all better by slipping a healthy amount of euros into your pocket after each visit. good look telling daddy where you were tonight. you could hear the ice clanking in the cup as additional pressure was placed between your shoulders. "you have to be careful." max's words were attempting to be gentle, but you could hear the venom loud and clear. you squirmed a little under his foot but instead he leaned down to trail the glass across your heated skin, "stupid little thing." he sighed, "if you weren't a horner, you'd just be another dumb slut. you like this don't you?"

you squirmed and both men laughed. it echoed in the depths of your skull. it rattled something in you. a deep need you carried, you did like it. even when you cried, you loved it. max verstappen and daniel ricciardo had no interest in treating you with kindness. with the amount of money they had, and the amount of influence their carried. you could complain to the highest court about the bruising and intimidation and they'd simply laugh at you. even your dear father would suggest you just ignore it. he couldn't afford to lose max anyway. you tried to push yourself up, but max pressed harder, "behave." his tone was dangerous. daniel laughed, "does her old man even know where she is this afternnon?" max shrugged, "i don't know, but maybe we should send her back with a little message for dear horner." then took his foot off your back. both men grabbed you roughly and you ended up in max's lap. his cock up and against your back. "you dress like a slut, you know that right?" max said as he dragged his cold drink between the valley of your breasts, the flesh still barely hidden by the bikini top. both men saw how hard your nipples were getting, "but you like that don't you? you like when men fuck you up." he put the glass to your lips and made you take a sip while daniel quickly finished his. he was knelt between your legs, that max kept open. with a few sips of the strong gin and tonic, you were undressed.

there was a slight miracle to be had as the boat was far enough away from shore that no one could see what the two drivers were going to do to you. nude and vulnerable between two top drivers. the daughter of one of the most hated men in formula one. if anything daniel and max were doing a service to their dear fans. enacting revenge on horner by fucking his eldest daughter. bruising you so nicely. max's cock fit into you nicely and your voice grew hoarse. daniel's fingers were on your clit, teasing you until your back was arched. but, max kept you pinned to him with his strong arms around you middle, "greedy whore." he said. daniel added, "aren't you being a little mean, max?" both men looked at each other and laughed before they said, "no." max fucked you quickly. you could take him easily, he had spent months training your poor pussy to accommodate him. the stretch however burned as he fucked you with little remorse. and daniel's fingers on your clit made you whine louder. there was little time to get familiar. the men wanted it to hurt, to sting. a reminder that horner may jerk them around, but they would do it tenfold on your poor body. maybe you should've stayed the summer at the university you attended, instead of in the jaws of the two. you could feel max so deep and your noises almost became screams when daniel bit at your exposed breasts. your nipple between his teeth as he pulled a little too hard. the noises only got louder when daniel sank two fingers into your aching cunt alongside max's throbbing cock. your eyes rolled back a little and daniel laughed, the noise echoed in your fucked out brain, "eyes open, beautiful. you wanna be awake for this." you had no idea what they'd even try if you lose consciousness. both men were insatiable. the feeling of the double penetration left you hazy, unable to do much but take it. both men spoke, but the words went over your head. their paces were aggressive, especially daniel despite using his fingers to stretch you perfectly. "i see why you have to collar her, max." daniel said before he licked your clit which made you kick out your legs so hard the stupid heels you wore fell off. he looked to his friend, "it's like a dog almost, right? if she wanders a little too far, someone will always bring her home." max placed a heavy hand on your throat and replied, his lips nose up against your neck, "of course. thought about 'leaking' some photos i have of her. make it hard for her to have a job if the whole internet can see her tits." his words were dark, but there was little you could do about it. daniel laughed, "and she can't live in daddy's money forever." max held onto your throat a little tighter as he fucked you, "how does that sound? be my personal little slut forever? stuck with me." you could almost feel his teeth against your flushed skin. daniel laughed, "we don't have to be on shore till tonight, i think that's more than enough time to ruin her reputation." daniel licked your clit once more and you choked out a pathetic moan. it sounded delicious.

you looked like a whore. and whore that didn't even get to finish in the end. max fucked you to completion and when you got close to orgasm yourself, daniel pinched your clit with his other hand and said, "oh no, no, no." his move star smile blinded you, "you don't get to finish, until i do." you tried to form words, but nothing came to mind. you felt on another planet while these men devoured you. eventually they gave you the luxury of a bed below deck, but that only meant more chances for them to bruise your pretty insides. you didn't get to finish until max and daniel finished in you twice each. the cum soaked into your skin, in your hair and the taste in your mouth. your cunt raw and your skin bruised your hand prints and bite marks. by the time they were done, you were sandwiched between them in a crumbled mess on the bed. when max slapped your ass, adding to the bruises, he said, "get up. we want another drink." and when you cracked your eyes open you realized that you wouldn't be wearing a scrap of clothing when you went to the deck. except max's tag around your throat. <3

a/n: some kind of force took over me, i don't know what happened.

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vitalverstappen · 2 months ago

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The Tortured Poets Department - D. Ricciardo

summary: snapshots of your relationship with Danny

pairing: Daniel Ricciardo x reader

warnings: smoking, anxiety, self sabotage

word count: 1.6k

a/n: writing is quite literally the only thing getting me through the danny news so enjoy!

masterlist

the tortured drivers' department masterlist

It wasn’t hard to figure out that Daniel was into the arts. He constantly had a camera in his hands, he had a .jpeg account, and his favorite dates were always to the local art museum. So it was no surprise that when you first started dating, he started to dabble in writing. What did puzzle you was the fact he bought a typewriter for his endeavors. And that he had a habit of leaving it at your apartment.

“I don’t understand how you keep forgetting this thing. It’s huge” You joked as you flipped your phone camera to show the machine that was collecting dust on your kitchen table. As much as you loved him, you’d never understand why he chose such an antiquated way of putting his stories to life.

“I left it there again?” He asked “Maybe I should just keep it there. We could start a club: The Tortured Poets Department”

“Yeah, good luck with that” You said, a smirk plastered on your face.

The next Grand Prix came quicker than you would’ve liked. You loved watching the race, and loved seeing Danny do what he loves, but you hated that he always ended up self sabotaging. It didn’t matter if it was a race win or if he came in last. He always found something to be upset about.

A frown was plastered on his face as he climbed out of the car. He had gotten fourth, so you would think there was nothing to be upset about, but that’s not how Daniel operates. You were easily able to decode that the finish meant he was either upset that he didn’t get on the podium, or that he didn’t think he deserved to be that high.

“There is no way I actually got P4.” He began

“I don’t deserve that” The two of you said in sync, a playfully mocking tone in your voice. You already knew how this was going to play out, as if it was a show you had watched countless times. You had the dialogue memorized.

A sigh escaped your lips as you wrapped your arms around him, your tone becoming more serious, “Yes you do, love. You deserve that and the whole world.”

“You really mean that?” He asked as he pulled away from you, his arms still at your waist.

“Yes, I fully mean that. You’ve hauled that tractor of a car all the way to fourth. You have incredible talent behind the wheel.” You reassured him.

That night, the two of you returned home to Monaco, where you had a nice, relaxing evening of listening to your favorite songs, smoking, and going through the F1 gossip blogs. It was a guilty pleasure, hearing what everyone had to say about you two. Both you and Daniel didn’t care how everyone felt about you two. If anything, it was funny seeing how wrong the internet was about everything that happened behind the scenes.

“‘I think Danny and Y/N should get a dog. They’d be such cute pawrents!’” Daniel read and then glanced over at you, wiggling his eyebrows “Should we?”

“God no” You laughed “ We can barely take care of ourselves. What makes you think we can take care of a dog?”

Daniel shrugged “True, we’re not Charles and Alexandra. We’re just two idiots”

“You’re gonna love this one ‘Rumor has it that Y/N Y/L/N is leaving Daniel for another F1 driver.’” You read off of your phone “And guess what the attached photos were of?”

“What?” Danny asked as he took a bite of the chocolate bar he had in his hand

You managed to form a smirk with the blunt in your mouth as you tilted the phone for him to see. On the screen was a photo of you in the VCARB garage talking to another man. What the world didn’t know was that the unnamed man was your twin brother.

“Wow, you and Matthew seem pretty close. I heard he’s into you” Daniel joked as he plucked the blunt from your mouth and putting it in his instead

“Oh shut up” You said, the two of you quickly breaking into laughter

The sound of laughter slowly died down as the album that was currently on the record player ended. The walk over to the dresser was like a minefield littered with empty chocolate wrappers.

“How many of these did you have?” You asked, picking one up

“Seven?” Daniel answered, unsure

“Oh my god you’re ridiculous” You chuckled as you threw the wrapper at him, nearly hitting him in the face. “What do you wanna listen to next?”

“Charlie Puth?” Daniel suggested, as he put out the end of the blunt “You know, he should really be a bigger artist”

You thought about his comment for a second as you put one of his old records on, “Yeah, you don’t hear much about him nowadays”

As you climbed back into bed, Daniel rested his head on your chest. Out of instinct, your right hand began running itself through your boyfriend’s curly hair. He took your left hand and started fiddling with the ring on your middle finger - your mom’s engagement ring. Daniel loved playing with it for some reason, but you never questioned why.

His chest began to rise and fall slower and slower, the fiddling stopped, and snoring began to fill the room. Never in your life did you imagine having a tattooed golden retriever of a boyfriend, but you wouldn’t have it any other way.

But the doubts always crept in, and this night was no different. You were awakened by the feeling of Daniel tossing and turning all night, something clearly bothering him.

“You alright?” You muttered, turning to face him

“Wha? Yeah everything’s fine. Can’t sleep that’s all” Daniel spoke

“You usually sleep really well after a race. Something’s up. Talk to me.”

At this point, the two of you were fully awake and sat up in bed. Like you predicted, worry was spread all over his face.

A sigh left his lips before Daniel spoke again, “Is this too much for you?”

“What?” You asked

“The relationship, the media attention. I know there’s a lot that comes with dating me. The cameras, the rumors, me constantly being away. I know it’s a whirlwind that even I can’t keep up with sometimes. Is this all too much for you?”

Silence overcame the two of you as you became deep in your thoughts. It was a lot on you, and he knew that. It was always tough being away from each other, and you never thought your relationship would have a magnifying glass focused on it.

