#speedy replies? i don't know her

[amomentxofhappiness]

"Don't call me Sir please," Ben whispered towering near her but in almost a whisper. He felt weak on the knees when Maly was near--he would blame it on the pain in his arm but it was all because of those brown eyes full of life. "You should call me Kylo when we are alone. Or--- or Ben." No one except for Padme would be allowed to call him that but Maly was special--too special for both of their sakes.

Her lack of understanding of how little workers mattered for the likes of Hux wasn't really surprising and he didnt want to hurt her feelings. "They managed to bomb a peace summit. There is absolutely no doubt that they could discreetly dispose of you I'm afraid," he breathed out, his calm unreadable face tensing for a moment. His non-injured hand reached to her shoulder against his better judgement. "As... As lovely as this is. As lovely as you are I'm--This isn't safe for you. I'm not safe for you. I can't keep you safe at all times. I'm poison," he breathed out hating himself--he always hated himself but more so even now when he wanted nothing more than to kiss her and hold her against his chest and he was going to do the exact opposite, just to keep her safe.

"You should probably leave Maly," he whispered, unable to move away from her.

Dinner flew past her much faster than expected. With pleasant conversation and polite company, Maly couldn't place where the time had gone. She'd have to leave eventually, make her way back to her own quarters - which were claustrophobic in comparison. Maybe her reluctance was less so to do with what she faced, but what she left behind. Or whom.

She just had to pray she could make it back without getting caught by a higher up. She had very little legitimate reason to be this far below deck.

At his call, he had her full attention - bright brown eyes focused entirely on him. Her expression round and interested. It remained unchanged even as he feared for her safety.

"I appreciate your concern, Sir." She did, even if she may not think it was warranted. "But wouldn't hurting me raise questions amongst the workforce? I mean sure, they could dispose of me discreetly, I suppose." She'd never considered the scenario. "But that would imply they know the meaning of the word, and I wouldn't go quietly. I'd kick and scream and you'd know." As if Ben knowing would resolve the matter.

"I can always hit someone with a spanner." Which would solve one problem and create another.

[woso-dreamzzz]

Birdie's Halloween

Mary Earps x Child!Reader

Summary: The fifteenth of my Halloween-centric fics

"Listen, Mum," Mary says as she weaves through the aisles of the store," I'd love to chat but I'm really quite busy right now."

"Oh yes, I'll let you get back to what you're doing," Mary's mother says on the other end of the phone," But just remember to send me her Christmas list, alright? And maybe that list of-"

"Mum," Mary says again," Seriously, I have to go."

"I know, I know but- Oh! I didn't tell you. Mrs Todds - you remember Mrs Todds, right? Anyway, Mrs Todds from next door said-"

"Mum. Me, go. Have to. Alright?"

"Oh, fine, Mary. You go. I'll call tonight. We can finish this then."

"Great," Mary mutters, looking down at her phone impassively," I'll look forward to it." She sighs, shaking her head and slipping the device back into her pocket with the startlingly discovery that she's lost you.

Again.

It's actually kind of incredible how she can lose an eight year old and her puppy in such a small store.

"Birdie!" She calls out," Birdie!"

There's no answer.

Mary sighs. "Y/n! I mean it, come here!"

Your head pops around one of the aisles and Newton's golden fur moves in speedy circles as he waits for Mary to get closer.

"You can't keep wandering off," Mary tells you, taking your hand," What happens if I lose you?"

Ever practical, you reply," Well, if I get lost then I have to go to the nearest shop worker or mother and tell them I'm lost. I have your number on my ID necklace so I get them to call that."

You beam up at her and Mary laughs despite herself.

"You know, I think Tooney was right when she called you a little smartass."

You keep beaming. "Ella's just jealous she's not as smart as me."

"But at least she knows not to wander off in a store."

"I have Newton with me."

Mary gives you a pointed look, staring down at your very dopey dog who's only now growing into his service dog vest. He's great for your emotional regulation and anticipating meltdowns but for your physical protection, not so much.

"Still," Mary says," Let's just stay close, alright?"

You huff, muttering," Just because you don't speak French," but still keep close as Mary looks through the racks of costumes.

"And you're absolutely certain you want to match?"

"Yes."

"Alright then."

It's nowhere near your first Halloween with Mary but it's your first with Newton, your adorable service pup who enjoys things like sleeping on a heated blanket and accidentally treading on his own ears.

Usually, you choose something to match with Mary but you don't want Newton to feel left out, especially because of everything he does for you.

Newton's your best friend in the whole world, even more than the horses at the barn you go to for your lessons.

So this year, you're foregoing a matching outfit with Mary in favour of one with Newton which is what led to Mary spending hours looking for a shop in Paris that sold human costumes and dog costumes.

"What about this one?"

You wrinkle your nose up at the cheap ghost costume Mary holds up for you.

"That's basic," You complain, "Newton deserves better."

Newton seems to whine in agreement, sitting up on his haunches in the same way he begs for scraps when he's off duty.

"Fine," Mary grumbles," Fine. We'll find something better."

"Newton's a gentlemen," You continue," That's why he deserves a better costume."

Mary smiles fondly as you go look through the racks yourself.

Newton whines a little ten minutes later, wedging his body between you and the costumes when he notices how distressed you're getting.

Mary notices too, guiding you away from the dog section to ones more your size.

"Let's choose yours first," She says gently," Are we going scary or cute?"

"Cute," You mumble, running your hand through Newton's soft fur.

"How about these?"

Mary lets you be for the most part, taking items off the rack to show you the choices.

"That one," You mumble, already halfway to non-verbal as you repeatedly run a hand through Newton's fur," Please."

"Good choice, Birdie," Mary says," Shall we choose one for Newton today or-?"

You nod your head, shuffling back to the dog aisle as Mary throws your Belle dress into the basket.

You rifle through the racks quickly, though one hand remains rooted around Newton's leash.

"This one?" Mary checks as you pull one out for her to take. "You're going to be Belle and Newton's going to be the Beast."

You nod.

"Good choice," She says," Let's pay for these and we'll head home. There's some chocolate milk with your name on it."

[goldsbitch]

Just don't talk--------

-you might say something that hurts.

p10 to Just don't talk

summary: Enemies to lovers on steroids. The PR teams strike again.

Y/N was unusually giddy while doing interviews on the grid that day. It was hard to be nervous when in the corner of her eye she saw Lando, in his usual glorious unbothered style, seemingly more confident than he'd been the past few weeks.

Smiles shared in secret, both of them being lifted up by enormous amount of butterflies. Yet they both tried their best to keep busy in order to push off their inevitable "what are we" talk.

She was more than sure what she wanted to be to him. But the thought of him not being willing to make the lead was a scary one - so let's just ignore it and keep thinking about his tongue on her neck. And Lando? He was doing exactly the same. Both of them blissfully unaware that their crush has started to become impossible to hide.

//

"Y/N, what do you think about the car on this track? Will you be competetive enough for a podium?" was a simple and boring question that Y/N tried to answer in a creative way, but nothing was coming to her mind. With a great smile, she replied: "Yeah, I have a pretty good feeling that things are turning out for good."

Lando was "not so accidentally" passing by at that exact moment, deliberately taking the rout where he would have to walk past her, because his body just wanted to be near her at any point possible. His school boy instinct kicked in and in the same way as a five-year old boy would pull his crushes hair, he snatched Y/N team cap of her head gracefully in order to tease her.

"Hey!" she screamed in the middle of listening to another question from the interviewer and turned around, knowing well who that was, as she watched him approaching before. A small amused smile escaped her, it was impossible to stop it. Same for Lando.

"Oh, hello, Lando," the interviewer acknowledged him, hoping for some good viral content.

"Hey," was his speedy response, probably not ever trying to hide his own amusement.

Y/N tried to keep it cool and look at his lips. "Give it back, Lando." Nope, she failed at keeping her smile in.

"You know where to pick it up, honey," he said simply, winked and said goodbye to the interviewer as he walked away. Y/N's stomach dropped at how obvious he was with his flirting in public and how impossible she found it to keep herself together. She took a moment before resuming, internally fuming. She was happy and mortified at the same time.

"Well," Y/N said as she turned back to her interview. "Where were we?" And there it was - a fatal smile that would cost her in the future.

The interviewer was full on a mission to not let that go. "I see the mood has shifted between you two, has the previous feud passed now?"

"I guess you could say that, yes," she replied, slowly pulling herself back, heart still beating like after running a marathon.

"Do you guys spend time together off the track? Has that maybe helped?" How the fuck was she supposed to answer that?

Not so confidently, she pulled out a cliché line in order to save her. "We do our talking on the track." It was technically not a lie - what they did in their spare time was definitely not limited to talking.

"I see," the interviewer said, not satisfied with her answer.

"I'd love to chat, but my team is calling," he pointed somewhere off camera, somewhere where there definitely was not someone from her team pointing at her. She excused herself and strolled away, in the other way that Lando went, as quickly as possible.

Yes, she did. Oh god, it was becoming unbearable. How was he so infuriating? How can one manage to be so....ugh!!

The day passed by in a blur of meetings, interviews and fan meet and greets. Since their "joint" interview was live though, it took only few hours for the first edits to appear on social media, hashtags getting created and the two of them going viral once again. It was all a bit overwhelming, Y/N sat there and secretly watched every single edit she came by. There is one thing to fantasize secretly about your crush, another thing is when the whole seems to get on the same boat and romanticize the fuck out it. Was it making the whole thing more awkward? Probably, but Lando's and Y/N minds were too busy thinking about each other in order to take in the point of view of others. The whole grid became aware of the pair quickly becoming a meme.

Oscar limited himself to eye rolling only, as he was more than aware of what was going on.

Y/N was shocked to find Lando already sitting in with his and her team in one of the FIA's meeting rooms. The fact that this was happening outside of their team premise should have been a clear sign - they are being called into the same meeting. Nowhere to hide now.

Lando was sitting there, casually cramped up in a chair in an anatomically impossible position, legs twisted all around. "Can't he not sit like a normal person for once?" was Y/N first thought. The reason he sat like that was to prevent himself from foot tapping the whole building down. Acting cool and innocent, that was his strategy. He was sure they'll tell him to tone it down, not to bother Y/N publicly, he'll just nod at everything they say and then go finally cum all over her chest once again, just to prove to her that she is his. Not a hard task. He glanced at her innocently as she stepped in, doing a real bad job at hiding her shock. He rolled his eyes and smirked. This girl was so innocently cute. His own comms team shot him a warning look, so he just proceeded to stare into the ground. Y/n had very little time to get her strategy ready, cursing herself for not discussing this with Lando prior to this.

"Thank you both for coming on such a short notice," was how Lando's team opened the conversation with. You could cut the tension in the room with a butter knife.

"As you're both aware, we have tried several strategies in the past in order to get your image out in the best light as possible."

Y/N let out a laugh which she could not contain in, to which Lando shot her a surprised, horrified and slightly amused look. Unbelievable.

"Continue, please. I am listening," he said, just to spite her.

"Thank you. Please guys, let's keep this civil and adult," this time her team stepped in to put her down. Lando could not remember having this much fun.

"To continue what my colleague started to say, lots of several approaches which did not bring the ideal results. And with today's development, we feel like this is another time for us to step in. You're both faces of prestigious brands and the teams rely on you being likable characters. Am I right?"

Lando nodded, as if he was lying about understanding a new topic in a math lesson - maybe little too much. Y/N just bit her lip and remained silent.

This whole thing was so bizarre, like being caught for stealing a candy bar while having a stolen gold necklace in your pocket.

"What would you suggest?" Lando asked and Y/N doubted anyone in the room was fooled by his act and must have seen though him. He was obviously having the time of his life. At this rate she would have a hole in her lower lip if she would keep biting it down this was.

"I'm glad you're asking, Lando, and hope you'll be able to cooperate."

"You can count on my sincere involvement in your strategy," he stated seriously and stared at Y/N comms team. His own team knew what was up with his attitude but decided not to call him out just yet.

Y/N glanced at the papers resembling a contact on the table. This is it, she thought, the no contact and no involvement agreement. They're going to stop them from talking to each other in public? Is that even allowed?

His's comms manager took a deep breath. "The numbers on all our socials have spiked up greatly since your interaction became of a positive nature. What we've seen today - that will make our sponsors more than happy."

Lando was quicker than Y/N to connect the dots. His mood changed drastically within seconds and he finally sat up straight.

"No. Not a chance," he burned his team with his hard stare.

"Lando, please, let us finish."

He was not having that. "I know what you're going to say and no, you can't just order us to do that."

"Nobody is ordering you to do anything. We're simply...Putting this on the table.

"Forget that, no way in hell am I ever going to agree with this," he said, pointing at the contracts lying on the table. The room went silent for few seconds.

"I'm sorry, what are we talking about here?" asked Y/N, not really having the dots connected just yet. Lando briefly forgot that she was in the room, suddenly regretting his quick dismissal. But he was not the one to be forced into anything like this. Better him having it break to her then them, right?

This time he was the one to take a deep breath and while speaking to Y/N, he still stared at the comms teams. "They want us to start fake dating for PR." He was hoping he got it wrong. But the silence on the other side of the table just proved him right.

This came as a shock to her. Was this their masterplan? Did they really have to meddle all the fucking time? "I...I didn't think these things actually happened in real world," she stated, honestly.

Why couldn't these two just get a minute to talk among themselves? Y/N's mind was once again stuck in a rut because of Lando Norris existing at the same time as she did. Million questions on her mind, but the biggest one - why was it such a hard and obvious no from him? He did not even consider it. This could have been an easy escape for them.

"What would that look like exactly?" she asked, wrapping her head around it.

She received smiles from the team, them being happy that she was seemingly somewhat on board. "Well, we would set a clear timeline with a deadline and a scheduled break up, set up a social media strategy, you'd accompany each other on social event and the PDA would be very clearly stated upon the mutual agreement between you and your lawyers. Involvement of other people around you would always be discussed prior and clear communication is key. We do not want to make anyone feel uncomfortable. Of course, an NDA is part of this agreement."

It was impossible to look at him just yet. Her head was spinning. She was on the verge of crying and had to somehow hold herself together in front of all those people. She had to get out fast, like fast fast. She had her answer. He did not like her in the same way she liked him.

"Excuse me for a moment, I feel sick," she said and swiftly got up, nearly tripping over her own feet as she sprinted out.

part 11

_________________________________________

@scopeiguess @leclercsluv @sulliamour @starmanv @riverxsq @eviethetheatrefreak @chonkybonky @bicchaan @saachiep81 @chezmardybum

[despairsphantomwrites]

Healed Scars (Part II) - Wanda Maximoff x Stark!Reader

A/N: It's been a thousand close to three years now I think? Two probably? Without writing so please excuse the obviously rusty skills 😭 Apologies as well for any mistranslation, as I'm not particularly fluent in Russian either.

Disclamer: None of the characters on this piece are mine, they belong to Marvel.

Healed Scars (Pt. I)

Part 2 of 2.

A soft knock on the glass doors of the lab snapped you back into reality, glancing up and away from the hundreds of blueprints and notes scattered along the table.

"Something wrong?" You hum, confused as you find Wanda silently staring.

"No, just wondering if you're going to join for movie night."

"Sorry, don't share Steve's passion for classics." Chuckling, you focus back on the notes scribbled almost haphazardly.

"Mind if I stay with you?"

You motioned for her to come inside, and she obliged with a murmured 'thank you', eyes roaming freely around the area.

A pleasant silence had enveloped the room, save from the rustling of papers and the whirring of machines in the background. Every now and then, she could also hear you quietly humming to yourself, pausing only to correct some of the notes before resuming the gentle tune.

She couldn't help but freeze as her gaze landed on a familiar, dreadful sight.

"You can get rid of it if you so wish." You mused, taking notice of her not so subtle glare towards an old picture of the Stark Industries factory. "I'm not sure why dad kept it around, but I doubt he'd care if it suddenly went missing."

Wanda didn't reply, fingers twitching as her hands rested on the table. It would be oh so satisfying, to indulge in your offer and tear the image apart, along with some of the memories that would forever haunt her and her brother.

"…No."

Your eyes snapped up to meet hers, a silent question swirling openly in them, waiting for the brunette to continue.

"It would be like wasting all the effort we put into starting from scratch."

"The self-restraint is truly admirable."

If she had anything else to add, it was soon forgotten as a blur entered the lab, threatening to send the papers flying as it stopped just beside the young witch.

"Sorry."

"No harm done Speedy." Rearranging the notes that had scattered, you look up at him. "What brings you here?"

"I was looking for my dear twin sister, but seems like she found good company already." He teased, ruffling her hair slightly. You couldn't help but chuckle yet again when Wanda smacked his shoulder, blushing from embarrassment.

“вести себя (Behave.)” Wanda muttered, eyes flashing red playfully towards the speedster.

