#thanks for coming along for the ride that was 2022!

[chrisbitchtree]

I posted 6,749 times in 2022

That's 5,722 more posts than 2021!

850 posts created (13%)

5,899 posts reblogged (87%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@memes-saved-me

@grey-sides

@lazybakerart

@neonponders

@stevewhoreington

I tagged 6,449 of my posts in 2022

Only 4% of my posts had no tags

#billy hargrove - 4,543 posts

#steve harrington - 3,895 posts

#harringrove - 3,716 posts

#billy x steve - 2,563 posts

#stranger things fanart - 1,146 posts

#fic rec - 826 posts

#chrisbitchtree writes - 480 posts

#🥺🥺🥺 - 478 posts

#lemon - 440 posts

#😂😂😂 - 362 posts

Longest Tag: 135 characters

#everyone needs to do yourselves a favour and track down the four weddings and a funedal miniseries that was released a couple years ago

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

How I think the lead up to the shower scene went:

Billy: Tommy, do you think going up to Steve to talk to him while naked in the showers will make it too gay? I don’t want it to be too obvious that I want him

Tommy: You’re severely underestimating how oblivious Harrington is

Billy: Ok, so we agree that the naked in the showers thing is the right way to go? Will you come with me? It’ll seem less gay if it’s not just him and I

Tommy, shaking his head: You think adding a third naked guy to this scenario will make it less gay?

———

Bonus:

Steve, twenty years later, rolling over in bed at 3am: Hey babe, were you hitting on me that day in the showers??

1,190 notes - Posted August 29, 2022

#4

It takes Will a good 30 seconds to remember to close his mouth. He knows his mom says it’s rude to stare, but he can’t help it. He’s at the hospital with his mom while she checks in on Hop, and he decided to wander down to Billy’s room. If he’s being honest with himself, the other boy kind of scares him still, but Steve’s been on him like a mother hen since he’s been rescued, which means that Billy’s going to be a part of their lives now, if they want to be a part of Steve’s, so he might as well get used to him.

Steve, the reason that his mouth is agape. Specifically his arms. He has them raised, fiddling with some kind of wire that’s twisted above Billy’s head. And wow. They were not that muscled when Will saw him last. He’s sure of it.

Steve turns, noticing him, but Will’s thankfully managed to shut his mouth by then. “Hey Will, I’m gonna go find a nurse to figure out these wires. Keep Billy company for me while I’m gone?” He throws a wink in there and Will can feel his face get hot and red, right to the tips of his ears.

Will nods, at a loss for words.

Steve leaves the room, and Billy turns to him, a sharkish grin on his face. “Hey, fellow gay William.” He motions for Will to sit in the chair next to his hospital bed. Now that Steve and his arms have vacated the room, Will notices that Billy is shirtless. Even with his torso scarred, he’s too beautiful for words.

Will pulls out the chair and sits down, sputtering. “How…, I mean, I’m not. I’m not…” the last word comes out like a whisper. He’s still not used to saying it out loud. “…gay.”

Billy huffs out a laugh, giving Will a sympathetic look. “Sure you’re not. And I didn’t die for almost a year, only to be rescued from a Russian prison by your mother and the local conspiracy theorist.”

Will’s eyes go wide. He thought he’d been hiding so well. “Do you think anyone else knows?”

Billy shakes his head. “No, it’s a homo thing. Gaydar. I can spot another homosexual a mile away.”

Will leans in close. “But you and I are the only ones, right?”

Steve re-enters the room then. “A nurse’ll be here in a minute.” He looks between Billy and Will, clearly able to tell that he’s walked in on something private.

“Can you come here for a minute, Steve?”

Steve’s at his bedside in a flash. “What do you need? Water, another blanket, more pillows.”

“Nope. Just wanted to do this.” He grabs Steve by the front of his polo, pulling him in and planting a big, smacking kiss on him.

Will can see the tips of Steve’s ears go red, but he melts into it, gripping Billy’s shoulders and going in for another kiss, not for show this time. It’s honestly getting a little heated, and Will doesn’t know where to look, but then Steve pulls back, looking at Will as if he’d forgotten he and Billy weren’t alone in the room. He clears his throat and heads for the door. “I’m gonna go check on that nurse. I’ll be right back.” He almost walks into the closed door as he exits.

Billy turns to Will, his grin bright enough to outshine the sun. “What was that you were saying about you and I being the only gay guys in Hawkins?”

1,228 notes - Posted July 3, 2022

#3

A post-Starcourt world where Billy’s back home and Neil’s still there. Billy still won’t talk about the abuse happening at home, but everyone’s aware that it’s happening, so they make a pact to keep him out of his house as much as possible.

Dustin: Billy, can you help me with the DnD campaign I’m working on?

Mrs. Sinclair: I’m sorry, Billy. We didn’t get started with dinner as early as we thought we would, so Max isn’t ready to go yet. Why don’t you come in and eat with us? I made Max’s favourite, macaroni and cheese with hotdogs in it.

Steve: There’s a gross spider in my pool house. Can you come kill it? And while you’re here, I have movies and beer and snacks. You might as well stay. You can even sleep over, and I’ll make you pancakes in the morning, baby.

Nancy: Can read over this English paper I’m writing, Billy?

Hopper: Can you go hang out with El, Billy? I have to stay late at work and she’d appreciate the company.

Billy knows that Dustin prefers to work on his campaigns alone, that macaroni and cheese with hotdogs in it is far from Max’s favourite, and is actually his favourite, that he’s more scared of spiders than he is, that English is the one class that Wheeler did better than him in, and that El would prefer to have the time alone to talk on the phone with Mike, but he also never brings it up because he knows what they’re all doing and he appreciates the hell out of it.

1,775 notes - Posted July 10, 2022

#2

Billy, heavily influenced by his boyfriends soft lips, skilled hands, and sweet talking voice, starts sharing chauffeur duties with Steve.

The kids, all of whom except for Max are unaware that Billy and Steve are dating, are weary, but they need rides and trust Steve, so they take what they can get.

Despite multiple warnings from both Steve and Billy himself, it takes no time at all for the kids to start breaking the rules of Billy’s car, and soon, he’s furiously scrubbing footprints off the back of the front seats, picking up trail mix off the floor, and to his horror, scraping what looks suspiciously like dried snot off the window.

The next time he picks up the kids, he reiterates the rules, giving them one more chance to listen if they don’t want to start walking everywhere.

“Ok,” he says, looking them all in the eye in turn. “This is the last time I’m telling you guys. Feet stay on the floor, food stays in a sealed bag inside your backpack, and I can’t believe I have to say this, but your bodily fluids are to stay in your bodies at all times!”

Immediately, there’s a chorus of “But Steve lets us…” ringing out.

“But Steve lets us eat in the car!”

“Steve doesn’t care if we kick the seats!”

“Steve keeps tissues in his car!”

Billy doesn’t have the time or patience for this. “Listen up!” He shouts, turning around in his seat. “Do I look like a fluffy haired, Bambi eyed dreamboat that walks around looking like sex on legs?! Is my name Steve Harrington? No! I didn’t think so!”

It takes a not so gentle nudge and some meaningful eye contact from Max for him to realize what he’s said. No plea of temporary insanity or offer to let them eat in the car will buy their silence.

Steve’s very amused when Dustin races into Family Video, out of breath and red in the face, determined to be the first to tell him that Steve’s own boyfriend has a crush on him.

1,843 notes - Posted August 29, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Billy used to lend Steve his denim jacket when Steve would get cold. Max caught them making out once, Steve wrapped in the jacket, but never tells them what she saw.

When they all presume Billy to be dead, Max gives Steve Billy’s denim jacket. Steve tries to say no, that he couldn’t possibly take it. But Max can see the sadness and longing in his eyes, so she plays it off as if it’s a waste of a perfectly good coat for it to just sit in her closet. Steve accepts it, and after that, Max rarely sees Steve without the jacket.

When Billy returns, Steve tries to give him his jacket back. He just winks and tells Steve to keep it because “It always looked better on you, pretty boy.”

2,088 notes - Posted June 7, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[angelguk]

I posted 760 times in 2022

368 posts created (48%)

392 posts reblogged (52%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@stuhde

@zensible

@aevie

@wordfather

@ourheartsareoldfriends

I tagged 426 of my posts in 2022

Only 44% of my posts had no tags

#ask - 261 posts

#<3 - 11 posts

#jungkook x reader - 8 posts

#bts x reader - 7 posts

#jungkook smut - 6 posts

#jungkook scenario - 6 posts

#anon - 5 posts

#jungkook x you - 5 posts

#jungkook fanfic - 5 posts

#jungkook au - 4 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#lexi the only ok one and even that's up for lil debate especially with this season starting off with fez brown ass man asking for her number

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

→ the things i never told you — a jeongguk scenario [03]

member: jeon jeongguk

word count: 4.4k

genre: college!au + smut + fluff + slight crack + best friends to lovers (idiots to lover really) + angst

warnings: mad pining but both side is oblivious  / jk and oc like each other but there’s a misunderstanding between them / jealousy (JEALOUSY!!! jealously is a serious disease oc is chronically ill!!) / taehyung is an instigator / future smut / it’s a no nut november fic so pretend it’s november plz / taehyung as the worst™ / miscommunication </3 / ANGST!

soundtracks: sensitive, alex porat + circles, april + 19th floor, joy crookes + starring role, marina + running up that hill, kate bush

summary: jeon jeongguk is your best friend—and nothing more. you’ve grown up with guy, watched him stumble through his awkward puberty, cheated on tests with him, witnessed his first kiss (which only happened because you persuaded him to kiss siyeon) which only strengthened your unbreakable bond. but now you’re in college and jeongguk isn’t an awkward preteen who needs your help to get girls anymore. it creeps onto you slowly, that feeling you’re harbouring for your best friend. but you’re determined to ignore—that is until taehyung sets of a chain of events that land you in a very interesting predicament. 

a/n: okay so this is now where you guys can start voting for plot points! my inbox is open for ideas :)

SERIES MASTERLIST

He sits down with a rather loud plop. It's the sound that captures your attention, breaking through the soft jazz music filling your ears. It doesn't even take one glimpse to know who it is. You can see it just by peering at his wrist, the glimmering luxurious watch face staring back at you defiantly. It ticks slowly, almost like a premonition that you're acutely aware of. It takes him a couple of patient seconds before he’s tugging at your earphone wires, leaving a droning saxophone forlornly floating in one ear and dunking the other into the blaring sounds of life around you. There's the thud of plastic meeting plastic, mingling with the idle chatter of humans and the gentle trickle of water from the nearby fountain engulfing your senses.. It's only then you look up. He has the audacity to smile, waving the bag clutched in his hands as if it's an olive branch and not a threat.

"Food," He offers into the silence, steadily meeting your eyes. Even with your steel gaze, Taehyung is unwavering, his eyebrow quirked as he awaits your answer.

For a moment your lips are drawn together in a thin defiant line, but then your stomach thunders, tormented by the scent of food sweeping through the air. It’s a betrayal even Taehyung hears, given by the way the corner of his mouth smugly tugs upwards. You only give in because you’re hungry. "Pass it over then."

There's a clear wash of relief slipping over his face, his features falling lax as he hands you the bag. "It's your payment, for the party." You ignore that, peering into the bag to find a delectable packed lunch awaiting you. There's a moment of hesitation. You're not sure you can trust Taehyung's cooking skills. "I bought it, relax. I wouldn't knowingly give you food poisoning," he tacks on, reading the look of doubt on your face. "Just try it. It's pretty good."

You take his word for it because you're ravenous, fingers already clasping around the chopsticks inside the bag. "Thank you," you mutter. It's said reluctantly but Taehyung brushes that off, grateful that you're still even talking to him right now. You'd been avoiding him around campus. You'd been avoiding everyone actually, apart from Chaeyoung and Namjoon but he wasn't about to interject himself into that dynamic. It was really by chance that he saw you here alone, the packed lunch in his bag serendipitous. He watches you pop the lid open quietly, gaze flickering the mountain of work sitting on the table before you. There's evident stress in your eyes and for a brief moment he feels bad for dragging you into this mess. But not bad enough to stop pushing at your buttons just a little more. 

"You've been ignoring my texts," Taehyung says, folding his hands underneath his chin. He purposefully leans forward over the table, almost trapping you can't escape him. You pause, a mouthful of pork and rice filling your cheeks, foraging through your brain for a good excuse. You'd essentially ignored every notification that wasn't university-related since that forsaken party. Which wasn't that long ago honestly. Only seven days of radio silence on your part. If you could push it to tweo weeks you would have, but instead, you're eating food Taehyung has just given you, with the man himself sitting expectantly right across from you. Maybe Taehyung deserved the silent treatment, maybe he didn't. All you knew was that you needed space.

"I was busy." You settle for that, staring pointedly at the pile of work awaiting you. Taehyung's gaze does not falter.

"We still have to talk, you know. What happened at the party?" He questions, ignoring the look you give him.

"Nothing. I was just tired," you retort, digging your chopsticks harshly into the plastic container. "Are you not hungry? Why aren't you eating?"

He shrugs. "Not feeling food right now. But that's beside the point, you haven't been talking to Jeongguk have you?"

You pause, slowly chewing on the food in your mouth. Your skin feels funny even from the mention of his name, but you don't want to reveal that particular reaction to the world just yet. Least not to Taehyung of all people.

"I haven't," you say carefully, keeping your tone as neutral as possible.

Taehyung's forehead creases in confusion. "Why not? Aren't the two of you best friends? Joined at the hip? All that jazz?"

That makes you bristle. "We're friends but we're also adults with different lives and obligations. I talk to him when I can, not all the time Taehyung. As I said, I'm busy."

He purses his lips, fingertips rapping against the plastic table. "Are you sure about that? Jeongguk thinks you're mad at him."

Oh. That takes you by surprise. There had been moments where the conversation had faltered between the two of you, the responsibilities of life getting in the way of your relationship. But nothing malicious ever spawned from those moments of silence, both of you understand the reasoning behind the lack of talking. And it's not like you would try and play catch up on each other's lives whenever you could. But maybe you had been more standoffish than usual. You hadn't opened a single text from him and there were many. You can't blame him for assuming that—it was a direct consequence of your actions after all.

"I'm not mad at him," you mumble. "I'm just too tired to talk to anyone right now. I kind of want to be alone."

Taehyung hums like he understands but you doubt he does. You've never seen him alone for longer than ten minutes at a time but he does have the personality that naturally attracts everyone towards him.

 "That's cool. I thought he had found out about the bet actually." 

You roll your eyes at that, catching Taehyung's suspicious glance at you. "What's with that?" He inquires, elbows firm on the table.

"Nothing," you mutter, but then you remember with sharp clarity the look he's shared with Jackson at the party. You'd been meaning to ask him about it anyway and as luck would have it the  opportunity has presented itself. "I have a question for you, by the way. What the hell was the thing between you and Jackson? At the party."