But to you, it was all worth it to be with the one you truly loved. Love was about sacrifices and being there for each other regardless. And that’s what the two of you had done.

“I would be lying if I said it wasn’t a lot to handle” You began “It’s never easy being away from you, or worrying about your safety every weekend. And the constant comments about us aren’t exactly rainbows and butterflies, but honestly? I don’t want it any other way. I chose to be in this cyclone with you. I wouldn’t want it any other way as long as I have you.”

You could hear Daniel release the breath you didn’t know he was holding, “I love you”

“I love you too”

The reassurance you gave that night was all Daniel needed. Once summer break arrived, he insisted on taking you to your favorite restaurant; the same one he took you to for your first date. He had managed to get you a secluded table with rose petals covering the cloth.

“Danny, you didn’t have to do this” You said as he pulled the chair out for you

“Maybe I wanted to” He said as he pushed you in and then sat across

The night was spent talking about anything and everything, from the first half of the F1 season to reminding Daniel why you refuse to eat pineapple on pizza. As the night continued on, you could tell Daniel was getting more anxious about something, but you couldn’t put a finger on what.

“You know I love you, right?” Daniel blurted out

Your eyebrows furrowed “Yeah Dan, I do. And I love you too”

“No, I love you, a lot.” He began as he took your left hand, “More than I thought was ever possible to love somebody. The day I met you I knew I wanted to be a part of your life. I wanted to experience everything that you do. Be there to celebrate your highs and support you through your lows. It has been so much fun getting to live life with you, and I’m so thankful you’ve been doing the same for me.”

Daniel paused as he got up from his seat, his hand still holding yours as he bent down on one knee. As he slid your mom’s engagement ring off of your middle finger, you could feel your heart pounding out of your chest. This was happening. This was real life.

“Y/N Y/L/N, Will you make me the happiest man alive? Will you marry me?” Daniel askes

“Yes Danny. Yes, yes. A thousand times yes!” You answered, the words falling out of your mouth with ease

As you two returned to your apartment, the same typewriter Danny bought all those years ago greeted you on your dresser. Dust covered each of the keys, but it seemed to shine with a new brightness. There was something about the machine that drew you in. So you sat down, as if you were greeting an old friend, and blew the dust off the rusty keys, ready to join the Tortured Poets Department with Danny.

#formula 1 #formula one #daniel ricciardo #daniel ricciardo x reader #f1 x reader #vcarb #red bull racing #red bull #writing #creative writing #f1 2024 #visa cashapp rb #f1 #ricciardo x reader #danny ricciardo #danny ric #dr3

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thebearchives · 9 months ago

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miss you so | DR3

PAIR. daniel ricciardo x model!reader

SUMM. all good things must come to an end, and unfortunately, you and daniel weren’t an exception.

TYPE. smau (fc: anne hathaway)

daniel3.jpg

liked by yourusername and 381,729 others

daniel3.jpg the prettiest muse

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yourusername the prettiest photographer liked by daniel3.jpg

yourusername i love you ⤷ daniel3.jpg i love you more ⤷ user i love THEM

user MUSE 🥺

user i'm so painfully single

user so 😭 happy 😭 for 😭 you 😭 guys

lilymhe that's mother. liked by yourusername ⤷ user truer words have never been spoken

lando.jpg we get it, you're in love 🙄 ⤷ daniel3.jpg we get it, you're single 🤣

yourusername

liked by danielricciardo and 432,362 others

yourusername blackcurrant baby

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user god, she's gorgeous

danielricciardo baby, you're perfect liked by yourusername

danielricciardo i'm so lucky liked by yourusername ⤷ user im projectile vomiting ⤷ user STOPPPP

danielricciardo my pretty baby, i love you ⤷ yourusername i love you more, my pretty man ⤷ user sleeping on the highway tonight

user the way daniel's spamming the comments, he's so golden retriever

lilymhe the most perfect person ever ⤷ yourusername says you?

landonorris blackcurrant🤢 ⤷ user no one likes a bitter and jealous bitch! ⤷ user nurse, he's out again ⤷ user if you need a gf, hey 🥰

yourusername

liked by portermagazine and 502,618 others

yourusername honoured to be on the cover of portermagazine! thank you all for the opportunity. truly the most fun i've had in a while 🤍

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portermagazine thank YOU for gracing us with your beauty! liked by yourusername

user oh she's MOTHER

user she's so hot

lilymhe gorgeous girl xx liked by yourusername

user daniel's not spamming comments...? ⤷ user they broke up ⤷ user HUH??! HOW DO YOU KNOW?

user i don't know if i want to be her or be with her

user she ages like fine wine wow! ⤷ user not you acting as if she's 50+ 😭 she just turned 32 last month

user the caption??? “in a while”????? ⤷ user i don't want to believe the rumours but...

daniel3.jpg

liked by lando.jpg and 324,749 others

daniel3.jpg i was always taking pictures...

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user IS THAT A FRANK LYRIC?? ⤷ user ??? ⤷ user it's from a song called miss you so ⤷ user "i was always taking pictures cause i didn't want to miss a thing" 😭😭 ⤷ user "cause i didn't want to miss you bad" hurts even more 😭

user unfollowed and deleted all their posts together... i don't want to believe it

user chat is this real (pls say no) ⤷ user sorry, buddy 🙃

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kigieri · 1 month ago

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Meeting The Parents

The Danny Ric Series🍯🦡

Daniel Ricciardo × Reader

Meeting Daniel's parents feels daunting, but he supports and reassures you. He fell in love with you after all, so his parents are going to love you as well.

A/N: Welcome! I hope you enjoy The Danny Ric Series. It is dedicated to the wonderful man that brought so much joy to Formula One and its fans. I sadly did not feel inspired to write the actual meeting, but I hope you will enjoy this little fic anyways.

This story on AO3.

It was daunting, the mere idea of meeting his parents. They had been together for almost a year, but in between the F1 season and her own job she had not yet made it to Perth and the home where he grew up. This, however, was about to change.

Standing in front of the mirror she tucked at her dress. It was one of her favourites, just long enough that she was perfectly comfortable and a fabric that made her feel good. She let her hands glide over it, trying to calm herself.

It was not the first time she would speak to Daniel's parents. She had participated in a few phone calls. Even the odd facetimes here and there, but she held herself in the background, not wanting to intrude on their time.

Even though, with the Ricciardo family, that was easier said than done. Daniel had been so proud to introduce them and his mother always asked for her to just shortly pop in front of the camera and to say 'hello'. They were always greeting her with enthusiasm and a joy that was contagious.

Now she stood in front of the mirror in their hotel room. They had, at her insistence, booked a hotel for the night. Daniel had told her time and time again that that was not necessary, but she was refused to meet his parents at 2 AM after flying for over ten hours.

That argument had also, ultimately, convinced Daniel. He did not want his parents to drive multiple hours to come pick them up, which they insisted on, and neither did he want to drive that long in the night himself.

In the end, they had settled on taking a room at one of the fancier hotels at the airport. They had checked in right after getting their bags and collapsed on the bed. Now, a good night of sleep richer, they had only a bit of time left until they needed to check out. Daniel's parents were going to pick them up and drive them to their home.

She walked over to the vanity, picking up her earrings and putting them in. Daniel had sat down on the bed after getting ready. He was marginally less concerned, since he was not about to meet anyone new, but her worry worried him in return.

"You look great. Stop worrying. They already love you, your outfit is not going to change that, and neither is your self-doubt. I know it's stressful, but it is really not necessary." He smiled at her, but she just looked at him with slight concern on her face, clearly now thinking about all the possible ways she could unintentionally mess up.

Daniel stood up and walked over, taking her hands in his and kissing them. "You look absolutely stunning, as you always do. But they're going to love you either way, because even if you turn up in a jumper and jeans, they're going to be convinced by your personality. Which is what I fell in love with." She looked at their hands, squeezing his slightly. "I know their approval means a lot to you, so I simply want to be perfect."

He shook his head. "No, don't even start that. You are perfect just the way you are. I simply want you to be who you are. The lovely, caring, empathetic woman I fell in love with." He lifted her head by the chin to kiss her. "Okay?" He asked and she nodded in return.

They gathered their last remaining belongings and after looking around the room one last time to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything, it was not as if they'd unpacked much, they left.

While waiting for the elevator, she stepped from one foot to the other. Daniel regarded her from the side. He understood her nervousness, his parents were very important to him, but so was she. They already loved her anyway. He could not stop gushing about her and the few interactions they had had were enough for his mother to make jokes about grandchildren and for his dad to talk about wedding bells.

This was not even taking into account his sister and nephew that had already met her at this year's Australian Grand Prix. They had absolutely loved her and she was so wonderful with children, he knew his sister was just waiting for the next time she'd get him alone to start making innuendos.

The elevator arrived and they both stepped in, their luggage was going to be brought down for them, they did not need to worry about it. She pushed the button for the lobby and, while watching the doors slide shut, she reached for his hand. "I love you, and they're going to too. You're amazing." He smiled at her. She didn't look back at him, her gaze focussed on the elevator doors. "I know. I know, okay... They're super friendly. I love your mom, your dad is cool, but I'm still nervous okay?" She looked at him and he was hit by a wave of adoration for her, that he might never get used to. He squeezed her hand. "Yes, okay."

As it is announced that they had reached the lobby, the doors open and Daniel could already spot his parents. Meeting them might be a bit nerve wrecking but, as he had said, there was nothing to be afraid of. He adored her and so would his parents.

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tastycitrus · 1 year ago

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there's an alternate timeline where the new 52 reboot kept all three batgirls but retconned all the robins except for dick, who went back to being robin with nightwing banned from being mentioned at all

#batman #batgirl #barbara gordon #cassandra cain #stephanie brown #dick grayson #the trade off is that cass’s personality gets derailed and completely ruined by bad writing #while steph changes personality every time she has a new writer and no one knows what to do with her #so not too far off from what actually happened to them *shot*#other things: dick never gets to move on from the robin title. he's just robin forever #when the other batboys are reintroduced they're given different identities instead of robin with new backstories #barbara gets shot in the head as if being shot in the spine wasn't enough and suffers her own ric grayson arc #steph comes out as bi and starts dating some random girl (not cass) while also dumping and ghosting tim for like a year #right after she received memories of their pre-flashpoint selves and confessed her undying love for him #cass stops using the one thing she's most known for (her martial arts) in favor of like. hooks. in reference to the end of her solo series

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a-distantdreamer · 1 year ago

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Only Us

daniel ricciardo x ofc

word count: 5222

thank you to the lovely @leclerc-stan for always being there and @strawberrysainz and @forteafy for convincing me to post this 🫶🏻 i haven’t posted any of my writing in a while but with some encouragement and support i have built up the courage again. i hope this is okay. 🤍

tw: nausea, vomiting, pregnancy tests

Sienna felt like shit.