“вы не хотите, чтобы они знали? (You don’t want them to know?)”

“Заткнись (Shut up.)” She mumbled, not missing the smirk on his face. The moment was quite short-lived though as another knock interrupts the scene.

"Suit up kid, last minute mission."

"On it, Cap." You called out to the retreating soldier, reaching out to grab a small device and attaching it to your chest. "See you two around."

It had been close to a full day already.

The mission was a success, giving Tony an excuse (much to everyone's dismay) to throw yet another party.

Wanda glanced around, green eyes dancing along the crowd as she nursed another drink. It felt so foreign to her, abnormal even. She almost missed the relative peacefulness of your lab, silently cursing whoever was currently in charge of the operation for assigning you last minute.

She took a sip, attempting to drown out the barrage of thoughts intruding her mind, gasping as she focused on a new presence.

"Not enjoying the party?"

You barely had time to react before the air got knocked out of your lungs along with a pained groan, feeling her arms snaking around your frame in a bonecrushing hug.

"Looks like someone really missed me."

"Are you alright? Steve said comms were gone for a good while."

"Just a couple bruises, suit's seen better days though."

Wanda nodded absentmindedly, only now noticing the few cuts visible along your hands and face. One of her hands moved to gently caress a bruise forming around your eye.

"Now, what's gotten you into such a sour mood?"

"I just… feel out of place."

"Not one for crowds?"

"Not really, no." She sighed, observing across the room as her twin laughed and mingled with the guests. "Too loud for me."

"Physically or mentally?" You mused, earning a wince from the sokovian girl. "I'll take that as both."

"Can't we just go somewhere else? Please."

You debated the request for a moment, eyes drifting around in search for any familiar faces, finally landing on Natasha. As soon as the russian met your gaze you pointed up, earning a subtle nod from the spy.

"Let's go then, little witch."

As soon as you reached the rooftop, Wanda let out a sigh of relief. She leaned against the railing, allowing the soft breeze to soothe her even further.

"So you do have good ideas every now and then." The brunette quipped, knowing this area would be off-limits.

"I'm starting to believe that I'm a terrible influence on you, Maximoff."

The laugh that fell from her lips left you awestruck. It warmed your heart seeing the amount of progress in such a short time.

"Thank you."

"Anytime, Wan-"

"No, I mean it." At your puzzled expression, she continued. "For helping me and Pietro adjust. We weren't exactly welcome at first, and the way we treated you all wasn't ideal either."

You hum in acknowledgement, settling by her side. You couldn't help but wonder if they'd have adapted faster if someone else had stepped up. Someone who wasn't a constant reminder of their past struggles.

"Stop that." Your eyes shift to meet her stern gaze. "You're thinking too loud. You're not-"

"-responsible for what happened, I know. And yet I can't imagine how it must have felt relying on someone whose name was engraved on the very same thing that ruined your life, your childhood."

"Stubborn as your father." The young witch huffed as she tenderly grasped your face, tugging you closer.

Wanda smirked as soon as her lips touched yours, effectively silencing your spiraling mind. The brief contact left you breathless, heart pounding wildly as you stared dumbfounded.

"Stop ripping open already healed scars." She murmured, thumbs gently caressing your skin. "I couldn't have asked for a better person to help us."

"There's people far more approachable than me." The glare you received was downright terrifying, head tilting ever so slightly. "Okay okay, I'm shutting up."

"You're incorrigible. But… I suppose that's part of your charm."

"Suppose?"

"Don't push it, Stark."

************************************

I may or may not have lost the file where I kept all the users from the taglist, so feel free to let me know if you'd like to be added to the new one 🙏

[rowretro]

Running from riki

Just a lil fluff imagine I wrote on wp

Warnings: none rlly just a bunch of cuteness<3

also im new to writting on here so idk how to make it pretty pls help

"Baby, listen, the whole time your hand will be in mine hmm? I don't want no running off kay?" Niki asked in a soft yet stern tone as You smiled nodding. Within the 5 seconds in which you entered the mall, your feet were itching to run to the nearest store, your mind already running from store to store as your eyes scanned the whole place.

"Baby- remember what I said-" Riki added, his eyes narrowing to the littlun beside him "Of course baby I will- OOH CLOTHES-" There you go, running to the clothing shop but Riki was quick to act...

In one swift move, he pulled you into his arms, hugging her securely as he stared down at your slightly flustered figure "What did I tell you, princess?" Riki asked as you hid your face in his chest.

The male smiled at this action, softly letting go, his hand still gripping onto yours as they walked through the mall. Yet again, your feet were taking you to all kinds of stores, Riki being quick to act, pulling her back, cautiously not wanting to injure her arm.

His eyes suddenly fell on a running toddler, the toddler's parents' holding the toddler on a leash "Babe- I think we need to go to a store that sells those leashes-" Riki pointed out as you giggled, mischievously.

"why? are we going to have a baby???" You asked giggling at the way his expression changed "WHAT- EH- NO- ONE BABY Y/N IS ENOUGH FOR ME-" Riki defended himself as you just laughed more at the poor boy.

"So what if I can't get a kids leash thingy- I can always get a dog leash- Im sure it'll fit around your neck-" Riki said as y/n kicked his ass. "OW-" Riki yelled and within seconds she ran off in a random direction.

"She a runner?" A man randomly asked, sighing as Riki noded, with a sigh "She's a runner she's a track star-" he replied "Mine too- so I put her on a leash-" the male said, pointing at his daughter as Riki simply walked away, searching for You.

"There you are, princess- I swear we're going to have to do online shopping from now on if you keep running like this-" Riki sighed as you giggled "But babe that's boring-" You whined as Riki placed a soft peck on your forehead.

His hand held onto yours again as you two left the store. Was it annoying? yes, was it exhausting? yes, but either way it made him happy.

It made him happy to see his beloved giggle and run happily when with him, and on top of that, it gave him a reason to hold your hand more often, he loved the thought of everyone in the store knowing he's your boyfriend and you're his girlfriend.

And overall, he loves you, the most important reason why he tolerates your chaos. "BABY BABY BABYYY- SCREW MC DONALDS IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE- LET'S GO WINGSTOP!" You squealed as Riki snickered, placing a soft kiss on your cheek.

"As you wish princess~" The boy smiled, his hand firmly holding yours, as he matched your speedy pace, the 2 of you walking to the food court as you ordered your food.

Poor Riki was met with an empty space beside him when he got the food, the male sighed as he looked around, only to see you sitting by an empty table, cleaning off the crumbs from the people before.

He walked over to you, hurriedly, hoping to not lose you again, he placed the food on the table and hugged you tightly. "You really are a runner- you scared me for a split second I thought I really lost you-" Riki mumbled as you blushed at his words.

You kissed his lips softly as you looked up at him "You know- you're really cute when you're shy- and worried- but don't worry- Im not going to disappear that easily-" You smiled as Riki ruffled your hair.

(A/n: This is cute-ish I guess- BUT WHY DID I PICTURE LILY TUCKER PRITCHET TRYING TO RUN IN DISNEY LAND WHILE MITCH/CAM HELD HER ON A LEASH? IF YK WHICH EP IM TALKING ABT)

[the-offside-rule]

Carlos Sainz Jr (Scuderia Ferrari) - First Snow

Day 2 of Christmas

Carlos sat in his and Y/n’s shared bedroom, dressing the newest member of their family in various layers of fluffy clothes. Y/n always found Carlos’ careful side funny whenever he was around the baby. There were corner protectors on each and every corner of the house and now that winter had hit, he had spent a lot of his money on warm clothes. “Carlos, I think she will overheat if you put any more layers on her.” Y/n chuckled, looking in the doorway. “You think?” Carlos lifted the 10 month old, her face looking chubbier because of all the layers her father had on her. Her joyous grin still as cute as ever. “I think we could do with a layer or two less, Carlitos.” Y/n said. “No, no, I am not risking Julietta getting sick.” He turned her around to face him and began peppering her face in kisses. “Isn’t that right, bebe? I would never let anything-”

“You do know that too many layers can make her overheat? Then we’ll be in a lot of trouble.” Carlos sat her back down onto his lap. “So less layers?” He asked. “Just a few.” Carlos nodded and removed some cardigans and shirts. “Can I put on the bear jumper?” He was of course talking about the fluffy jacket his mother had bought for Julia to wear to the paddock, where she became well known for it. “Of course. Then we can bring her outside.” Y/n reassured him. “Her first snow.” Carlos hummed. "You're more excited than she is."

"No, she's excited. Can you not tell?" He was saying in his baby voice. "Come on, Sainz. I think we should get a start here." He nodded along, taking off two layers. "Can you hold her while I put a jacket on?" He asked. "I'll bring her outside. You take your time." Y/n assured him. Carlos was speedy with his jacket, not particularly wanting to spend any time away from his daughter that he didn't have to. After all, it's not everyday he gets to see her during the season, so the pre-season became his new favourite time of year. As he walked down the stairs, wrapping his scarf around his neck. It wasnt any scarf, it was a scarf Y/n had bought for him when she moved in with him in London, back when he joined Renault. They had been through so much, but their love was in just as good condition as that scarf.

Carlos opened the door and saw Y/n leaning down and looking at the ground. Carlos looked confused. Where was his daughter? "Look, baby! Your papa is coming." Y/n cooed. Carlos heard the cutest giggles but no sign of his daughter. "Look at her doing snow angels, Carlos." His heart raced. He began running over towards her and as he grew closer, he spotted the baby wiggling around in the snow with the biggest smile on her face. "What are you doing?!" Carlos nearly screeched, picking her up and into his arms. He held her closely in his chest and looked at Y/n angrily. "She's playing, Carlos. It's safe for her to play in snow. We even asked the doctor last weekend like you wanted." Y/n replied, trying to remain calm. "No, no! I want to keep her safe!" Carlos said defensively. "Carlos, she is nearly 10 months old, now. She can play in the snow." He huffed. "I'm bringing her back inside." Carlos muttered. "This was such a bad idea. Why would I-"

"Okay, okay, listen." Y/n held onto both of Carlos' arms. "Breathe." She said. "Breathe? I am breathing, Y/n!" Carlos snapped back. "Then calm down, maybe?" Carlos scoffed. "I don't want her getting sick." He said. "Shes going to eventually. You can't stop that from happening." Y/n chuckled. "No, but I'm can try avoiding it." Carlos mumbled, kissing his daughter on the head. "Carlos. Think of how excited we were for this. Look at how happy she looks." Carlos sighed. "I know. I'm just worried. I haven't got too much time to spend with her this year." He explained. "I don't want some of my only memories of her being that she's sick." Y/n caressed his cheek. "I know, but we just need to let her get on with it I'm afraid."

Y/n and Carlos smiled as Julia threw snow into the air and laughed in delight. Occasionally throwing some at the dogs and giggling when they sneezed back and tried biting the snow. "Do you ever look at how far we have come?" Carlos asked suddenly. "As parents?" Y/n asked. "I mean as a couple. Take this how you will, but I didn't expect us to last this long. Especially when you started college." Y/n chuckled. "We didn't see eachother that much during those years, did we?" Carlos shook his head. "And now look at us. We have a dog, a house, and we have Julia too." He said. "You forgot we're married now." He grinned. "I know. Its crazy."

Julia looked back at her parents. They noticed and waved before something incredible happened. She decided then and there to hold onto the dogs laying beside her and trying to push herself up but falling back down. Carlos jumped up to go get her, but Y/n pulled him back. "Just wait." She said. As Carlos and Y/n watched their daughters multiple attempts, hoisting herself up then falling. "If she doesn't make this one I'm getting her." Carlos whispered. "Okay. That's fine." Y/n replied. They watched as she once again leaned on the dogs, pushed herself up and this time, she stood. Carlos smiled and clapped for his daughter. "Muy bien! Very good, Julietta!" He cheered. Before they knew it, Julia stepped one foot in front of the other and leaned forward to walk.

"She stepped! Y/n she stepped!" Carlos said in disbelief. Y/n chuckled. Julia's first laugh had been while Carlos was away doing work with Ferrari. The first time she crawled was while Carlos was away at the Dutch Grand Prix. She first stood up in the Ferrari garage in Austin while Carlos had been out racing. Any of her huge milestones had been missed by Carlos, so her father was obviously ecstatic to be seeing his little Julia talking her first step. "I know. Such a clever girl." Y/n said. Carlos opened his arms wide, encouraging his daughter to walk. She instead giggled again and dropped on all fours to crawl over to her dad. "Nearly there. You're so smart." Carlos smiled, pecking her face a few times. "Should we go inside now? We don't want her getting sick now, do we?" Carlos looked back at his wife.

"No, we definitely do not." He replied. "Okay, Papa Sainz. Let's get some hot chocolate going." She said. "Oh my god, I'm actually Papa Sainz now."

[iguana-eyanna]

To Miss Laurant... Pt. 1

Pairing: Lord Alfred Debling x Reader

Summary: What happens when two souls who had not found love find it within each other?

a/n: okay a bit late on watching bridgerton (don't come at me please) but I feel like Debling is a well written character and would love to see him more so mwUAH! I also wanted to give the reader a name so the last name is Laurant.

"There, one of my greatest works!" Madame Delacroix said as she finished the hem of your dress.

You admire the beading by your sleeves and how it flows by the end of your gown, which was also adorned by a cape.

"It's just us, Genevieve. You can lose the accent" You said, looking back at your childhood friend.

"Oi. I have to keep appearances, you'll never know who'd walk in those doors." She said in her regular voice. You both laugh as if you two haven't seen each other since your family moved to France. You then became a traveling performer, singing for the largest of crowds and now back home to sing for the biggest event.

"I still can't believe you're back home, and performing for the queen no less. Are you nervous?" She asks.

You press your hand on your stomach, feeling the butterflies.

"Very. I never sang for royalty before. I thank Lady Danbury for opening her home to me for my stay and offering counsel on how to approach her majesty."

"Well, the bachelor's will swoon by your talent, wit, and beauty for tonight." Madame Delacroix, she said, kneeling by the end of your dress to fix a hem.

"I'm afraid that's where you lose me Gen. I faced too many heartbreak in my life, sometimes I don't believe in the words I am singing."

Genevieve tsks at you and rises up, placing her hands by your shoulders.

"You shan't forsaken your passion for love. Who knows, maybe you shall meet a certain suitor tonight."

"Perhaps..." You said, looking back at the mirror, unsure that you believe in the feeling.

+

"My Lord, welcome back home." an older man said, offering his assistance to Lord Debling.

"Only temporary Buford, I do wish things do recover." Lord Debling replied, as he looks down at his cane.

Upon his mission to save a rare mammal during an unforgiving snowstorm, Lord Debling lost his footing on a weak stone by the side of a cliff and fell 20 feet down. It was remarkable that he survived the fall, but he broke his leg and he had scars around his face and torso from the turbulent fall.

His crew helped him find the nearest physician and was told he must return home to recover for the sake of his health. With much dismay, he returned back to Mayfair, hoping he could leave to complete his mission.

"Yes sir, a speedy recovery you shall have." Buford replied as he helped the Lord get into his carriage.

They rode off to the estate, where Lord Debling looks outward to the town. He accidentally made eye contact with a few townspeople and they began to whisper. The Lord whipped the small curtain closed and inhaled, catching his breath.

"Your return has spread quickly here, they've said you've cheated death." Buford said with caution.

"What I've cheated on was my mission. If I'm not back by the end of this season, the creatures would not survive the rest of the winter." Lord Debling said.

"Of course sir, my apologies. If you like, I can provide on the latest news since your last visit."

"I suppose that wouldn't hurt."

"Well, the queen is having a ball at the palace. You did also receive an invitation."

"I do not wish to entertain anyone for the matter, Buford." the tired Lord replies.

"If I may speak freely, you have not been seen in ages, my Lord. I believe some live entertainment shall lift your spirits momentarily."

The Lord ponders for a moment.

"Well, I guess I shall use my night wisely. Thank you for your counsel, Buford. Live entertainment you said?"

"Yes, a singer. She's an accomplished musician who's toured around the Americas, Asia, and Europe. I have her flyer here." Buford offered a folded paper to the Lord.

Alfred Danbury looks fondly, reading out loud your last name.

"Laurant?"

"Are you familiar with her?" Buford asks.

Lord Debling shakes his head no as he folds back the paper.

"No, I'm afraid not." He replied as opens back the window, looking outward.

As the night arrived, Lord Debling felt like he was out of practice around the high society. People often shared condolescences on his accident and women would near him, they're faces would be etched with pity.

He wanted to crawl out of his skin and be in the confinement of his home. It was like the walls of the room was closing in and rushed out as fast as he could. He slowly took off his coat and vest, leaving on his white button shirt.

He managed to get by the gardens and sat down, hissing as the ache in his leg was acting up. He drops his clothes and cane to the side and tends his knee, closing his eyes.