See the full post

564 notes - Posted June 1, 2022

#4

→ the things i never told you — a jeongguk scenario [02]

member: jeon jeongguk

word count: 9.1k

genre: college!au + smut + fluff + slight crack + best friends to lovers (idiots to lover really)

warnings: mad pining but both side is oblivious  / jk and oc like each other but there’s a misunderstanding between them / jealousy / taehyung is an instigator / future smut / it’s a no nut november fic so pretend it’s november plz / taehyung as the worst™ / oc is not a girl's girl im afraid (jealousy is a disease and she is chronically ill!!)

soundtracks: boy, (offonoff) +  i love my boyfriend, (princess chelsea) + is it true, (tame impala) + fire & desire (drake)

summary: jeon jeongguk is your best friend—and nothing more. you’ve grown up with guy, watched him stumble through his awkward puberty, cheated on tests with him, witnessed his first kiss (which only happened because you persuaded him to kiss siyeon) which only strengthened your unbreakable bond. but now you’re in college and jeongguk isn’t an awkward preteen who needs your help to get girls anymore. it creeps onto you slowly, that feeling you’re harbouring for your best friend. but you’re determined to ignore—that is until taehyung sets of a chain of events that land you in a very interesting predicament. 

PART — ONE // TWO (you are reading) // THREE

a/n: there are some drabbles (so called prerequisites) to this au that are not necessary to read but they would be fun to lol :) check my masterlist &lt;3

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616 notes - Posted May 3, 2022

#3

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐢 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 — 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

summary: jeon jeongguk is your best friend—and nothing more. you’ve grown up with the guy, watched him stumble through his awkward puberty, cheated on tests with him, witnessed his first kiss (which only happened because you persuaded him to kiss dara). your bond was virtually unbreakable bond. but now you’re in college and jeongguk isn’t an awkward preteen who needs your help to get girls anymore. it creeps onto you slowly, that feeling you’re harbouring for your best friend. but you’re determined to ignore—that is until taehyung sets off a chain of events that land you in a very interesting predicament.

how this works!

after every new installment a google forum voting session will take place. this is an interactive story so any ideas or concepts you have please feel free to share! updates are weekly <3

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660 notes - Posted May 23, 2022

#2

→ pu$$y fairy — a jeongguk scenario 03

member: jeon jungkook

word count: 11.3k

genre: smut + college!au + jeongguk and oc are in a weird fwbs without the friendship part just the benefits except jaykay lowkey has feelings + virginity au

warnings: virgin!oc / oral sex (fem & male receiving) / 34+35 (miss grande influence) / mentions of drug usage / jk is essentially losing his mind (you'll see) / angst / emotions are real but everybody in this fic is incapable of acknowledging them / hit and run!!!

soundtracks: how can i forget you girl, 87dance + killing me, omar apollo + night moves, michi + in your body, ¿Téo? + open up, mack keane & esta + tsunami, suzuki saint + give me a kiss, lolo zouai + take care of you, charlotte day wilson

PARTS — ONE // TWO // THREE (you are reading)

a/n: you could read this as a separate one-shot but where's the fun in that?🤔 also highly suggest you listen to the soundtracks!

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1,113 notes - Posted May 12, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

→ the things i never told you — a jeongguk scenario

member: jeon jeongguk

word count: 6.8k

genre: college!au + smut + fluff + slight crack + best friends to lovers (idiots to lover really)

warnings: mad pining but both side is oblivious  / jk and oc like each other but there’s a misunderstanding between them / jealousy / taehyung is an instigator / future smut / it’s a no nut november fic so pretend it’s november plz / mentions of ahegao (this fic is not about that!!) / oc is not a girl's girl im afraid (jealousy is a disease and she is chronically ill!!)

soundtracks: sgl (now,now) + built this way, (samantha ronson) + drew barrymore, (sza) love flew away, (laufey & adam melchor) + cry, (cat & calmell)

summary: jeon jeongguk is your best friend—and nothing more. you’ve grown up with guy, watched him stumble through his awkward puberty, cheated on tests with him, witnessed his first kiss (which only happened because you persuaded him to kiss siyeon) which only strengthened your unbreakable bond. but now you’re in college and jeongguk isn’t an awkward preteen who needs your help to get girls anymore. it creeps onto you slowly, that feeling you’re harbouring for your best friend. but you’re determined to ignore—that is until taehyung sets of a chain of events that land you in a very interesting predicament. 

PART — ONE (you are reading) // TWO // THREE

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1,731 notes - Posted April 29, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[wosoluver]

Oh, baby

Georgia Stanway x reader.

I know nothing about giving birth so bare with me. Also please don't kill me for the plot changes, Hope you like it!

Other players masterlist

──✩₊⁺⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧──

"Fuck!" you said feeling the warm liquid run down your legs. "No, no, no." You were staying over at her parents' house. Tomorrow would be the final match at the 2023 world cup and you would be gathered to watch the game there.

"Jo! We need to go, my water just broke!" you said grabbing her mother's attention. Her dad had gone to Australia to support her, but her mom refused leaving you, pregnant and alone. And you thanked the universe. You were 36 weeks, you were to give birth only next month. You had been feeling small contractions, that were apparently normal in the third trimester.

That was the only reason Georgia agreed to go.

A million thoughts went through your mind. Would the baby be okay? Would they have to do a C-section?

Would your fiancé be okay, knowing she missed the moment se was waiting so excited for? Were you even ready for this?

You started to cry immediately.

"Don't worry love, I'm calling her as soon as you're in the hospital."

"No please! You can't! You know her!" you said followed by a scream when you felt the sharp pain of a contraction hit you. "Please, please wait as much as we can. This is important for her, she needs to be a hundred percent focused."

"But seeing her daughter's birth is too..."

"I know but even if she knows, she'll won't get here in time. Please."

She only nodded agreeing with you. And you asked her to call your parents instead.

──✩₊⁺⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧──

While you walked around the room, preparing yourself for the ride ahead, in attempt to stay sound, you thought about what had led you here.

You and Georgia had been together for almost six years.

You had met at Man City, both came from a small town and were around the same age, sharing the dream to become big players.

You started dating, and your relationship went through a lot.

You endured for years a long distance relationship, when you moved away to play in Spain and she stayed back in Manchester.

A couple of seasons later you transferred to Bayern, where your girlfriend soon followed suit.

And you both finally managed to start your life together.

She didn't want to wait any longer, all that time had been enough.

From living together to her proposing, life felt like pure bliss.

And after the 2022 euro's title, you felt like it was the right time to have a pause on your career.

It wasn't an easy decision, since the World Cup was around the corner.

But differently from your teammates, you now had a bigger dream, Georgia fully supported you, she herself had always wanted to be a mother.

You didn't expect for it to work so soon.

Along with the risks the doctors had told you, it could take more than one try.

Fortunately the whole pregnancy had been very healthy, and nothing gave you any reason to think something like this could happen.

You questioned yourself if you were doing the right thing, by not updating her on the matter.

──✩₊⁺⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧──

Georgia's head was buzzing, Spain was winning by a goal. England had slightly recovered at the end of first half, but it wasn't enough.

She sat on the locker room, trying to cool down, zoning out a bit. All she could think of was winning this, to come home as a champion. For her girls.

She could have never imagined you had been in the hospital for the last couple of hours, let alone giving birth. So she didn't bother to look for her phone.

And before she knew, she was walking back to the field for the second half.

──✩₊⁺⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧──

"Just one more push, yeah?"

And you did as a loud cry filled the room. And they placed her right on your chest.

You felt like you could pass out from how tired you were.

But you couldn't, yet.

"You did great darling." her mom cooed you in between tears.

"Is the game over yet?"

"Yes, they won second place." she handed your phone over.

You cried hard a the sound of that. She had been deprived of being champion and seeing her daughter's first moments in the same day, at the same time. You tried to recompose yourself while you pressed to facetime her.

ongoing call...

"Hey love, what took you so lon-" she managed to get out before shutting up at the realization. A big smile appearing in her tear stained face. "She's beautiful."

before she could say anything else, Lucy, who was prying at the video call, loudly announced to everyone.

"The baby is here!" and you could hear the girls cheering loudly. Running to try and congratulate you.

"You guys are so loud, geez." your soon to be wife said after a few moments, walking to a more private place, so you both could talk.

"I am so sorry." you said eyes filled with tears.

"We couldn't have known." she said giving you a reassuring smile. "I was going to show you this baby here," showing her silver medal at the camera. "But it seems like you're already holding our baby right there."

And for over ten minutes you two sat quietly, just admiring the angel you had brought into the world.

"Is she okay? I mean she clearly looks like it, but since she's early..."

"Better than expected actually. They said she's around 6.30 lbs and over 19 inches. Pretty big for a preterm. They'll run some tests in the morning, just to be sure." you said letting out a yawn.

"You need to get some sleep. And I'm getting on the first plane home."

"I love you, and I'm so proud of you."

"Oh baby, I'm the one who's proud. I love you. Both of you."

──✩₊⁺⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧──

Maybe another part with G meeting baby Talia?

like & share pls!

[mostlysignssomeportents]

A year in illustration, 2023 edition (part one)

(This is part one; part two is here.)

I am objectively very bad at visual art. I am bad at vision, period – I'm astigmatic, shortsighted, color blind, and often miss visual details others see. I can't even draw a stick-figure. To top things off, I have cataracts in both eyes and my book publishing/touring schedule is so intense that I keep having to reschedule the surgeries. But despite my vast visual deficits, I thoroughly enjoy making collages for this blog.

For many years now – decades – I've been illustrating my blog posts by mixing public domain and Creative Commons art with work that I can make a good fair use case for. As bad as art as I may be, all this practice has paid off. Call it unseemly, but I think I'm turning out some terrific illustrations – not all the time, but often enough.

Last year, I rounded up my best art of the year:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/25/a-year-in-illustration/

And I liked reflecting on the year's art so much, I decided I'd do it again. Be sure to scroll to the bottom for some downloadables – freely usable images that I painstakingly cut up with the lasso tool in The Gimp.

The original AD&D hardcover cover art is seared into my psyche. For several years, there were few images I looked at so closely as these. When Hasbro pulled some world-beatingly sleazy stuff with the Open Gaming License, I knew just how to mod Dave Trampier's 'Eve Of Moloch' from the cover of the Players' Handbook. Thankfully, bigger nerds than me have identified all the fonts in the image, making the remix a doddle.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/12/beg-forgiveness-ask-permission/#whats-a-copyright-exception

Even though I don't keep logs or collect any analytics, I can say with confidence that "Tiktok's Enshittification" was the most popular thing I published on Pluralistic this year. I mixed some public domain Brother's Grimm art, mixed with a classic caricature of Boss Tweed, and some very cheesy royalty-free/open access influencer graphics. One gingerbread cottage social media trap, coming up:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/21/potemkin-ai/#hey-guys

To illustrate the idea of overcoming walking-the-plank fear (as a metaphor for writing when it feels like you suck) I mixed public domain stock of a plank, a high building and legs, along with a procedurally generated Matrix "code waterfall" and a vertiginous spiral ganked from a Heinz Bunse photo of a German office lobby.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/22/walking-the-plank/

Finding a tasteful way to illustrate a story about Johnson & Johnson losing a court case after it spent a generation tricking women into dusting their vulvas with asbestos-tainted talcum was a challenge. The tulip (featured in many public domain images) was a natural starting point. I mixed it with Jesse Wagstaff's image of a Burning Man dust-storm and Mike Mozart's shelf-shot of a J&J talcum bottle.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/01/j-and-j-jk/#risible-gambit

"Google's Chatbot Panic" is about Google's long history of being stampeded into doing stupid things because its competitors are doing them. Once it was Yahoo, now it's Bing. Tenniel's Tweedle Dee and Dum were a good starting point. I mixed in one of several Humpty Dumpty editorial cartoon images from 19th century political coverage that I painstakingly cut out with the lasso tool on a long plane-ride. This is one of my favorite Humpties, I just love the little 19th C businessmen trying to keep him from falling! I finished it off with HAL 9000's glowing red eye, my standard 'this is about AI' image, which I got from Cryteria's CC-licensed SVG.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/16/tweedledumber/#easily-spooked

Though I started writing about Luddites in my January, 2022 Locus column, 2023 was the Year of the Luddite, thanks to Brian Merchant's outstanding Blood In the Machine:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/26/enochs-hammer/#thats-fronkonsteen

When it came time to illustrate "Gig Work Is the Opposite of Steampunk," I found a public domain weaver's loft, and put one of Cryteria's HAL9000 eyes in the window. Magpie Killjoy's Steampunk Magazine poster, 'Love the Machine, Hate the Factory,' completed the look.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/12/gig-work-is-the-opposite-of-steampunk/

For the "small, non-profit school" that got used as an excuse to bail out Silicon Valley Bank, I brought back Humpty Dumpty, mixing him with a Hogwartsian castle, a brick wall texture, and an ornate, gilded frame. I love how this one came out. This Humpty was made for the SVB bailout.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/23/small-nonprofit-school/#north-country-school

The RESTRICT Act would have federally banned Tiktok – a proposal that was both technically unworkable and unconstitutional. I found an early 20th century editorial cartoon depicting Uncle Sam behind a fortress wall that was keeping a downtrodden refugee family out of America. I got rid of most of the family, giving the dad a Tiktok logo head, and I put Cryteria's HAL9000 eyes over each cannonmouth. Three Boss Tweed moneybag-head caricatures, adorned with Big Tech logos, rounded it out.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/30/tik-tok-tow/#good-politics-for-electoral-victories

When Flickr took decisive action to purge the copyleft trolls who'd been abusing its platform, I knew I wanted to illustrate this with Lucifer being cast out of heaven, and the very best one of those comes from John Milton, who is conveniently well in the public domain. The Flickr logo suggested a bicolored streaming-light-of-heaven motif that just made it.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/01/pixsynnussija/#pilkunnussija

Old mainframe ads are a great source of stock for a "Computer Says No" image. And Congress being a public building, there are lots of federal (and hence public domain) images of its facade.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/04/cbo-says-no/#wealth-tax

When I wrote about the Clarence Thomas/Harlan Crow bribery scandal, it was easy to find Mr. Kjetil Ree's great image of the Supreme Court building. Thomas being a federal judge, it was easy to find a government photo of his head, but it's impossible to find an image of him in robes at a decent resolution. Luckily, there are tons of other federal judges who've been photographed in their robes! Boss Tweed with the dollar-sign head was a great stand-in for Harlan Crow (no one knows what he looks like anyway). Gilding Thomas's robes was a simple matter of superimposing a gold texture and twiddling with the layers.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/06/clarence-thomas/#harlan-crow