Her hands trembled as she dragged her suitcase up the front path, trying to ignore the sweat beading on her hairline. As expected for the Australian summertime, it was as hot as hell, but she had been sweating and nauseous even in the depths of the air conditioned airport and the taxi.

Daniel had, of course, offered to come and collect her from the airport, but she refused, knowing that they were hosting his parents for lunch that afternoon. She wouldn’t deny Daniel the rare, quality time with his Mum and Dad for anything, no matter how much she wished he was there to give her a cuddle when she’d first got out of the airport.

As Sienna fished through her bag for her keys, her stomach knotted again, and she inhaled slowly through her nose, bracing the palm of her hand on the wood of the door. Mentally, she noted that there was a perfectly good hedge next to their front door that could be vomited into, if needed.

Eventually, the churning of her stomach eased a little, and Sienna managed to unlock the front door, pulling herself and her case into the entryway. She set her backpack and suitcase by the foot of the stairs before beginning the search through the house for her family.

Rounding the corner into the open-plan living space, she smiled at the sight of Daniel standing at the kitchen countertop, chopping salad and bopping along to the summery music of one of his many playlists. He was clad in a pair of navy shorts and a bright blue, noisily patterned shirt. His feet were bare. She was home.

Slowly, Sienna walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his narrow waist. She felt him tense for a moment and giggled when he swore under his breath, before he looked down at her hands, which curled over his tummy.

“Well, hey there, cutie,” he murmured.

Sienna sighed contentedly, turning her head to rest her cheek between his shoulder blades as his voice settled over her like smooth caramel, “hi, baby.”

Daniel took hold of her hands to loosen her grip on him enough that he could turn to face her. She rested her hands on his hips, as his came up to cup her face. His stubble had grown a little since she had left, and one unruly curl of hair was hanging over his forehead. She reached up to smooth it back into place, with little effect.

“I fucking missed you,” he admitted, his gorgeous brown eyes scanning her face as he spoke.

Sienna nodded and leant up on her tiptoes to kiss him, “I missed you too.”

He smiled against her mouth until she lowered back to the flat of her feet. The motion alone made her head spin and she let out a groan, leaning forward to rest her head against his chest.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, his large hands running up and down her spine.

She shrugged, “I’ve felt awful for the whole journey home.”

“In what way?” Daniel probed, his concern growing.

“Nauseous, dizzy, hot even in the air conditioning. I haven’t managed to eat anything today,” Sienna listed.

“Still?” Daniel queried in confusion, “you were feeling sick before you left for Sydney too.”

“Must’ve just been the start of it. The nausea feels the same,” Sienna admitted, “although I feel like I’m running more of a temperature now.”

Daniel shook his head and lifted his hand to press the back of it to her forehead, “you don’t feel warm, you’re just a little…damp. With the sweat, y’know?”

Sienna snorted out a laugh at his choice of words, “probably because it’s hot as hell here, as usual. Who’s bright idea was it again to move out to a farm in The-Arse-End-of-Perth, Australia, again?”

“Oh I do wonder,” Daniel teased in return.

They knew full well that both he and Sienna had painstakingly searched for a house just like the one they were standing in for years, and were equally enthusiastic when the farm had come on the market. The day they had moved into the house, 4 years into their relationship, had been one of the happiest of Sienna’s life so far. It was their home, and any time that they had spare from Daniel’s hectic racing calendar in the year since they’d bought it was spent there.

Sienna tilted her head back to peer up at his handsome face, her fingertips gripping at the silkiness of his shirt, “are your mum and dad here yet?”

Part of her hoped he’d say no, so that they could cuddle, and she could nap, even though she was desperate to see Grace and Joe again too. She adored Daniel’s family.

Daniel nodded, “they’re outside. But if you’re not feeling well enough to come out now, you can go lay down for a bit. They’ll understand.”

“No way,” Sienna shook her head, even though she was dying to crawl into her own bed and just sleep, “I want to see them.”

The Ricciardos were out on the patio, looking as put together and gorgeous as ever. Grace was holding a glass of red wine, watching Joe heating the grill with a beer in hand. Daniel came out, holding the large bowl of salad he’d prepared in one hand, and leading Sienna out with the other.

“There’s our girl!” Joe cheered at the sight of her, abandoning the grill to rush over as Daniel let go of her to put down the food.

Sienna never had to force a smile around Daniel’s family. They were always so incredibly welcoming to her.

“Hey, Joe,” she greeted, as he engulfed her in a tight hug. Grace had also made her way over in that time, greeting Sienna with a hug and a kiss on the cheek once Joe let go of her.

“How was your journey, darling?” Grace queried softly, cupping her cheek.

Sienna managed a weak smile, “it was a little rough. I don’t feel all that well.”

“Oh, sweetie, go and rest if you need to!” Grace exclaimed, her hands resting on Sienna’s shoulders, “don’t mind us one bit.”

Sienna shook her head, “I’ll be okay. I think I just need some food and fresh air. I haven’t managed to eat yet today either, so that probably explains it.”

Grace still looked uncertain, but let it go, taking her seat back at the table with Sienna beside her as Daniel went to assist Joe with the food again. Grace and Sienna chatted about her work trip to Sydney and other current affairs, occasionally looking up to laugh at the banter between Daniel and his dad over the barbecue, or the ridiculous way Daniel was shaking his hips to the music. They talked about her and Daniel’s plans for the rest of the summer break, including their upcoming trip to Southern Italy.

Throughout, Grace knew that Sienna still wasn’t herself. She was awfully pale, and Grace noticed how Sienna’s hands were trembling a little whenever she went to take a tentative sip of water. She also noticed how Daniel would glance back over at Sienna regularly to check on her, the small crease between his eyebrows showing concern.

In the distance beyond the patio, Sienna spotted their flock of sheep migrating over the red-dirt hills towards their pen. She made a mental note to go down and visit them first thing in the morning, along with her horses. She had missed them so much in the four days that she was away. Having enough space to own animals had always been a dream of hers, and she felt blessed that she and Daniel were in a position to do so.

Suddenly, a slight breeze blew across the patio, carrying the scent of the cooking meat on the barbecue across the table. Sienna’s nose scrunched as the rich scent of steak and seasoned chicken engulfed her, and her stomach lurched. She slapped her hand ove no r her mouth and pushed out from the table as bile rose in her throat.

Daniel could only watch in confusion as Sienna raced back inside the house. He quickly handed the spatula back over to his dad and took off his apron, not wanting to risk anything that was making Sienna feel more sick getting close to her.

“Poor thing,” he heard his mum saying sympathetically as he followed Sienna inside, “she really isn’t well at all.”

The door to the downstairs bathroom was flung wide open, and Sienna hadn’t even bothered to turn the lights on before falling to her knees in front of the toilet. There was no relief that came with actually vomiting though, and now she had started she feared she wouldn’t be able to stop. Already, there was little more than stomach acid coming up, burning at her nose and throat and only making the nausea worse.

“Oh, Peach,” Daniel sighed, crouching down beside Sienna’s exhausted-looking form. He carded his fingers through her sweat-dampened hair, ensuring it was all pulled away from her face before he kissed the crown of her head.

“I’m here, baby,” he soothed as she continued to vomit.

One of her hands shakily reached for him to steady herself, her clammy palm gripping onto his thigh where his shorts had ridden up a little to expose the tanned and tattooed skin.

Sienna let out a tired little sigh once her stomach finally stopped heaving, and she turned her head to rest her rosy cheek on Daniel’s thigh. She felt completely drained, and didn’t even try to open her eyes.

“All done?” Daniel asked softly, not wanting to speak too loudly and make her feel worse.

Weakly, she nodded, and Daniel shifted her until they were both sitting on the floor. Sienna was cradled in his lap as he smoothed his hand over her hair.

After a few moments, Daniel spoke quietly, “I’m going to put you in bed for a little while. If you’re feeling better later, you can come sit out with me and mum and dad again, yeah?”

Sienna didn’t even have the energy to object or explain how embarrassed she felt about getting sick in front of Daniel’s parents, so instead she just nodded. Daniel gently slid Sienna off his lap and onto the floor, before getting to his feet and bending down to lift her. He hooked an arm beneath her knees and the other behind her back, encouraging Sienna to curl into his chest.

“I’ve gotcha sweetheart,” he murmured when she let out a quiet groan of discomfort. Even the slight movement of him starting to walk up the stairs was making her feel sick again.

By the time Daniel had reached their bedroom, Sienna was fast asleep against his chest. He pulled back the covers with one hand and lay her down on the mattress gently. He made sure the air conditioning was set just as she liked it, that she had her childhood Snuggle Cat close by and a cold glass of water on the bedside table. He took a moment to perch on the mattress next to her, noting the tension in her forehead and the little crease of her skin between her brows, even in her sleep. Something was definitely off.

Of course they’d seen each other sick in the last 6 years, even suffering through a rough bout of Covid-19 during the pandemic. Daniel couldn’t remember ever seeing Sienna so unwell before. Usually she would still manage to soldier through any symptoms, and simply curl up on the sofa under a blanket to watch trashy TV, but this time, she seemed completely drained.

Daniel gently kissed between Sienna’s brows, before smoothing over the spot with his thumb, encouraging her to relax, shushing her softly. She let out a little groan, arching into his touch before she snuggled further into the pillows.

Joe and Grace had finished off cooking the meat and veggies on the barbecue by the time Daniel wandered back out onto the patio. They’d even set the outside table and brought out the side dishes from the kitchen.

“How’s our girl?” Joe asked, as Daniel raked a hand through his hair, sinking into a chair opposite his mum and dad.