"Are you alright?" a soft spoken voice is heard.

He opens his eyes and faces you, as you sat in your plain dress by the quiet fountain that were etched with baby angels.

"I wish I could stop hearing that." He grumbles to himself.

"I'm sorry for asking." You said, huffing as you turned away.

Lord Debling felt horrible as he straightens up as best he could.

"Forgive my manners, all night I've been consoled and pitied for. I do not wish to feel like a wounded creature." He says, showing his cane.

You turn your head towards him again. You bow your head, understanding.

"It's alright, my apologies for striking a sour chord."

Lord Debling couldn't help but laugh and cracked a smile, a manner he has not done since his accident. He offers you a seat by him and you obliged.

"What is a maiden as yourself outside for?" He asks.

You struggle to find the right words and looked at him with kind eyes.

"This is my first ball, I was afraid I'd make a fool of myself."

"It's impossible, I do not know you well but you carry yourself with such poise." Lord Debling says.

You couldn't help chuckle, not believing his words.

"We must not let fear get to us tonight. Life is too short to squabble in the mist of doubt."

Lord Debling was beguiled of your wisdom.

"Well said, miss..." he trailed on, not getting your name.

You were about to reply till the bell tower rang.

"Oh no, I'm late!" You said, grabbing your dress and quickly running off.

"But wait, I don't know your name!" Lord Debling said, getting up.

You turned towards him, screaming out your name.

"What is yours so I may remember?"

He was about to say his title, but he stopped. You seemed so free from high society, he didn't know who you were or what your ranking was. He just saw you for, well you.

"Alfred!" He yelled back.

"We shall meet again, Alfred." You said, before running off.

Lord Debling placed his hand on his heart, feeling it race like gazelles.

He had kept his heart from ever loving something more than protecting the innocence of wildlife, and yet, you ran away and he longed for your presence once more.

He placed his outer garments, grabbed his cane and walked with purpose back at the ball, trying to find you in the sea of people. Soon, the floor cleared and an announcer walked on the platform.

"Our dearest guests, we have brought you a special talent for tonight. As she prepares to travel to the pacific this summer, she has graced us with her voice for this season. I present to you, Miss Laurant!"

Everyone cheered and a figure slowly walked onto the platform, with an almost glowing dress that illuminated more by the lights. She looked outward to the crowd, afraid with those memorizing eyes.

That's when Lord Debling knew it was you.

You looked upward to the queen, as she gave you grim look of disappointment. You looked away and tried to find peace in your stirring mind. That's when you made eye contact with a familiar face.

Alfred.

He shook his head to you, almost indicating that you had enough courage to go on.

You straighten upward and faced the orchestra by the side and you began to sing.

Lord Debling stood like a statue. Your voice captivated his ears like a songbird, and he was too afraid to move in fear you would stop.

You didn't leave your gaze on Alfred, as he was your anchor through the storm that filled your head with dread. For once in your life, you begun to understand the words you've sung about love. Something ignited you, and it was proven as there was a roar of applause that was for your performance.

You look back at the queen and she nodded in approval, smiling contently. You bow in her presence and left the platform.

The orchestra resumed the delightful tune of dance as you were congratulated by the court. Lady Danbury walked up to you, beaming with pride.

"My dear, I understood you've sung for a living but I underestimated that voice. Do not let me doubt you again." She says lively.

"Oh, you're too kind, Lady Danbury. It is you I have to share gratitude for. Thank you for having me into your home."

"Anytime, my dear. I also bring good news, her majesty is requesting a private audience with you during your stay here."

Your mouth dropped into an 'O' and you hugged Lady Danbury, then a split second letting go as you straighten yourself.

"Apologies, but this news has elated my mood of late. Thank you." You said, as Lady Danbury just gave you a beaming smile.

She was about to say something until something caught her eye. "It seems you have made an impression to a particular someone."

You don't understand what she's saying until you see Alfred, now dressed formally. He walks towards you two and bows his head.

"Lady Danbury, it's a pleasure to see you tonight. Miss Laurant, I did not expect you were tonight's performance."

"You two know each other?" Lady Danbury asks.

"Br-Briefly. We exchanged words by the garden." You said, confused as you thought Alfred was a footman of sort, but dressed similar to those in the court.

"I was blown away by your performance tonight, Miss Laurant. Perhaps when I am in the best of health, I can escort you to the dance floor sometime."

"Lord Debling, I thought you never dance at balls." Lady Danbury teases making him chuckle.

"Lord?" You ask, your eyes wide.

"I am sorry if I did not share my title at the time-" Lord Debling tried to explain but you took a step back.

"Lady Danbury, I must rest before meeting her majesty this week. Thank you both for your kind words, but I must go." You bowed before you left them in confusion.

"Did I offend her honor? I did not know my title would have her leave." Lord Debling asks, feeling as if he'd hurt you.

Lady Danbury could see his sincere features and tried consoling him.

"It is not you, my Lord. Before Miss Laurant arrived to London, she has told me she has had a troubled past. It appears you may have reminded her of something that she can't escape."

Lord Debling could only look at the direction where you left, wondering if you were alright.

Soon, you hailed a carriage and traveled to Lady Danbury's residence. You sank by the wall and began to cry, holding yourself for some comfort.

You thought Alfred was like you, free from title and expectations. You thought that maybe, you could love him.

But you can't give your heart to a Lord,

not again.

To be continued...

[joels-shitty-puns]

The Key To Your Heart - Track 2

Pairing: Pedro Pascal x Musician!Reader

Series Summary: After writing your feelings for Pedro into a song, it gains a lot more popularity than expected. Ultimately it brings both criticism and support, with new possibilities around the corner.

Series Warnings: 18+ only (MDNI). Potential for puns/dad jokes (name of my blog, and the fic) should give that away. This is my first fic which should be its own warning, lol. Also some cursing. Mentions of masturbation (f) maybe more smut later idk. Sadness, reader is pretty depressed. Poor body image. Rude people. Bullying-ish and just lack of support? Anxiety. Age gap! Reader is in her mid 20's, Pedro is current age (48).

Other stuff: Reader is plus sized. AFAB. Inexperienced. Also has a dog, but you can pretend it is another creature probably. Further, in case it isn't clear, italics almost always are the reader's inner thoughts!

Word Count: 2.8K

Series List: Here!

Miss last chapter? Here!

I had a real rough time figuring out the proper voice for Pedro's dialogue and I hope I did him justice. Either way, the support I received for part 1 is astounding and completely unexpected! Thank you all for reading and let me know what you think :) I plan to continue until the story wraps up, but I don't know how many parts that will be. I hope to post every couple days, but with my work schedule it may be less speedy. Here we go!

You walk in the door, unclipping Skip's leash, slipping off your shoes, and dropping your keys on the countertop before flopping onto the couch and unlocking your phone. No. Fucking. Way. 

Pedro Pascal (pascalispunk) replied to your message. 

You dissected each letter of the username, assuming it couldn't possibly be THE Pedro Pascal… but it was. It really, really was. You clicked the message, holding your breath.

Pedro Pascal replied to you: "Hey, you don't need to thank me. I didn't say anything that wasn't true. That guy was out of line. You deserve happiness and I'm sorry for the harsh words you've been hearing. I appreciate you sharing your vulnerability with the world and hope that you will continue to be your genuine self and ignore the comments trying to make you be someone else. Don't listen to those people."

You stared in disbelief at his words, once again wondering why he would ever be so kind to someone he doesn't even know. Someone so childish and stupid to write a song about a man she doesn't know. I can't imagine he'd think these things if he knew it was about him…

You: "Thank you Mr. Pascal. I'm a big fan of yours and hearing that you're in my corner has me completely at a loss. I can't imagine why you would risk damaging your image by defending a girl…" No… don't say girl, it makes you sound like a child. You want this guy to like you! You backspace with a slight feeling of ridiculousness over the whole scenario. Ugh it's all wrong… calm down... calm down… it's just a conversation. He doesn't know you. He doesn't like you. Don't make it weird like you always do.

You try again.

You: "Thank you Mr. Pascal. I really admire your work and for you to say such kind things to me… to think that you're in my corner, has me completely at a loss for words. I don't know what I did to deserve this treatment when you don't even know me, especially when coming to my defense could potentially harm your image… but thank you."

He read it almost immediately. Your heart was beating out of your chest and you felt like you could throw up from the anxiety and adrenaline. After a few seconds, those stress-inducing dot-dot-dots appeared to show you he was typing.

He's actually replying to me?? Again? Doesn't he have better things to do? 

Your mind wandered to what he might be doing while he's messaging you. Sitting at his home, relaxing, taking the time to reply to you? Why? Maybe he's on a plane or waiting for something and killing time. Maybe he's- *ping*

Pedro Pascal replied to your message:

"Please, you can call me Pedro.. and as far as defending you, it doesn't matter to me that we don't know each other personally. You seem like a woman with a good heart, and all you did was share your true self. Nobody deserves to be talked poorly about for something harmless that they feel. If something like that hurts my image… then my true self wasn't being represented. I think we all just want to be seen, and I hope that you will feel comfortable to be yourself and show yourself more."

You don't know when you started crying, but you hiccupped with the overwhelming wave of emotions. He sees me.. you had just scrolled to the bottom of the long reply, when you noticed the "..." of typing again. He has more to say?!

Pedro Pascal: "As far as the subject of your song.. whether you choose to reveal that to him, or the world, you deserve love and respect. Being vulnerable and putting yourself out there is a terrifying thing to do, and I myself tend to close myself off from relationships to avoid that potential for getting hurt. But if that's what you want, you've already taken a big step and you should go for it. I hope that whoever he is gives you the respect and love you deserve."

Holy crap…

He doesn't… he doesn't know it's him right?? No. There's no way. He's just being nice… he's too nice. He's too genuine..??

Your thumbs hover over the keyboard, doing a little dance in the air, pondering what to say. How much can I share with this man? Between this crush and his kind words, it's feeling tricky to hold back from spilling too much information.

You: "Thank you Pedro. You're too kind and I can't properly explain how much I really appreciate it. I'm having trouble coming to terms with all the sudden attention, and finding it hard to ground myself. But your words are helping me a lot. I - "

You hesitated over your next words, wondering if you should open up or just leave it. Don't be weird… don't scare him away like you always have with everyone else. As much as you think of disclosing your hesitation and lack of experience with relationships, as well as your reasons for trepidation, you decide to spare him of your self-hatred. Instead, you delete that last letter and hit send. 

Then you send another message, like he did. "And as far as the guy… I know I don't know him personally, we've never met, but I can already tell he would treat me right. I just hope maybe someday he will love me back."

Immediately after sending it you regretted it. That felt way too open and vulnerable. What are you thinking!?! Shit… what if he sees through you!?

You hold your finger down on the message, ready to hit unsend before he sees it. But it's too late. He's already replying.

Pedro: "He would be stupid not to love you back."

What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck

You: "Thank you, Pedro. 🥺" Play it cool… Play it cool…

Pedro: "Of course, sweetheart. Feel free to message me if anyone else gives you trouble or you just want to chat. I enjoyed talking with you."

???!!!!!?????!!!!! SweetheartSweetheartSweetheart

You grabbed your nearest pillow and screamed into it. "SKIPPPPPEERRRRRRR!!!!!! I JUST HAD A CONVERSATION WITH PEDRO AND IT WAS MAGICAL AND AAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!" You squealed.

Skipper lifted his head at you and sighed before setting his head back down. He was no stranger to your shenanigans. Napping after a good walk was a better use of his energy than to deal with your drama. He closed his little brown eyes again.

You lay back on the couch, kicking your feet and squeezing your pillow to your body.

Fuck, this is going to hit me like a truck if it goes sour. If he even realizes it's about him, probably. Crap… what am I going to do?

The next day, you woke up and checked your emails before work. Thankfully nobody at your workplace has seemed to place your singing voice to your speaking voice, or pieced together the fact that several people know you have a crush on a certain celebrity and are a musician. Thank goodness. That’s the last thing you need.

You closed your eyes for a few minutes, trying to calm your breathing, your nerves, and your heart rate, before relaxing and shaking out your body. Finally, you decided to get ready for bed and see what tomorrow brings.

Your emails come in, one by one, with one intriguing email at the top, from a well known pop-culture show called The Jazz & Ally-Kat Show. They want to do an interview with you, live, as soon as possible. 

Great. They probably just want to see what I look like or have me spill my guts about my crush. You roll your eyes, and you can’t help but feel like the Mandalorian with his lack of face reveals. If only you had a cute little space baby to accompany you. I guess Skip is my own precious cargo in a way, you think, while looking at your still sleeping pup. You're being silly… Not everything needs to relate back to Pedro, you think with a sigh to yourself. 

Yet despite your anxiety, you agreed to their interview, with the exception that it was done as a podcast style interview, where simply your voices are featured. Surprisingly, they agreed. I guess everyone likes some drama, and what better way to get views than by having a little mystery.

The interview was scheduled for three days from then, and in the meantime you focused on work and your album, which was mostly finished after years of writing songs. All it needed was some editing.

As the days went by, you wanted desperately to message Pedro again. You wanted to tell him your feelings. Have him confess that he loves you too. Ask him about his family, his friends, his favorite things. Meet him, kiss him, fall in love, and finally be happy. But ultimately you knew that was silly. You had one little conversation, and although it was nice, you still didn't know each other. There was no way he loved you back. Yet…? you asked yourself, hopeful, almost asking for permission to let yourself try and earn his love. 

Despite Instagram drawing you in like a magnet, you held back from messaging him. You didn't want to come on too strong. You messaged him first last time. He doesn't know you. Literally… he doesn't even know your real name, or what you look like. But maybe that's a good thing…

_____The day of the interview:_____

You woke up around 9:30 in the morning; nervous, slightly nauseated, restless, and jittery. Why did I agree to this??! 

You decided to pass on the coffee this morning, figuring it would make things worse, and instead decided to take Skipper for a walk. After some fresh air followed by a refreshing shower, you looked at the clock. 11:30 AM. With the interview at 1PM, you still had some time to kill and sat down at the piano, letting your mind wander to Pedro while you plunked chords out with nimble fingers. I wonder if Pedro has ever wanted to learn any instruments… I could teach him, you daydream.

Your hands dance across the piano while he reads through a script in the other room, eyebrows furrowed as he highlights another line. You look up over the grand piano and see his soft brown curls blowing under the fan haphazardly. The sun is shining in through the window, which Skip bathes under, and reflects a golden brown undertone with gray streaks in Pedro's hair. He really is beautiful, you think. His tongue swipes across his lips as he makes notes and erases, before finally feeling your eyes on him. He glances up from the script, giving you a soft smile and a wink; with those chocolate brown eyes that frequently cause you to lose your train of thought. Your eyes drift down to the keys again, feeling a soft blush creep over your cheeks. 

"That music sounds beautiful, baby.." he says softly while padding up to you behind the piano. He places his large hands on your shoulders, sweeping them down over both your arms before settling on your hands, still resting over the black and white keys. You look over your shoulder and he leans in, closing his eyes as he presses a gentle kiss to your lips. Just like that scene in Narcos… you think. Yikes, I really am obsessed… anyway… you think back to your daydream…

He sits down at the chair next to your piano bench, kissing your lips again gently, then the corner of your mouth, your cheek, and your jaw. Your stomach gives a wave of butterflies and you lean in more to kiss him deeper, tugging on his hair while his hands find the small of your back, gently running his palms up your spine. A chill overcomes you and he-

~Beep beep. Beep beep. Beep beep.~

Fuck. You snap out of your fantasy and turn off the alarm you set to go off ten minutes before the interview. At least I gave myself time to use the restroom and wash my face, you think, hoping to clear your head a bit now that you're slightly frazzled.

Unfortunately the feeling that replaced it was nerves as you sat down at your desk, typing into your keyboard, turning on your mic, and hoping that Skipper doesn't throw a fit over the wind or something while you're on this call.

Jazz: "Hi there listeners! We're joined by the artist of the moment, our favorite lovesick lady, the singer responsible for "Imaginary Love!"

Both women on the other end of the call applaud.

Well… not sure I like being called a lovesick lady but what else did I expect, really?

You: "Thank you guys for having me, I appreciate you wanting to get to know me better."

Despite the rough start, the ladies turned out to be really respectful and fun. You think that if the circumstances were different, you could actually be friends with them. You discuss casual things like your dog, your favorite activities and favorite pop culture topics (careful to avoid mentioning Pedro or any other actor that could be perceived as your lyrical subject), and they even mention celebrity crushes they've had growing up. 

At the mention of their celebrity crushes, you can feel the interview funnel into a dangerous alley with little to no escape. Jazz was the first to broach the subject. "So… we've just discussed our celebrity crushes, and I think I speak for all of us here when I say we're all very curious to know who-"

-an air horn blares-

What the hell is that? You wonder, both thankful for the interruption, yet startled by the disruption.

