#the way he's staring is so awkward i love it

[no-144444]

cherry kisses- l.norris

summary: all's fair in love and fake relationships, yet Lando Norris somehow still finds a way to play dirty

pairing: fakeboyfriend! lando norris x fem! fakegirlfriend! actress! reader

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Falling for Lando Norris was a disaster waiting to happen, and one you chose to avoid. On paper, you two were the perfect power couple, your instagram pages meticulously curated with a snippet of each other in every post, perfectly planned paparazzi picture of you kissing outside pubs or bars or award shows, engagement rumours every few months- rumours that weren’t helped by Lando constantly choosing to get himself a new watch or piece of jewellery a week before you were seen together.

But in the real world, you two were simply business ventures to the other. Entirely uninterested in each other's lives unless it pertained to the contract. He came to support you at award shows or showed up on set to snap some photos, and you went to races to support him. 

Nothing else. No need for it in your life anyway. No room for silly boys, and Lando Norris was the silliest of all boys. 

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“You look pretty,” he smirked from across the room. He had the damn smirk that he always thought would make you break, but it never did. 

“Thank you,” you smiled pleasantly, the image of a perfectly PR-trained celebrity. You really did wonder what they taught F1 drivers about PR, and then you realised it was probably just Lando enjoying breaking the rules. 

“What’s the occasion?” he whispered, wrapping his arms around you. You two were bound for a Ralph Lauren event. Lucky you! 

“Have to look good for my boyfriend, don’t I?” you faked a bright smile, which made him laugh, and you rolled your eyes. You pushed his arms off of you and took another sip of your tea.

“So I’m officially your boyfriend now?” he teased. 

You sighed, exasperated. “That’s what it says in the contract, doesn’t it?” You watched as his smirk fell for a split second, almost… upset? Hardly. He didn’t care, and neither did you.  “And anyway, I was talking about Keegan.” 

He giggled behind you in the mirror. You looked up and met his eyes with an awkward smile, and you felt his hand rest on your hip. 

And you felt it. You felt the burn of your skin under his touch. You felt the way his breathing was much too quick for someone calm. You felt the way he was cautiously wanting more. 

“We’re a pretty good-looking couple when you think about it,” he spoke slowly, but that same playfulness laced his tone. “Keegan’s too short for you.”

You scoffed, laughing. “Alright 5’9. Christ,” you chuckled, breaking away from him. “Alright, I have everything, ready?” 

He stared at you for a moment, then turned towards the door of his hotel room with a smirk. He opened it, waiting for you to walk through. What a-. “Always ready, Sugar.” 

That damned nickname, you thought, It was one time. You walked through the door with your head held high, then grabbed his hand when you got to the foyer. 

It was going to be a long day. 

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He watched as you made your way around the room, dutifully greeting those who needed greeting, introducing yourself to people you had to, and generally being your perfect self. It was annoying, you annoyed him. But there was one thing he liked above all else, which was annoying you, which he seemed to be pretty spectacular at. 

“You keep staring,” Keegan leaned in. “You do realise she’s not your actual girlfriend, right?” he chuckled, and Lando joined in, but he couldn’t help but feel the tightness in his chest worsen when he saw one of your old cast mates put his hand on your shoulder. 

He frowned at the scene in front of him, then brushed it off. He knew you’d never do anything to fuck up the contract. While yes, he technically got more professional benefit from it (exposure, more fans, etc.), you got more personal benefits (aka, money), and you wanted to fully fund your directorial debut, so you needed all the cash you could get. “I know,” he chuckled. “It’d look weird if I wasn’t looking at her though,” he explained as he took another sip of his milkshake. “She’s supposed to be my one and only true love, after all.” 

Keegan scoffed. “Tell that to the girls in Miami.”

The guilt in Lando’s gut twisted, making his last sip go down funny. Miami was a mistake, one he hadn’t told you about, but a mistake all the same. “Shut up man-”

“Keegan!” you smiled, wrapping him up in one of your hugs. He hugged you right back, just as tight. Lando frowned. You turned to him. “Hey baby,” you smiled and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, which he accepted gratefully by pulling you into his side. 

“Hey Sugar,” he smirked as you rolled your eyes. 

“Where does that come from?” Keegan asked. You slapped a hand over Lando’s smirking mouth before he could explain.

“Don’t ask,” you scoffed, dropping your hand when he licked it. “You’re a child, y’know that?” 

“How was Jer?” he asked, his eyes levelling you. Was he seriously jealous here? Was he jealous of you and Jeremy? 