“Uh, she’s sleeping,” he said, reaching for the bowl of salad, “she’s totally wiped.”

“I could tell something wasn’t right as soon as she got back,” Grace admitted, spooning a few baby potatoes onto her plate, “we can save her some of the plainer food in case she’s hungry later, Bub.”

Daniel nodded in agreement, “thanks mum. She’s not been feeling well for a while, even before she left for Sydney. It might just be a bit of a nasty virus or something.”

Grace set down the dish she was holding and stared at her son, “she left on Tuesday?”

Daniel, still not looking up from where he was loading food onto his plate, nodded again, “yeah, she was away for 4 days.”

“Might even be worth seeing the doctor if she’s still not feeling great after 4 days,” Joe suggested, pushing his chair out from the table, “I’m gonna grab a beer. Want one, Dan?”

Daniel shook his head, “nah, thanks. I’d better not in case Sienna needs me later.”

Joe nodded, grabbing his son’s shoulder on his way past him back into the house. Once Joe was fully out of earshot, Grace leant across the table towards Daniel.

“Danny…I think you need to go and buy a pregnancy test,” She said.

Daniel’s brow furrowed, “what? For Sienna?”

“No. For you,” Grace joked, before she shook her head, “obviously for Sienna.”

He felt his stomach clench a little at the suggestion, “you think…?”

“It all adds up, Bubs. I was so sick when I was pregnant with you that I was convinced I had stomach flu for two weeks. I was just like Sienna is now - couldn’t stand the smell of any food, I was vomiting, I had nausea and headaches,” Grace explained, ticking off the symptoms on her fingers.

Daniel let out a little laugh of disbelief, “holy shit.”

Grace shook her head quickly, seeing Daniel’s excitement at the prospect growing, “it might not be, but she’s got the symptoms. Might just be worth checking.”

“She should have had her period by now,” Daniel noted.

He couldn’t remember the last time Sienna had put sanitary products into their basket while shopping, curled up with a hot water bottle pressed to her belly or taken one of her ‘magical’ Epsom salt baths for her cramping.

It had been a while.

Grace nodded slowly, giving her son time to process his thoughts, “why don’t you run to the store now while she’s asleep? Your dad and I can stay here with her. I won’t say anything to Dad.”

Daniel’s eyes flitted to his mum, who gave him a reassuring smile. He nervously raked a hand through his hair, at which his mum leant forward, offering her hand to him across the table.

He took it and she gave it a squeeze.

“It’s gonna be okay, Dan. You don’t need to be scared,” she whispered.

Daniel stood, staring blankly at the shelves in the tiny convenience store. He didn’t think it was possible to have so many different variations of the same product. Surely they all just did the same thing, right?

He snapped a photo of the shelves and sent it to his mum, followed by one word. ‘Help.’

While he waited for her response, he started at one end of the small aisle, eyes scanning across the various boxes to see if any of the tests stood out to him. There were early result ones, ‘dip’ ones - whatever the fuck that meant - and a plethora of digital ones. They boasted the highest accuracy percentage, and Daniel trusted statistics, so he began picking a digital test from each brand off the shelf and dropping them into the basket at his feet.

His phone pinged, and Grace had replied; ‘digital is better. ClearBlue is what Mich used.’

Daniel nodded and slipped his phone back into his pocket, continuing his journey down the aisle. His mind kept drifting back to Sienna, who was laying in bed back at their house, unbelievably sick and potentially pregnant with their child. The thought of her carrying their baby was almost too exciting for Daniel to bear. He knew he had to get home to her quickly.

A dip in the mattress made Sienna stir from her deep sleep. She yawned and stretched, accidently shoving Snuggle Cat onto the floor before she opened her eyes.

Daniel was perched beside her, his large hand settled on the curve of her hip beneath the comforter, “hey, Peach. How are you feeling?”

Sienna smiled sleepily at the nickname, which made Daniel relax a little. She finally seemed a bit more like herself.

“Um, not as sick, I think?” Sienna answered tentatively, scrunching her nose as she gauged whether she was at an immediate risk of throwing up on Daniel. After a second, she decided that they’d be safe for the moment.

Daniel nodded, “good. That’s…good.”

Sienna then noticed the plastic grocery store bag in his lap, “what have you got, Dan?”

He looked down at his lap, and then back at her, “I went to the store while you were asleep. Mum suggested it.”

“Oh?” Sienna asked, rubbing at her eyes with a closed fist, not caring if she was smudging her already ruined mascara even more.

Daniel reached into the bag and pulled out one of the boxes, setting it on top of the quilt between them. It took Sienna a moment to register what she was looking at, but as soon as she did, she felt her mouth go dry.

“What-?”

“Mum said it might be worth taking a test,” Daniel said softly, hoping he hadn’t overstepped the mark, “that she was so sick when she was first pregnant with me, just like you have been, and I just thought-”

Sienna just blinked at him, her hand coming up to rest on her pale cheek, “I-I could be. I just don’t know.”

“You don’t have to,” Daniel insisted, reaching forward to take hold of her hand, “I know I’ve just sprung this on you which is pretty shitty of me considering how unwell you’re feeling. I’m sorry.”

Sienna shook her head, looking up at him from beneath her lashes, “do you want me to take one?”

Daniel didn’t really know how to answer. Of course he wanted to know if they were going to be parents, but for her, he’d wait to make sure she was comfortable. After all, she hadn’t had much time to process the idea.

“Only if you want to,” Daniel said softly.

Sienna took a shuddering breath, “I’m scared.”

“It’s okay,” Daniel replied, “I’ll be here the whole time.

True to his word, Daniel accompanied Sienna to the bathroom, leaning back against the countertop as she peed on as many of the tests as she could manage. After each one, she’d pass them over to Daniel, who dutifully lay them out in a neat line across the counter.

“Jesus, Si, keep ‘em coming,” he teased, quite impressed by the amount of pee she was managing to produce.

“Shut up, Dan,” she grumbled, her cheeks flushing a bit at his words as she clicked the cap onto the 6th and final test and stretched her hand out towards him. He smiled at her and took it, turning his back only to allow her the privacy to clean up and flush.

“How long do we wait?” he asked, as Sienna perused one of the many test boxes stacked up on the countertop after washing her hands.

“They take around 2 minutes apparently,” She sighed, wrapping her arms around herself.

Daniel was staring down at the line of tests intently, as if his gaze alone was enough to give them a result. She knew he was trying to stay composed for her, but she could spot his excitement a mile off. In that moment, she knew exactly what she wanted, and the real fear came from not being able to give Daniel that either.

“Danny,” she croaked, her eyes brimming with tears.

He turned to look at her and crossed the short distance to where she stood. As soon as he got to her, she crumbled, her arms wrapping around his neck and her face nuzzling into his shoulder to dampen his shirt.

“Hey,” he whispered, his hands running up and down her back, “it’s going to be okay, baby. Talk to me.”

She shook her head against him, and he gently squeezed her hips enough to hoist her up so she was sat on the counter. His hands cradled her face gently, those big brown eyes peering into hers.

“I love you,” he said quietly.

Sienna's eyes brimmed with tears again, “I love you.”

“What’s going on?” He probed, his thumbs stroking the fresh tears from her cheeks. The way she was trembling and crying was breaking his heart.

“I’m scared that you’ll be disappointed,” Sienna admitted, the words alone causing more tears to fall from her eyes.

“Disappointed?” Daniel’s eyebrows furrowed, “how could I be disappointed, sweetheart? If those tests are positive, I’ll be absolutely elated, and if they’re not, sure it’ll sting, but I know that one day when we do get a positive, it’ll be the best day of my life.”

Sienna felt her heart burst with love for the man standing in front of her, and she leant forward to allow their foreheads to meet. Daniel pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose.

“Do you want them to be positive?” he asked against her skin.

Sienna closed her eyes, and without a second thought, nodded emphatically, chewing at her bottom lip, “more than anything.”

Daniel let out a sigh, finally understanding why she was so anxious, “listen, if they aren’t positive, and you do have some shitty virus, then as soon as you’re feeling better, we’ll get on board the baby-making train.”

Sienna peered up at him, “really?”

“Really,” Daniel said decisively.

Suddenly she let out a giggle and rolled her eyes, “I can’t believe you just called it ‘the baby making train’.”

“Is that not what everyone calls it?” Daniel teased, laughing at his own joke as always. Sienna adored him for it.

“I don’t think so, honey,” she sniffled, bringing her arms to loop behind his neck so that she could run her fingertips through the soft curls on the back of his head.

“I think this might be the longest two minutes of my life,” Daniel admitted, turning his head to look at the row of tests again.

Just as he did, the first test began to beep quietly, the small light on the front flashing as if anyone who had taken one of those tests wouldn’t already be watching it like a hawk.

Sienna looked at him, letting a slow breath fall from between her lips. Daniel turned back to her and kissed her softly, silently reassuring as his hands gently took hold of her waist to ease her off the counter.

“I don’t know if I can look,” Sienna admitted quietly, her hands starting to tremble as the second timer beeped too.

Daniel’s hands ran up and down her ribs, “tell me what you want me to do.”

Sienna peered up at him, her vision blurring through her tears again as she saw the excited little smile playing on Daniel’s lips. She knew how much this moment meant to him, so she let him have it.

“Go look,” she urged.

Daniel kissed the top of her head before padding the short distance to the other side of the sink, where the tests were all lined up and waiting. For a moment, Daniel was frozen, his hands pressed to the counter on either side of the tests and his head bowed as he surveyed each of them carefully. It was the quietest Sienna had ever heard him be and the stillest she’d ever seen him.

After a few seconds of just listening to his steady breathing, Sienna mustered the courage to stand alongside him, staring at the side of his handsome face to try and gauge his reaction.

“Dan…what do they say?” Her voice was shaking, and she gripped onto the fabric of his shirt like a lifeline, too petrified to look down at the tests.

Daniel exhaled, turning round to face her, and it was then that she saw the tears on his cheeks. Only once he had her in his arms, did he nod, and let a beaming smile spread across his face. His hands came up to cradle her face, and he looked at her, grinning like a fool.

“Daniel…” Sienna warned shakily, as he continued to stay silent, “what-?”

“You’re pregnant.”