"Gig apps trap reverse centaurs in wage-stealing Skinner boxes" is one of my best titles. This is the post where I introduce the idea of "twiddling" as part of the theory of enshittification, and explain how it relates to "reverse centaurs" – people who assist machines, rather than the other way around. Finding a CC licensed modular synth was much harder than I thought, but I found Stephen Drake's image and stitched it into a mandala. Cutting out the horse's head for the reverse centaur was a lot of work (manes are a huuuuge pain in the ass), but I love how his head sits on the public domain high-viz-wearing warehouse worker's body I cut up (thanks, OSHA!). Seeing as this is an horrors-of-automation story, Cryteria's HAL9000 eyes make an appearance.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/12/algorithmic-wage-discrimination/#fishers-of-men

Rockefeller's greatest contribution to our culture was inspiring many excellent unflattering caricatures. The IWW's many-fists-turning-into-one-fist image made it easy to have the collective might of workers toppling the original robber-baron.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/14/aiming-at-dollars/#not-men

I link to this post explaining how to make good Mastodon threads at least once a week, so it's a good thing the graphic turned out so well. Close-cropping the threads from a public domain yarn tangle worked out great. Eugen Rochko's Mastodon logo was and is the only Affero-licensed image ever to appear on Pluralistic.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/16/how-to-make-the-least-worst-mastodon-threads/

I spent hours on the sofa one night painstakingly cutting up and reassembling the cover art from a science fiction pulp. I have a folder full of color-corrected, high-rez scans from an 18th century anatomy textbook, and the cross-section head-and-brain is the best of the lot.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/05/04/analytical-democratic-theory/#epistocratic-delusions

Those old French anatomical drawings are an endless source of delight to me. Take one cross-sectioned noggin, mix in an old PC mainboard, and a vector art illo of a virtuous cycle with some of Cryteria's HAL9000 eyes and you've got a great illustration of Google's brain-worms.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/05/14/googles-ai-hype-circle/

Ireland's privacy regulator is but a plaything in Big Tech's hand, but it's goddamned hard to find an open-access Garda car. I manually dressed some public domain car art in Garda livery, painstakingly tracing it over the panels. The (public domain) baby's knit cap really hides the seams from replacing the baby's head with HAL9000's eye.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/05/15/finnegans-snooze/#dirty-old-town

Naked-guy-in-a-barrel bankruptcy images feel like something you can find in an old Collier's or Punch, but I came up snake-eyes and ended up frankensteining a naked body into a barrel for the George Washington crest on the Washington State flag. It came out well, but harvesting the body parts from old muscle-beach photos left George with some really big guns. I tried five different pairs of suspenders here before just drawing in black polyhedrons with little grey dots for rivets.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/06/03/when-the-tide-goes-out/#passive-income

Illustrating Amazon's dominance over the EU coulda been easy – just stick Amazon 'A's in place of the yellow stars that form a ring on the EU flag. So I decided to riff on Plutarch's Alexander, out of lands to conquer. Rama's statue legs were nice and high-rez. I had my choice of public domain ruin images, though it was harder thank expected to find a good Amazon box as a plinth for those broken-off legs.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/06/14/flywheel-shyster-and-flywheel/#unfulfilled-by-amazon

God help me, I could not stop playing with this image of a demon-haunted IoT car. All those reflections! The knife sticking out of the steering wheel, the multiple Munsch 'Scream'ers, etc etc. The more I patchked with it, the better it got, though. This one's a banger.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/24/rent-to-pwn/#kitt-is-a-demon

To depict a "data-driven dictatorship," I ganked elements of heavily beribboned Russian military dress uniforms, replacing the head with HAL9000's eye. I turned the foreground into the crowds from the Nuremberg rallies and filled the sky with Matrix code waterfall.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/26/dictators-dilemma/#garbage-in-garbage-out-garbage-back-in

The best thing about analogizing DRM to demonic possession is the wealth of medieval artwork to choose from . This one comes from the 11th century 'Compendium rarissimum totius Artis Magicae sistematisatae per celeberrimos Artis hujus Magistros.' I mixed in the shiny red Tesla (working those reflections!), and a Tesla charger to make my point.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/28/edison-not-tesla/#demon-haunted-world

Yet more dividends from those old French anatomical plates: a flayed skull, a detached jaw, a quack electronic gadget, a Wachowski code waterfall and some HAL 9000 eyes and you've got a truly unsettling image of machine-compelled speech.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/02/self-incrimination/#wei-bai-bai

I had no idea this would work out so well, but daaaamn, crossfading between a Wachowski code waterfall and a motherboard behind a roiling thundercloud is dank af.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/03/there-is-no-cloud/#only-other-peoples-computers

Of all the turkeys-voting-for-Christmas self-owns conservative culture warriors fall for, few can rival the "banning junk fees is woke" hustle. Slap a US-flag Punisher logo on and old-time card imprinter, add a GOP logo to a red credit-card blank, and then throw in a rustic barn countertop and you've got a junk-fee extracter fit for the Cracker Barrel.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/04/owning-the-libs/#swiper-no-swiping

Putting the Verizon logo on the Hinderberg was an obvious gambit (even if I did have to mess with the flames a lot), but the cutout of Paul Marcarelli as the 'can you hear me now?' guy, desaturated and contrast-matched, made it sing.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/10/smartest-guys-in-the-room/#can-you-hear-me-now

Note to self: Tux the Penguin is really easy to source in free/open formats! He looks great with HAL9000 eyes.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/18/openwashing/#you-keep-using-that-word-i-do-not-think-it-means-what-you-think-it-means

Rockwell's self-portrait image is a classic; that made it a natural for a HAL9000-style remix about AI art. I put a bunch of time into chopping and remixing Rockwell's signature to give it that AI look, and added as many fingers as would fit on each hand.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/20/everything-made-by-an-ai-is-in-the-public-domain/

(Images: Heinz Bunse, West Midlands Police, Christopher Sessums, CC BY-SA 2.0; Mike Mozart, Jesse Wagstaff, Stephen Drake, Steve Jurvetson, syvwlch, Doc Searls, https://www.flickr.com/photos/mosaic36/14231376315, Chatham House, CC BY 2.0; Cryteria, CC BY 3.0; Mr. Kjetil Ree, Trevor Parscal, Rama, “Soldiers of Russia” Cultural Center, Russian Airborne Troops Press Service, CC BY-SA 3.0; Raimond Spekking, CC BY 4.0; Drahtlos, CC BY-SA 4.0; Eugen Rochko, Affero; modified)

[slater-baby]

Hello Slater darling!! I hope you’re doing well <3

pinterest is feeding me all the wrong things lately and now I am going to struggle to imagine normal Simon in the next chapter of Texas Red on a bike that isn’t… this.

im sobbing he just looks so goofy to me and the fact that I immediately thought of your biker!Simon feels like sacrilege bc I love him and he’s just not this at all 😭

hello honey!!! I’m doing great, and I hope you’re having an awesome week too!! :D <3

OKAY FIRST OF ALL I LOVE PINTEREST (I legit have a whole board dedicated to Texas Red lmao but idk if y’all are interested in seeing it) and also 💀 yes I’ve seen that photo as well wksksks

I do have some canon motorcycle pics of the exact model simon rides tho if y’all wanna peek 👀 unfortunately, Simon does not come included with the purchase tho ajdjdjd

Photos below!!

So I didn’t want simon on some weird, gigantic bike (y’know, like the ones you see those super old uncles ride out in Daytona lmao)

But I definitely didn’t want him on a sport bike for plot reasons (or, well, ostensibly 👀 :)), so I made a compromise

Simon rides the 1984 FXSB Harley Low Rider!! For reference, by that point in time, the low rider had only been in manufacturing for like 6-7 years, so it’s still an earlier model of the one we have today

For reference, here’s what Simon’s bike (pretty much) looks like

Now, here’s what a 2022 Low Rider looks like completely bare bones (honestly I think 1984 looks better. Other modern Harley models take the cake imo)

Either way, I wanted something pretty standard, relatively comfortable for long drives, while also being sufficiently macho for a big boy like Simon to drive around lmao

But!! Even if I don’t have a photo of Simon to go along with it, I hope that this gets rid of Indian Motorcycle Simon Trauma lmao

Thank you so so much for stopping by and I’m glad to hear that you’re liking the story!! ❤️

[soongtypehuman]

Boo-hoo update

I’m sorry to say I have an update I was hoping to not ever have to make. Some of you already know that I have some serious health issues, but I've been pretty quiet about the extent of what I'm dealing with.

The gist of it is that I have a rare bone disease called fibrous dysplasia that turned certain bones in my skull into tumors and then those tumors grew inward and started crushing my brain, so I had a craniotomy last year to remove as much as was safe and got a cool new titanium implant in my head to replace the removed bone/tumor. The unfortunate result was encephalomalacia, which is the end stage of liquifying necrosis, and now part of my brain is liquid instead of solid (it’s dead, in a nutshell). Most people don’t survive encephalomalacia, much less remain able to function, and most who survive the initial stage don’t survive the three year mark. Even when you do survive it, it often continues spreading. The last MRI showed it had already taken over about 1/3 of my brain. But I’m a stubborn asshole and am still hanging on.

Unfortunately, things aren’t getting better.

I have to have constant MRIs, EEGs, physical and cognitive therapies, and have been on more meds than I’d like to be in order to control seizures and various cognitive issues. I didn’t mention this before, but I had to go through a series of speech therapies just to learn to talk properly again. And the most unfortunate part of this is that my ability to write has been affected. Since the surgery over a year ago, I’ve only made 10 new posts in the Positronic Rivalry series, totaling around 87k words. For reference, I posted over 200k words in 2022. I’ve posted even less this year, and it’s not improving.

With that said, I have to take a step back. I’m not quitting and I’m not walking away from the fandom. I’d like to think I’ll still be able to post here and there. I just don’t know when and under what circumstances that will happen. I most certainly can’t handle the longer multi-chapter fics I once could. Maybe one day, but not this day. Since I started posting on AO3 back at the end of 2021, I’ve posted every Sunday more often than not. I’m sorry to say I can’t make that happen right now, and can’t say when I’ll post again or what it will be. I won't be able to continue with season 4.

But I’m most definitely not leaving the fandom and the people and the characters I love so much. I’ll still be here interacting and posting when I’m able. This fandom and the people in it are incredible and mean a lot to me. Data and Lore and Star Trek in general are integral to my life and general enjoyment.

But!! I’ve nearly completed compiling seasons 1-3 of Positronic Rivalry as well as 2022/23 Kinktobers into files that will be ready to print in physical book format (completely free, obviously), which I’ll make available for everyone to download in various print sizes, complete with covers, which you can then have printed at various POD sites if you’re so inclined. Digital versions will also be available (you can already download various formats from AO3, but they’re not compiled into seasons, don’t have covers, etc.).

I’m also continuing with the Trek-themed crossword puzzles because those are fun and my therapist thinks making them is good for my cognitive rehab.

This update is a massive bummer for me, but I felt it was better to just admit my limitations instead of constantly trying to convince myself that I could continue the way I had been pre-surgery and beating myself up when I couldn’t.

Lastly, I’ve finally taken the suggestion I’ve gotten repeatedly and set up a KoFi. If you’d like to buy me a coffee or toss a coin to your android porn witcher, you can do so right here and I’d be giggling and kicking my feet in gratitude.

Anyhow, I want to thank all of you for being amazing and coming along on this ride with me for as long as you have, and for as long as it might continue in whatever form it takes.

[oflights]

2023 fic review!

ahhh thanks for tagging me, @citrusses and @oknowkiss! i'm going to tag @teledild0nix @elskanellis @arminaa8 @thecouchsofa @stationintern and anyone else who'd like to do this!!

my 2023 AO3 stats are...alarming lol. AO3 counts Close Behind as a 2023 fic because i finished posting it in 2023, but i really wrote it all in 2022. so if we discount that (which was 134k) i still wrote...over 330k words of fanfiction. 🆗🆒

do i have regrets? no. should i have regrets? maybe??? in any case, 2023 was the year i really started using tumblr for fandom again (thanks, elon!) and i made so many wonderful friends who were so supportive and inspiring! that word count is all your fault, basically.

here's the (all drarry) damage:

January

Close Behind (134k words, M)

To rescue Draco from the Underworld, Harry has to look forward. Unfortunately, Draco has to look back.

February

find a new place to be from (47k words, E)

Something is wrong with Malfoy Manor, and it’s driven Draco into the Muggle world. Thankfully, Harry is now on the case. A story about houses that haunt you and homes built for two.

April

along each garden wall (61k words, E)

Draco has to have a baby (or have one on the way) at the time of his fast-approaching 35th birthday, or he's going to lose his home to his vile cousin. Harry offers to help, but their complex past—even beyond Hogwarts—prompts Draco to set out on a long journey of friendship, kittens, gardens, motorbike rides, and more.

May

the first in line (29k words, E)

Harry finds out he's a Veela. That's not so bad, and then he finds out his allure only works on his enemies. Even that's not so bad, since his safe, boring, post-war life means he doesn't have very many enemies these days. And then Draco Malfoy lands a hot air balloon in his front garden, intent on courting him.

June

please come to boston, Byzantine, and go to it laughing

(tumblr prompt fics! i was not good at this lol)

August

Cool About It (16k words, M, for @hp-bodiceripper)

Harry is so excited for his first date with Draco. But what follows isn't so much a date as it is an all-night odyssey including a malevolent lift, a Gringotts heist, a Sleeping Curse, a trip to the kebab shop, a lack of dancing, a Muggle drug, a rooftop pool party, a black eye and, eventually, a sunrise over a Quidditch stadium.

October

if the bees know (19k words, T, for @hd-fan-fair)

Scorpius' playground is haunted, Harry specializes in helping ghosts pass on, and Draco just wants his son to be safe.

December

The Star Splitter (WIP, 119k words so far, E)

On a routine time travel assignment to the past, Draco stumbles upon 7-year-old Harry Potter and witnesses his neglect and mistreatment by the Dursleys. In the moment, there is only one solution, even if it goes against all his training as a Time Agent: he has to bring Harry back to the future with him. In which Draco burns his life down for the sake of his former school rival.