They both chime in: "Viewers!!! Do you all know what that sound is!?! We have reached 1 million listeners!!!!"

To say you were astounded is an understatement.

You: "You're kidding!? 1 million people are listening to us right now?"

Ally: "You bet they are! And listeners… I don't know about you guys… but I can't help but wonder if our celebrity heartthrob is one of those million?"

They turn their attention to you again. "What do you think? Think he's listening?"

You're thankful for the lack of a camera, because you can't help but blush at the thought. You'd be lying if you hadn't already considered (hoped) that he was listening too. 

Jazz: "So as we were saying… I think we all are in agreement that we want to know who he is. You sound like a nice enough girl, so what's holding you back? You've made it. You can contact him now and he'll probably reply."

I already have… you thought with a smirk.

Jazz continues: "Which brings me to the next point... I know you've had a lot of attention lately. You were signed to a record company, you were contacted by us, you've been mentioned by a few talk shows and celebrities. Pedro Pascal even publicly defended you. The radio has been playing your song nonstop and people can't get enough. What do you think of all this attention?"

You: "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit surprised and maybe a little scared," you answered with a nervous laugh. "But I am so thankful for the kind words that I receive and I love hearing from people who can relate to my music."

Ally: "You've certainly received your fair share of criticism too. It sounds like you received that before your song was ever published as well."

You: "I have, and it's been challenging to try and not let it get me down. But I'm trying my best, and the positives seem to be greatly outweighing the negatives," you state, your mind thinking of Pedro and how his messages were really the only positive you needed to get you through the dark storm of criticism.

Ally: "I guess what I'm wondering is.. among all these people contacting you.. has he?"

You try to play dumb: "Has who?"

Both interviewers laugh before Ally continues. "Nice try. You know who we're trying to find out about. Has he, the man of your dreams and star of your lyrics, contacted you at all? Will we see a romance blooming?"

Your stomach flipped. You were not expecting this question. Should you tell the truth??? It's not like they could know who has contacted you, short of hacking your account. You have had a lot of people contact you, after all.

You take a deep breath before answering. "I uh… I have received a lot of messages, some of them from celebrities."

They reply, and you can practically feel them leaning in. "Yeeeeaaaah?????"

You consider your next move, your heart really working overtime since this whole thing started. Finally you decide your answer.

"Yes. We've talked."

Looking for Track 1? Read it here!

Next chapter: Here!

~Thanks for reading! Stay ~tuned~ for more!

Taglist: Let me know if you want in :)

@pedrotonin @starcrossed02

[moody4world]

ICE BOUND❄️

A/N: finally managed to finish this fic and i personally love it so i hope you guys do to!!

BEFORE READING: look up what a one handed biellman is. Personally for Michael i envisioned Michael B jordan but feel free to envision whoever you’d like🫶🏾

DISCLAIMER: apologies in advance for the angst

Jeremy x Plus size! figure skater! reader

Being an ice skater was always a big dream of yours from a very young age. It wasn’t always easy especially being a bigger size compared to the average ice skater but you worked hard everyday to be where you are now. You had met Imani in high school and the two of you have been like sisters ever since. You were there when she first met Kamal and that unfortunately means you know his obnoxious friends Renzo and Speedy too. You were there when she had her son aka your favorite and only nephew. Which means you spoiled him absolutely rotten whenever you could, especially on his birthday. You had organized a major birthday party for him in the park with large bouncy houses and barbecue.

You noticed Kamal and Imani talking to a tall white guy you had never seen before while you were fixing up the gift table and they walked over with a new one. “Yo y/n this is Jeremy, Jeremy this is y/n, Imani’s best friend” Before Imani and Kamal could say anything else, they were called over by another family member.

“It’s nice to meet you” “It’s very nice to meet you too, you look very pretty.”

“Thank you, how come i’ve never met you before Jeremy” “Oh Kamal and I met recently, we I mean I play basketball with Renzo and Speedy and he’s been giving me some advice and stuff on that” Jeremy was completely overexplaining himself but he couldn’t help it. He was very nervous because of how pretty he thought you were.

“So you’ve met dumb and dumber” You joked, referring to Renzo and Speedy. The two of you laughed together until Renzo came over to annoy you like he always does. “Look who it is, Chubby bunny and Justin Bieber” “Renzo can you shut the fuck up” You said while rolling your eyes at his childishness. “Yo white boy, you tell her you a G-league reject yet?” “I’m not a G-League reject. I’m an athlete on hiatus due to health reasons.” Renzo patted Jeremy’s chest and sarcastically said “Yeah right” You rolled your eyes at him again but luckily this time he left. Or so you thought, he wasn’t next to Jeremy anymore but he was behind you and you had no idea.

Ignoring Renzo’s unnecessary comments towards him you decided to bring up the only part that seemed relevant based off of Jeremy’s reply. “So you’re an athlete?” “Something like that, yeah” He suddenly became bashful and it was one of the cutest things you’ve ever seen.

“Well that’s great, I'm actually an athlete myself!”

*Cough*”Sure don't look like one” *cough* Renzo mumbles VERY indiscreetly behind you. You turned aggressively and glared at him, scaring him enough to finally walk away and leave you and Jeremy alone. Jeremy kisses his teeth in annoyance. “Don’t listen to him, he's always an asshole” he says, trying to comfort you at Renzo’s offensive comment. But unknowingly to him, you were already used to not just Renzo’s but other people’s rude and unnecessary comments. Especially being a plus sized girl in a sport where skinny is the norm.

Shaking your head you tell him “No it’s fine, most people have their own idea of what an athlete is supposed to look like anyway.” you shrug it off.

“Plus i’ve known Renzo for way too long. I’m used to it.”

“Why don’t I come to one of your games? What team do you play for?”

You looked at him super confused until it hit you that Jeremy must’ve thought you played basketball. Quickly correcting him you reply “Oh no no I don't play basketball..or any kind of ball actually..” as you laugh awkwardly.

“So you…..” “Skate…i’m a figure skater”

Jeremy’s eyes go wide with excitement “No way, that’s cool as fuck.” “You do those crazy spins and stuff then. That’s super impressive.”

“I mean I suppose it is..” “Don’t be humble about it, that takes a lot of talent y/n”

“Thanks Jeremy” “I’d love to come watch you perform some day actually” He suggested and took a step closer to you. At first you were hesitant but I mean…he’s cute and he seems nice so far, what harm could it cause? Plus those bright blue eyes were very mesmerizing in the sunlight, how could you possibly say no?

“Yeah sure we’ll make that happen then.” You shrugged calmly but on the inside you were freaking out.

As agreed, Jeremy showed up to your next competition and the next…and the next and now he’d even show up to your practices. He found it mesmerizing how smooth you’d glide and how graceful you’d twirl. He was still getting over his fear of the big leaps and the jumps but he loved watching you do what you did best. After the second competition he attended he asked you out to dinner which led to the two of you laughing and conversing all night.

After the third competition you two shared your first kiss right outside your mom’s bakery. And yes your mom caught you two and she could not hide the excitement of finally meeting the boy you wouldn’t shut up about. Texts became daily and non stop between the two of you and so did casual drives and hangouts. Like right now you two were laying in his bed talking about his parents.

“So you’ve been living here since then all by your self?” “Uhm…not exactly. My ex, Tatiana lived with me for a while till we broke up.”

“Oh….you used to date Tati…..the ballerina?”

“The dancer, yeah. You know her?”

“Uhm no, not really.”

Now that was a lie. You and Tatiana went to the same elementary and dance classes when you were little. You even liked her a lot as a friend until she crushed your dreams of wanting to be an ice skater when you were 8. She even went as far as comparing you to a Chubby bunny, causing the nickname to stick around even after she switched schools.

You never saw Tatiana in person again but you definitely remember her.

“Are you guys still in touch?” “I mean we work at the same gym but we’re just civil now. Why?”

“Just wondering, Jer”

“Hmm. What about you then?” He asked you.

“What about me?”

“Who’s your ex? Is he some crazy ice skating olympian i gotta watch out for?” He said jokingly, making you both laugh.

“Not far off, he’s actually a crazy football player.”

Jeremy squeezed his eyes shut. “Please don’t tell me he’s in the NFL y/n.” You rolled your eyes playfully at his dramatics.

“Even if he was, I wouldn’t know Jer. He broke up with me a year before we graduated college and completely ghosted me so I have no idea.”

“Well that’s an asshole move.”

“Tell me about it.”

The mood in the room suddenly got sad and Jeremy wasn’t having it.

“Want me to order pizza? We can get your favorite toppings.”

If one thing made you happy aside from being on the ice it was food.

And just like that the mood was restored and the night went on perfectly.

It had been a couple days since youd seen Jeremy in person due to long practices while also helping your mom with her deliveries. Today you finished said deliveries a bit early and had a special batch that your mom had made specially for Jeremy. You knew these were the hours he was usually at the gym so you drove straight to there.

Walking into the gym with the tupperware and a big smile on your face excited to see your favorite basketball playing hippie. Your excitement decreased the moment you spotted him though. There he was, being a bit more than just civil with you guessed it, Tatiana. Her hand was on his arm and they were both laughing very amicably. A million thoughts started racing through your brain but before you could escape, Tati noticed you standing at the door and pointed you out to Jeremy.

Once he turned around to see you standing there his smile somehow grew even bigger than it already was. Jeremy started making his way towards you but felt like walking was taking too long so he did a little awkward jog.

“Hey pretty, I didn’t know you were coming” He wrapped his long arms around you in a crushing hug only to realize you weren’t squeezing him back like you normally would.

Pulling away he noticed the tupperware box in your hand. “I just wanted to bring you these vegan cookies my mom made, she wanted you to try them before she adds them to her inventory at the bakery” Is what you said as simple as possible while trying to hide your true feelings of what you saw when you walked in but your bluntness and lack of usual excitement was suspicious to Jeremy.

Regardless, he took the tupperware from your hands when you handed it to him but couldn’t help and double check on you.

“That’s so sweet of her, are you sure you’re okay?” “Yeah im totally cool but I gotta get going”

Rushing out of the gym you hear him yell “I’ll text you after your practice!!” without looking back so he wouldn’t see your teary eyes you yell back saying “No need, its gonna be a late one!”

It wasn’t a total lie, you did go to practice but it wasn’t a scheduled one. You just wanted to get your mind off of your own insecurities for a bit while also practicing a certain move you just couldn’t get down. Staying true to the distracting yourself part, hours had gone by and you didn’t even notice.

After trying the one-handed biellman for what felt like the thousandth time and failing, you frustratedly sat on the floor angrily. “Don’t beat yourself up too bad, you almost had it” You jumped a little because you were not expecting to see anyone else at the rink and you were also in your own world until he spoke. It was none other than your once skating partner, Michael. “I’m embarrassed you even saw that, how long have you been standing there?” You still didn’t even bother standing up from your slumped position on the cold ground. “I forgot my charger in the locker room so I came back to get it and then I saw you getting frustrated.” “Want some advice?” “I’ll take all the help I can get Mike” “Say less, c’mon get up” He put his ice skates on and joined you on the ice.

After four consistent tries with Michael’s advice you were finally able to do the spin successfully. Out of pure joy and excitement you both hugged each other with laughs of relief and pride.

“Ahem” The sudden sound made you both turn to the direction of its source to find Jeremy standing there looking quite upset. “So this is why you left in such a hurry and didn’t wanna text me back?” He had his arms spread out to really show you that he was angry. Michael immediately got the message and decided it was time for him to leave. Once Michael was finally away from both of you’s vicinity he repeated his question since you had yet to answer. “So this is what you’re doing now?” At this point you had skated closer to him and you were eye to..almos eye. “What are you even talking about?” Was all you could ask, what did he mean by ‘this’? “You get all weird from me talking to Tati but you’re allowed to be in a rink alone with some buff ass dude?” his voice was slowly raising and he was visibly turning pink.

How did he figure out it was about Tatiana, did she tell him that she knew me?

“Hello?” “That is not the same Jeremy” “HOW IS IT NOT THE SAME Y/N?” Him raising his voice was your final straw, the tears you had been holding back came flooding down along with your insecure thoughts.

“UNLIKE YOU, NOT ALL MEN THAT TRY TO TALK TO ME WANT ME JEREMY.” Jeremy the oh so clueless was oblivious to everything that you have noticed during the few months of you two being together.

“That’s not true” He shook his head in disagreement.

“YES IT IS TRUE, YOURE JUST TOO OBLIVIOUS TO NOTICE IT, EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU GO OUT WITH ME SOME GIRL BLATANTLY FLIRTS WITH YOU AS IF IM NOT THERE”

“PEOPLE DONT APPROACH ME THE WAY THEY DO YOU OKAY SO ITS NOT THE SAME”

“YOU COULD LEAVE ME FOR SOME BETTER LOOKING GIRL ANY MOMENT LIKE EVERY OTHER GUY HAS, SO FORGIVE ME FOR TRYING TO PROTECT MY OWN FEELINGS”

Even after months of knowing you and being with you Jeremy had never seen you this hurt and angry before. You are the most soft spoken and calmest person he had ever been close to so to say he was shocked was an understatement. Along with his shock came speechlessness. All he could do was stare at you apologetically, full of regret for not putting himself in your shoes. He thought that he could think of the right words to fix things and get your relationship back to where it was a few days ago but the next words that came out of your mouth felt like a knife being twisted into his chest. The tears in his eyes mirrored yours. “I think what we had was fun but I don’t think we should continue whatever this was” “y/n don’t say that” “I’m sorry Jeremy”

Without even giving him a chance to defend his case, you skated off to the locker rooms leaving him to sulk in his heartbreak.

While you cried in the locker room, Jeremy decided to leave and give you some space. Deciding against driving all the way home with how much he was crying, he went to the person he knew could help him get you back. After three knocks on the door Kamal opened it to find Jeremy. He was surprised at his sudden visit only to become worried once Jeremy looked up and he noticed the sniffling, red nose and face covered in tears. “Yo what are you doing here? wait are you crying?” Jeremy was already so exhausted from crying that he only felt like saying the minimum. “Can I please talk to Imani? y/n just broke up with me and I don’t even know how to fix this”

Noting Jeremy’s distress Kamal decided that he’d leave his curiosity for another time. “Yeah..yeah sure, come in, I'll get her.” After offering Jeremy a seat at the dinner table Imani decided it was best to help him calm down first. “Would you like some tea Jeremy?” “Uh yeah some tea would be nice” He replied. “Okay what kind of tea would you like?”

Jeremy thought about it then simply said “I’ll just take the hottest one”

To which Imani just stared blankly in confusion. She still questioned why you were so fascinated by this goofy white boy. “….Okay” shaking her head Imani left to make him some tea.

Once Jeremy took a couple sips of the tea and had calmed down quite a bit, Imani decided to initiate the conversation that Jeremy suddenly seemed to be avoiding.

“Okay so what’s up with you and y/n? I thought everything was cool with you two”

“i don't know what went wrong so fast, she saw me with Tati at work and started acting all reserved. She wouldn't text me back for hours so I went to the rink and that's when I found her with some buff ass guy” “You mean Michael?” “I don’t know his name” Jeremy shrugged “Was he fine as hell?”At Jeremy’s offended stare Imani confirmed that it indeed, was Michael. “Sorry, go on” “As I was saying, I saw her with some buff ass guy and I may or may not have shown some jealousy”

Knowing you,Imani had more than an inkling that there was more to the story. “And?” “And that's when she lost it. I mean I had no idea she felt that way Imani. I would've done anything to reassure her from those thoughts if I knew” Jeremy’s voice had gotten more trembly the more he thought about how hurt you were during the argument. He decided to end his story there, not wanting to cry his eyes out in front of your best friend at her dinner table.

Imani could see that you meant a lot to Jeremy. She may not understand your attraction to the guy but you meant a lot to her too and that is something that her and the curly headed white boy had in common. She couldn’t believe that she was about to help him get back in your good graces but here goes nothing. She took a deep sigh and repositioned herself. “Listen Jeremy it’s not your fault, y/n has a lot of insecurities she’s still working on that have nothing to do with you. However, I haven’t seen her this confident and happy in a minute so you must've been doing something right.” She encouraged him. But Jeremy was already wallowing in guilt. “Yeah well that didn’t last very long did it” “Look, what i'm saying is…you gotta be honest and straight up with y/n about your feelings. Tell her how you really feel and what you really think. Never leave anything up for assumption with y/n, that’s one advice i'll give you. You didn’t hear this from me but that girl loves your pale ass. So go get your girl NSYNC” “ I actually prefer Justin Timberlake” “Jeremy..” “Yes?” “Get the fuck out of my house and go get y/n back” “Yes ma’am”

[djangari]

First of all, hello, beautiful

Warmest wishes for a speedy recovery!!! It's always terrible to get sick. Get well soon!