Immediately, Sienna buried her face into his chest and began to sob, as his hands wrapped around her tightly, one curling against the back of her head to hold her against him as she cried. He gently pulled back, pressing kisses all over her face even as she giggled and cried, completely overwhelmed.

“Oh my god,” she whimpered, leaning round Daniel enough to pick up the first test off the counter.

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him, but she just needed to see it for herself. Sure enough, the little display screen showed a plus sign, followed by the word ‘pregnant’.

The next 5 tests each said the same.

Sienna clutched them all in her hands, Daniel laughing joyously at the sight of her holding them all with a look of pure amazement on her face.

“Holy shit,” she breathed, “Danny…”

“I know,” he laughed again, raking his fingers through his curls, “I can’t believe this.”

“Me neither,” Sienna admitted, setting the tests down on the counter gently, “we’re going to have a baby.”

Daniel laughed, more tears falling down his cheeks as he reached for her. She stepped into his grasp again, her arms resting easily around his waist as her chin dropped to settle on his sternum, allowing her to stare up at him.

“I love you,” she said softly, as his shoulders heaved with another sob.

“I love you too,” he whispered, leaning down enough to press a gentle kiss to her lips.

The pair stood like that for what felt like an eternity, sharing kisses and tears in each other’s arms. Suddenly, Daniel pushed away from her gently, enough to drop his gaze down between their bodies.

“What are you doing?” Sienna laughed, as his hand came down to rest on her flat tummy.

He continued to stare at her body intently, brows furrowed, “just trying to imagine what it’ll be like when you can’t see your toes anymore.”

Sienna snorted and shook her head, “well for me, it’ll be ridiculously uncomfortable. For you, it’ll be like standing beside a beached whale.

Daniel shook his head adamantly, lifting his head again to look at her, “no way. You’re going to be the cutest pregnant woman of all time.”

“Oh really?” Sienna asked, as his hand stroked across her belly. He nodded and kissed her forehead in confirmation, completely overwhelmed at the thought of watching Sienna’s body change and grow over the coming months.

He couldn’t wait to experience it all with her: the scans, deciding on decoration for the nursery, helping her tie her laces when she couldn’t bend down anymore, feeling their baby kicking for the first time. It was all so exciting.

“Really,” Daniel affirmed, leaning his forehead against hers, “I think this is the happiest moment of my life.”

Sienna’s eyes watered at his words, “oh Dan…”

“I’ve always wanted this with you Si,” Daniel continued softly, “we’re going to have the cutest babies.”

Sienna sniffled and laughed, nodding, “we are.”

Daniel grinned, each of his pearly teeth on show as a hand drifted to stroke across her flat tummy, “do you think it’s a boy or a girl?”

“I have no idea,” Sienna laughed, shaking her head, “what do you think? Do you mind?”

“I don’t mind,” Daniel shrugged, “I mean my parents had one of each, your parents had one of each, you can’t get more statistically even than that right?”

“I guess so,” Sienna smiled, leaning forward to nudge the tip of her nose against his.

Daniel lifted his gaze to look at her, and she pressed her lips against his. They kissed for a moment, soft and sweet and gentle, before parting. Sienna whispered, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Daniel murmured, pecking her lips twice more before his eyes lit up, “how do you feel about telling my parents they’re going to be grandparents again?”

Sienna giggled and nodded, as Daniel grabbed one of the many positive tests from the countertop, “let’s do it.”

Daniel grasped her hand, and gave her a little tug to follow him out of the bathroom. Sienna followed, one hand interlaced with his while the other grasped at his tattooed forearm. Just as he turned the corner and reached for their closed bedroom door, Sienna squeezed him, squeaking out an urgent, “wait.”

He stopped in his tracks as suddenly as she had, turning to eye her up questioningly, his eyebrow quirking worriedly, “you’re not gonna puke again are ya?”

Sienna bit her lip and shook her head, tears welling in her eyes again, “Danny, I…”

He let go of the handle and turned to face her, giving her hand a comforting squeeze, “yeah?”

“This is our last moment of only us knowing about the baby,” she whispered, tears threatening to fall more with every passing second.

The more she imagined the tiny little life growing inside her, the more her stomach churned with nerves and excitement.

Daniel nodded and took another step closer, “do you want to wait to tell them? We can wait if you’re not ready, although I’ll have to come up with something to tell Ma.”

“No,” Sienna insisted, shaking her head before giving him a shy smile, “I just want a minute longer to really remember this feeling, before it’s not only us anymore.

With that, she looked him up and down, taking in his luscious dark curls, his warm honey-toned gaze and gorgeous nose. She admired the way his boisterous party shirt hung off his frame and the glimpse of his thigh tattoo peeking from beneath the hem of his almost-too-short shorts.

When her eyes met his again, he was beaming from ear to ear, each of his pearly white teeth showing in the way that made her heart flutter unconditionally. She knew she’d remember him in that moment, and the way he looked at her knowing she was carrying their first child, for the rest of her life.

“I fucking love you,” she hiccuped, trying to compose herself, even as tears fell down her flushed cheeks.

Daniel snorted a laugh and pulled her close, pressing his lips against hers firmly, “I fucking love you too, darling.”

Sienna pecked his lips twice more, before pulling back to look at him, her gaze still soft and watery, “I think I’m ready.”

Daniel smirked and nodded, “then let’s do this.”

#daniel ricciardo #danny ric #daniel ricciardo fic #daniel ricciardo fanfic #Daniel Ricciardo fluff #my writing #daniel riccardo x reader #daniel ricciardo x female reader #daniel ricciardo x ofc

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kelaeri · 2 months ago

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Spoilers for Nightwing #50/69 and Joker War

I was reminded of this during my re-read of Tom Taylor's Nightwing. But anyone else just a little annoyed so many people seemingly forgot Dick's amnesia and Ric Grayson wasn't from KGBeast?

I mean, yes, the bullet in his head definitely didn't help and it was the catalyst for essentially everything that happened after, but it wasn't the actual cause for his prolonged memory issues-- it was Dr. Isabella Haas, the doctor who had been treating his brain injury since Day 1 who oops was actually a member of the Court of Owls with access to a magical crystal that could warp someone's sense of identity (Nightwing #69). Yeah that might be important.

"I built a new you inside your mind, Richard." I don't know about you, but with an admission like that, it seems pretty clear to me who's responsible here.

But then I see so many comments like "I'll never forgive KGBeast for Ric Grayson" and ??? Literally the moment Dick gets a hold of that crystal and uses it, his memories return to him. This was 100% a Court of Owls thing. And I thought this misconception was only fandom at first, but Tom Taylor totally glosses over this too in Nightwing #91.

Hello? I know Joker War didn't get the best reception, but we're ignoring some pretty significant context here! And if you know Nightwing, then you know just how important he is to the Court of Owls. Gray Son of Gotham anyone? There was a whole prophecy about him. The Court has been after him for years. But yeah sure, let's just throw that away and put all the blame on KGBeast.

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mysterycitrus · 6 months ago

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Just curious but I don't get why DC fans hate Tom Taylor's guts.

He seems like a sweet guy and I found his work on Nightwing and Superman: Son Of Kal-El to be fantastic. And, no. I refuse to believe he "secretly co-wrote" the hated Ric Grayson storyline or the controversial Superman Unity Saga (where Jon Kent is aged up).

I just don't get it.

if ur sincerely refusing to engage with the documented, legitimate criticism with taylors work that is easy to find online if u decide to look for it then i can’t help u babydoll

#also ur focusing on ric grayson is v funny to me lmao #the ableism. the sexism. everything about injustice. his cringe centrist politics. everything about babsgirl #his dogpiling on legitimate criticism from marginalised fans #his inability to write character flaws #the list goes on lmao #the actual shit his work contains is the issue people have with him #that and his shitty ass tweet to chuck dixon like this man doesn’t have a moral backbone #the ask and the answer

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randomidiocyncrazies · 9 months ago

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In which Ishimaru receives advice and assurance of varying dubiousness from his classmates concerning one Oowada Mondo. (IshiMondo, rated T)

Dangan Ronpa fic? in 2k24??? it's more likely than you think. Give it a try if you like outsider perspectives and rom-com hijinks!

#dangan ronpa #danganronpa #ishimondo #mondo oowada #kiyotaka ishimaru #dangan ronpa trigger happy havoc #ric writes

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f1version · 1 year ago

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BIRTHDAY, HAPPY! ★ DR3

pairing: daniel ricciardo x fem! gf! rbr admin! reader

summary: it’s daniel’s birthday, the red bull admin needs to post some celebrations! (spoiler: that’s his girlfriend)

notes: i know i have other stuff to post but… a daniel blurb doesn’t hurt anyone!! HAPPY B-DAY TO HIM!

REEL • redbullracing

Liked by danielricciardo, yourusername and 72,380 others

redbullracing You may know him as the Honey Badger, but we know him as Happy, so… HAAAAAAAAAPPYYYY birthday, Happy! ＠danielricciardo

#F1 #RedBullRacing #birthday

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danielricciardo Aww, thank you team!

redbullracing Always for you 🙌

scottyjames31 that’s one happy man!! ❤️❤️

yourusername those are some clever words admin!

redbullracing thank you admin! 🙏

dansburrito4 i love admin

lecciardo7 long live y/n the admin ALSO HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANIEL!

redbullracing

Liked by danielricciardo, maxverstappen1 and 83,431 others

redbullracing A 1–2 in an entertaining sprint, the birthday boy ＠danielricciardo is here for it 🤩!

Sprint Result 🏁 Max P1! 🥇, Checo P2! 🥈, SAI, STR, ALO, HUL, OCO, RUS, NOR, HAM. #F1

#AustrianGP #RedBullRacing

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maxverstappen1 he’s just THAT guy

yourusername TRUE 👏👏👏

redbullracing YES MAX 🙌🙌

maxverstappen1 why are you like this

redbullracing

Liked by scottyjames31, yourusername and 89,615 others

redbullracing Now the sprint is out of the way… more birthday celebrations for Happy. Here are some of our favorite moments with him!

#F1 #RedBullRacing #DanielRicciardo

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yourusername WONDERFUL

redbullracing Right? We love him! 🥰

redbullracing

Liked by danielricciardo, maxverstappen1 and 97,615 others

redbullracing Now some admin favorites!