[joelsfavouritegirl]

May i request some... dirty hc's 🙈

Also, there is not enough fic about pixel joel :( When did you start getting into tlou?

oh em gee yes absolutely!!! i’ve been thinking about writing some nsfw hcs but js haven’t done it yet😭😭 also i’m so happy that people are actually sending requests, please do i’ll be happy to write whatever ya’ll want

and i completely agree that pixel joel has been neglected since the show came out:(( i randomly started playing pt1 during the summer of 2022, completely fell in love with it and have been a fan ever since<33

i hope i did some justice with this, not sure how it turned out but fingers crossed yk, ty again for the request<333 ok enough rambling

here are some more pre-outbreak!joel headcanons (but this time they’re 18+)

. ladies man through and fucking through, i’ll die on this hill if need be

. let’s be honest when ya’ll started dating you most probably ended up at one of each other’s houses after the third/fourth date. joel was dropping you off, being all gentlemanly and sweet as he is and what harm could a little kiss do right? one thing leads to another and he’s got you against the wall of the entrance hallway, hands lifting up your sundress as his fingers steadily pump in and out of your cunt (along with his tongue that slides across your swollen clit) and by the end of the night you’re both sweaty and panting on your bed when he slips out of you, pressing more sweet kisses to your lips

. i’d say young joel is kinkier and probably has a higher sex drive than post-outbreak!joel. just say the word and he’s down, whether it’s a quickie or if he can take his time with you, unless he’s tired after a long day at work which is when you’ll end up in between his legs on the floor in front of the couch sucking him off until he’s coming down your throat and grunting how you look “fuckin’ gorgeous with my cock in your mouth, baby” and “atta girl, just like that”

. doesn’t understand guys who don’t like eating pussy. what the fuck do you mean you don’t like eating your girl out??? joel would die a happy fuckin man in between your legs if he could, man can go to town for as long as you need (or as long as he wants to). loves seeing how you squirm and the little sounds you make when he’s making you feel good. he’ll have made you come three times when he looks up at you as you whine about how it’s too much. “c’mon sweets, you can give me one more, i know you can, hm?” he hums against your clit, his fingers knuckles deep inside your cunt as he curls them at that spot that makes you moan and tug on his hair. he just smiles, flattening his palm against your stomach to stop you from moving too much, “that’s my girl”

. loves seeing you suck him off. y’know what gets him coming in a few minutes? seeing your pretty lips wrapped around his cock, your hands pumping the parts of him your mouth can’t reach and those goddamned doe eyes you give him as you blink through your eyelashes. it makes him lose the little self-respect he has and whimper as he’s coming down your throat

. apart from eating you out this man lives for thigh riding. loves holding your hips or waist as you rut against his jean-clad thigh, your head leaning into the crook of his neck as you whimper how you’re about to come. after you calm down he’ll usually curl one large hand around your hip and the squeeze the flesh of your thigh with the other, rocking you against his leg again and pressing sweet kisses to the side of your head. “that’s my good girl. made a fucking mess all over my pants. you wanna go again, pretty thing?”

i need to be sedated (or fucked by this man) thank u good night<33

[holllandtrash]

synopsis here | masterlist | word count: 6.3k | spotify playlist chapter 1 of sky's on fire [ an f1 love-triangle story ]

“People have already compared you to the likes of Lewis Hamilton…” “You’re set to finish third in the F2 series…” “How soon can you expect the call to move to F1…”

Red stood off to the side, watching Kingston chat to the podcast hosts sitting on the couch opposite of him. Kingston was relaxed, answering the questions that were thrown at him with ease. He had gone through hours and hours of media training, but on top of that, he was a natural in the spotlight. 

Of course Red was proud of him. With this being his first year in F2, it was impossible to ignore the way he quickly rose through the ranks of the seasoned drivers. Kingston was on a mission, he wanted to be noticed, especially by those in Formula 1.

He was ending off the 2022 season with a high note. Only two races left, Monza this weekend and then Abu Dhabi in November. It was unlikely that her brother would be surpassed by any of the other drivers. There was enough of a gap that unless something drastic happened, Kingston Diaz would claim third place as his.

“Lewis Hamilton, huh?” Red teased, playfully shoving him with maybe a bit too much force but as his older sister, she had a right to mess with him. Kingston rolled his eyes in response, but she could tell that the compliment went right to his head, he just couldn’t let it show until they left the studio.

Which is why Red waited until they were outside to bring it up. Kingston no longer needed to put on the persona of a racing driver, no longer needed to uphold the standards he had given to himself when driver mode was on. Here, the two of them blended with other visitors and tourists. They could be themselves, Kingston could get excited over the idea that people in the motorsport world saw him as the next generation's Lewis Hamilton.

“He’s my idol,” Kingston admitted, as if this was something Red didn’t already know. “What if I get a spot in Formula 1 while he’s still racing? That would be-” he exhaled, that award winning smile appearing on his face said more than the rest of his sentence ever would.

“It’s possible,” she said, not letting herself think about it too much, at least not the same extent he was.

Red was familiar with Formula 1, she was raised on it thanks to her mother introducing it to her father when they started dating years ago. Hence why Kingston was now a driver. He would never go as far to say this career path was pushed on him, but if he took a step back he might come to the realisation that he was never really given any other choice.

But this path has worked for him, so there was no need to question it. And Red was happy enough to just be along for the ride when she could.

“2024,” Kingston nodded, clapping his hands together. “That’s the goal. Have an F1 seat for 2024.”

Red didn’t say anything in response. Her brother always dreamt big and it was better to just support him with a smile and a nod than to try and bring him back down to earth. She wasn’t necessarily a pessimist but she saw the world for how it was, and realistically speaking, Kingston getting offered a seat for the 2024 season was extremely unlikely, especially with a few teams already making drastic changes to their line up for next year.

She let him go off about the possibilities until they reached the car that was parked just down the street. Kingston smiled at the few people who were admiring the sleek McLaren GT and maybe he was a little arrogant when he pulled out his keys and unlocked the doors.

It’s on loan, Red wanted to yell and completely burst his bubble, but she climbed in the passenger seat without saying a word, letting her brother have his moment. 

“I just have a few more media obligations at the paddock and then we’re free for the rest of the day,” he assured her as the car roared to life. Red didn’t have any plans anyway, she never did during race weekends. Her job was to be the supportive sister and that was a role she happily stepped into.

So she stood on the sideline again, a prominent smile on her face as she watched Kingston and his teammate participate in some sort of challenge that she didn’t really understand and by the looks of it, neither did the drivers.

Red was proud of her brother, truly. She loved watching him thrive and the excitement he carried on race weekends was contagious. That was why she tried to go to as many races as she could. It was impossible to worry about anything with Kingston’s smile lighting up the paddock, before and after each of his sessions, regardless of his standings.

He was carefree and optimistic. Two things that Red knew she was not. So the more time she spent around him the better it was for her own sake.

By the time they finished filming, Kingston said he wanted to quickly look at some of the footage, and no one ever said no to him, so Red told him that she’d just meet him outside the media building. 

She walked out and noticed that during their time inside, the sun had started to set and was no longer beaming down on them with horrid heat. Red pulled the sunglasses off of her head and unzipped the bag that rested over her chest. 

Multitasking was not something she excelled at and with the couple of steps she had to walk down, Red looked up from her bag to make sure she wouldn’t trip. 

Red wished she was joking when she said that time slowed as two F1 drivers walked by her. While she attended as many of King’s races as she could, it was rare she ever interacted with anyone outside his team, let alone Formula 1 drivers. 

Completely forgetting about the sunglasses she was fumbling to fit into the belt bag strapped over her shoulder, she spotted the drivers and that’s when her world stopped.

And Red didn’t believe in love at first sight, she had followed that path hopelessly once before and it only left her in heartbreak, but this was different.

She looked up and locked eyes with him and she knew that damage was done.

Because that’s what it was. An accident waiting to happen. 

Red knew that nothing good was going to come from this chance encounter because her attention went directly to the driver with dark brown hair and green eyes, but it was the one with dirty blonde hair and piercing blue eyes that stopped walking so he could talk to her.

He was a man with a mission. His knew what he wanted since he spotted her walking out of the media building. The one in red, however, did a double take as he looked up at her, then at his phone and then snapped his head up once more when he saw the girl that was about to pass him. As if not believing that someone like her was truly in front of him, like she wasn’t just a figment of his imagination.

Red, this whole time, didn’t even think about the one who was actually giving her attention until he stopped walking and said something, his hand brushing over her arm to keep her from going any further as well.

“Hi,” he said, his lips curling upwards to show off a dangerous smile. “Sorry to stop you, but may I ask who you're here with?”

Red looked over her shoulder, expecting her brother to be behind her but he must not have followed immediately, probably still watching the footage. 

“Kingston,” she answered, gesturing with her thumb to the doors of the media building. “Diaz, sorry. Kingston Diaz, The F2 driver. He’s my brother.”

He looked more optimistic when she said those words. My brother. She wasn’t there with a partner, which was why he felt confident enough to extend his hand and introduce himself.

“I’m Pierre,” his smile had yet to fade. The more Red stared at it, at him, the more she thought to herself that this man was going to be trouble. 

But she shook his hand, ignoring the sirens and the flashing red lights going off in the back of her head. A choice that she would one day regret.

“Red,” she smiled back, eyes darting to his friend. She knew who Pierre was, he didn’t need to introduce himself, just like Charles Leclerc also didn’t need to introduce himself. And he probably wouldn’t have, had she kept her gaze on Pierre.

“Charles,” he waited until Pierre dropped her hand so he could shake it as well, maybe holding on a second longer than his friend did but no one was going to comment on that, even if they all noticed. “I’m sorry, your name is Red?”

This was a common question. Red wished she had the confidence and the charisma to make a joke about her parents name choosing skills. She wished she could say something witty, something that would make these two prestigious men standing before her crack a smile or laugh.

But Red went with the safe route. She wasn’t in Monza to make any sort of impression, she was there to support her brother.

“It’s my initials,” she clarified. 

Charles asked before Pierre could and then ignored the sliver of annoyance in his friend's features, focusing on the girl in front of him instead, “So what is your name?”

“Well, Red,” she said again. “I’ve been called that my entire life, anything else would just sound foreign.” She swallowed, wondering why she was wasting time and not even answering his question properly. “Sorry, it’s River. But again, no one calls me that.”

“Red,” Pierre said with a nod, toying with the idea of what it would be like to hear himself say it more often. He didn’t hate it. 

His line of sight darted downwards for a quick second, she caught it. The subtle way he checked her out. She didn’t hate that. While her initial attraction was for Charles, the Ferrari driver seemed to be stuck in his thoughts and the idea of making any sort of move took a backseat.

Pierre took advantage of his friend's hesitation.

“Well Charles sees enough red to last a lifetime, whereas I unfortunately don’t,” Pierre licked his lips as a faint chuckle passed through them. “Are you free tonight?”

Red, not used to the idea that someone with as high of a status as Pierre Gasly would be interested in her, actually looked over shoulder, expecting to see a much prettier, well-versed and confident girl behind her. But there was no one.

“You’re asking me out?” Maybe that wasn’t the best response, but it earned another laugh from the French driver. Charles chuckled as well, but his sounded a bit more forced. 

“I am,” he was so poised, so sure of his response whereas Red was fumbling.

“Oh,” she nodded and then another, “Oh- I mean, yes. Yes, I’m free.”

“Perfect,” Pierre was pleased with her answer. “I assume you’re staying in Milan?”

“The Four Seasons,” she confirmed. 

“Great. Meet me in the lobby at seven.”

It wasn’t a question, nor a suggestion. Pierre was telling her where to be at what time and Red, in that moment, admired the confidence. She didn’t see it as a telling sign that this would be a recurring theme. She simply nodded, still in awe and confusion as the two of them turned around and kept walking.

Red waited a second before making a move anywhere and because the soles of her shoes were seemingly frozen to the ground as she processed what just happened, she caught the way Charles turned over his shoulder, wanting to take one last quick look at the girl that Pierre was taking out on a date because he couldn’t find his words fast enough.

By the time Kingston did leave the media building, he noticed the way his sister was seemingly starstruck.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I might as well have,” Red shook her head. The last few minutes didn’t feel real. If someone told her she dreamt it, she would believe them. “I got asked out.”

Kingston snorted, wondering how that could have happened in the short amount of time he was stuck inside, “By who?”

She looked down the paddock but the two drivers were already long gone. A sharp inhale was all she could provide at first when she looked at Kingston, trying to guess how he would respond to the idea of her going out with a driver.

“Pierre Gasly.”

His reaction was not one she could have anticipated. It was evident with his expression alone that he didn’t believe her and when he continued walking down the paddock, Red walked at his side, explaining what had happened in the last couple of minutes to the best of her ability. 

It wasn’t until they climbed into the car did it finally click for Kingston that she was being honest. AlphaTauri driver, soon to be Alpine driver, Pierre Gasly was in fact taking his sister out on a date. 

Being a few years younger than Red, Kingston wasn’t sure if he was allowed to have an opinion, if he was allowed to take on the protective brother role. The uncertainty behind whether or not Red would even listen was what convinced him to keep his mouth shut at the end of it. 

But he had heard things about the French driver. Rumours, gossip really, that he wasn’t someone who lasted long in relationships. His name was attached to the words infidelity and dishonesty, but if Kingston had heard such things, surely his sister must have as well. 

And Red was an adult. She could make her own choices. Kingston knew she was smart, maybe a little naive and had some hopeless romantic tendencies, but he hoped that after a few years, she had learned from her previous relationships. 

She didn’t talk about her partner from highschool, but at this point it had been almost seven years. While being cheated on was something that would always haunt her, no matter how old she got, she had moved on from the toxicity of her first boyfriend. 

And then there was ‘the phase’ as Kingston called it. The time in her life where she would be with any guy who showed her a fraction of attention. She treated them far better than any of them ever treated her, but Red was at a point in her life where she didn’t know how to thrive in being alone. She was dependent on male figures, usually older.

Once, Kingston called her out on it, using the term ‘daddy issues’ and he didn’t use it loosely either. Growing up in the same household, Kingston had seen the lack of attention she received from their father, he saw the disconnect, he saw how hard she worked for his approval and praise.

When she got older, instead of trying to find reconciliation with their father, she moved on to searching for what was missing in partners. Kingston pointed out that a lot of the men she was with were the same as their dad. Mirroring Arlos’ emotionally unavailable and toxic traits. It shouldn’t have come to a surprise when Red brushed the idea off, she had done the same with her dad for years. Never wanting to accept that her issues were so deeply rooted in her childhood and were now affecting the way she sought out partners.

There was only ever one boyfriend of hers that Kingston approved of. He was also the only one who ever met their parents as Red knew he was one to show off, one to be proud of. He treated her right and it was heartbreaking for nearly everyone in her life when they called it off. 

But it was the long distance that proved to be too challenging to overcome. If he was in Europe that would be one thing, but with Red living in London and Mason’s career being based out of LA, it wasn’t destined to last. 

She had been single since then, trying to grow in this new chapter she found herself in and spending most of 2021 and up until now, all of 2022 by herself. It was good for her, everyone agreed. 

Ultimately, that’s why Kingston kept quiet, muttering a reminder to ‘be careful, is all’ when she said that she was going to go on the date with Pierre. He trusted she could take care of herself, that she had learned the lessons required to find happiness with someone, someone that wouldn’t drain her. The rumours about him were just that, rumours. He had no idea what Pierre was actually like in a relationship and he had faith in his sister that if things become difficult, she would leave. Having Mason as a reminder of what a healthy relationship looked like, Kingston wasn’t as worried about Red as he would have been years ago.