“He was great. Was wondering where you were, actually,” you answered through gritted teeth. 

“Maybe I’ll see him before the end of the night,” he shrugged, but he was anything but calm. “Go say hi.” 

“You should,” you nodded, taking a sip of his milkshake. “He’d love to see you.” 

Keegan stared at the two of you with a confused expression, then ultimately decided to slowly back away as you two played 5D chess with your words. 

“Taste this,” Lando offered out a cherry from the top of his milkshake, a wicked plan forming in his head. “I know how much you love cherries.” 

You did, in fact, love cherries. Despite your reason to doubt him, Lando would never do anything to break the contract, you knew that. You leaned in to catch the cherry in your mouth, noticing the camera on you two. He pulled it out of your reach until he captured your lips with his own in a gross, open-mouthed kiss. 

The kind that sets your entire body on fire. The kind you leaned in to. The kind that made his other hand circle your waist and distract you enough so that he could slip it further down. The kind that made him feel completely and utterly fucked for you. 

You both pulled back, just staring at each other, until you finally bit the cherry, and turned back to the party, knowing that clip would be all over social media by the next day. You huffed and plastered your best fake smile back on your face, and Lando was left feeling distraught by the counter. 

Like you said, long night. 

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navigation for my blog :)

mclaren masterlist

[moonymeloncholymoney]

- love Joaquin :))

summary: what happens when Y/n stark, who has given up on love, meets the physical embodiment of sunlight Joaquin Torres only for her father to find out what they were doing ;) warnings: nothing just pure awkward fluff. Also please don't judge this is my first fic i have ever written but i am always open to constructive criticism :)). English is not my first language please don't mind the grammatical mistakes. word limit: 12.1 k (i am sorry 😭)

To say that the war was tiring was an understatement because not only did it put everyone’s life at risk but it also left everyone exhausted. Some bound with the trauma of fighting with extra-terrestrial beings like Peter and some just tired of war like Bucky. But the wait was over and so was the war. Everyone you ever loved was right beside you, standing strong as ever. Your dad was fine and so was Natasha. Yes, Steve was gone and yes, you did miss him a lot but you understood why he left, he left for love. Love that you had never experienced, love that never found its way to your heart. You saw love everywhere around you. You felt it lingering in the silent glances that your dad gave Pepper, the way Wanda saw home in Vision and in the way Clint fought for Laura. You craved for that love, the one where the noise numbs down and the only thing ringing in your ear is the echo of sweet nothings whispered by the one you love, by the one who loves you. But after years of trying to find that love in one-night stands, open ended situationships and an unhealthy amount of time on dating sites, you gave up. There is a saying that love finds you once you stop looking for it, well you didn’t know how much of it was true until you met him.

You were working on a new A.I system with your father in the tower when his presence hit you like warm sunlight on a bitter winter day. His skin was the color of honey, his eyes hues of coffee brown and a smile brighter than June summer. He came in with Sam, who after taking up the mantle of the new cap had to pass down his legacy to someone younger and that someone being him. Joaquin was his name. “Joaquin”, you said quietly to yourself as he and Sam conversed with your dad. His name rolled off your tongue with such ease almost as if it belonged there. “Yes?”, Joaquin answered at hearing his name. Even though it being just merely above a whisper, your voice caught him and latched onto him. Both Sam and Tony turned to look at you. You were not one to be anxious, especially for a boy but something about how his voice turned out to be even sweeter than you had imagined and that both your dad and Sam’s attention was on you, made you a little weak in the knees making you almost trip on your step as you tried stand straighter. “Oh umm nothing, I- uh I think you have a very beautiful name that’s all”, you said while removing the glasses perched on your nose. The statement raised eyebrows of the two silghtly older men in the room and smile from Joaquin. “Thanks- uh thanks a lot. I am sorry you are?” said Joaquin as he took a few steps in your direction “Y/N” you said as you smiled at him. “Y/N, as in the Y/N Stark? The one who helped in making vision? And so much of the stark industries tech during the battle of earth?” “in the flesh.” Your introduction sure made him raise his hand forward to greet yours but clearly your father had other plans. “ I am Joaquin, which already you know by now, I really appreciate your work.” But before you could shake his hand you dear father had already appeared between the two of you. “Okay birdboy, you better show me what you got before you continue to do whatever it is you’re doing with my daughter.” He said while pointing at Joaquin. “oh my god dad please” you said whispering into Tony’s ear, for some reason you felt like a teenager in an adult’s body trying to make sure your dad doesn’t embarrass you in front of your new found crush. “Sure sir, will do” he said while staring directly in your eyes and winked as he followed Tony into the lab across where you were working. “Looks like someone’s got a little crush…” said Sam in the most sing song voice ever while making his way to the lab, making you jump slightly. “Stop seriously, not funny” you said while harboring the small smile on your face as you got back to work, “Whatever you say nerd, whatever you say” Sam said while raising his hands in defeat and receiving the most unserious glare from you ever causing him to chuckle his way out of there. Looks like you had developed somewhat of a crush.