«... I continued writing the Tattoo, the angel/devil and began a DJ/Barkeeper and will continue to do so. Maybe I'll even start the baby au (I wanted to start that when I have finally uploaded Tattoo and magic)». AAAA! My beautiful baby AU (I gave myself away, didn't I?).  I can't wait to see him (* mention that I'm still kissing your hands*). But that's not really why I'm here.

«I once again showed my friends Vale and Marc and they called Vale ugly. I showed different photos. They still called him ugly and me tasteless (I think I need to cry) They also called him the straightest motherfucker alive.»

WHAAAT? I do not know, maybe everyone has different eyes, but I absolutely sincerely want to note that I knew what Valentino looked like even before I became seriously interested in motogp, and he was always hot as fuck (at that time, I didn't like him very much because of the story with Marс, the baby really didn't like that someone so beautiful and legendary was insulting her Marс😭). Even now, when he has aged a lot (hello, Grandpa!👋) He's still sooo attractive + there's such a thing as charisma, and I saw the name on Wikipedia, and there's a picture of Vale there, so it turns out he came up with it. Therefore, here. Please don't cry. Art is not meant for everyone. Hug you tight, goodbye.

(«the straightest motherfucker alive» It doesn't need any comments. He ate Marc with his eyes in every imaginable and fictional pose, two hundred times, and that's just at a press conference + lesbian bob era =  the obvious bi vibe. this man values sex too much to waste his resources like that. I can guarantee that he definitely tried it.)

OH YOU AGAIN HELLOOO

Ahhh thx <3

And even if you're not here for that, I still wanna gift you something for the wonderful and heartwarming ask(s)

Yes, to everything you said btw, especially the last sentence like *chefskiss* YES!!!!! So true so true. Luckily, I could at least corrupt one of them (He is in the middle of the process to being introduced to motogp through Marc&Vale lmao)

And here the little something I got (first glimpse onto the baby au)

Luca stares at the screen of his phone. Lifts his glare again and stares at Vale, who right now blows at her face under loud laughter from two. Lowers it to stare back at his screen again.  

“Vale.”, he calls for his brother. “Yeah Fratellino?”, the older replies without even turning around to him. “Why does you the internet goes crazy about a picture of you and your daughter?”, Luca asks him, raising an eyebrow and waiting curious for the excuse that will surely follow. Vale only shrugs. “Because she is a sweet angel that deserves every bit of attention on this world?”  

Luca exhales slowly and pinches the bridge of his nose. “No, why do they have a picture of you with her, three days after her birth was announced. Does Marc even know about this?” Vale rocks back and forth, swinging her in his arms. “Sure, he does. I think everyone has seen it by now.”  

The younger has to remember once again to keep breathing. Calmly. In and out.  

Then he opens his eyes once more.  

“And why did you decide to do that out of nowhere?”, he questions, swearing himself it will be the last thing he will ask, for the sake of his own sanity. For the first time in this talk, Vale actually shifts his attention towards him, to grin at him. “Because it makes fun watching them.”  

Luca slowly blinks at him. But Vale has already gone back to admiring his beautiful daughter and doesn’t pay attention towards him anymore.  

[steadypet101]

CW: Long post

"Valentine's Day art collection (sort of)"

Happy Valentine's Day! Here are the pen traced versions of my two favorite gay hedgehogs, and here are my TMNT Mutant Mayhem first two couples with my ocs. (I would've drawn Miffy and Reagan art, but I haven't drawn their bases just yet, I'm so sorry about that.)

So anyway, I have a short little story for these three. But since we all know how the first top part goes, I'm going for the bonus Sonadow.

"Nose to Nose" - Sonic grabbed Shadow quickly in a flash by his arms, making the dark hedgehog yelped in surprise. Suddenly, his nose touched the speedy blue hedgehog's nose. Still surprised by this, Shadow is speechless by this, which makes Sonic smile.

"Oh, come on, Shads. Don't act like you never wanted a nose to nose," Sonic said coyly.

"I don't. But just to humor you, I'll go along," Shadow said with a smirk on his face.

The hedgehogs then rubbed their noses together, making their hearts soar.

"I love you, faker," Shadow said.

"I love you, too, Shadow," Sonic said happily.

Shadow chuckled. "I love you more."

"I know you do."

--

"Alinardo adorkable kiss selfie" - "Come on, Leo! Let's take a selfie together!" Lea called out to Leo from peaking her head through the curtain into his and his brothers' bedroom after finishing cleaning up his twin katana blades with a rag.

He smiled as he put his blades in the corner of his space. "Okay, we'll go and take some with my phone," he said as he stepped out of the room.

"Yay!" Lea cheered. She watched Leo take out his cell phone from his belt, open up a camera app, and gesture the girl to come. She placed her hand onto his shoulder and prepared to smile for the camera. Just then, Lea pulled Leo closer to her face and began to kiss him on the cheek. Blushing, the leader in blue smiles for the camera with his adorkable smile as he takes the photo.

After the photo was taken, Lea took the phone and took a look at it with a smile. "Aw, Leo! We look so cute together! You especially look so cute with that smile."

Still blushing and smiling, Leo has a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "Y-you think I have a cute smile?"

"I don't think, I know," the human replied.

The mutant turtle couldn't help but grinned widely.

"Hey, think you can send me this photo to my phone?" Lea asked as she gave Leo back his phone. "I want to save it and use it for my home wallpaper."

"Sure. I'd would love to," Leo said warmly.

--

"Susietello surprise kiss selfie" - Susie was studying on the dining table in the Turtles' lair when Donnie was approaching towards her. "Hey, Sue. Want to take a selfie with me?" Donnie asked as he took out his phone.

"Well, I'm a little busy at the moment, but I guess I can relax my brain for a bit," the human friend said as she closed her textbook and set it aside.

They both walked towards the opening of the lair, and Donnie had his camera ready. Meanwhile, Sue was planning how to make this selfie photo more memorable as she was fixing her pastel green hair and her glasses.

"Okay, ready?" the purple clad turtle asked.

"Ready," Sue answered.

The two get close together with the timer set. As Donnie smiled for the camera, he felt a hand on his head and a small kiss on his side of his head. It was Sue, and his facial expression changed from a photogenic smile to a surprised one. The camera clicked, and they both took a look at the photo. Donnie's heart was fluttering when he saw the proof of Sue kissing him.

"Uh, did-did you just?..." he stammered timidly.

"Yeah, I did. I thought this photo would be nice instead of our usual peace signs and making silly faces each time we take selfies," Sue smiled warmly. "Sorry about that."

Donnie couldn't help but blush at this. He smiled back to her. "No. This is perfect. I love it. Thank you for that. I really mean it."

"You're welcome, D. Anything for my best mutant turtle friend ever."

They shared smiles towards each other and began to head back to the lair. Donnie couldn't stop thinking of Sue's actions to the camera. He didn't expect that to happen, but it did. He was surprised, but he was happy that his human crush kissed him. Wish it would be on the lips, though, but oh well. There's always next time.

--

Wow, that's a lot of typing. Anyways, sorry if my stories were crappy. I hope y'all like them all. I'll edit them a little later.❤️🩷❤️🩷

[strangesthirdeye]

ᴍᴇᴀᴛ ᴘᴀʀᴛ 1 (sʜᴇʀʟᴏᴄᴋ x ɢʜᴏᴜʟ ғᴇᴍ! ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ)

Summary: day after day, serial murders began to make a mess around London just after the police from Scotland Yard found human corpses that looked like they had been chopped up and bitten near central park. At first, the police assumed it was a wild animal attack. But, Sherlock has an assumption about his new neighbor.

Warning: gore, murder, blood, mention about chopped body, mention about wild animal attack, cannibalism, suspicious, Dark fic? Basically it's all about murder and blood so read at your own risk.. Sorry if this fic make you uncomfortable. (Y/H) means You Hometown.

As usual, I'm sorry if there are any wrong sentences or typos or grammatical mistakes, please forgive me and again English is not my first language, so I try to improve my language and writing in this way.

Part 2

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

You put your luggage on the steps of door 221B after a four-hour cab ride from the airport to get to the flat you bought, which is 221C. You sighed and looked at the area around Baker Street. The rather large and busy area is the main attraction of Baker Street and even more interesting, the door marked 221B is also an attraction for people around London because it is the place where the famous Consulting Detective Sherlock Holmes and his partner Doctor Watson live.

You looked at the cafe next to the flat.

'Speedy's Cafe'

From where you stand, you can smell the aroma of coffee and food there. Very delicious if you know the smell. But, you don't really care about the food there. All you care about is the aroma of hot coffee that stings your nostrils. With that smell alone, you started drooling.

You were stopped from your reverie as soon as you remembered your motive for coming there. Yes, you moved to London because of an unfortunate incident that happened in your hometown. So not wanting to get involved with that, you quickly went to London to find a new place to live. Your old work in your home country is left behind.

So, in this way, you can start your new life and forget what happened before. You look at the black wooden point in front of you and notice that the knocker on the door is tilted. You straightened the knocker without thinking. Well, you can be said to have OCD but not too OCD. You only correct the small things and not the big things. Big things are usually left scattered all over the place so you just ignore them.

You started knocking on the door of 221B three times before standing up straight trying to show that you are a woman with manners.

4 seconds later, the door of the flat was opened by an elderly woman with a big smile.

The old woman looked at you kindly. "oh, hello dear.. is there anything I can help you with?" said the elder woman in a soft tone.

Just look at the old woman, you get the impression that she carries a warm and welcoming aura like a mother. An aura that you yourself have never experienced or felt before. So, you immediately relaxed your nervousness and returned the old woman's smile.

"You are Mrs. Hudson, aren't you? I asked you for an offer through the website you made regarding flat 221C. So I came here for that flat." you replied fumbling with your black jacket.

Mrs. Hudson was silent for a moment maybe trying to remember that before she chuckled lightly and looked at you with the same happy expression on her face.

"oh, you're the one who emailed me last week, aren't you? Y/n L/n is your name, isn't it?" Mrs. Hudson extended her small wrinkled hand towards you to shake your hand.

You immediately turned around and shook hands with Mrs. Hudson while nodding your head a few times with a smile still on your face.

"Just call me Y/n. Ma'am" you replied and broke the handshake.

Mrs Hudson nodded her head. "then you call me Mrs Hudson, dear. Come in, it's a bit chilly outside so you must be cold now. Come in" Mrs Hudson invited you and moved aside to let you in.

You nodded and bent your body slightly to reach the handle of your luggage before walking into the flat. Before you step inside, you smell the unpleasant odor around Baker Street.

•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•☾☼☽•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•

"It's not big but it's quite comfortable for you to live in." said Mrs Hudson while opening the curtains on the window of flat 221C to let the sunlight in.

You shook your head as you looked around your new flat. The wallpaper looked like it had been re-pasted, while the windows were clean and dust-free. Most surprisingly, the electronic items there work well and there is also a sofa that looks like no one has touched it even though it has been abandoned for a long time. Mrs Hudson must always clean this flat in the hope that someone will live in it. Well, luckily you are the one who lives in that flat.

"Oh, I'm not the type to complain. As long as this place is comfortable, it's enough for me. After all, I like the atmosphere of this flat. It's quite calm and cozy here compared to my old flat in my home country" you said while caressing the wallpaper wall with your fingers you

Mrs Hudson chuckled. "oh thank goodness there are people who want to live in this flat. It's been a while since this flat was inhabited. The last person who lived in this flat was probably 4 years ago. After that, no one lived in this flat. So it's quite good that you like this flat" explained Mrs Hudson as she walked towards the kitchen. Maybe she want to organize all the messy things.

You nodded slightly. It's good that you live in this flat, otherwise you'll have to find another flat. After all, renting this flat is not expensive at all so it really fits your budget.

"By the way, dear. If I ask you this question, is it okay? If you don't answer, it's okay, I understand," said Mrs. Hudson from the kitchen.

"umm yeah, just ask.. I'll answer" you replied and started sitting on the couch in the living room.

"Is it okay if you live next door to people? Because the neighbors in the flat below can be a bit annoying and noisy sometimes, but that's only if there's time. Sometimes the people in the flat below will play the violin indefinitely. So I'm worried if it just bothers you," said Mrs Hudson.

"oh, it's okay.. I'm not bothered at all. I'm used to noise and commotion so I don't mind" you said optimistically.

Mrs Hudson nodded her head and walked into the living room and sat next to you. Her body is turned towards you as she gently pats your hand.

"well, I'm just warning you because Sherlock and John sometimes argue with each other or it's just Sherlock being Sherlock. So the atmosphere in this house is a bit noisy all the time" said Mrs Hudson with her cherished tone.

"well i suppose that's what happens if you live next door to Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson" you replied jokingly then chuckled.

Mrs Hudson chuckled then shook her head and started to stand. Her hands patted her shirt and pants. Maybe to remove wrinkles or dust. Then, Mrs. Hudson looked at you.

"well, I think I should go now.. I want to finish my abandoned laundry. Perhaps, after I finish the work at home we can continue chatting. oh, it's been a long time since I chatted with a girl." said Mrs Hudson happily. Her smile never left her face.

"Oh, that's fine. But, I need to get my things out first.. maybe next time we can continue chatting. Just give me time to get comfortable in the new place" you replied and stood up to escort Mrs Hudson out.

"that's not a problem, dear. I hope you can get used to the new place. I understand how you feel about the new place. Maybe you're used to the atmosphere in your old flat" said Mrs Hudson.

"yeah, well.. I don't want to bother you anymore so I think I should take out my things and settle in"

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

It's been 4 hours that you packed and arranged some of your belongings in the new flat. Everything went smoothly and quietly without any commotion from the flat below. It means that Sherlock and Doctor Watson haven't come home yet so that's why the atmosphere in the three-story flat is quite quiet.

While you were busy arranging the books of novels on the bookshelf you had installed, a knock on the door outside your flat made you stop what you were doing. You then stared at the door of the flat for a long time before taking a deep breath. Immediately, the smell of jasmine and bakery passes through your nasal cavity. But, there was also a faint smell of plastic and meat coming through your nose making you immediately stand up from kneeling on the floor and walk quickly towards the door. Your stomach rumbling means that it needs to be filled with food.

You reached for the doorknob of your flat and opened it. immediately the smell got stronger.

"Oh, Y/n. Sorry to bother you but I found this box in front of the door and I thought it was yours because it has your name on the side of the box that's why I'm here. Don't worry, I didn't open this box for your privacy." Mrs. Hudson said warmly.

You looked at Mrs Hudson's hand which was still holding the white polystyrene box in her hand. And what Mrs Hudson said is right because there was a note with your name on the side of the big polystyrene box.

Without hesitation you took the large polystyrene box from the older woman's hand and walked into the flat and placed the box on the table. Mrs Hudson is still standing in front of your flat door. You looked at Mrs Hudson.

"Thank you, Mrs. Hudson for giving me this box. I hope I didn't bother you with such a trivial thing." you look down a little.

Mrs Hudson waved her hand slowly while chuckling a little. "Don't worry, you didn't bother me either. I happened to have some errands before I saw the box in front of the door. You might have overlooked it." Mrs. Hudson dismissed.

You scratch your neck at the same time your hunger is fighting inside you waiting for the time to devour. "umm.. should I return the favor? Maybe tea? or something?"

Miss Hudson shook her head. "There's no need to return the favor, as long as you pay the rent, that's good enough"

You nodded your head in understanding as you stared the polystyrene box for a long time.

Mrs Hudson looked at you worriedly. "is everything ok, dear? You look a little pale.. Do you need some medicine? I have medicine that can be given to you" Mrs Hudson approached you.

You shook your head a few times as if waking up from a daydream. "oh no, I'm fine.. I'm just a little tired with all this. There's just a few more things I need to organize and tidy. Overall, everything's fine."

Mrs Hudson nodded in understanding. "if you insist. But if you need anything, just shout my name and I will help you. There's no need to be shy." Mrs Hudson then left your flat.

You only caught a glimpse of Mrs Hudson leaving before you quickly closed the flat door and locked it. Then you quickly went to the table and greedily opened the polystyrene box. After the box was opened, you inhaled the smell of the meat deeply while closing your eyes. Appreciate the delicious smell that hovers in your nasal cavity.

You slowly opened your eyes which now changed color from your original eye color.

The eyes that were previously E/c now change color to black and red making your face look different than before. The face that is full of psychopathic and hungry begins to appear as soon as your eyes look at the contents of the polystyrene box. Yes, it's definitely meat that's in plastic and frozen, but it's not just any kind of meat.

This meat is far from beef or pork nor chicken or goat. Only Ghouls like you eat this unique meat. Slowly you reach the plastic that has the arm cut off and frozen. The plastic was torn greedily by you then with initial hunger you smelled the arm with pleasure and relief before you opened your mouth wide and bit the arm wildly.