Red chose a black dress for her date, nothing scandalous but it was form fitting and off the shoulder. The gold necklace she wore matched her earrings and rings and stood out beautifully against her tanned skin. Her hair took a bit more effort and when the Milan heat proved to be pointless to fight against, she opted for pulling her hair back into a high ponytail. 

She could have headed down to the lobby of the hotel when she finished getting ready ten minutes to seven, but she waited, not wanting to seem too eager. Of course, with her luck, everyone seemed to be needing the elevator when she pressed the button and Red didn’t end up stepping foot onto the main floor until a little after the designated time.

Unsure where to look for her date, she just headed towards the front of the hotel. She glanced towards the couches, the doors and then finally looked at the bar that seemed to be quite full for a Wednesday evening.

She didn’t see Pierre, but she did see Charles.

Any other given evening, Red would not have gone up to him to start a conversation. She didn’t know the Monegasque driver,  they exchanged only a few words in the paddock and he was not the one she was going on a date with.

But he spotted her and with an inviting smile, waved her over to the bar top. Red hesitated, naturally, glancing over her shoulder to see if Pierre was nearby but again, he wasn’t in sight. So she crossed the lobby of the hotel and stepped into the connected restaurant, greeting Charles with a smile of her own. He straightened up instead of leaning against the bar top. 

“Pierre got a phone call not even twenty seconds ago,” Charles explained, doing his best to keep his eyes up even though all he wanted was to admire the way she looked in the dress. “He just stepped out to answer it, I can assure you, you weren’t stood up.”

Red laughed, “Honestly the thought didn’t cross my mind, but thank you for clarifying.” She looked around, not feeling awkward but definitely feeling a little out of place. Her comfort zone was F2 drivers, and even then she didn’t know many of them. When her eyes landed back on Charles, they both opened their mouths to say something and then simultaneously shut them.

Charles dipped his head, “You first.”

“Oh I was just curious as to what you were doing here, is all,” she said. “Are you staying in this hotel?”

“Ah, no,” Charles admitted. “Meeting a friend who’s staying here. It was convenient, honestly, that Pierre was also coming by. We just took the same car.”

“You two are- you’re friends, right?” Red asked and then felt the heat rise up to her cheeks. “I mean, I know you’re both drivers but you two are actually friends outside the races, right? Or was that just a bullshit article I read on twitter?”

He glanced down at the drink resting on the bar top and chuckled, “No, no we are friends. We grew up racing together.”

Red wasn’t sure if that information made this scenario easier or harder. She knew she was going on a date with Pierre, so the fact that she felt a pull of attraction towards Charles, his lifelong friend, was not ideal. Red did her best to ignore it, even taking a step back to create a bigger gap between them. Because that was the respectful thing to do, right? 

She should have been thankful when Charles’ eyes darted behind her. Red turned as well, seeing that it was Pierre who caught his attention. 

He looked nice, a pair of black slacks and a white linen shirt unbuttoned just enough to tease what laid beneath the material. The sleeves were rolled up his elbows and he adjusted the black watch on his wrist as he smiled at Red and Charles. 

“You look beautiful,” Pierre greeted her, hand going to her back. “Sorry, I had to take a call. I promise I usually have much better time management.”

“That’s okay, don’t worry,” she said, taking in his sharp features. Pierre was devilishly handsome, there was no denying that. If he wasn’t smiling or talking, his lips fell into a natural smirk, drawing her in like he had a secret to tell. 

Pierre patted his friend’s arm, “Thanks for keeping her company. Are you ready to go?” He nodded his head towards the front of the hotel. 

Red stepped away from the bar and closer to Pierre as he told her he made reservations at Sadler, a restaurant she was unfamiliar with as she had only ever spent a handful of days in Milan over the course of the last few years and eating at a Michelin-star restaurant was never on her list of things to do.

As Pierre was in the middle of telling Red that it was a short walk away from the hotel she halted and quickly turned back around, remembering that Charles also had a thought that he didn’t get to share. She pointed a finger at him, “You were trying to say something earlier before I asked why you were at the hotel-”

Charles waved it off, glancing at Pierre. “It’s nothing, I was just-” another look at Pierre, this time with caution. “I was just going to say you look lovely, is all.”

“Oh,” she felt the flutter in her chest, something she didn’t feel when Pierre complimented her. Again, she didn’t dwell on it. “Thank you and, uhm-” Pierre was waiting. “Have a good night.”

Pierre confirmed that she was alright walking in heels for a few minutes, offering to order a car if she preferred, but Red wasn’t one to complain and the restaurant wasn’t far, only a block up and over. 

She couldn’t remember the last time she went on a date so the only word to describe her for the first few minutes after sitting down at the table was awkward. Whereas Pierre’s aura was nothing but cool and confident. 

“Tell me about yourself,” Pierre said after the waiter had come by and poured them both a glass of wine. Red wasn’t a huge drinker, but she happily took a sip of the drink before answering. It didn’t ease her nerves instantly, but maybe by the time she finished the glass she’d be comfortable.

That was a loaded question though, one that Red didn’t even know how to start answering. The people she met usually cared about her brother and his career. Red was used to the spotlight being on him, even if he was nowhere around.

Now that she was given the opportunity to talk freely about herself, prompted by Pierre fucking Gasly, Red blanked.

Pierre noticed the hesitation, he could see the gears grinding behind her eyes as she tried to think of what to say. He found amusement in that and chuckled, changing the topic.

“Okay, what if you just tell me where you’re from.”

That she could do, “Birmingham,” she answered, feeling her cheeks flush. “But I moved to London after I finished highschool and I’ve been there since.”

“And what do you do there?”

She grimaced, “This is going to sound really pretentious, but I’m a model.”

“I don’t think it’s pretentious,” Pierre assured her. “I think it’s fitting though, you are beautiful. I’d buy whatever you’re selling.”

“No but I’m probably the worst model,” Red laughed before taking another sip of her drink. “I’m so painfully awkward in front of the camera and I don’t get booked for half of the jobs my agent sends me to. I’ll show up to the set and the director takes one look at me and sends me home,” she laughed again and Pierre joined in, both of them happy to find a little humour in her dilemmas. 

“Why don’t you switch career paths then?” He leaned forward, resting his elbows atop the table and clasping his hands together. The eye contact he held intimated her, but she knew it was impolite to keep looking away. 

“Well I don’t hate it, I just wish I was better at it,” Red told him, fingers twirling around the stem of her wine glass. “I think because Kingston is a natural in front of the cameras and talking to the media, people assume I’m the same way but I’m very…I don’t know, not as confident as I’d like to be, I guess.”

Pierre could have asked something about her brother, she had practically opened the door for him to, but he seemed to gloss right over the mention of Kingston, instead asking another question about her job which led into a discussion about travelling and by the time their entrees came, Red was telling Pierre that if she could move to Spain, she would. 

They talked about the languages they spoke, Red had him beat. Pierre knew three, she knew four. She said she’d teach him Spanish and if he taught her Italian, Pierre agreed to that deal. 

He spoke about Formula 1, but not for very long. Red was surrounded by motorsport just by following Kingston and as interested as she was to learn about Pierre, there was more to him than just his career. 

Red enjoyed talking to him. Once she got past the stage of not knowing what to say, conversation between them flowed naturally. He was a good listener, he asked follow up questions to learn more, he had an interest in what she had to say and the stories she shared.

But there was no spark.

Even though he made her laugh, even though he made her feel comfortable, even though he truly seemed to care to get to know her, Red didn’t feel that overwhelming urge to see him again. 

She wanted to like him, but this wasn’t something she could force. This also wasn’t something she was going to continue on the off chance she’d feel something down the road nor was it fair to be with him solely because of his name and status. 

Which is why, at the end of their evening, which was a delightful evening, Red turned down the invitation to go home with him. They stood outside the doors of the restaurant, the sun had set at this point and she used the light coming from the street lamps and nearby establishments to make out the solemn expression Pierre wore.

He wasn’t offended that she had said no, that she would rather go back to her hotel room alone instead of spending the night with him. He also didn’t try to pressure her into changing her answer, only told her that he was still going to walk her back to the Four Seasons. He could take the rejection, but he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he let her walk back alone.

By the time they made it to the front foyer of the hotel, Pierre reached for her hand to keep her from going through the double doors. His eyes searched her face, trying to find the answer to what had happened this evening.

“Did I do something?” Pierre asked her. 

She let out a breath of a laugh, “No, Pierre, you were a total gentleman all night.” 

“Did you have fun?”

“I did.”

“So would it be wildly inappropriate if I asked you out on a second date?” His mischievous grin made a return. 

Red knew she should have said no. If she didn’t feel a deep enough connection with him after sharing a table for two hours, and splitting a dessert, there was a strong chance she wouldn’t feel anything after the second date either. 

But saying ‘no’ was something she struggled with. Even just turning down his offer to go home with him gave her a wave of anxiety. The last thing she wanted was to get on someone's bad side and that included Pierre even if she never planned on seeing him again. 

Except there was something about his piercing blue eyes and bright features that made it challenging to turn down twice. Was she a pushover? Maybe, but that was a conversation she chose not to have with herself right now. Instead, she forced herself to look at in a way that painted Pierre as persistent instead of herself as spineless.

“Okay,” she said. “One more date,” as if she was giving the ultimatum here when the reality was, Red would much rather see someone else happy even if it meant putting herself in an uncomfortable position. 

She told herself that it really would be one more date, but she didn’t expect that it would grow consistently harder to keep saying no to Pierre. 

He gave her a kiss on the cheek to end the night after they exchanged numbers. Pierre assured her he’d call before the weekend ended, or if they were lucky they would run into each other in the paddock again. It was unlikely, but certainly possible.

Red didn’t know how to feel by the time she walked inside the hotel. The idea of having another glass of wine popped in her head, but she typically wasn’t someone who drank to relax and now would just be a horrible time to start. 

She glanced towards the bar, not surprised to see it had died down since she had stepped in earlier. But she was surprised to see that there was one man who seemingly hadn’t moved an inch, still sitting at the bar at the same spot as hours prior.

Maybe it was the few glasses of wine she did have, but the confidence she was lacking earlier made a shocking appearance and she found herself walking towards a one Charles Leclerc. He didn’t notice her, not until she sat down on the empty stool next to him. At that point, she was impossible to not notice. 

Charles looked up, both of them wearing smiles. While hers was more smug, his was reminiscent of a young childs’ who had just been caught eating cookies before dinner and tried to play it off innocently. 

“Don’t tell me you got stood up?” She teased, thinking about earlier when he was the one who assured her that her date was nearby. 

“No, no, he left only minutes ago actually, I was just-” he looked at his nearly empty whisky glass, “-just finishing up my drink and I’ll head out.”

“Who?” Red asked, as if she had any idea the type of friends Charles had. The only reason she asked was because the leather seat she was on was cold against the back of her legs and that wouldn’t be the case if someone was just sitting here. Nor were there any water marks or signs that a second glass had been placed on the bar top. 

The likelihood of Charles sitting alone at a bar for a few hours was low, but she was still curious about what he got up to tonight.

“A friend from my karting days,” Charles answered, folding his arms over the surface of the bar as his eyes met hers again. “He lives in Milan, so we try to meet up when I’m here.”

Red’s eyebrows furrowed together as she gestured with her chin to the lobby of the hotel, “Earlier you said he was staying here.”

“He is!” Charles exclaimed. “Sorry, I meant he lives in Italy. He’s staying at this hotel this weekend.”

She wanted to believe him, this would be a strange thing to lie about.

But Red reminded herself that she and Charles were still strangers. If he was in fact lying about meeting a friend and was instead on a date with someone, which was her guess, it would be unlikely he would jump at the chance to tell her, probably wanting to keep the potential relationship private as most of his life was in the public eye.

“How was your date?” Charles asked, spinning the conversation around on her. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t notice the way her jaw tensed before her gaze landed on the row of bottles that lined the shelf behind the bar. Eye contact was not her thing. 

“Yeah, it was good,” Red told him, knowing that he was friends with Pierre. Nothing she said was safe, or at least that’s what she assumed.

“Just good?” Charles further questioned, spinning the glass between his fingers. 

“Pierre’s nice,” Red added with a head nod, but it sounded like she was trying to convince herself of that as opposed to telling Charles what he already knew. “I had a fun time, we’ll see how the second date goes I guess.”

“Second date?” he repeated, not intending for the surprise to be so evident in his tone. He cleared his throat, “He already lined up a second date?”

Red nodded, her line of sight darted from the bar to the gold rings she wore on her fingers, spinning the one on her thumb out of habit. She struggled sitting still, Charles realised. In the back of his head he wondered if Pierre had noticed it too.

Charles leaned in closer to her, “This may not be my place to say anything, but you don’t seem to be too pleased about a second date.”

Was it that obvious? Red planted a smile on her face and looked up from her hands, ignoring the way Charles was staring through her like he was trying to read her mind.

“I’m just tired, is all. I haven’t really let myself think about the next date yet,” that was believable, she told herself. It had to be. 

Charles turned his wrist to look at the time on his watch and nodded. He then gestured towards the hotel, “I’m about to head out too, but I can walk you to the elevator, if you’d like.”

Red nodded, finding his offer to be harmless enough. Charles finished the rest of his drink before tossing a few bills on the counter and thanking the bartender with a wave and a smile. 

He shoved his hands into his pockets as they crossed the floor to leave the restaurant and enter the lobby. It wasn’t quiet, but it was certainly more lively during the day as there were a handful of team members from all series’ who stayed at this hotel.

“So you’ll be at the paddock all weekend?” Charles asked. 

“Yeah, I’ll fly home Sunday though. I’m not staying for the F1 race.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t get passes for it. I only have them for the support races.” she turned her head towards him, a soft smile playing on her lips. 

The hotel lobby light was not ideal for anyone, but it made Red’s features much more prominent, whether she liked it or not. Charles didn’t know whether to look at her bold lashes or the freckles that couldn’t be covered with makeup or the way the corner of her lips turning upwards contrasted with the uncertainty in her eyes. Her smile was polite, it was warm, but it was also forced.

Charles was nearly about to offer her a pass to the paddock, lord knew he had a few of them lying around, perks of being a driver. But before he could say anything, the step up towards the elevators snuck up on them and Red stumbled to catch her balance as her heel caught on the platform.

He reached for her arm and his other hand hovered in front of her, ready to assist if needed but Red laughed it off and apologised, swearing that she usually wasn’t this clumsy, it was the heels.

His grip on her arm loosened and he trailed his fingers down to her wrist and then to her palm. Red’s hand gently rested on top of his as he helped her step up onto the platform. Charles’ pressed the elevator button for her and both of their arms fell back down to their sides.

He waited until the doors opened to wish her a goodnight. The idea of inviting her to the paddock on Sunday slipped his mind as he was now only thinking about what it would take to feel her hand in his again.