#F1 #RedBullRacing #DanielRicciardo

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danielricciardo One of the many reasons why admin is my favorite❤️‍🔥

redbullracing Tell us more about these “many reasons” 🧐

redbullracing’s insta story

yourusername

Liked by danielricciardo, redbullracing and 20,003 others

yourusername Birthday, Happy! You are my favorite person to photograph on the team, so here are some of favorites!!!

👥 danielricciardo

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danielricciardo thank you so muuuch! You’re MY favorite person in general ❤️❤️

yourusername OKAY, competitive! 😭

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samu-writes · 2 months ago

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CHALLENGES MASTERLIST

What is Challenges?

Challenges is a series of One Shots about different mental/physical health topics, varying from pretty much fluff to hurt/comfort or pure angst.

What parings can you find?

- lestappen

- yukierre

- loscar

- galex

- bearnelli

- brocedes

- carlando

One shots: (the meaning of the status can be found in the main masterlist)

- Picky Eater [lestappen; arfid; first date] 💜

- The Good and The Bad [lestappen; arfid; hurt/comfort] 💜

- Wish I Could Take Your Pain [yukierre; chronic pain; falling in love] 💜

- Even The Air Is Too Loud [loscar; autism; platonic love] 💜

- Fool’s Gold [galex; self harm; getting together] 💜

- Inadequate [oscar piastri&lando norris; autism and adhd; self discovery] 💜

- Family Line [lestappen; child abuse; gumpy x sunshine] 🧡

- Orange Juice [daniel ricciardo&max verstappen; eating disorder; found family] ❤️

- Warrior of The Mind [loscar; derealisation/depersonalisation; coming out] ❤️

- Little Bear [oliver bearman&charles leclerc; age regression; caretaker!charles] 🧡

Requests:

Open!

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heavenlytouches · 2 months ago

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The Walking Dead x Rick's Sister Reader please?

Y/N was in a special unit but she was bitten so they tried an experimental treatment on her, the virus was stopped but she had bloodshot eyes, black veins all over her body and increased aggression and less ability to talk more growls but the infected don't notice her when she's around. She runs away from her brother, but he convinces her to come with him.

Hello love!! Thank you so much for this great request! I really love your idea, it's great. I hope you'll like this one ^^ El <3

Rick Grimes- find a way

•𓇼°🐚·☾.

FEM reader

<3 (SFW)

TW- none

BROTHER! Rick Grimes

Post-infected reader

Rick Grimes

The moon hung low in the night sky, its pale light filtering through the twisted branches of the barren trees. You could hear the faint rustling of leaves, each sound amplified in the heavy silence of the world that surrounded you.

You had once been part of a special unit, proud and trained, but the bite had changed everything. It was a nightmare—once human, now straddling the line between survival and something monstrous.

The experimental treatment had saved your life, but it had left you more beast than person. Bloodshot eyes, black veins like gnarled roots spiraling across your pale skin, and an unsettling growl that replaced words.

Tonight, you were running away from your brother Rick, who had cared for you with an intensity that made your heart ache. You could feel him close behind as you darted through the remnants of what used to be civilization, but you didn’t want to see him. You didn’t want to hurt him, and you couldn’t bear to have him look at you with those eyes full of worry and love.

With each step you took, anger and fear coiled tighter in your chest. You glanced back briefly, catching a glimpse of his familiar figure shadowed by the moonlight- a pillar of strength, always brave, always careful.

“Stop!”

He called, voice thick with desperation, breaking the stillness of the night.

But you didn’t stop. You kept running, the weight of his concern trailing behind you like a haunting whisper.

You had become something else. Something dangerous. You brushed past the remnants of a crumbled street, the echoes of the past whispering secrets you no longer understood.

Rick wasn’t like the others, the ones who had succumbed to the virus. He could always see you- his sister, the one he fought for. The thought made your pulse race, a painful reminder of the love you wanted to reject for both of your sakes.

As the infection spread through the world, Rick’s world, you had become an unwanted weapon, a living danger lurking within the shadows.

“Please! You... don’t understand!”

You felt the words bubbling up, but in this wretched state, all that escaped your lips was a low, deep growl. It sent shivers down your spine, and you clenched your jaw shut, refusing to acknowledge the truth- you were losing yourself.

Rick's footsteps grew louder, and it lit a fire of panic within you. You didn’t want him to catch you. The thought of him seeing you in this state made your insides twist with a primal urge to hide.

But even as you ran, you could hear his comforting voice cutting through darkness.

“I won’t leave you! You’re still my sister! We’ll find a way!”

The relentless pounding of your heart echoed with every growl that reverberated in your throat. Instinctively, you knew that the infected didn’t see you as one of their own.

They passed by, oblivious, but only because you controlled the monstrous side of yourself, the side that wanted to rend and tear. If Rick were to come close, if he were to truly see the horror that was now you, there would be no way to reassure him.

You hurtled through the void, branches clawing at your arms. The truth flooded your mind- the experimental treatment hadn’t eradicated the virus; it had transformed it, refined it into something that twisted your very humanity.

You hadn’t asked for this battle; you hadn’t chosen this path. The growls emerged, and as you reached the edge of a dilapidated building, you heard Rick bark your name again, filled with both fear and determination.

“Please! Just let me help you!”

Your feet slowed, the instinct to flee stalling as his voice wrapped around you like a familiar embrace. Torn between the ferocity growing within and the warmth of familial love, you gasped, the remnants of your humanity surfacing.

In that very moment, you turned to face him.

Shoulders squared, chest heaving, bloodshot eyes locked onto his, you growled again- a low, instinctual response to the fear that clawed at you. But beneath that growl, the fragmented pieces of you screamed for help, for understanding.

Rick took a cautious step forward, his jaw tight but his eyes unwavering.

“You’re not a monster...”

He said, voice steady, holding your gaze like a lifeline.

“You’re my sister. Whatever happened, we can face it together.”

You felt the weight of his words, the truth they carried. And yet, the tears that you couldn’t allow to surface burned from within. Rick drew nearer, a beacon of hope shining through the murky fog of your existence, and it began to crack the hardness pooling around your heart.

With a sudden rush of energy, you fell to your knees, the growl subsiding as anguish rippled through you. Your vision blurred, the black veins pulsing like dark rivers beneath your skin.

“I-I don’t want to hurt you..” You finally managed to whisper, your voice raw and quivering, a faint echo of the sister he remembered.

Rick knelt before you, the distance between you closing like a bridge forming across an abyss.

“You won’t hurt me. We’re in this together. I swear it.”

The deep-rooted instinct that had driven you into isolation began to ease. You felt the layers of fear start to peel away.

Yes, you were different, yes, there was darkness creeping inside you, but there was still a flicker of light- a bond forged through love and resilience.

As you looked up at him, your heart full of conflicting emotions, you understood that if you were going to fight against what the world had made you become, you wouldn’t do it alone.

“Okay. I’ll… I’ll come with you.”

You managed to say before another growl ripped it's way out of your chest. Rick didn't back out. He just stood there, looking at you.

Rick smiled, a mixture of relief and pride lighting up his face.

“Let’s find a way to make it through this. Together.”

And as you stood to face the chaos ahead, the shadows breathing around you, they faded just a little, replaced by the bond of family. The last remnant of hope in a world gone dark. It was time to reclaim who you were, and with Rick by your side, you would find a way.

I hope you liked this one!! I really adored this theme, it's so unique and cool. Remember guys, I write for a lot of characters/fandoms and requests are always open!

El <3

(all images were made by: El via canva & paint)

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greatestrival · 7 months ago

Text

RICCIARDO'S ROAD BACK, for GP RACING APRIL 2024 ISSUE

Words: Alex Kalinauckas, Pictures: Motorsport Images and Red Bull Content Pool

scanned by me (please credit if you repost thank you!)

#i am not writing all that lmao #my work #my scans #daniel ricciardo #danny ric #dr3 #formula 1 #f1 #oh god i'm gonna nap now it took so long to edit these #hope y'all like it #s

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kigieri · 1 month ago

Text

Turbulence

The Danny Ric Series🍯🦡

Daniel Ricciardo × Reader

Trying to get pregnant can be a beautiful journey, full of delight and happiness, or it can be a sorrowful venture, full of despair and self-loathing, as it goes on and on and on.

A/N: Welcome! I hope you enjoy The Danny Ric Series. It is dedicated to the wonderful man that brought so much joy to Formula One and its fans.

This is my longest fic to date, and I'm very proud of it! Getting pregnant can take a long time, sometimes up to, or over a decade. It's a journey that can look very different from person to person. I wanted to showcase this a little bit. I have no idea about IVF or adoption in Monaco or Australia, so I held the topic very brief.

This story on AO3.

Standing in front of the bathroom cabinet, she looked at the multiple packages of pregnancy tests. Footsteps could be heard, before Daniel stepped into the room. He slipped his arms around her waist from behind her back, kissing her neck lightly. "So, do you want to take one?" She smiled. "I'm not pregnant yet." He nodded, searching for her eyes in their reflection. "Yes, but I know you want to take one and we better make sure. We'll have to try extra hard if you aren't." A light red flushed her face and she grabbed behind herself to pinch Daniel. "You're unbelievable!" Laughter filled the air between them.

She picked one up and opened it, taking the content out of the box before placing it on the rim of the sink. "Let's do it." Daniel took the test from her and took a step back, while she read over the instructions. "Just normal procedure." He looked at her, slightly confused. "Uhm... And what's normal procedure?" Her eyes found his as she turned and looked up. "You... you've never heard how to take a pregnancy test?" He shook his head. "Where should I have gotten that information? We were always careful, there was never a scare, so I've got no idea." She shook her head in disbelieve. "Men. This is just..." She waved the description around. "It's just something you know."

The Aussie shrugged his shoulders. "You pee on it, wait a bit and if it's two lines we weren't as careful as we thought, right?" She rolled her eyes. "That's about right." A big smile took over his face and he stepped towards her, pulling her towards himself by the waist. He kissed her briefly. "Just take one, okay? To mark the beginning of the journey?" She nodded and kissed him again. "Gladly."

Twenty minutes and a lot of banter later, they were looking at a negative test. Their breath slightly faster from a short make-out session. While she carefully put away the test and washed her hands, he could not look away. "I love you." She turned towards him, a towel in her hands to dry them off. "I love you too." His smile was intoxicating and, after she had hung up the towel, she walked over to him.