Both Joaquin and Sam had started to spend most of their time in the stark tower as they were working on both of their new suits and trying to get intel on a new group of rebels which were trying to steal admantium from the American government which therefore required a lot of your help. You could feel his stare on you sometimes but the moment you looked back he would be quick to glance away. He thought you were…ethereal. He had been attracted to people before but this was different, he couldn’t get himself to not look at you at least 50 times a day. He was drawn to you in a way he couldn’t understand and he couldn’t stop admiring you anytime you came into the lab. The way your hair fell in front your face when you worked, the way you bit the top of your pencil when you had to really focus and the way your laugh echoed through the walls of the lab when his eminent ant-man fanboy came out. He liked looking at crease that formed between your eyebrows when you concentrated, oh and he loved the dimple that formed when- “You’re gonna burn a hole into her face if you keep staring at her like that.” said Sam startling Joaquin out of his lovesick gaze. “pphhf, please I was not-I wasn’t staring”, “Sure, you were totally not looking at her like she was a damn piece of cheesecake.” Sam said as his eyebrows went flying to the ceiling. “look man, you are a great guy, pretty decent looking too so you better man up and ask her out cause you’re not the only person in the queue who would want to go on a date with her.” Joaquin listen to Sam’s advice while he mustered up the courage to ask him, “how?...i mean how do I even ask her out dude she is…y/n you know? What if I am not up to her standards man? I mean she is after all Tony stark’s daughter” he said while shutting his laptop down and turning completely to face Sam. “Just be yourself dude.” “be yourself? What kind of garbage advise is that!”, “You know what kid? Figure it out yourself. I’m out of here” Sam pointed his pencil towards joaquin before getting up from his chair and walking outside the room, “HEY, hey man don’t leave me hanging here! Sam! Come on bro…great” joaquin popped back into his seat when he was startled once again by a new voice. “He’s not wrong you know?” said Nat. “OH MY GOD, wow umm miss-no uhh ma’am. hello black widow ma’am, hi I am” “Joaquin I know, tony told me about the new falcon” Nat entered the room with an apple in her hand and pointed towards Y/N, “she likes danishes, strawberry ones specifically.”, “yes ma’am” he said while taking out a worn out small notebook form his back pocket. “iced coffee, room temperature and no ice, also try to get more cream on top if you can” she said while swirling her hands in the air, “mhhmm” he said while scribbling into his notebook. “Oh and one more thing” she says while leaning towards his desk in front of him, “don’t hurt her. I haven’t retired yet.” Joaquin gulped a little before violently nodding his head, “Good” Nat said while walking out of the room. Joaquin sighed and slid back into his seat after checking if no one else was in the room this time.