Red waved at the Monegasque driver, holding his stare until the steel doors shut between them. Only then did she feel safe enough to take a breath and lean against the wall, her gaze dropping to the hand that Charles held for only a moment.

She didn’t feel a spark with Pierre.

But Charles’ touch lit a fire under her skin.

can't wait to hear your thoughts ♡

[gotstabbedbyapen]

Too Long; Didn't Read: I'm working on a trilogy fanfiction for Apollo and Hyacinthus called "Singing For A Flower" because I have way too much time :)

Too Short; Need More: For those who don't know (actually, I don't think anyone knows), I've been writing fanfics for a long time now. I've written for many fandoms, couples, and characters, but never in a million years I'd thought I would dedicate a portion of my life to writing a whole ass trilogy fic for an OTP I only started to ship in the summer of 2022.

How did I get into this?

Well, for starters, I've taken a ride to Greek mythology since June 2022. And as you may know (you must know if you've been sticking around long this blog enough), the myth of Apollo and Hyacinthus is my top favorite. And you probably know that I have lots of thoughts for them. Like, a lot. I'm storing too many Apollo/Hyacinthus ideas inside like an inflated balloon and if I don't dump them out soon, I will explode into a million pieces.

So in that case, I decided to write a fanfiction to pour all my OTP heacanons into it.

No, really. I won't even call it a retelling because it is not qualified to be one. Let's just say it's a high-effort fanfiction written by a foreigner who was raised and lived in a very different culture and always be more to learn.

Introducing:

Singing For A Flower

At first, I only planned it out as a meet-cute oneshot. But the short and sweet story soon branched out and couldn't be contained under 10K words anymore.

I want to write Hyacinthus and Apollo flirting but also having anxiety about their relationship.

I want to include Polyboea and give her a character arc about joining the virgin huntressess.

I want to explore Clio and the Muses' relationship with Hyacinthus, their mortal son and nephew.

I want to flesh out the other occurring characters who are in or related to the myth.

Endless scenarios and questions keep coming and they don't stop coming, and now I'm left with bits of prompts to string into one coherent plotline. There will be a lot for me to rewrite, add in, cut out, and more before I finish the first draft.

The "Singing For A Flower" trilogy will be written in Vietnamese and then translated into English (the VN version will be posted on a different platform, but you don't need to care about it). I can write the whole thing in English in the first place of course, but as with the second language, I can't convey all my ideas as fluently as in Vietnamese. When the English version is done, I will publish it on Archive Of Our Own and maybe other novel platforms.

It will take time to do everything all by myself. You'll have to wait a long time - we're not counting weeks or months, but years. But not to worry, because along the way, I will publish some (translated) WIP snippets to keep myself motivated and keep you guys up-to-date. So, we cool?

If you're interested in my planned Apollo/Hyacinthus trilogy and wish to see the final product, I admire your dedication - thank you a lot! And if you can't stick around to the end - it's okay! I'm glad we can be companions for a while.

Let's hope all of the gods above, my sheer determination, and an unholy amount of coffee will help me make it to the end of this project and not crash and burn before that!

[forbidding-souda]

Hey >:))

Could you write some hcs for Teruteru, Gundham and Sonia with a Brazilian s/o? <3

THANK YOU!! 💗💞💗💖💗💖

— 🐭🌙

Teruteru Hanamura, Gundham Tanaka, and Sonia Nevermind with a Brazilian S/O headcanons

this took me so long for no reason too anyway pov me trying my best yk what's funny, this request is from august 16 2022 and we still talk and i think that's amazing hai mouse i love you i kept the info you gave me in my inbox all these years

-Mod Souda

Teruteru Hanamura

♥ His mother is absolutely in love with you. She loves your laugh and your smile and all the stories you tell (and the bright look in your eyes as you tell them).

♥ You get along with his mother so well that he becomes the third wheel.

♥ Obv but bomb ass churrasco.

♥ Date idea but you two cooking together and he'll teach you Japanese dishes.

♥ His life has been much more interesting since he's met you. Usually, he's over-worked with the amount of jobs and responsibilities he's piled onto himself. You have a lot of soul and life when it comes to socials and situations in which you feel comfortable. He likes having people with good energy around.

♥ The positive attention he constantly gives you is so charming. You love talking about your culture and he loves learning.

♥ If he can convince his family to come to Brazil you need to give a tour (he will force you to give a tour).

♥ O carro do sonho pulls up and his siblings start tweaking.

♥ You should have a fun get together by walking through the streets at night and seeing all the light up buildings. Imagine how excited he would be, explaining everything he knows to his mom.

♥ Take them to the Mercado Municipal.

♥ They're gonna be scared of the stray dogs though.

♥ ^ He'll feed them and becon them closer to scare his siblings.

♥ His siblings start flirting with random people.

♥ Anyway, beside his family.

♥ See look his outfit is already white so it's perfect (and he's gonna rock the red underwear, you already know).

♥ He's going to give you flowers every time he comes to visit you. It's small romantic gestures that he's trying his best on. He wants to be more of a romantic person, especially with you.

♥ But he's still a little weird like he's gonna use your stuff in the shower as if he didn't pack his own.

♥ He's also going to leave his hair stuff all over your counter I hope you don't mind :).

♥ Bomb ass breakfast every day, though. He'll make sure to wake up before you so he's able to make you something nice. It's his treat for your hospitality (and your love).

♥ But before you eat you have to give him a kiss. Bon appétit.

.

Gundham Tanaka

♥ Has no idea what's going on ever but it's fine because he's a good listener.

♥ You've told me that most Brazilians don't know how to dance and Gundham doesn't either so wow you guys would get along so well.

♥ He hasn't brought his dark devas with him because he's worried about the plane ride there. And even though he is literally an Ultimate, flights don't want him being hamsters on board.

♥ He'll still facetime Sonia so he can read them to sleep.

♥ He talks about them and how he misses them a lot but it's okay he's going to find sanctuary with the dogs outside.

♥ He loves the stray dogs. He'll walk up to them and you'll watch as they mellow once they see him. You'll go home and a pack of many different breeds are just following you. They're yours now. Welcome to the family.

♥ Show him the paintings and street art around. Show him all of the things you're interested in and he'll log it into his memory.

♥ With the warm weather, you get to see him in just his short sleeve ha ha ha (he's so sexy raaaa imagine his biceps).

♥ He's your scary dog privileges to walk at night. He'll probably embarrass you though by threatening people in English about dark magic.

♥ He's not much of a drinker but you can get him to take sips from your quentão if you're dying for him to taste it.

♥ He's visited with no real plans in mind.

♥ He's so introverted so he'd prefer to spend his time inside of your house so he can get away from others.

♥ Oh my god random ash but teach him about some Brazilian folk.

♥ He'll relax in your living room with the 2849234 dogs he's brought home.

♥ He will sit with you and watch the carnival though. He likes seeing things second-hand. It's a far better experience than being there with all of the people.

♥ The fun of traveling thrives on social interactions and outdoor adventures, and none of that matters as much as being with you. Whatever you two do, whether it's walk through the city or sleeping all day, as long as you are close enough to kiss, he's chill.

♥ Peace of mind in the subtle beauty of you. 

♥ The best part of his visit for you was when you woke up to his arm wrapped around you. You know that he is hesitant towards trust, so when you woke up and felt the warmth of his body, you were too scared to move in case you'd wake him up and it would stop.

.

Sonia Nevermind

♥ She probably speaks Portuguese.

♥ When she learns you're from Brazil she instantly busts out her language skills. She still has an accent, however, and it's cute considering her vocal tone.

♥ Has she ever been to Brazil? No. Does she know much about it? Not exactly. Does she speak Portuguese? Yes.

♥ She talks like a grandma sometimes though.

♥ You're going to have to teach her your city-specific lingo though. You're gonna call a sausage a salsicha and she's gonna blink at you.

♥ She loves traveling and different cultures so you bet she's gonna be over there for weeks at a time.

♥ She likes the sincerity when it comes to sports; soccer. It interests her that people can be so passionate about certain things that her country has no specific favoring for.

♥ Malls. She will love to go to malls with you. All sorts of different forms, whether interior or ones with exterior stores. Big restaurants nearby, she will love them.

♥ The two of you can have conversations back and forth in both Portuguese and English. It'll be quick how she can learn your accent and your terminologies.

♥ She'll try not to sound pretentious when she explains your own culture to you and all the things she learned about it. She knows niche things like the history of religion, the art she's seen, and the museums she wants to go to.

♥ She is going to force you to go to stereotypical tourist attractions.

♥ Especially the museums. She'd move into the museums if she could.

♥ O carro do sonho makes her eyes light up like diamonds.

♥ She's just obsessed with all the famous spots, she'll want you to take her everywhere.

♥ You stare at her face whenever she stares around in wonder. You've seen these things in your everyday life, but she looks around your city like she's seen Heaven. She's so beautiful, especially when she's close enough for you to wrap your arms around.

♥ She'll keep a picture of you in a cute antique locket necklace awwww. She misses you so much when she has to go back to her country.

♥ Gift her jewelry or some clothes and she'll wear them around her island. Whether they're related to Brazil or not, she'll sport anything you give her. She loves you and will never be able to stop talking about it to people who ask.

♥ She would gift you something crazy like a golden pocket watch or something.

[k-evans-reads]

In Living Color

Chapter 19

Summary: When Natalie Marton, lead character designer for Buzz Lightyear, meets the voice of Buzz, Chris Evans, the sparks are undeniable. But when their work pushes them away from each other, both physically and emotionally, will the sheer differences between their worlds be enough to force them apart?

Pairing: Chris Evans x Pixar Animator OFC Natalie Marton

Word Count: 3,932

By: @k-evans-writes and @ourfinest-hour

We do NOT give permission for our works to be reuploaded, translated, or reposted on any other site. Our work is our own.

Warnings: SMUT. 18+ ONLY. MINORS DNI.

Previous | Main Masterlist | In Living Color Masterlist

March 18th, 2022

Unfamiliar terrain filled Nat’s eyesight as she stared out the window of the car, taking the sights of Atlanta. It had been a long flight out here after yet another grueling work week but this one seemed a lot more bearable than the last few, knowing that the light at the end of this week was seeing in person that shining smile of the man she loved. 

Nat ran a hand through her wild curls before stretching out her legs that were still a little cramped from the long plane ride before she looked over at the man in the driver's seat and smiled, “Thanks so much for picking me up, Josh.” 

“Happy to do it,” he honestly told her, glancing over at her for a moment before he chuckled, “Besides, having you here means I won’t have Chris moping around all weekend so honestly you being here is a service to me.” 

Although Nattie hated to hear of anything dampening Chris’ mood, she was happy to know that he had been as downtrodden about their separation as she had been. Nat had struggled a lot more than she realized but tried to push it all from her head, muttering. “I’m just happy I’m finally getting out of my office and remembering there’s an outside world.” 

“Are you still working like crazy? I know Chris has been kind of worried about how much you’re working,” Josh spoke with a raised eyebrow. 

Hearing it almost made Nat want to roll her eyes, knowing that this wasn’t the first time Chris had voiced his unhappiness about her workload but she just justified it with, “It’s just a busy season. But I’m so glad I was able to get today off so I could come out here. I’ve never actually gotten to see Chris filming.” 

“Don’t get your hopes too high, it’s not that entertaining,” Josh retorted, making Nat burst into laughter as they kept driving along the highway. 

Although she loved the way that Chris’ lifelong best friend teased him, she knew that his words wouldn’t be quite true for her. In their nearly year of dating, she had gotten to see him record his lines for his Lightyear voicework and see the fruition of his hard work in his films, but never had she gotten to observe him while acting. 

When they arrived at the set, she only got to steal a quick kiss from him before the director talked to the crew as Josh and Nat moved over to the side, blending into the background and staying out of the way before they got ready to run the scene. Nat quietly stood as her eyes fixed on Chris, just silently watching him as she watched him shed himself and took on a brand new persona. She had gotten to see him transform during Lightyear as he acted in the booth but this was different. Nat remembered him talking about how challenging voice acting had been, not able to work off of anyone else and for the first time she truly got to see him shine in his working element, seeing the easy way that he carried himself as he worked. 

Being apart had been so hard, the two hardly able to see each other since filming had started on Valentine’s Day. She had gotten to spend the long President’s Day weekend with him in Boston and had been able to see him shortly when he’d come to Los Angeles for a weekend for a bachelor party but it was a far cry from how used to being together they were, falling into the groove of living life together. 

But now they were finally back together, even if it was only for a weekend, but once his arms were wrapped around her Nat felt like everything was right with the world. They just soaked in getting to hold one another for a long moment until finally pulling apart enough to press their lips together as passionately as they could with so many people surrounding them as the cast and crew were all headed in different directions. 

“I’m so happy you’re here,” Chris’ voice was soft as he looked down into her eyes. 

“Me too,” she could feel her smile shining from ear to ear before Chris’ arm snaked around her shoulders as they walked through the busy set. “I’m glad I got here in time to watch you film.” 

“I don’t know if I am because then you’ll see what a shit actor I really am," he laughed while squeezing her a little tighter. 

“I knew that already,” Nat teased him, earning a slap to his chest as he roared with his hysterical laughter and she was reminded just how much she missed that. 

The two chatted non-stop as they went to the costume trailer where Nat waited outside as Chris got out of his costume and makeup and emerged in his illegally tight white tee shirt and sweats. Almost immediately she was tucked back under his arm as they walked together toward a trailer down at the end of the line where Chris held open the door and let Nat walk in before following her inside. 

After the door of the trailer was shut behind them, the pair were finally alone for the first time in much too long. The separation between them had been a lot harder on each of them than they’d even realized but especially for Nat. She wasn’t used to being separated for so long and it was something she thought would be a little easier than it had been. Every time she faced another night alone or weekend without hearing that familiar loud laughter, she felt her heart dropping a little. 

Nat had thrown herself into her work even more, focusing on her artwork and although it helped get her mind off of missing Chris, it had caused her to be more burned out than she had imagined. But now she finally was here with him. She could finally breathe in his scent and feel his hand rubbing up and down her arm as he stepped closer and lowly said, “I missed you so fucking much, Nattie.” 

The look in those blue eyes of his gazing at her from under those long eyelashes had her getting weak at the knees. She couldn’t resist being able to finally wrap her arms around him, feeling the firm muscles of his back underneath his soft white tee shirt as his arms came around her waist and caged her in. In an instant his mouth was on hers, kissing Nat completely senseless as she started feeling dizzy, needing nothing more in this moment than him. 

She loved him so fully, so completely that she couldn’t wait a second longer to pull away, breathless as she whispered, “I love you, Chris.” The moment was so intense, both of them so desperate for one another and their chest heaving as they tried to catch their breath, but that one statement from her seemed to stop everything. Nat was still pressed up against him as he lifted his head, his tender eyes looking down at her as he reminded her, “I love you too, Nat. So much.” 