꒷︶꒷꒥꒷‧₊˚꒷︶꒷꒥꒷‧₊˚

"What do we have now, Lestrade?" asked Sherlock as he walked beside Lestrade. Next to Sherlock John was trying to catch up with the two of them with his short legs.

"Edward Montague, 29 years old. Worked as a cashier in a grocery store around here. His body was found by an old woman while she was walking her dog. Cause of death.. probably a wild animal attack looking at his bite marks." explained Lestrade while lifting the safety tape up before ducking in followed by Sherlock and John behind.

"but?" Sherlock interrupted.

Lestrade stopped and looked at Sherlock with tired eyes. "but I don't think it's the result of a wild animal bite"

"so what's your guess?" Sherlock walked past Lestrade and saw the man's corpse that looked like it had been torn apart and bitten voraciously.

The corpse's right hand was missing while his leg was torn off and almost severed while the side of his stomach was torn apart and had a large bite mark.

John stopped himself from throwing up when he saw the state of the body. The pungent smell of blood made John almost throw up before he backed away from the scene. Although John had fought and seen blood when he was fighting in Afghanistan, but seeing this thing that was far from what he saw made him uneasy and nauseated.

Who is so cruel to do that? What did this man do to die in this condition? Oh, whoever does this is indeed the heart of a beast and a devil.

"This is the third one for this week.. Surely our murderer is getting bored" said Sherlock and knelt in front of the corpse and examined the corpse with his magnifying glass.

Lestrade who was standing near Sherlock looked at the corpse with pity even though his face showed a feeling of pity for the fate of the corpse, the blood and the current situation was not intense making him nauseous or horrible because he was used to facing such cases. That is normal as a Detective Inspector.

John who was still standing near the two of them began to approach Lestrade. His eyes were still looking at the corpse even though he was trying to hold back his nausea. "Looking at the bite mark, I don't think it was the work of a wild animal. Those bites look neat and tidy compared to wild animals that tend to bite the meat violently and messy"

Lestrade looked at John. "so you're saying this is a human act?"

John shrugged his shoulders. "maybe"

"So what you're trying to say is that this killer we're tracking is a cannibal?" Lestrade looked at John in disbelief.

John stared at the corpse for a long time. "not just any cannibal. But a Ghoul. You know.. People in Tokyo have dealt with this Ghoul. They eat humans and live like humans, hell looks just like humans. You can be mistaken between a human and a Ghoul because this Ghoul is a beast that smart and agile. They're psychopaths and murderers."

Lestrade looked at John nervously as his right hand tugged the collar of his shirt slightly to let air in. "Where did you get this information, John?"

"one of the commenters on my blog told me about this on my blog after I updated my blog about this case. They said that Ghouls are not only in Tokyo but all over the world. But they said that this Ghoul is just a myth. Most likely not there are many ghouls now but they are still there and dangerous"

Sherlock got up from his knees and looked at John with a firm face. "don't believe that nonsense, John. Ghouls don't exist"

John looked at Sherlock who was now walking towards the security tape and immediately followed Sherlock. Lestrade remained silent. Maybe thinking about what John said. And Lestrade was sure, even Sherlock himself did not know the cause of death for the third of the three victims for now. For now, Scotland Yard is only assuming that this is a case of wild animal attack.

꒷︶꒷꒥꒷‧₊˚꒷︶꒷꒥꒷‧₊˚

"think about it, Sherlock. Surely some of the people we know are secretly ghouls. Ghouls can live among humans, act like humans and look like humans, what's different is their way of eating." John quickened his pace trying to keep up with Sherlock's pace.

Sherlock glanced at John and then his gaze was directed straight ahead. "Like you said, it's a myth. They don't exist and if they existed a long time ago we would both be their dinner if someone we know is secretly a Ghoul. You don't have to believe what you read in the comments. It's full of useless things"

John shook his head. " No. Listen here, Sherlock. Our murderer is out there still walking free and they can do the same thing as the three victims no matter where they are. Remember the first time we faced this case? Like Lestrade said the three victims were killed in the middle of the night and discovered by the public in the morning. Don't you find it strange? Ghouls come out at night to look for food just like wild animals and ordinary killers usually kill people whenever they want."

Sherlock stopped walking and looked at John with narrowed eyes. "The killer can plan the time and when they wants to start their work. All of this can happen if the killer really plans to start their killing work late at night. Seriously, John? How long have we been doing this job? Surely you know which one thing is true and not. Cannibals I can accept but Ghouls?" Sherlock walked back leaving John who still believed in such things.

John then looked at the figure of Sherlock who was continuing the journey without waiting for him or without looking at John. John sighed heavily. He still believes that his assumption is true which is why he asserts such a thing to Sherlock. He had a dubious feeling about this horrible case because if it was a wild animal attack, what animal would attack its victim so neatly? The bite of the wild animal is not the same as the bite mark on each victim's body. It looks like a human but has sharp teeth marks. Not to mention if a wild animal gets its prey, the animal will surely drag its prey to another place. But in this case, the corpse was found as if it had been left in a hurry. Only the splattered blood decorated the place where the body was found. Even some of the victim's organs and limbs disappeared without a trace.

But seeing Sherlock's reaction to his assumption made John think twice. Ghoul is just a myth and if it exists it will definitely raise questions for the people around it. In fact, this case is the same as in Tokyo a few years ago. Only it's in London. Returning to the comment on his blog, Ghouls are mostly in Japan because that is the place where Ghouls were 'born' and this is also quite rare if some Ghouls intend to move to other places other than Japan.

But, it could also be because Ghouls are indeed like humans, only their way of eating and diet is different from humans, causing them to have certain advantages and high stamina to survive compared to humans. And this makes them more dangerous. They have a sharp sense of smell and even sharp hearing makes them alert to the area and change of situation well. They are also able to extend their claws and their teeth become sharp, making them able to tear or grab their prey.

Not to mention, their eyes can change color and their vision is the same as an eagle's, making them able to identify their prey and prey from far and near. Stamina is strong and high causing them to move nimbly and quickly not to mention their quite extraordinary strength. And there is another advantage of them but it was not mentioned on the internet when John did research about Ghoul the day after the comment was on his blog. Bless whoever commented on that on his blog.

Not long after, John decided to change his course to another place to think after what he and Sherlock argued. He needed time and fresh air to refresh himself on that matter otherwise his mind would become cluttered with what he and Sherlock had argued about earlier. So, with the right foot, John made his way to a quieter and less busy place.

꒷︶꒷꒥꒷‧₊˚꒷︶꒷꒥꒷‧₊˚

It was a long day, every day was a long day for Sherlock who is still thinking about the serial murder case. Sherlock who decided to continue his journey without John decided to take a cab to Baker Street.

After he got into the cab, Sherlock stared out the cab window. Thinking about the assumption that John had made a moment ago. Ghouls. Heh, who still believes in the existence of human-eating creatures? Surely only people like John believe in such mythical things. All those are just words that people make up. The Ghoul is now gone, in fact it has been quite a while since the case regarding this Ghoul is gone. Who the fuk still believes in the existence of Ghoul? Cannibal Sherlock can accept but Ghoul?

Sherlock closed his eyes as he sighed heavily. With that, Sherlock enters the Mind Palace where all the evidence and useful information is stored.

Things are getting worse. All three bodies were found by the public, making it an unsettling sight for them. What's more, the police work became more and more noisy about it and Lestrade became worried about this case because the three victims were found two days apart. Anyone can be the target of this serial killer and it doesn't matter gender or old and young people. This causes people who live near the scene to be afraid and cautious to go out at night. They fear they will be the next victim.

Sherlock's eyes widened as soon as he entered his mind. Where he is now in his flat 221B in Baker Street. A place that is the main place in his mind if he wants to think. Sherlock looked at the investigation board behind him. All the red threads and photos of the victims and evidence are all written on the investigation board. All the red strings are connected into a line that has a connection with each picture.

Every picture there becomes a key pillar in the case and some evidence is definitely a clue about the serial killer. Sherlock's fingers caressed each picture as if he was reading each picture through his fingers though he was thinking about the way the serial killer committed the murders. Yes, serial killers and not wild animal attacks. Sherlock managed to make the assumption on the first day they found the first body that this was a case of murder and not a case of a wild animal attack because as John said when he was at the scene not long ago, the way the bites and tears are very neat and clean is far different from a wild animal attack.

Plus the bite mark is also approximately the size of a human mouth, only it is quite large and torn as if it was pulled and torn in a hurry.

But there is something. Something he knew but couldn't catch up. It is definitely not Moriarty seeing that he is dead for good and not Eurus seeing that for now Eurus is in the recovery center. But it is something that he is not sure about and only he can unravel it.

Sherlock jerked from his Mind Palace when the cab break was suddenly pressed causing the cab to jerk. Sherlock was breathing heavily in the back as if he was holding his breath underwater for a long time. The cab driver looked at Sherlock from the rearview mirror.

"Baker Street, sir" said the cab driver.

Sherlock nodded and took out his credit card and slid his credit card on the credit card pay stand. The cab door opened and Sherlock got out of the cab. His eyes looked at door 221B in front of him. Sherlock walked towards the black wooden door but stopped when he saw the knocker on the door straightened. Sherlock frowned.

'Strange..' Sherlock thought curiously. 'it's either Mycroft or a client with OCD.. better clients than Mycroft'

Sherlock tilted back the door knocker and took out the door key and inserted the key into the door knob. The doorknob was turned and Sherlock quickly stepped inside. Sherlock's eyes looked towards the stairs leading to his flat and the flat above. The sound of classical music from upstairs made Sherlock frown curiously. Although the classical music sounds faint, but it is clearly heard in this quiet three-story flat. Meaning, the new neighbor that Mrs Hudson told him had already moved into the empty flat.

Sherlock slowly took off his trenchcoat and blue scarf then he hung the two items on the hanger next to the door. His eyes were still looking at the stairs leading to the upper flat.

Sherlock then arranged his steps to go upstairs but before he could climb the stairs, the door to Mrs Hudson's flat opened. Mrs Hudson sighed heavily as she lifted a large plastic garbage bag in her hand. She still didn't notice the glimpse of Sherlock at the end of the stairs who was still standing with his right foot on the stairs.

Mrs Hudson then with all the energy she had, she tried to lift the garbage plastic bag with a groan. Sherlock, who had been looking at Mrs Hudson with a blank expression on his face, immediately walked towards Mrs Hudson.

"Here, let me lift it up" Sherlock said in a deep voice. His right hand was stretched towards the garbage plastic bag.

Mrs Hudson looked at Sherlock in surprise. "oh, Sherlock. It's okay, I can lift it up"

"I don't think you can lift it. Seeing you struggle to lift it is enough for you to need help. So, let me help" Sherlock then took the plastic garbage bag from Mrs Hudson's hands and lifted it as if it weighed nothing. Although many people think that Sherlock is rude and cold, it does not mean that he is not a gentleman and respects the elderly. Hell, he once helped Mrs. Hudson get flour from the tall cabinet just to make Sherlock's favourite cookies. So, that's because Mrs. Hudson treats Sherlock like her own son and Sherlock treats Mrs. Hudson like his own mother.

Mrs Hudson just smiled genuinely at Sherlock. "oh, what a gentleman Sherlock you are"

"Not quite gentlemen, Mrs Hudson." Sherlock replied and walked towards the back of the flat they lived in.

"well, have you noticed our new neighbor? She just arrived and moved here last afternoon. Turns out she is very sweet and polite." Mrs Hudson told Sherlock in a motherly voice

"yes, I notice that." Sherlock murmured and put the trash bag into the big black trash can.

"How about you introduce yourself to her? Maybe you two can get along well. Perhaps John will be delighted with this new neighbor seeing John always welcomes new people" Mrs Hudson suggested.

Sherlock looked at Mrs Hudson long and walked past her. "I'm sure John can introduce himself and me to her."

"But you can't do that. You need to get along with new people, especially your new neighbor. She's sweet, Sherlock. I'm pretty sure you and her can be good friends." Mrs. Hudson walked behind Sherlock. "Anyway, where's John? Aren't you guys always stuck with each other?" Mrs. Hudson added.

"we're not always stuck with each other, Mrs Hudson. John probably take fresh air. He'll know to come back. Besides, I think I pass your suggestions. She's likely not wanting to be friends with a rude man like me." Sherlock.

"Sherlock, you are not always rude. I know you are a gentle young man even though many people think otherwise. Why don't you just try to be friendly with her? Get to know her and socialize with her?" Mrs Hudson advised.

Sherlock ignored her and suddenly he began to take a deep sniff in the air. His nose suddenly caught a rather strange smell from the flat. Something iron mixed with vanilla scented upstairs. Sherlock stopped.

"That's a strange smell for perfume, isn't it?" Sherlock turned his gaze towards Mrs Hudson.

"Every female has their own perfume taste, Sherlock." Mrs. Hudson replied.

Sherlock knew this kind of smell but still it couldn't be the smell of blood. Vanilla? probably the new neighbor likes that smell but, iron smell? This is weird. Surely there are no pipes in the flat that are already rusty. His experiment also did not involve blood. So why is there a familiar smell to him?

"Is our new neighbor someone who works in the medical field?" Sherlock stared at Mrs Hudson.

Mrs Hudson looked at Sherlock questioningly. "I'm not sure, dear. She's a bit mysterious, you know. I barely know her. So I respect her privacy" Mrs Hudson then got an idea. "Why don't you just do what I suggested earlier, hmm? Introducing yourself to her and get to know her if you want to know what she did throughout her life.  I'm sure you can get to know each other without me having to crack information from her."

"like i said, Mrs Hudson. I pass those suggestions from you. Let John do that" Sherlock went upstairs towards his own flat.

He opened his flat door with a burst as usual. Still thinking how come the door is not torn from the frame with how many he is bursting through that door. Sherlock stopped his movement and looked at the set of stairs leading to the flat above which is the flat occupied by his new mysterious neighbor.

The smell of metallic from there was quite strong, making Sherlock's mind pounding with questions. What is going on up there? The new neighbor is a woman like Mrs Hudson said. So who is she really?

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"You're late" Sherlock muttered, eyes closed as his palmed hands under his chin. Mind palace obviously.

John huffed as he undressed his black jacket and threw it behind his chair before sitting on his chair facing Sherlock.

"Well, I just came back from the bar actually. Need something strong to relieve stress" John signed while massaging his temples.

Sherlock hummed then opened his eyes and observed John. "Have you heard about our new neighbor upstairs?"

John glanced at Sherlock with furrowed eyebrows. "New neighbor? Upstairs? 221C? They've already moved?"

"Ms. Hudson suggested us to introduce ourselves to her" Sherlock spread his arms over the arm rest of his chair and unconsciously his fingers tapping the arm rest.

"A woman? Mrs Hudson suggested us to introduce ourselves to her?" John furrowed his eyebrows.

"She suggested to me but I want you to go." Sherlock replied flatly.

"Why not you? Mrs Hudson suggested to you first. I mean, I can go but why not you go, seeing as it was you who Mrs Hudson suggested first" John replied.

"I rather not" Sherlock muttered, avoiding eye contact with John.

"Sherlock, at least if you go, our new neighbor will feel welcome with us as her new neighbor seeing that she's the only woman besides Mrs Hudson who is willing to move here" John spoke.

"well, why isn't she the one who introduces herself? She's the new neighbor, of course she's the one who should greet us first" Sherlock protested.

John glared at Sherlock for a moment. Although his face looks calm but his eyes are a bit angry with Sherlock's behaviour. John sighed heavily and got up from his chair and walked out. Sherlock raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"where are you going?" Sherlock asked, confused.

"Upstairs, Introducing myself to our new neighbor since you decided to be a frog under the shell. You don't want to meet outsiders nor do you want to know about what's going on in the outside world" John said as he went upstairs ignoring Sherlock calling his name.

Sherlock rolled his eyes and quickly got up from his seat, rushing behind John towards the upstairs.

The metallic smell is gone only the vanilla. Weird. Sherlock frowned.

John reached the new neighbor's flat door and stood in front of the flat door. He glanced at Sherlock briefly before knocking on the door three times.

A sound of someone rushing could be heard from inside the flat.

"Coming!" a feminine voice shouted from inside the flat before the door was opened wide by a woman the same age as Sherlock dressed in a gray jumper and black pants.

You looked at John and Sherlock with an unrecognized look on your face. "yes?"

"Hi, I'm John Watson-"

"Doctor" Sherlock interrupted.

"And this is my flatmate Sherlock Holmes. We are your neighbors downstairs. Good to see a new face in this flat. It's been a long time since people moved here to stay in this old flat" John said with a warm smile.

You smile. "hi, I'm Y/n L/n. Just call me Y/n. I'm your new neighbor"

Sherlock narrowed his eyes. Trying to read anything from you.

'same age'

'metallic smell is strong here'

'cracks in reddish nails, nail polish? looks like dry liquid, blood? Injured during cleaning?'