"I cannot wait to start a family with you." His words were breathy, genuine and filled with emotions. "We've waited long enough, haven't we?" Daniel nodded, taking her into his arms once more. "It was worth it. I want it. We're happy, married," his hand reached for hers to stroke over their wedding band, "and we're more than ready." Her head rested against his chest. He continued, "The moment I will hold our child in my arms will be the happiest of my life, right before meeting and marrying you."

***

Two months had passed since that first test, and her circle had continued. Her period came just as regularly as before. She was sitting on their hotel bed after a race. She had left before Daniel, he had still been in a meeting and wanted to sign a few autographs afterwards. Her hands were occupied with taking out her earrings, she had already taken off the slight make-up she had put on that morning.

A little while later, while slipping out of her blouse, she looked at a hickey Daniel had left a few nights prior. It fell just below her neckline, so she had not needed to cover it with foundation. Her thoughts drifted to the week ahead, while she grabbed her pajama and walked into the bathroom. They had told her parents that they were trying for a child. Some people might find it peculiar, since it was intimate information, but she thought it was wonderful to include their families. After the next race, they would return to Perth, and they planned to inform Daniel's family as well.

After a quick shower, she laid down in bed, opening her book and starting to read. She tried to stay awake, wanting to greet her lover when he returned from the circuit. She had just finished a chapter when the lock gave off a beeping noise. Daniel entered silently, and a smile spread over his face when he saw she was still awake. He walked in and placed his backpack and keycard on the table, before walking over to the bed and leaning down to give her a quick kiss. "It's late. You should have gone to bed." She reached her hand up to stroke over his beard. "I wanted to greet you and give you a chance to talk." He nodded while stepping back and beginning to strip. "Thank you." He motioned towards the bathroom. "I'll take a quick shower first." And with those words he was already inside and the door fell shut behind him.

The shower could be heard in the bedroom, and she waited for it to stop before standing up and taking a fresh pair of boxers out of the closet. She opened the door slowly, the steam escaping the room hitting her nonetheless. Daniel was drying himself off as she held out the clothing to him. He smiled at her and took it. "Thanks. Forgot those." A slightly amused sound left her mouth. "Wasn't the first time, won't be the last one." He shook his head. "Nah."

Silence fell between them as Daniel got ready, and she sat down on the side of the bathtub. After brushing his teeth and washing his face, Daniel's attention was caught by something on the little rack next to the toilet. "You got your period?" She nodded. "Yesterday evening. Didn't want to tell you before the race." He turned around. "No problem, you tell me whatever, whenever." A slight smile painted his lips. She stood up again. "Bed?" The Aussie nodded. "Let's go to bed. I'm dead on my feet."

They turned off the lights and slipped under the cover. Normally they slept without touching, they cuddled to fall asleep but turned away during the night, needing space to move. This night, however, Daniel's arm remained wrapped around her belly as they both dreamed about the small little family they were going to create.

***

Morning had creeped in some time ago, and they had enjoyed a quiet breakfast. The end of the season had come faster than either of them anticipated, but they were happy nonetheless. A little free time for themselves before it all began again. Daniel had started doing the dishes. He enjoyed the mundane tasks without pressure or an event in his neck.

The bathroom door had been closed for some time when he finally walked by it. He had wanted to check on her before going out to work on one of the dirt bikes that was making trouble. He knocked lightly, his knuckles barely hitting the wood. "Come in." Her voice was meek and brittle. The door creaked just a bit while he pushed it open, he wanted to fix that this break too. She was sitting on the closed toilet lid when he entered. Her vision was blurry when she looked up at him, her eyes tearful and puffy. Her cheeks were red, and her lower lip wobbled. She held out the pregnancy test silently, Daniel did not need to look at it to know the result.

He kneeled down in front of her, laying the test next to his legs on the ground. He also felt like crying, but right now he needed to be there for her. He cupped her face in his hands and brushed her tears away. "It will come. I hate it too, but it takes time. We've been trying for over half a year, but a lot of children have taken longer. It is normal." The nod she gave was barely noticeable. He leaned up a bit, and took her into his arms. "It will come. I know that, and you know that, and the waiting is painful... fuck." His own vision was turning blurry. "But that'll make it so much sweeter when they're here, okay?" She nodded into his neck, even though she was hardly convinced. His words filled her heart with warmth nonetheless.

Her arms encircled his shoulders. "I love you and I just want to be pregnant. Just have them here." Daniel nodded. "I understand." She stroked his neck and hairline. "I know it's hard for you too. You'll talk to me about it, right?" He nodded again. "I will. I promise. It's hard for me, too." A watery giggle left her mouth. "We'll do this together." He leaned back enough to look into her face. "It'll be really hard for you to get pregnant alone, I would think." A lough bubbled out of her, and Daniel released a breath he had been holding. There was much to be talked about, but she was smiling again.

***

A baby shower was not something she wished to attend at the moment, but she pushed her own feelings to the back of her head and tried to be as happy as possible for her friend. Both her and Daniel had been invited. He, however, had a race coming up and was already halfway around the globe.

The night before leaving, laying behind her, with one hand splayed across her stomach, he had whispered that she did not need to go. Not alone and not ever if she did not want to. She had shaken her head. Their journey may be harder, but she still wished to enjoy the happiness of others.

Now she was tying a small bow around the present. She had abstained from using wrapping paper or glitter, only a few stickers and a bow. The aftermath of today's party would be enough to clean up, even without all the presents that had to be opened.

She looked over at the magnetic board that they used instead of a pinboard. There, next to a neat and minimalistic invitation, hung the small ultrasound picture that had come with it. She had caught Daniel the evening it arrived, sitting at the dining table and staring at the little one. She had swallowed and walked by, not knowing how to approach him at that moment. After she had finished emptying the dishwasher, and before going to sleep, she had done the same. While looking at it she had cried, as silently as she could muster, but she was sure he had heard her anyway.

They had lain in bed that night, a space where a lot of their conversation about children now happened. He had spooned her once more, neither being able to look into the other's face. Daniel had started with small stories from his childhood, about his parents and siblings, and she had listened and shared her own stories. They might need longer, but they would get there. At least, she hoped so.

***

Going to the baby shower had been a good idea, it was a nice evening, with a lot of heartfelt stories and most of her friends in one place, which did not happen often. Coming back was hard, however.

She went through the next few days on autopilot, waiting for Daniel to return, but not entirely sure what she would tell him when he would. They could hardly try harder. There was little they could do but wait. Hope, month after month, that her period would stop. She wouldn't even say no to morning sickness, even though she was very sure she would regret that statement at one point or another.

When Daniel came home, she was vacuuming. He had told her when he would be arriving, but she had lost sight of the time, trying to occupy herself. They hugged and kissed, Daniel started talking about the weekend and what he had gotten up to, next to what she could see on the screen, and she talked about what she had done. She pulled up pictures from the baby shower and, since she had kept it secret from him until now, told him that it would be a boy. He was delighted by that.

They didn't talk about children that evening, or the day after, or the day after that. She simply did not know how to approach the topic, how to express her thoughts. She herself could hardly make sense of them.

In the end, it was Daniel that sat them down on the couch. He was very sure about what had been running through her mind since he came back. He didn't know what to say either, but he had another idea. One that wouldn't solve their problem, but one that would maybe help them be a bit more positive again.

"So, um. I was thinking of emptying the small room. Everything that's inside could be placed somewhere else. It's not that much, and then we'd have a blank space." Not knowing what she would think of it, he looked at her expectantly. He would suggest painting the room already, but collecting a few ideas and having the space free might help them get a bit of their excitement back. He hated the dread he sometimes felt, and he hated even more that he didn't know how she felt.

She took his hand and started playing with his fingers. She didn't look at him, that was another thing that had started recently, and he hated it but, once again, didn't know a solution too. "That's a very nice idea." Her voice was meek, the enthusiasm he had hoped for was not to be found. "But?" He turned his hand, squeezing hers. At that, she looked up at him. "I don't want to look at an empty room, not knowing when it will be filled." Her face had that apathetic look, the one he knew to associate with deep sadness coming from her.

"Okay, I understand that." He thought of something else, anything else, and remembered something Max had shown him a while ago. Kelly had created a Pinterest to redesign her daughter's room. Something like that may work.

"How about we start collecting ideas for the room? I know we both bookmark Instagram posts but something more specific. So that we'll really have a concept when it comes down to it. I know it'll take some time for you to decide on all the furniture." She smiled softly. He knew she liked it when he showed that he knew her. "I have already collected a few." He nodded, that was what he wanted to hear. "Then let's look over it together, let's really get into it, yes?" Her smile was contagious.

This would not solve the problem, but it would bring them together once more. It would bring them joy that they were, at this point, severely lacking. It would also simply give them more time. Something to fill the gap between now and that fateful day they were waiting for.

***

The doctor's appointment had been in her calendar for some time. She had laid it precisely so that Daniel could come with her. A bit of dread filled her when thinking about it, but also hope. This could help them, after almost three years of trying.

Daniel had bought her flowers this morning on his jog, promised her they would get pastries on the way back. No matter what the doctor was going to find today, she would have her partner by her side and he would stay. No matter what outcome there'd be.

The conversation was nice, this was not her first appointment with this gynecologist and she trusted her. Most of the testing had been done in advance and, as they were going through every little thing that regarded her reproductive system, Daniel held her hand.

He had already been tested for everything under the sun that could pose a problem with his fertility, and Daniel's doctor had told them the same thing her doctor was telling them now. There was no problem. There was no reason that could be found as to why they shouldn't be able to naturally conceive.

They talked a bit more about different options before saying their goodbyes and leaving. The confirmation was a relief, and Daniel hugged her tight when they were standing alone in the corridor. They had both let themselves be checked out before starting to try for a baby in the first place, but this second search had been more thorough, had focused more on things that could cause fertility issues, and now they knew there were non.

After the promised breakfast and a quick stroll along the harbour they found themselves back in their apartment. Daniel had sat down on the couch, and she had found herself a place on his lap. She had laid her head in the crook of his neck.

They were both contemplating what this meant. They could have children together, it was simply taking a long time. So they'd continue as they had before, trying and waiting. A game they were both sick off.