And as if Nat wasn’t already feeling lightheaded enough, those words sent waves of emotions straight to her heart while Chris’ lips attached to her neck as she melted into him. Their lips kept finding one another’s, kissing over and over again while each of their hands grasped at any bit of each other that they could as they stumbled toward the tiny bedroom in the trailer, clothes being peeled off and discarded as they went. 

Chris couldn’t have moved faster if he tried, and before Nat knew it he had her laying back on the bed and was buried deep inside her. Her left hand came up to grab his cheek as her right hand moved down to cup his firm ass, and Nat found herself emotional at being able to finally see that gorgeous face of his in person instead of across a phone screen. They were finally back together and nothing felt better. 

They just held each other’s eye contact for a long moment before Nat saw Chris’ eyes flutter closed as he leaned down to kiss her deeply and she felt herself clench around him from the deep love she felt, making Chris have to pull away from her lips to groan from the feeling. Nat felt so good, overwhelmed by the feeling of having him buried deep inside her while her hand reached up to run through his brown hair while he littered kisses across her chest. They were so in love and so happy in this moment and their arms came around each other to cling tightly together while Chris’ hips started moving in and out at a slow loving pace. 

“Oh god, Chris. Fuck, you feel so good,” she whimpered as her body curled up into his, her left hand trailing down his back to rest on his firm ass, giving it a good squeeze right as he thrust into her. 

“Love you so fuckin’ much Nat,” Chris grunted, pressing a sweet kiss to her neck before his hips continued to slowly rock in and out. “I missed you. I missed feeling you.” 

Nat felt herself melting underneath him, unable to even respond to him with just how incredible he was stretching her out. Both Chris and Nat were just soaking in this glorious moment, wrapped up in the comfort of having each other in their arms once again. The only sounds in the trailer were their pants, their normal running dialogue and praises were silenced, both just too overwhelmed by the love and emotions they both were feeling. Eventually when Chris heard Nat’s sweet whimpers, he picked up his pace, burying his face in her neck to nuzzle a few kisses, his firm sweaty chest pressed against hers, allowing Nat to feel his quick heartbeat. 

“Chris please, baby I need to feel you,” Nat urged him breathlessly, her hands grasping at those broad shoulders. 

Nat was too wrapped up in keeping her own breathing at bay that she didn’t realize that Chris was barely hanging on already but hearing her words nearly drove him over the edge. She whimpered when he lifted his chest up a bit, leaving space between them before he dropped his hand down between them, changing to slower little thrusts as he let his thumb find her sensitive clit, rubbing quick tight circles while he encouraged her, “C’mon baby, let go. I wanna see that gorgeous face you make. I wanna feel you squeeze me, Nattie.” 

The white hot heat was pulsing through her and Nat couldn’t help it, letting her body release as her smooth walls gripped Chris so tight a long obscene moan poured from his lips. He held onto her hips tightly, keeping himself fully seated inside her as his essence filled her. Nat felt like she was going to pass out when her eyelids fluttered open and she looked up, seeing Chris’ eyes shut tight, his mouth hanging open as he panted and a few dark hairs hanging over his sweaty forehead as he tried to regain his breathing. 

Needing to feel him close, Nat reached up to grab the gold St. Christopher’s medallion around his neck and gave it a gentle tug, silently telling him what she wanted. Feeling weak as he still recovered, he practically collapsed on top of her small frame, careful to keep his weight on the mattress so he didn’t hurt her. Nat wrapped a leg around his firm behind, her arms holding onto him tightly while he nuzzled his face back to the crook of her neck, his beard prickling her skin that his lips soothed with gentle kisses. 

It had been too long, much too long, since they had gotten to have moments like this and neither were ready to let go just yet. As much as they wanted to just stay together in the glow of that moment, they eventually pulled themselves from the bed and took a quick shower, both changing into their comfortable clothes before walking hand in hand to where Chris’ car was parked. 

They happily caught up as they drove home, Chris filling her in on all the little things that had happened the past few days when they hadn’t had much time to talk. As much as Nat loved to listen to his animated stories, she loved being able to see him in person, getting to run her hand along his back once they had gotten to his temporary place during filming, laughing as she kept dropping things while they cooked dinner and hearing that loud laugh. Just getting to physically be together made all the different for Nat, feeling more happy and centered than she had in a long time. 

As they ate dinner, a comfortable silence fell upon them before settling into their routine of cleaning up, Nat washing dishes while Chris dried but even that felt good. Nat was exhausted, the past couple of months at work draining her but none of that seemed to matter now. Not while she was with him, reminding her of all the things in life that really mattered. 

Just as Nat had shut off the running water and handed Chris the last plate to wipe dry, she caught the look in his eye, seeing a softness there before he leaned in for a soft kiss, his hand that wasn’t holding the dishrag rubbing along her arm as he revealed, “I’m so glad you’re here, Nattie.” 

“I think you mentioned that before," she just couldn’t help but tease him, bumping her hip against his before drying off her hands. 

“Well I’m going to mention it again because I mean it,” Chris called over his shoulder as he put the plate away in the cabinet, then turning to toss the rag onto the counter so his hands could be free to grasp at her hips and pull her into him, “I’m just really happy you were able to come this weekend. I’m sorry I only have the weekend off.” 

Nat just shrugged as her arms wrapped around his neck loosely, her fingers toying with the ends of his fluffy brown hair while acknowledging, “I doubt I would have been able to stay any longer than the weekend anyway. I have to be at the daily on Monday morning, so it actually works out well.”  

“Sounds like you’re still really busy at work,” Chris’ eyebrow rose. 

Her arms fell from around his neck before trudging over toward the couch, scratching Dodger on the way by before curling up onto the cushions as she countered, “You’re gone anyway so I might as well work a lot.” 

“You already were working a lot before.” 

“There’s just a lot going on right now,” she tried to remind him as he made his own way to the couch, coming to sit near her, angling his body toward her as his thick arm came to rest across the top of the couch cushions. 

“When won’t there be though, Nattie? It seems like you’re always swamped with work these days.” 

Nat knew that part of what he was saying was true. Lately there weren’t many days that weren’t crazy busy but the other part of her knew that he didn’t understand. Chris never had a conventional job. He didn’t understand the type of job where so many things depend on others, deadlines, and going through the grind of putting in hours everyday, then sending off the latest pieces for approval before making the countless adjustments as requested. It wasn’t that his job wasn’t challenging or didn’t take work, but she knew that his view of time off was extremely different from hers. If he needed a break, he had the ability to take one, but if she needed a break and didn’t work, it would mean getting fired and only having enough savings to last a short time. 

She knew that her job had been a point of contention lately, both of them struggling with the separation they were both facing and the heavy workload causing a lot of extra stress for her but she just didn’t want to start the weekend out this way. Nat got such limited time with him now that she didn’t want to get into something that would cause an argument and ended up reaching over to rest a hand on his thigh, conveying, “Chris, I’m really not trying to be dismissive but I don’t want to talk about work. I just want to focus on us being together.” 

It looked as if the wheels in his brain were churning as he sat there for a moment. It was obvious there was more he wanted to say, more behind what he was feeling but ultimately deciding to drop it and agreed, “You’re right, let’s forget about work.” He took her hand from his sweatpant covered thigh and pressed a kiss in her palm before saying,  “Although the one work thing I am happy about is the Lightyear premiere because then I know I’ll get you for almost an entire week while I’m in LA.” 

“I always get emotional at premieres because of getting to see the culmination of years of animation that we’ve worked on but this one is going to be even more emotional,” Nat already knew that this one film held so many more emotions than normal not only because of so much more work that she’d poured into it, but because of the relationship it’d brought to her life. “I already know I’ll be crying like a baby.” 

“Why? I thought I didn’t even make your top three favorite voice actors?” Chris couldn’t help but tease with that sideways smile on his face. 

“Well I’ve kind of grown partial to you.” 

“You better have,” he chuckled softly as he playfully shoved her shoulder gently before his tone shifted and she saw his eyes sparkling in the dim lights as Chris asked, “Is your family still planning on coming to the premiere?” 

Nat bubbled with laughter, knowing that was a rhetorical question. Her family had been buzzing about this for so long and she rested her own elbow on the back of the couch, her hand coming to prop up her cheek as she informed him, “Oh yeah, they’re so excited. The last one they came to was Inside Out so Ella doesn’t even remember it, and then Lily and Carson weren’t even born. Zach and Alex weren’t even married yet so this will be Zach’s first premiere too.” 

“And the first one where you’ve been the lead character design too, right?” 

“Yeah so you’re going to have to give me red carpet lessons,” Nat smiled, having a hard time in this moment understanding that as he sat there in his worn tee shirt and black sweatpants while he laughed and teased her, that he was the same guy as the man who stood on red carpets posing for the hundreds of photographers calling his name. 

“I’m not the person to ask, I’m on and off that shit as fast as humanly possible,” he tipped his head back with a laugh before turning it lazily to look at her with a hand reaching over to rest on her knee, “But you’re right, this is going to be a special one. My family is already pumped about coming.” 

“I’m so glad I’ll get to see your family again. I loved getting to spend more time with them when I came out to Boston last month,” she mused while her thoughts drifted back to the President’s Day weekend when she had been able to take that Friday off, giving her almost four full days visiting him in Boston and spending time with his family that she hadn’t gotten to see enough of, including finally getting to meet his father and the rest of his family members for a few quick hours. 

Being in Boston for only the second time had allowed her to see that other side of Chris. That completely unguarded and calm self, being completely comfortable and at ease. It wasn’t that he wasn’t ever like that when they were alone, or when he had come to Washington to be with her and her family, but seeing him in his beloved and true home let her see such a beautiful side of him that they both had needed to endure these long stretches apart. 

With a point of his finger and a loud cackle, Chris told her, “Carly still wants to get even on Monopoly so we’ll have to break that out while they’re here.” 

“Are they going to stay with you when they come?” Nat wondered, slipping her hand into his and just enjoying getting to have those soft touches as they talked. 

“Well, I was actually thinking about renting them an AirBnB or getting a few hotel rooms for them all to stay at so I could invite your family to stay at my place,” he shrugged, eyes glancing over to where Dodger had wandered in with a toy in his mouth. 

“Chris, that’s so sweet but you don’t need to do that. I don’t want that to take away from you having time with your family,” Nat was quick to speak up, not wanting him to feel like he needed to prioritize her family over his but when his blue eyes came back to meet hers, she knew it was anything but that. 

He just shook his head before leaning in to steal a quick kiss, settling back into the cushions as her legs came to drape over his lap. Chris’ hand wandered up and down her thigh covered in the black leggings she was wearing as he insisted, “I want to, Nattie. I get plenty of time with my family and still will that week, but I want your family to be able to spread out and have a comfortable place to stay, especially with having the younger kids and baby Jack.” 

“You’re so thoughtful it’s almost sickening,” Nat laughed as he blushed softly from her teasing praise. “You’re seriously going to be the kids’ favorite person because they still talk about your pool to this day.” 

He held up his hands in defense, stating, “Hey as long as I’m winning them over, that’s all that matters.” 

“You’ve won them over a long time ago,” Nat knew how true that was. There wasn’t hardly one FaceTime that she had with those three kids that she loved so much without them asking or saying something about Chris. They’d all fallen in love with him over the Thanksgiving week that he’d spent with them but Nat knew that all of it paled in comparison to how much she loved him. How much she truly, deeply, purely loved him. “Besides, they all know I’m not planning on letting you go anytime soon.” 

“Well I’m happy to hear that because that means we’re on the same page.” 

And Nat knew that they truly were. Neither one had to guess how the other felt, wondering if their love was returned just as deeply or if the other was just as committed. Despite the strain of work and struggling to see eye to eye in certain moments about it, they knew that at the base of everything was nothing but love for each other and nothing felt better than that. 

A/N: We'll be back next week with a new chapter! We wanted to let you guys know (in case you hadn't seen it already!) that we are taking the week of 4/27 off from posting due to our schedules then. We both are very busy then and wouldn't be around to handle the postings!

[occasionallybirds]

My favorite bird photos of 2022, for @luxlit‘s Year-end Top 5 Photo Extravaganza, showcasing some of the photography talent here on tumblr, and running for 24 hours on New Year’s Day.  Well worth a look.

Palm Warbler

Indigo Bunting

Cooper’s Hawk

Eastern Towhee

White-breasted Nuthatch

My blogs:

@occasionallybirds

@celestialmacros: Bugs and other small animals

@celestialphotography: Nature scenics and travel photography

I also have a dormant cat blog that I might resurrect this year.

Thank you to all my followers for coming along on this ride with me!

[frostycatblr-fandom-files]

The fandom-files are turning six!

I missed my blog anniversary (August 10th) last year, so I wanted to do something small and simple; a get-to-know-me of sorts!

💙 The first fandom I created and started using this blog for was Detroit: Become Human, back in 2018. I lost my interest in the fandom and subsequently the blog following some negative experiences.

It wasn't until roughly around August(?) 2022 that I chose to revive this side-blog right around the start of The Mandalorian and The Bad Batch series. They reignited my love of the SW franchise stronger than ever following the fallout of the sequel trilogy (which, for all it's faults, I still largely enjoyed; but my experience with the wider fandom grew increasingly negative).

💚 I've been writing fanfiction for a long time; probably since I was in elementary school. Was it any ever good? Debatable... But I had fun, and that's what matters most. 🩷 I've enjoyed writing (save for school assignments) since I was little! I started out writing them by hand, then translating everything over to a Word Doc or a fanfic site of choice before I got a phone, by which point I wrote half by hand, half by phone. Most of my fics on this blog were written on my phone until late last year, when I finally got my own personal laptop!

💙I may not be the most social or chatty of fan artists/writers in the community where I've laid the majority of my roots these days, but I appreciate each and every friend I've been fortunate enough to make in my time here.

With severe anxiety, it isn't often the easiest thing putting myself out there, but I'm trying. Learning. Growing. I have so much appreciation for those who have shown me support, made me feel like a part of this space, and taken the time out of their day to share how my work made them feel in the past. It means a lot to me, it's impossible to say 'thank you' enough.

It happened sooner than I expected, just the day before my humble side-blog's sixth anniversary, but I'm excited to say I have now reached 200 followers!! Looks like I have to pick up the pace on piecing together that follower event!

Hugest of thank you-s to everyone who's decided to come along for the ride since the blog's revival, silly as it often is. 🩷

[alexiavettel]

chapter four

"The world was whole then, the sun and the moon together as one"

pairing: charles leclerc x fem¡stroll!reader

word count: 2.3k+

warnings: explicit language, mentions of sex, a bit of car stuff cause i have any self control, asshole!charles, almost panic attack and sensible leclerc.

disclaimer: any photo used is not supposed to represent the reader, all all Pinterest pics that matches the context

<<< previous part

February 23th, 2022

Spain, Barcelona- pre-season testing

“Are you excited for the press conference? At least you’re with Lewis, George and Seb” Liv asked grinning.