'slightly stooped standing posture, lack of self-confidence'

'lack of sleep, eye bags'

'Vanilla, perfume'

"come in, I can make some tea for a chat, yeah?" You invited them and turned to the side to let them in.

John and Sherlock entered your flat. The flat door was closed by you when they entered your flat. They both looked around your messy flat with boxes and items that had just been unpacked.

You shyly looked around as you noticed the state your new home is.

"err, sorry about the mess.. I just took the items out of the box.. so sorry about all this mess" you scratched your neck awkwardly.

John waved his hand as if he didn't care about the mess there as he already dealt with that a long time ago.

"You should see our flat" John chuckled.

Sherlock rolled his eyes at that. John and his charming cannot be separated. Sherlock walked around your flat curiously. John who is ripe with Sherlock's behavior just let him hang around your flat as long as he didn't cause any trouble. You warily glanced at him.

"So uh.. Where did you come from?" John began to start a conversation.

"oh from Y/H...I moved here on business that I need to avoid there" you replied, the corner of your eye still watching Sherlock's movement.

"boyfriend?" John continued.

"Ex-friends" you replied.

John nodded in understanding and decided not to ask that personal question again. He looked around your boxes. Some have not yet been opened, some have been opened and the items inside are mostly books, black discs and various types of drawing tools.

"Are you a painter?" John asked referring to your drawing board.

"It can be said.. I make masks actually.. For events" you said, half lied half not. Although, covered identities to hunt people is an event too, right?

John raised his eyebrows impressed. "You're the Mask Maker? That's the first I've heard" John grinned.

"thanks, most people don't know that is also a job for living" you said, smiling sweetly.

Sherlock stopped his movement when he found some interesting things in your box. He took that thing and inspected it. It's your mask. Your hunting mask.

"Strange pattern and shape.. What events do you always do?" Sherlock showed you your mask which is a black veil and two horns above the veils.

It may be simple but it is quite useful to eat and hide your whole face even though it is only made of black cloth.

"It's usually for Halloween or a dance party like a Masquerade ball. Mostly from Japan who always ask for this kind of shape for their masks" you lied smoothly even Sherlock seems to be buying with your deception.

He could read you but he can't read the whole other details about you. It's like you are Irene Adler where he cannot deduce anything from you even small details. You hide it quite carefully. Now this is quite intriguing.

You smacked your forehead lightly before chuckling. "oh, silly me.. I forgot to make tea for you two. I should go and make tea for you, okay?"

"oh it's okay, we won't be long"

"black two sugar" Sherlock and John said in unison.

You stopped and pressed your lips into a thin line. Not knowing how to respond.

"well, I should heat the water then.. Uh.. please, please sit down" you offered them before moving to the kitchen.

Sherlock and John take a seat on your couch. John glared at Sherlock.

"You shouldn't have said that, it was disrespectful" John said slowly.

"She's the one who offered, I'm just saying" Sherlock replied simply but his eyes were still on your mask box.

"yes but you shouldn't have said something like that. It's disrespectful" John said lowly, not wanting you to hear his argument with Sherlock.

Sherlock rolled his eyes, annoyed by what John said. Meanwhile you are in the kitchen standing at the kitchen counter with both hands holding the electric jug of hot water and pouring it into the teapot after you put the tea bags. You heard what they were arguing in the living room with your sensitive ears. You found it amusing with John who's yapping endlessly with Sherlock's respectful and disrespectful attitude. For you, you don't care about it because you know that they are guests and they have the right to tell what they want and don't want. As long as it's not something that goes beyond the limit.

After making the tea, you brought the tray into the living room and placed the tray containing the teapot and the 2 cups on the table in front of John and Sherlock. You grinned while pouring tea into the two cups.

"so, uh.. what are you two doing? It's not fair that you come here to welcome and get to know me. I also want to get to know and welcome you too" you said while handing the cup of tea to John.

John took the tea from you and grinned. "Uh, well. That's right. Well, I'm a Doctor. Like Sherlock said before. I work at a hospital near here permanently and well at one time I was a blogger." John explained.

"Doctor and Blogger? That's pretty impressive" you raised one eyebrow.

"yeah, but it's a bit of a hassle too." John scratched the back of his neck while chuckling lightly.

Sherlock rolled his eyes.

"So you are a blogger, what kind of topic do you always do? And where can I read it?" you smile

"I usually make topics about cases that Sherlock and I solved, actually. And you can read it online. My personal blog Doctor John H Watson "John replied, smiled.

"cases?" you turned your gaze on Sherlock. "Are you a Detective?"

"I’m a consulting detective. Only one in the world. I invented the job" Sherlock said coldly.

"Consulting Detective? Is it the same as a private detective?" You cocked your head to the side slightly.

John smirked at what you said. His mind played with the memory of when he met Sherlock a few years ago. The exact same questions were told to him by you.

"No, it means when the police are out of their depth, which is always, they consult me." Sherlock explained.

You nodded understanding and decided to change the question. "so, you haven't solved any cases now or are you in the phase to solve cases?" you looked at John and Sherlock.

"We are trying to investigate this new case. If you know, it is already in the news." John said while sipping tea.

"A new case? What case?" You looked at John curiously.

"The police said it was a case of wild animal attack." John said, clearing his throat as he put the tea cup back on the table.  "I'm surprised this case isn't as exciting as the previous case.. Well at least not yet"

"I just moved here so I miss a lot of things that happen here but seriously, wild animal attack? In London?" You frowned.

"There are many impossible things that can happen out there. Especially in London. But the police are still investigating that. We are trying to solve it, seeing that Sherlock probably has another theory about this attack" John remarked.

"You have your own theory? About that?" You stared at John intently.

"well.. " John cleared his throat. Eyes glanced at Sherlock before returning to you. "My theory is that, it's not just any wild animal attacks but it's a case of Ghouls"

You sweat dropped at that. Ghouls. As if you can't get away with that. Even if you have moved abroad, it does not mean that other Ghouls are not abroad. Wherever there are Ghouls because they have now increased throughout the years. Breeding or experiment.

Sherlock rolled his eyes at that. "oh, seriously John. You're not going to let this Ghouls thing go, aren't you?"

"Think about it again Sherlock. Cannibals won't attack and eat their victims directly. They prefer to kidnap them and eat them. Wild animals won't make neat bites like that." John defended.

"So uh.. Ghoul?" you try to naturalize the tone of your voice.

"yes, Ghoul. As you know I posted about this case in my blog and then one of the readers who read my blog commented their theories about Ghoul. So everything that has to do with this case is the same as the theories they told me" John paused. "You don't know what Ghoul is, don't you?" He added.

"not really.. Uh, I only heard rumors about them. So I barely know about their things" you lied through your teeth. Hoping that none of them sensed your lie.

John nodded in understanding while Sherlock looked at you suspiciously.

"You seem tense" Sherlock muttered. John side eyed him as if to tell him 'don't start'.

"well, when you mention something like that.. The one behind these attacks must still be out there, right? So it's not safe to walk alone to work or anywhere. They or it will probably make me the next victim if I'm off guard" you mumbled, looking at your lap. Fingers fidgeting with each other pretending that you are anxious.

Sherlock nodded, for now he just let it slide. He has nothing to accuse you about these attacks, although he himself doesn't know why he feels this case has anything to do with you. He just can't put his finger on it. Who are you.. really. So far he only knows that you moved to London because your ex friend in your hometown and you are a mask maker. But something inside him told him that you are more than that.

"What kind of customers do you always make a mask for?" Sherlock asked, attempting to change the topic.

"For the rich. Sometimes there are middle class. But mostly first class. They pay handsomely for the mask I make. Though, money is not my problem." You replied, genuinely. "Are you interrogating me?" you cocked your head slightly.

"what makes you say that?" Sherlock frowned.

"You asked me questions that only the police ask. Although, it sounds like the police, but are you interrogating me?" the beginning of your narrowed eyes.

"No.. I'm merely just asking you a simple question because I'm interested in what you're doing" Sherlock replied smoothly.

"Most people don't find what I do interesting" you shrugged.

"I'm not most people. And I'm genuinely interested in what you're doing. I find it intriguing" Sherlock replied.

John observing the conversation of the two of you silently, sipping his tea. He wants to know where this conversation is going but he is afraid that this conversation will take a turn that it shouldn't, seeing that Sherlock seems to be onto something.

"right, if you said so. What other things do you want to know about my job then?" You crossed your legs. Eyes focusing on Sherlock.

"Well, you're good at sketching. Do you perhaps know about human anatomy?" Sherlock stared at you intently.

"A little bit, though I only sketched faces for mask design. Why?" you raised your eyebrow at him.

"Just want to warn you who are neighbors with me, you will pass through some unpleasant smells like the smell of something sizzling or smoke because I usually do experiments at undetermined times" Sherlock warned.

"and that includes?" you stared at him.

"human body parts" Sherlock said simply.

"That doesn't explain why you asked me if I know human anatomy" you narrowed your eyes.

"Perhaps I need your help for an experiment" Sherlock muttered.

You were silent for a moment. Heart beats fast at this. Does he know what you are? or perhaps he doesn't know but he wants to find out about you. Is this about the mysterious attacks they are both working on?

"I'm only a mask maker, Sherlock" You said.

"then why is there a smell of blood here?" Sherlock narrowed his eyes at you.

"sorry?"

"the smell of blood here. It is very strong. Although I know the smell of blood when I smell one due to me being working on many cases involving blood. So why, the smell of blood here is strong?" Sherlock said, suspiciously.

"Sherlock, I think this is already-" John tried to cut off the tension.

"Are you talking about the meat that I took out of the freezer to cook? Yeah, the smell of the meat's blood is very unpleasant, isn't it? Maybe after you two go back to your flat, I'll wash it for dinner" you said, boldly. "Honestly, Sherlock. Are you accusing me for being the one behind the attacks that I barely know?" now you displeased with what Sherlock accused. How dare he accuse you of something you didn't do. Yes, you are a ghoul but you don't attack people at will. You always take human flesh at the morgue or if someone wants to attempt suicide who willingly becomes your food. Never had you ever attack people if you are hungry. You can control your hunger well.

Sherlock blinked his eyes at you. He lost all the words he said. John glared at him, dissatisfied with what Sherlock did earlier. Accusing someone who just moved to this country and barely knows about the case. Now this is out of control.

You gave Sherlock a death stare before shifting your gaze to John. "I think it would be good if you both return to your flat. I don't want to continue this unpleasant conversation anymore. I have other things to do" you uttered idly.

"uh, yes. Of course. So sorry about him." John apologized, giving you a reassuring smile before he dragged Sherlock out of your flat.

Sherlock seems unfazed that he himself was dragged out of your flat by John, only after you closed the door of your flat with force Sherlock seems out of his mind. He sucked his breath and looked at your flat door.

"right, what was that?" John stared at him with his dangerously calm face.

"I'm trying to prove my point" Sherlock turned his gaze on his flatmate.

"what point? hmm? The point that you accuse her for being the one behind this attack? Are you accusing her for being a cannibal who kept the body parts of the corpse that we are trying to solve?" John hissed, eyes showing rage even though his face was calm.

Sherlock seemed to lose all the words he wanted to throw at John. His mind is racing with the thought that he couldn't place something about you. He seemed to want to prove his point that you have about this case but he doesn't know what it is.

John massaged his nose in frustration. "Look, we should welcome our new neighbor and build a good relationship with her. Not accuse her of what she didn't do. That woman is too good, she's not mad at us even though she should be mad at us because of you. She barely knows about any of these, for God's sake!" John lowered his voice. He turned his back toward Sherlock as he took a deep breath trying to calm himself before he continued.

John leaned forward slightly as if he wanted Sherlock to hear his words clearly while pressing his thumb and index finger together.

"Listen, I don't want to tell you this again -"

"-the don't"

"-Because you're the type who doesn't understand the language with all the warnings I give-"

"-I understand the language well-"

"-then understand what I'm saying!" John released a heavy breath. "Just stop this.. Stop accusing someone if you yourself have no evidence to accuse someone. She didn't do anything wrong since she moved here. She wants to start a new life here, not for you to destroy her new life. Just because you are frustrated that there's no evidence yet doesn't mean you can turn in someone who is innocent to do such unforgivable things"

Sherlock stared at him absently. He doesn't know what to say as he knows what John said is right. He shouldn't accuse someone for being the one who did this cruel crime. But knowing Sherlock, he probably has another way to prove his point.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

[the-whispers-of-death]

The Fifth & Final Lion

A/N: For context, it's been a month and six days since Rescue Mission.

*****************************************************************

Time seemed to be moving slowly for Cerberus as he waited for his doctor to finish writing his report in the computer.

He already had been declared mentally fit by his psychiatrist and therapist, so now all he was waiting for before being able to officially become a Shadow was to be declared physically fit by his physician.

He swore the doctor was purposefully dragging this out, his good eye catching her typing slow at her desk. It made his worries surface again, scenarios in which he failed his physical coming up.

Cerberus knew he had healed faster than expected, going to the gym with Simba and Nala to get a semblance back to where he had been before his captivity. He practiced his shooting in the firing range with Sarabi and Kali, the two best snipers he knew. He had gotten high scores and times when doing obstacles courses that rookies were struggling to do.

He was ready.

"Well, Rahul," the doctor said, finishing up typing and turning around in her rolling chair to look at him. She was smiling, a good sign. "You've been healing wonderfully for someone in your situation. You're not at the weight and body mass that you were before your captivity, but it's more than enough to make me feel comfortable signing off on you being able to report for duty."

Cerberus watched her get up, handing him a slip of paper saying she had given her approval that he was physically fit to be a medic for a squad. He laughed, euphoria flooding his veins as he held the slip of paper, careful not to crush up the other piece of paper that his therapist and psychiatrist gave him.

"Thank you, Doctor," he said, getting up from the exam table. He surprised both her and himself, hugging her. "Thank you."

The doctor returned the hug, patting him on his back. "You did the work, Rahul. Your speedy recovery was all you," she replied, unable to hide her grin as she watched him grin back at her. "Now, go, be the best medic you can be. Any squad would be lucky to have you. And if that contact lens of yours is too uncomfortable, don't hesitate to call you optometrist."

Cerberus nodded, taking note of it. "Will do, promise." He felt elated, like he was finally taking control of his new life.

He bid her goodbye before leaving the exam room, heading to the exit of the base hospital. As soon as he was outside, he walked to the main building of the base, on his way to see Commander Graves.

While he was still a little paranoid, his eyes tracking everyone who passed by him, Cerberus was pleased that his therapy was working. A month ago, he wouldn't even had been able to be outside without panicking and feeling like everyone was going to hurt him. It had taken him a while to go outside but with the help of The Lions, he did it eventually.

And now he could go outside alone, without wanting to attack someone who felt like they were staring at him.

As he stepped into the building and walked towards Commander Graves' office, he was praying and hoping that he'd be put on The Lions' squad. He had spent the most time with them, all of them bonding when they could so they could tell Graves that they knew Cerberus could comfortably fit into the squad.

But it wasn't always guaranteed that people got the assignments they were hoping for.

"Have faith, Cerberus. You're going to be our medic, our chemistry as a squad is undeniable. You're our fifth member, I know it."

Kali's words in the back of his head soothed Cerberus as he knocked on Commander Graves' door.

"Come in," Graves called out from the other side of the door. He smiled when he saw Cerberus walking in. "Ah, Cerberus. You have something for me?" he asked.

Cerberus took a deep breath and nodded, walking over and handing the man the slips of paper. "I've been declared fit for duty," he said, pointing out to recommendations he be officially taken into the ranks of the Shadow Company.

Graves nodded, looking over the pieces of paper. He set them down on his desk, eyeing Cerberus to make sure he truly was ready to get back to doing what he loved, helping soldiers. "I can see that, Cerberus. And I'm very proud of you."

He grabbed another piece of paper, Cerberus' orders, along with a uniform, a badge, a registered sidearm. "I'm pleased to announce that you, Rahul Ali, are officially a Shadow."

"I'm honored, Commander." Cerberus took everything from Graves. He was itching to see what squad he was assigned to, but he waited to be dismissed.

"You're dismissed, Cerberus."

Cerberus managed to salute Graves despite how full his hands were before he left the office. He took a quick look at the orders, smiling at the name of the squad on the piece of paper.

*************

"You're so much bigger than you were when Kali found you, yes you are." Sarabi cooed at Shadow, the black wolf that was settled in between his legs no longer the size of a pup but rather roughly half the size of what his parent probably looked like. He patted the wolf, smiling as the wolf gave a small "woof" in response.

All four Lions were without their masks/balaclavas/neck gaiters, relaxing as they waited to hear if Cerberus was able to become a Shadow officially and what squad he'd joined if he was now a Shadow. Everyone was getting restless, all of them hoping he'd be on their squad.