"You know what Lando said the other day?" His voice was filled with humour, not as enthusiastic as normally, a little bit dry. She rolled her eyes. "Do I even want to know?" Daniel shrugged, turning his head to give her a kiss on the hairline. "'This would all be so much easier if you were teenagers.'" She sat back a bit to look at his face, an incredulous look on her face. "Seriously? That little fucker!" Her exclamation was one of disbelieve, but she fell into slight laughter afterwards. "If one of you would have been a teen parent, it would have been Lando!" Daniel smiled too, the topic would be one that they couldn't sweep under the rug, but for today they'd had enough serious conversations. "I don't know, Pierre is also a contender." They fell into laughter once more. As they continued to bicker, one thing was clear. They'd do it together.

***

They had started talking more about it once again. Determined that they would grow on this journey. Even if it was hard. Their chat was filled with pictures of negative pregnancy tests, since Daniel wanted to know about every single one she took. Most of the time, even when he was in a completely different timezone, he facetimed her so they could talk during the wait.

She was very sure she could, at this point, estimate the time it took for the test to show a result by heart. There had been a time when she hadn't even bought pregnancy tests anymore, discouraged by their year-long trial. The simple motion of taking one from time to time was, however, showing her that it was still part of their life and that it would happen someday.

On the magnetic board in the kitchen hung a leaflet. It was folded and consisted of a few pages of content. It had hung there for quite some time. She had put it in her purse without much thinking, after seeing it laying on a side table at the doctors. There were descriptions in it of different ways of conception except the natural one, and a short introduction to the adoption process.

Daniel had asked her about it, and she had answered that she wanted to know the options they had. Now it was more of an eyesore to her. The options that were presented were valid and good ones, but not the ones she wished to take at this point in life. That's how she found herself walking over to it, in the middle of making dinner, and taking it down. She opened the bin and dropped it inside.

Later, after having had dinner, Daniel nodded towards the empty spot. "You took it down?" She nodded, laying down her cutlery. "I threw it out." He nodded in response, but his expression was questioning. "Why? It was a good pamphlet, I read through. I even, um, looked some of it up. Pretty informative and they presented different options." She leaned back, relaxing in her chair. Talking about it had become easier. "I know, I read it too. But it was not really what we were planing on, right? If we ever do consider it, we can get another one, but right now we're still trying... how did you say it? 'The old-fashioned way'!" Daniel smiled, bright and intoxicating. Once more, she thought about the love she harbored for him. "Yes, that's understandable."

He drank a bit and a comfortable silence settled over them, neither wanting to stand up just yet. "Would you consider other options?" His voice was low. She looked back at him, her gaze having drifted off to another point in the kitchen. "Yeah, we have talked about it before. We'd have to talk about it a lot more, of course, but I am open to something like IVF, or even adoption. I know that's a topic you have looked into a bit deeper." Daniel nodded and cleared his throat before he answered. "I think it's something important, and I would like to look into it even after you get pregnant." He searched for eye contact, gouging her reaction.

This was not a new conversation, something like this had come up multiple times before. The conversation had, however, never been this serious. They had talked about the process a bit and how they felt about it, but that he considered it this seriously was new to her. "Okay, I'm open to that. Do you want to talk more about it right now?" He drank some more water, apparently a bit nervous. "It's always something I have thought about. It is complicated and comes with more problems than I can probably think of, but every child deserves loving parents. They'd not be ours biologically, but I don't think that is the most important thing."

She thought about it for a few moments and nodded. "Yes. We'll have to talk about it a lot more, but I understand where you are coming from, and we want more than one child, so it is something to consider." Daniel smiled at her. "We don't have to plan it out now. We still have at least one child planned before that." He looked at her stomach before continuing, "There are seminars and stuff like that about it, so we could maybe look at that." She nodded once more. "I think that is a good idea."

***

Over the years they had been approached by different people with different attitudes. Sometimes it had been when they were together, but that had been more so in the beginning. The more time that passed without her getting pregnant, the more of their friends approached them individually.

When they had told their families, they had gotten a lot of heartfelt good wishes and a few snarky remarks from the younger members of the families. Daniel's mother had made a remark about becoming a grandmother in every second conversation for the remainder of the time they had spent there. His sister had talked about parenthood, the highs and lows of it. Painting a happy, but also quite difficult picture. They had, while talking about it after returning home, noticed that she had taken each of them aside to talk about the pregnancy and the first few months after it. She had told them about the hardships and that it could be a horrendous time. Giving both of them advice, catered to their role in it. They had both been quite touched by it and thanked her the next time she had called.

Sebastian had talked to Daniel during the phase where he was constantly worrying. She may not be pregnant, but he was already considering all the things he could do wrong as a new father. Seb, who had his own family, reassured him. He had told Daniel that he'd be a good father and that he would learn a lot. Parenting had aspects that were more natural than others, but as long as they'd do it as a couple, there shouldn't be anything important going wrong. After a few more frenzied interactions, he had cornered Daniel once more and had, as Lando would later call it, used 'dad jokes' to help. Which meant more reassurance, that a wrongly wrapped diaper would not make him a horrible father.

For her there had been a lot of advice regarding the pregnancy, some better than other, but all given with good intent. There came, however, a time when she was more than sick of hearing it. After one misguided comment from someone, she had, however, decided that any pregnancy advice was better than advice on how to conceive successfully.

There was a little confusion at the first race she visited after they decided they were ready to try. There had been quite a few people that had started conversations about pregnancy and children. She had not considered it public knowledge that they were trying for a child, but it seemed to be just that. After asking around a bit, she had found the source, and she couldn't even be mad about it. It seemed Daniel had talked so much about pregnancy and kids that it was just assumed that they were trying, and there had been a few incidents where people had discreetly asked him if she was indeed pregnant. Daniel was a bit embarrassed when she confronted him about it, but there was a bright smile on his face. He was not able to mask his excitement at the idea of being a parent with her.

The questions and the people giving advice had become less and less with time. When it came to the time when they really needed people to ask them how they were doing, there were few friends left that did.

She had been approached by one of her friends, concerned about her wellbeing, asking her how she was feeling about the prospect of pregnancy. After some reluctance, she had practically poured out her heart, which had been desperately needed. There had been people that had tried a lot longer than they had, but it did not make it easier. The pain was there, and even though Daniel was always at her side, sometimes the self-doubt simply wormed itself in. Was she the problem? Why couldn't her body do what she so desperately wanted from it?

Daniel's mental state at that time wasn't much better. Max took him aside at a race weekend and asked him about it, trying to help as best as he could. Daniel was not ready to talk about it, however. Deflecting and thanking him for the concern, but not opening up.

In the end, Blake was the person that came through to him. Not through one single conversation but through multiple small ones. He showed concern and support, through little gestures and conversations. It helped Daniel to realise that they had both been so absorbed in the grief of things that did not happen, that they had lost sight of the fact that they were in it together. That they had each other to lean on and that they needed to support each other.

They started to talk more again, they hadn't stopped, but there had been more silence and a lot of repetitive and meaningless conversations. The pregnancy wouldn't just happen, but there was more they could do, and so they started to work on it.

At the five-year mark of trying, they had decided to paint the walls of the nursery. Daniel had not removed his things yet, and it was still somewhere between an office and a storage room, but they had wanted to try out colours and motives so afterwards the walls were a bit mismatched and fun. When asked if the change in wallpaper meant anything, they shook their heads. There were hardships to be overcome, but life was good.

***

She was leaning against the doorframe of the living room. Daniel was sitting on the couch, his back turned towards her, and he was engrossed with his tablet. He hadn't noticed her presence yet. These little domestic moments filled her with a lot of happiness and a small smile formed on her face.

"Daniel?" Her voice was serious. He turned towards her. "Full first name. What can I do for you, love?" She smiled a bit more, loving the way he tried to immediately make her more comfortable with humour, without undermining whatever she was going to say. "My period's late. Like, late late." His face went through multiple emotions in the span of a moment, confusion, surprise, disbelief and delight. "Have you, you know?" He nodded in the direction of the bathroom. She shook her head, raising the pregnancy test in her hand. "I wanted you to be there. Just in case." There was a smile on her face, in anticipation for the thing they had waited almost six years for. The implication was double-edged nonetheless. In case she wasn't pregnant, so that she wouldn't be alone for another negative test.

Daniel smiled, reassuringly, and filled with more excitement than he had felt in a long time. "Let's go then." The way to the bathroom was the same she had taken often over the last few years, with a similar test in hand, but this time was different. There was a hope that hadn't been there before.

The procedure was the same as it had been the countless times before, but this time the waiting was different. They sat down on the edge of the bathtub, but after the first few minutes, she shook her head and stood up. She took a piece of toilet paper, dried off the test, and took Daniel's hand. Shortly afterwards they were sitting on their bed. He had his legs crossed, and she was leaning against him.

Daniel put an arm around her, stroking along hers. "It's gonna be positive. And if not, we're going to continue." She nodded, trying to calm herself down. If she had to pinpoint an emotion she was feeling right now, she would not be able to do it. There was too much going on in her head. She turned her head and looked at Daniel's profile. His gaze was focused on the test. "We'll have to decide on a name then, won't we?" His head turned towards her. "We already decided on that, and you know it." There was mock affront in his voice, and he put on an offended frown. She smiled and took his hand. "Yeah, I know."

The first few moments after Daniel's alarm went off neither of them moved, then he leaned forwards, picked up the test and held it out to her. Her hands were shaking lightly when she took it. Turning it around took more mental strength than she had ever thought possible for such a simple action.

Her vision was blurry, but the result was still visible to her. She looked at Daniel, but his face was already simply a blur, but he was also crying. She knew that. He took her into his arm, kissing the crown of her head before leaning down and placing his forehead against hers. "You're pregnant." His voice was shaky, and she knew that, if she would look at him, he would have the biggest smile on his face she had ever seen. "Yes, we're going to have a child." She looked down, looking at her stomach incredulously.

They simply sat together in silence, enjoying the feeling, the closeness and each other. There were doctor's appointments that needed to be made and a lot of things needed organising. This moment, however, was theirs to enjoy. Pregnancy would be no easy journey, it involved risks and challenges, as would parenthood, but they were in it together.

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