“For the only questions be about if I’m fucking Leclerc or not?”

“Well, are you?”

“LIV??? Have you gone mad? What the fuck girl?”

“Sorry darling but maybe a hate fuck would help with all the endless bickering-"

“I would never!”

“Gotta quote the biggest singer of all time ‘never say never’” she didn’t really sang this in the middle of the paddock, right?

“Have you just- Justin Bieber really?”

“Why not?”

“But why?”

•

“This question is for all of you, after having experienced the new car how do you think it will perform this season? Best or worse than the W12 and AMR21? Respectively” an older woman asks us

“If you say it’s better than the W12 I give up my seat” I cracked a joke before Lewis could speak and the room erupted in a chorus of laughter

“Well, like our dear Y/n mentioned it would be hard to overcome the W12 so in some aspects the W13 is a bit worse but all of us are putting plenty of effort into it”

“Yes, and that maybe means not a so good start of season for us but we are going to give our best and try to set the car in the way we need and want” just by hearing George speaking the British in me threatens to take place.

“But we sure will find a- not easy- but fast way to the top! Overall is a good car after analysing the data, we are glad of the recent results but we are looking forward to new updates during the year indeed”

“Thank you, boys. And what about the AMR22?”

“The green is great!” and that ladies and gentlemen was Sebastian Vettel

“Seb!” I laughed because my brother said EXACTLY the same thing after the car launch

“But it’s impossible to predict where we will be, at this stage. But surely, we're on the climb, so we want to be better than last year. Last year, we had our difficulties and I think for many reasons we should be better off this year.”

“Someone here got along better with the car than this old man but certainly the excitement is very high, and the potential as well that the team is gathering, the momentum to pick up during the season and improve the car throughout the season, I think, our potential is just rising. I can't wait to get on track, see where we are, and get going.”

“We are very optimistic but at the same time, there are so many new things, with new tyres, completely new cars, lots of new challenges. I hope the field will be closer together, that will give us more chances to race and race more at the front than we did last year. But realistically, the answer at the moment is we don't know and we have to be a little bit more patient to give you a proper good answer”

“We indeed have big potential to be championship contenders in the future, as our team has already mentioned in the car launch we are in year two of our five-year plan to grow more. If we are talking about data we got better results but we don’t know compared to the rest of the field. All we can do is hope and keep pushing.”

“Oi, that’s my line!” Lewis scolded me

“Now about the bachelors of this press, or should I say only one bachelor now? There are rumours about you Stroll, being in a relationship with Leclerc can you confirm?” I knew this question was about to come but I still can feel an uncomfortable amount of eyes burning me, including my fellow drivers.

“The internet is assuming this only because of a jet ski ride? Well the only thing I can confirm at the moment is that we are close friends who were enjoying our last free days together with other friends”

“In the moment? Sus for me”

“Shut up George or did you forget I can steal your girl?” this bitch “Love you, Carmen!” I searched the camera crew and said with an enamoured smile.

“Will you ever let this die?”

“Never” me and the two older drivers said together laughing at Russell’s disappointed face.

All this fuss about me and Carmen was because of a game of fuck, marry or kill in 2020

“Okay now what about Yn, Alonso and Albon” Danny asked in the middle of the group formed by me, Seb, Lewis, George and Carmen, Daniel, Alex and Lily, Lando and Lance.

“Ow can I fuck and marry Yn?” Carmen spilled out without thinking twice, as some of us die in laughter and the others were too stunned to speak (George was clearly the latter)

“I’m flattered girl, it’s about time” I joked while she seated in my lap laughing (drunk Carmen is something else)

“Can I join?” Lily asked fake pouting while Alex and George went whining.

“Babe I’m literally in the game?” Alex almost cried.

“I’m not even able to say anything”

“The boy just got flabbergasted” Lewis chimed in making fun of his new teammate.

“Oh god give the poor boy a minute” Seb said struggling to keep his laugh.

So if one of us dares to tell this to the public we might get killed by a 1.85 brit who tends to persuade people with powerpoints.

“But no I’m not in a relationship at the moment and not with the Ferrari’s golden boy” I tried to say in a sweet tone but Seb noticed the hidden bitterness.

•

Charles Leclerc POV:

“So Charles please tell us, rumours had surfaced about you being in a relationship with your former teammate, Y/n Stroll. What do you have to say about it?”

“No comments” for real? That’s the first question I get?

“Well, given your last relationship these rumours are alarming right?” He's trying to piss me off? “Especially considering Stroll is a driver as well and has an enviable reputation so that could cause problems on the track, right?”

“I think that you could just stop snooping around my private life and focus on track” I couldn't hold myself, when I looked over to Mia Djacic (best known as my dear press officer) I felt her piercing eyes burning me. Yep Charles, prepare yourself for the lecture.

•

“You know that in Bahrain you will be in a serious relationship with Stroll right?! You can’t pull things like that, oh my God Charles you just give me problems!-” Mia started her lecture the moment she closed the door of my driver’s room.

“Then quit- Sorry I didn't mean that” why do you keep doing that?

“Oh, you meant it. Otherwise, you wouldn't have said. I've been with you since Alfa Romeo, don’t bullshit me now Charles! You need to learn how to control yourself, man!”

“But you saw what he said, I am tired of these people thinking they know everything about me!”

“Stop screaming, Charl” it’s so infuriating that I keep losing control over this shit, I just don’t know what to do is natural.

“I’m sorry… They just make me so fucking mad, that it’s impossible to hold myself. And you can believe I gained 300K new followers on Instagram after that pic of me and Y/n? They speak about her like she’s some type of angel! Like she’s perfect and better than me but look who is in Ferrari? She doesn’t even has a fucking win yet!”

“Are you mad because the questions were about your private life or because they put in a way like Y/n is better than you?”

“I don’t know? I just hate all this and-”

“The FIA’s director spoke with Binotto about you.”

“WHAT?”

“About your ‘unjustifiable and rude attitudes’ lately, they threatened to give you a penalty”

“Grid penalties? That isn’t fair! I-”

“Not grid penalties but to all the team, because apparently Ferrari can’t control a driver” I can’t believe what I’m hearing…

“They can actually do this?...” I asked and the blonde in front of me just shrugged with a lopsided smile in answer “I’m sorry Mia, but can you leave now? I need some time alone”

“Sure, Charl. But remember what I told you in Monaco last year, being a driver is not just about driving. And Y/n will be waiting for you in 25 minutes in the parking lot by the way”

Oh awesome!

•

“Are your eyes red?” that’s not possible, I checked myself in the mirror before going out.

“Are you worried about me, darling?” I tried to joke but she touched my arm making me turn to her.

“Don’t play with me, Leclerc. What happened? Are your family okay?”

“I ain’t playing. And yeah, everyone is fine”

“So what is it? Why were you crying?” She holds me tighter.

“It’s nothing, for God’s sake Y/n” I managed to make her let go of my arm. I don’t know why she is doing this…

“Charles, can't you grow up? You are clearly fucked up and I wanna know why so I can maybe help you”

“Are you high? You trying to help me?”

“If you try and think a bit more than your little brain normally can, you gonna figure out that if we are actually doing this dating thing we have to act like adults and try to be better for each other”

“Okay I get it, but it’s nothing really” can’t believe but she’s kinda right

“It’s about the press, isn’t it?” she got to hold my arm again.

“Why do you think this?”

“Because you probably got scolded by every pr soul in your team? Or because you have a mouth bigger than your control?”

“Ow shut up!”

“So I got it, huh? What type of trouble did you get yourself into this time? Please tell me I won’t have to kiss you in front of everyone to get your bare reputation back!”

“Ew, but yeah the shit hit the fan and if I continue with mine ‘unjustifiable and rude attitudes’ the entire team are going to get in trouble with FIA. Oh God, I don’t even know why I am telling you that!”

“Oh I got you”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re bringing a bad image not only for Ferrari but to all Formula One. This happened to me once, they threatened to give a strike”

“Why? Aren’t you their little miss perfect?”

“Because I tried to set a stand in Saudi Arabia last year for women who were banned from driving until 2018 and for women's rights in general”

“But Hamilton and-”

“Yep FIA allowed me to make the stand only after the boys proposed, Lew and Seb supported me since F2 so when I told them about it cause I was scared and they threatened FIA back saying they would quit” she said laughing.

“Not surprising coming from FIA…”

“Exactly but don’t get me wrong boy, you really need to work on your reputation. You might even lose your seat, and we both know how hard you fought for it. Don’t waste it by being hot-headed, come on man you’re in Ferrari! You want to be a driver for Ferrari since, what? Since you were 7? You can’t waste it!”

When I started shaking she noticed mid-sentence and hugged me tight, she said exactly what my dad say in that letter…

“I don’t know what’s happening right now, Y/n. Sometimes looks like everything is going down! Somehow I’m always in the middle of something, and people say like I am the one to blame. I know I am wrong for being so fucking easy to be pissed off but they don’t know shit about me and they keep painting me as a villain” I pulled away from her to look into her eyes “I hate to lose control, Y/n! And I don’t know what to do, I never do!”

“We might not like each other, Leclerc. But we fought too much, too many fucking years tolerating shit from everyone to finally make it to F1. And look where we fucking are now! If you don’t know what to do for you, do it for your younger self, who always dreamed about beating me in F1! You just need to wait a little more until I get a real competitive car so I can properly beat your ass. So start thinking more before speaking or acting, hold your anger to the track. Just try to not break my arm again in the process…”

Her eyes are different while she is talking to me like this. A different kind of glint, a gentle way (which is extremely weird since I am never the receiving end of this type of glances). She smiles like she knows everything but not in an annoying way, but like she knows what is happening and is sure everything is going to be alright, it’s kinda comfortable. I ask myself if that is what the public see, only this part of her. Have to admit, it’s kinda mesmerising.

“And I know this is not the best moment to say this but tomorrow we have to come together in the paddock” she said in one breath with a cheshire grin “in my car by the way”

“S-Sure”

“Sure? Oh god you must’ve been really fucked up to agree with me this easy. I got to go, okay? Drive safe, bye Charles” she enters her dark green car and away she goes without one more word.

If I am being honest, I don’t have any fucking idea what just happened. It's like I was talking with a complete different person, a caring and thoughtful old friend. But she’s her. End of it. I don’t know how she knows that I wanted to be a Ferrari driver since I was 7, or what words she could use to actually push me through this shit and not get me anymore mad. But she knew.

@laura-naruto-fan1998 hope you enjoyed <3

my taglist!!

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Domestic Established Relationship Masterlist

2009, 2012, 2019, 2022 (ao3) - OliveTheHobbit

Summary: “Most people have like yearly photo books, we have this weird ass videos” - Daniel Howell, some bloopers from phil is not on fire 10.

Some of the memories they gathered along the way got fresh in their minds at the moment they decided to buy a photo album.

In celebration to Dan and Phil’s 10th anniversary.

A Day in the Life of Dan and Phil in Quarantine! (ao3) - silentdescant

Summary: Phil posts a Day in the Life video of a typical day in quarantine.

Baby Names - dxnhowell

Summary: Dan and Phil arguing over baby names, very domestic.

blankets, coffees and afternoon naps (ao3) - zsunsetz

Summary: Blankets, coffee and afternoon naps have become the new normal.

Coming Clean and Kisses on Screen (ao3) - hygge

Summary: Dan and Phil are finally ready to make the news of their marriage and their new family public.

Dan and Phil and DOG (ao3) - nivi_chip

Summary: It’s Phil’s birthday, and Dan gets him a gift that’s long overdue

dan buys a skirt (ao3) - baroquen

Summary: Dan is thinking about buying a skirt. Phil thinks this is a very good idea.

Doing Nothing Often Leads To The Very Best Of Something (ao3) - kae_karo

Summary: based on this (x) and a lil imagine i wrote (x) and expanded on so thanks to the lovely anon who originally sent "that pic phil posted of dan for his bday i think where dan is making a funny face and theres a nearly empty wine bottle in the background hhhhh that makes my demon heart drop" and to the lovely anon who asked for more!

Forever Home (ao3) - possumdnp

Summary: Phil’s wanted a dog for as long as he can remember, and now that he and Dan are moving into their new house, it’s the perfect opportunity. But there’s just one problem: Phil’s allergic to dogs.

Home For Good (ao3) - hygge

Summary: Phil gets drafted for World War III. Dan and their daughter, Emily, try to maintain a normal life while Phil is away.

Let's Be Alone Together (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: There are times when Dan and Phil feel so much like a married couple, that they forget they aren’t actually married. However, neither one of them are complaining about it. (Also known as the most domestic and fluffy fic I’ve ever written).

Look what I made the birthday boy (ao3) - phandemigods

Summary: Dan made a super sweet video for Phil's 30th birthday and they decide to post it. It's just a pile of domestic fluff

Noted (ao3) - whisksandplungers

Summary: Dan liked to leave romantic notes for Phil. Most of the time, Phil loved them. And sometimes, Phil would be left staring at the note, absolutely clueless.

Share A Bed, Share A Life (ao3) - JenCollins, WordsAblaze

Summary: Having a child is a stressful, time-consuming, argument-inducing process but, naturally, Dan and Phil ride the ups and downs together, ending up just fine. Fulfilling prompts 'age changes' and 'sharing a bed' for the phandom fic fests, enjoy!

Sugar Rush (ao3) - Misha_with_wings

Summary: Phil shouldn’t have had so much sugar before bed, now he’s a hyper little shit and Dan really just wants to sleep.

the stupid sushi bubble bath fic (ao3) - itsmyusualphannie (itsmyusualweeb)

Summary: dip and pip cuddle and eat sushi and take a bubble bath like the nerds they are.

They Were Forever (ao3) - developerdaniel

Summary: While keeping everything soft and sweet their kiss quickly grew into more as Dan's hands slid their way up Phil's loose tee, pushing it up while his explored his lover's soft skin. Phil let out a gentle gasp into the younger's mouth at the feeling. Dan's touches were soft, feather light, enough to send a shiver up Phil's spine and raise goosebumps where Dan's hands had once been. ~ aka the fic where dan and phil have a casual night at home that ends with them passionately making love

Today Is For Us (ao3) - CaibrynM

Summary: Dan and Phil take a day for themselves in between the tour ending, planning for their premiere in Brazil and the upcoming Christmas Holidays. Lots of Fluff and a little smut.

Told You So (ao3) - flymetomanchester

Summary: Neither really care about the holiday. but when they move in together Phil can’t help but care about thanksgiving. It has to be perfect. Nothing can go wrong right?

Worth the Wait (ao3) - JudeAraya

Summary: It's pretty hard to stay mad at Phil, even when he's forgotten date night.