They had gotten attached to Cerberus, being there for his recovery. He was technically still recovering, but they were hoping they'd have the privilege to continue helping him recover.

Simba heard the footsteps first. "I think that's Cerberus," he said, everyone turning their attention to the door.

Cerberus knocked on the door to the barracks, doing the special knock that was designed specifically to announce his arrival. He opened the door shortly after, smiling when he saw The Lions staring at him expectantly.

"How did it go?" Nala asked, breaking the silence first. He watched Cerberus walk in before continuing, "Were you declared physically and mentally fit?"

"I was," Cerberus answered, causing everyone to breathe a sigh of relief.

Simba frowned, noticing that Cerberus didn't seem to be jumping in joy. "Wait, did you not get assigned to our squad?"

Kali walked over to Cerberus, disappointment on his face but he steeled it. "Oh, Cerberus, I'm sorry. I know you were looking forward to being assigned to us, and we were looking forward to it as well. But this doesn't mean we all won't still see you, you can't get rid of us that easily." He opened his arms, intending to hug Cerberus.

Cerberus broke the facade, bursting out into laughter. The looks of confusion of the four men's faces were priceless to him. "You all should see your faces, oh God!" He cleared up any confusion by giving the orders to Kali.

"You son of a bitch," Kali complained playfully, passing around the orders which assigned Cerberus to The Lions. "You really had us thinking that you weren't our medic." He gently pushed at Cerberus' shoulder, causing the man to laugh harder.

"We still love you though!" Simba said before running over and picking Cerberus up in a bear hug.

Nala walked over, clapping Cerberus on the back as he was still in Simba's hold. "It's a honor to have you on our squad, Rahul," he murmured, a small smile on his lips.

Cerberus chuckled, looking down at Nala. "The honor's all mine. You're a great group of men," he replied sincerely. "I wouldn't have healed as fast as I did without all of you helping me through it."

Simba finally placed Cerberus down on the ground, letting him go and letting the others get their hugs in. Kali gave him a crushing bear hug before letting him go soon after.

"Well, a squad has to stay together, yeah? Through thick and thin." Sarabi got up, walking over with Shadow following behind him. His gloved hand settled on the small of Cerberus' back, unintentionally sending a shiver down the man's spine. "In sickness and in health."

Kali scrunched his nose in response to Sarabi's words, walking towards his bunk. He was grabbing a letter, probably from Stone. "You sound like we're all getting a marriage together."

Cerberus looked at the letter in Kali's hands, smirking. "Another love letter, Cap?" he teased, enjoying the way it felt nice to call Kali "Cap".

"Oh come on, is everyone in this squad going to tease me about my letters?" Kali asked in exasperation. He carefully opened the envelope, his eagerness to read the letter unable to be contained. "They're not love letters!"

"Not yet," Sarabi muttered underneath his breath, causing everyone except Kali to laugh.

Kali rolled his eyes. "For that, I'm going to read this in the bathroom. Just so I don't have to hear your teasing," he playfully grumbled.

Nala chuckled. "Oh, is it that spicy of a love letter?"

Kali gave Nala his middle finger, making another round of laughter take everyone else, before he went into the bathroom.

"Is he really going to jerk off in the bathroom to letter?" Simba asked, barely holding back his laughter.

"Shut up!" Kali yelled from the bathroom.

Sarabi gently tugged Cerberus away from Simba and Nala who were joking together. Cerberus followed easily, his smile curious. "Where are we going?" he asked.

Sarabi took him to the bunk beds. "I'm showing you your new bed," he said, gesturing to the top bunk.

"Wait, are you in the bottom bunk?" Cerberus asked, recognizing Kali's yellow-gold lioness mask laying on the bottom bunk's bed.

"Yeah, you okay with sharing a bunk with me?"

Cerberus stared up at Sarabi, his heart skipping a beat. He managed to stop it from showing on his face too much.

"It's perfect. Everything's perfect."

*****************************************************************

A/N: This is going to be the second to last Lions post before the reunion, I believe. I still have to post Cerberus' basic info post, but that's been sitting in my drafts for a while now. It took a while for me to finally write this post, officially bringing in Cerberus to the squad. Feels nice.

I couldn't help myself, I wrote in a little Stone x Kali and Cerberus x Sarabi. It wrote itself, you see. Also yes, I'm bringing back the pets. And Stone's water bottle, but that'll be after the reunion.

Cerberus still has some ways to go before being fully healed (physically and mentally), but he's healed enough and for that The Lions are very proud of him for.

Reblogs are welcomed & appreciated! Asks are open, feel free to pop in and request something! (Check the rules in "Rules for Requesting NSFW" before requesting.)

[marco-newgate]

Marco X CisFem Reader

6

Marco: I fucked up!

Thatch: I'm trying to sleep man

Marco: I kissed F/N before I left for work

Thatch: Thats a hilarious string of autocorrects

Marco: She did my tie and we were talking and I just kissed her on the cheek

Thatch: on the cheek?!

Thatch: I could be sleeping right now and you're talking about pecks on the cheek?!

Marco: cmon man. You know there are reasons I never do that stuff with her

Thatch: yeah 10 years ago.

Thatch: she's an adult now

Marco: but she just got out of a relationship

Thatch:yeah... you never had good timing

Thatch: now leave me alone

___________

It really wasn't a big deal. Luffy, Thatch and Ace kissed your forehead and cheek all the time. Sabo even had a few special occasions like your birthday or the time you got caught under the mistletoe a few years ago. But never Marco. He'd ruffle your hair to make you mad or slap your back and of course if the time called for it, a good old innocent side hug. He hugged his brothers often and well, you'd seen him kiss more girls than you'd care to remember.

Now that you think about it why did you seem to be the one being singled out here? This was getting depressing.

Your thoughts shifted to his warm and surprisingly soft lips. How he gently swayed with you while you cried into his shirt two months ago.

Ugh. What is this?

It was just too comfortable, completely natural and required zero effort. Like everything you ever did with Marco. Though Ace was your best friend and by far the closest brother to you he was incredibly hard headed; as was Luffy. You'd swear they were related by blood. Sabo always did his own thing and was far too clean and polite to have been raised in this house. Thatch was the group mom despite his mischievous streak. He was always stopping you from making a mess and making sure you learned your lesson.

Familiar feelings bubbled through your chest.

It was nothing. It was nothing. It was nothing.

"I know that face." Ace smirked pushing the bottoms of his feet flush with yours as you laid on opposite ends on the sofa.

"You don't." You replied flatly.

"Mhm ~" He hummed, "You're thinking ab-"

"Ace," You interrupted raising your right leg, "If you ever want to have kids you won't finish that sentence."

"OK geez." The raven whined protectively cupping his groin.

"F/N!" Thatch shouted from the kitchen, "Set the table. Dinner is almost ready."

You pushed yourself off the couch and slinked into the kitchen. Marco was pulling plates down from the cabinet so you counted out and gathered utensils.

Family dinner was something pops made sure happened as often as possible. There were usually at least two or three of you missing during dinner on week nights which is why no matter what everyone came together on Sunday evenings, no devices allowed, for dinner. Tonight, Sabo and Luffy would be out and Thatch had to leave as soon as he was done eating for his shift at the bar.

There was a bit of awkward tension as you and the blond walked into the dining room to set the table.

"Uh about this morning yoi."

You didn't lift your eyes from the napkin you were folding.

Be cool. No biggie.

"No worries. It was like a knee jerk thing, right?" Your face was on fire.

Don't look up.

"Well - uh."

"It's just a peck on the cheek, everyone does it." You shrugged forcing your shaky hands to keep folding, "You just aren't as affectionate as the others so it caught me off guard."

You saw his shoulders drop a little in your peripheral.

"Ah yeah," He let out an airy chuckle, "I just didn't want you to be weirded out."

See me, no big deal.

"Of course not." You forced a smile.

Why did it feel so disappointing?

He made a speedy exit while you sighed and finished setting the table.

This was reminiscent of high school and that wasn't good. All of the teasing and weird feelings really strained your relationship with the pineapple. Things were finally sort of normal.

You passed through the kitchen door hushing the whispering brothers immediately.

Suspicious.

"What's going to the table Thatchy?"

"Marco will take it. Can you go get pops from the garage? Please?" The brunette smiled over his shoulder at you.

"Aye-aye." You sauntered out to the garage to fetch the old man.

"Nami called you while you were outside." Ace chirped following you into the dining room where Marco and Thatch already sat on either side of pops' seat.

"Did you answer it?" That was a stupid question, of course he had.

"Yup!" He grinned, "She wants to set you up on a date."

"I'll tell her no later." You sighed slouching down next to Thatch.

"Oh - I already told her you'd do it." He said gaining the attention of everyone at the table.

"W-hy would you do that?" You gaped.

"What? It's been long enough."

"Two months." You strained.

"Exactly." He nodded.

"You can't just decide things for her yoi." Marco swatted the raven.

"I'll just call her after dinner." You huffed.

"Well, maybe you should go." Pops suggested shifting the shocked glares from Ace to himself.

"I thought you loved me pops." You whined.

"Of course, I do!" The old man boomed, "A little date won't kill ya. You might even feel better after."

"It's not like you have to marry the guy." Thatch added.

"Would you like to add to the betrayal?" You crossed your arms and glared at Marco.

He sipped his beer and very calmly shook his head.

"We just want you to be happy lass." Pops added.

"I'm ... " You paused thinking about the last 12 hours, "Ugh. Fine I'll do it. But I'm gonna be an awful date."

_________

You sat nervously twisting a lock of your hair at the five-star hotel's bar/restaurant. It was an enormous opulent room with huge chandeliers dangling from the vaulted ceiling. You'd made sure to dress accordingly and had no problem getting your hair and makeup exactly how you liked. But you still felt out of place. This place was expensive – too expensive for a blind date. It was the kind of restaurant that you go to for your ten-year anniversary.

"Can I get you a cocktail miss?" The young bartender asked wiping the marble counter in front of you.

You weren't a cocktail girl... but you didn't see a beer tap or any bottles for that matter.

"Can I just get a white Russian?" You slid your credit card across the counter to open a tab.

"I've got this." A smooth baritone voice drifted over your shoulder as a tattooed hand slid your card back, "A white Russian? Would you like to go bowling after this?"

You chuckled at his reference, eyes trailing up his tailored sleeve to his ridiculously attractive relaxed face. What the hell was Nami thinking? Thick black hair shadowed his sharp dark features that were only enhanced by his seemingly glowing amber eyes. 

"Trafalgar Law." He stated evenly responding to your no doubt bewildered expression.

I AM gonna be a awful date. 

[spurgie-cousin]

I’m the anon who had the bonus option; I’ll be completely honest to that one reply and say I don’t keep up on the royal family at all beyond the big trending topics, so other than knowing that Kate had surgery (which I only learned about because of the “where’s kate?” conspiracies recently) I had no idea where she’s actually recovering. I was also making the assumption that paparazzi was posted outside of wherever she’s staying with their telescope lenses and someone has a drone ready to go up so they could be the first one to get the “KATE MIDDLETON SPOTTED” headline image like I’d imagine would happen here in the US, unless the UK has different laws surrounding paparazzi.

Tldr that reply was correct that nothing about my opinion was based on fact, but if there is any kind of protocol keeping her inside no matter where she is, she’s bound to have moments of boredom like anyone else would

(this one is from when we were talking about Kate Middleton) oh that's ok babe, the royals have such wild protocol sometimes it wasn't a far-fetched guess. you could tell me the Kate wasn't allowed to show her forearms on the third Sunday of the month and i would probably believe it lol.

also just while we're on the Kate Middleton subject: i know most people who pay attention probably know but just in case you don't, she's come out and said that during her abdominal procedure, they confirmed she has cancer (didn't specify what kind). so she's been going through preventive chemotherapy.

i feel awful that she has to go through that (esp so young) and wish her a speedy recovery, but i still have so many questions as to why the royals PR people handled her absence the way that they did lol.....why did they do all that weird stuff instead of just sticking to their guns? being gone for medical issues makes sense

[jj-stay]

bathe in passion pt.6

Word count: 1K

Pairing: chan x stya{ stay /reader}

Genre: fluff

Rating: PG-16

Warnings: suggestive, hickies, scratches, reader can't walk, the cringiest convo ever, my worst writing of all time {sorry}, horrible writing style,

☪️ Master List ☪️

Chris woke up and saw the sun hit her face. he then recalled all they had done the night before and remembered it was her first time and that she had just lost her V card to him and he now felt bad for making her sleep with him in that way after she had asked for them to go back to sleep he felt horrible. he regretted forcing to do that instead of when she was ready on her own time. he felt that he should have listened to her and let her go back to sleep like she wanted to even if it caused him discomfort or he could have gone to the bathroom to try to knock one off. He loved her in every way possible and he felt absolutely horrible for doing this he felt as though he had hurt her as if doing this to her had disrespected her, her wishes, her belief, her body, everything.

he felt awful. he wanted to do nothing more than to make it up to her, but the marking that littered her skin looked like works of art. he looked at her neck all the way down to her cleavage, where the blanket had reached to cover the rest, all had been covered in bite marks and hickies and love marks. there was a big part of him that felt proud, then felt guilty for feeling that way after he had forced her to lose her V card to him. you woke up to see him looking at you with a sad guilty expression not able to be hidden at his weak excuse of a smile.

you thought he was regretting sleeping with you. was it because he realized that your chubby stomach was gross or he realized it wasn't as beautiful as he said

"hey baby, i am. so. sorry for making you do something you didn't wanna do i never should have forced you to lose your V card to me i should have waited for you to be ready and now i feel horrible and-"

"ok first off calm down"you said stopping him in his speedy rant

"secondly you didn't force me to do anything i agreed to it-"

"but" he replied.

"no buts"

"you didn't pressure me to do it either it was just what i needed otherwise i might have never been ready"

"if anything i should be sorry that im not good enough i bet all the stretch marks made you feel disgusted and my chubby belly made you regret sleeping with me and for that i am so very sorry"

"okay first of all, what on earth are you talking about your body is the most beautiful thing i have ever seen in my entire life you are amazing in every way and i am honored that you let me be your first time you were amazing im just a little disappointing not in you but in myself for leaving so many marks on your beautiful skin {doesn't have to be white skin i know some of you beautiful chocolate queens have been feeling left out dont be flaunt that chocolate color mama} but i also feel extremely proud i kinda want to do more and wish i did on every inch of your body"

"and if anything your stretch marks are tiger stripes"

"so beautiful and shows off how brave and fearless you are and your body your curves are everything to me the very things that drive me insane that makes me understand why guys will want to watch and stare but still wont stop me from being jealous a little "

"you are especially sexy when you wear outfits that show off all your curves "

"and if you still don't believe me on that wasn't the Greek goddess of beauty often seen to be thick with hip dips and if the goddess of beauty can see the beauty in you why cant i ? "

"that was the sweetest thing I've ever heard thank you my love" you said.

"no problem" he replied.

"lets go get breakfast"

gets up and gets dressed when he hears something loud coming from the bedroom and runs back in to see you on the floor. he took a moment to take you in the fact that you were littered in hickies and love bites all over your abdomen all over your breasts neck collar bone and thighs had bruises, hickies and bites.

{he was still shirtless had a couple hickies but they would have all been hidden by a T-shirt easily}

"you mind helping me out i cant walk "

"or stand for that matter" you stated.

he smirks and picks you up and takes you to the bath which he had already set for you.

"aww you already set me a bath, so nice"

"thought you might want a nice hot bath after last night ." he winks at you.

you blushed.

"oh, and sorry for the scratch marks on your back "

"What?" he rushes to the mirror turns around and sees those scratches would be easy to hide with the t-shirt as well.

"yeah its fine "

"i would say sorry for the hickies but we both know that I'm not." he says as he smirks. leaves the bathroom and goes to the kitchen still shirtless and started making breakfast for everyone and that's when it hit him.

everyone.

as in the guys.

the guys he shares a dorm with.

his group mates.

they were here.

and with how loud luna was he highly doubted there's a chance they didn't hear.

just as he thought that ALL the guy walked in all looking tired

"I hope it was worth it."

"you know keeping us up all night"

>:( jisung pouted.

chan turns around.

"Yeah, sorry, i forget you guys were here."

minho: "what ever judging by the scratch marks on your back im guessing you did good, so im proud of you "

chan blushed so hard "lino what the hell dude " extremely embarrassed

binnie: "haha he's so red right now"

"baby come get me pls im done bathing and i cant stand up to dry off" stya said.

chan was now red-er that hyunjin's hair in maniac

lixie: "wow"

"my bro took away her ability to walk"

"I'm impressed yet somehow not surprised you could"

chan: "LIXIE!!!!!!!"

seungmin: "hes not wrong though"

i.n: "hes not wrong though"

chan got so flustered but he just turned off the stove after he had finished cooking and went to help stya.