It was nice working with someone your age, someone who understood you a bit better than people who even though you loved were way older than you. He was sweet, really sweet. It was funny cause it was generally you who had to make sure if everyone was doing fine. If Sam had his morning coffee or not, if Tony took his meds, If Nat hadn’t overworked herself and Bucky was regularly going to his therapy sessions or not. So, it was an unexpected but extremely sweet surprise when you found a note stuck to your laptop with a box of strawberry Danishes and an iced coffee on the side. You read the note, ‘Danishes, strawberry ones specifically. For when you work those extra nights for us. Thank you so much Y/N we couldn’t have done it without you. - Joaquin :)) ps: also just for general knowledge, what exactly would be your favourite kind of flowers?.’ You let out a breathy chuckle while reading the last line when you felt your vision getting blurry. You knew people appreciated the work you did but it wasn’t every day that people acknowledged it. “Thats sweet”, you jumped when you saw Nat behind you staring at you with a cheeky look on her face. “oh my god Natasha you really got to stop doing this” you say as you put a hand to your chest and look beside you where Nat was now standing. “What helping my dear friend find love because she deserves it?”, “No, scaring people by appearing out of nowhere”, you stood up straight and picked up the box of strawberry danishes and offered one to her. “So…you told him I like strawberry danishes didn’t you?”, “I have no idea what you’re talking about”, “mhhmm shure” you said with mouth full of danishes. “he is a good kid you know…a hot one too” Natasha said while picking a Danish up and popping it in her mouth. “NATASHA” you almost choked on your Danish and had to take a sip of the coffee you were bought. “what don’t act like you haven’t been undressing him with your eyes” she poked your shoulder and went to sit down on your rotating chair. You coughed violently before speaking up, “First of all, what is wrong with you and secondly no I haven’t been undressing him with my eyes” you said quietly trying to avoid her gaze. Nat stood from her chair and faced you, “Look sweetheart I know how feel, you don’t want to get your heart broken like before but that doesn’t mean you devoid yourself of ever experiencing love again and who is telling you to marry him? Just one date, try it out. He might turn out to be the Ron to your Hermione, you know what I mean?” you laughed loudly as you asked, “You’ve read harry potter?”, “yeah who hasn’t read harry potter dude I am a proud slytherin”, “okay Nat well for your information I consider you the Ron to my Harry”, you said while you engulfed her into a hug from the side and kept your head on her shoulder, “I told myself I would never cry but I think this moment might be worth it”, said Nat while hugging you back. “think about it okay?” she said quietly while getting out of the hug and walking towards the door. “mhmm I will” you said as you slowly sat down on your chair with a slight smile on your face. “also y/n” Nat said suddenly appearing from the hallway, peeking through the door, “yes?”. “I love you” she said looking into your eyes, “I love you too nat. so very much”, you said as you went back to your work feeling a little bit happier than before.

Days passed and Joaquin's nervousness increased day by day as there was no reply to his note and because he knew that the moment his suit was made he would have to stop coming by anymore and most probably miss his chance of ever asking you out. That was until today when after a slight malfunction with his suit he came to visit the stark tower. “umm Mr stark, I actually wanted your help with…” You were working in the lab when you heard him enter the room and looked up from your files when you saw him in his suit and you may or may not have been undressing him with your eyes in that moment. Damn it, Nat. “I can help you with…” you said as you took slow but deliberate steps towards him. “umm the wings, the wings are very tight- a bit a bit tight actually” he said stuttering a bit as he somehow managed to look into your y/e/c eyes. “the wings right” you stood exactly right in front of him only a mere inches apart as you raised your hand and put it right behind his shoulder and unclipped his suit. His eyes flickered right down to your lips wondering how they must feel against his exactly when your eyes scanned his face, all his freckles and spots coming right into view. “Lilies”, you whispered into the small space between the two of you, “what?” his eyes widened as he realized that he had finally gotten a response out of you, “general knowledge.” you slowly went behind him and hugged him from behind only to unclip the front portion of his suit, “right…”, he said while turning his head to the side to face you. “I also like dinner, Italian preferably.” You said as you came back to face him as the upper portion of his suit falls onto the ground leaving him in nothing but the lower portion of his suit and the dog tags that dangled from his bare chest. “yes ma’am” he said in a voice that made your stomach do a strange flip. He looked straight at your lips and asked while leaning in to your ear with a sudden new found courage, “and desert?” you turned to face him, brushing his nose in the process of doing so and did not waste time in closing the distance between the both of you. One hand finding its way to his hair and one remaining steady on his chest as one of his arms found your waist and the other one cupped your face. The kiss was anything but rough, it was slow, passionate a little messy but it was worth the wait. He could taste the slightly bitter taste of coffee and certain sweetness as you gave him access to your mouth. The both of you fit like pieces of a puzzle, moving in unison like a single entity almost as if you could be morphed into one. Joaquin smiled into the kiss when- “OH MY GOD WHAT” Tony screamed as he stopped mid-way covering his eyes with one hand while peeking from his fingers. The two of you sprung apart as you fixed your hair and Joaquin tried to hide his bare chest by picking up his fallen suit from the ground. “Dad listen”, “Mr stark i-,” “nope, no I don’t want to hear it, I go for five minutes to eat a burrito and you both are already trying to make more stark babies yeah no not under my watch.” He said while holding up a finger like an angry mother hen. “Chicken head you’re out and you miss are going to help me in the lab instead eating people’s face off”, you covered your head with your hand, “Dad oh my god”, you turned to Joaquin to help him get the rest of his suit form the ground as you whispered a quite bye. Joaquin picked his suit up and walked out of the lab when he felt something under one of the parts of his suit, a note. ‘I’ll be ready at 8 birdboy ;) - Y/N <3 ' A small smile appeared on his face as he turned back to look at the lab only to find you already looking in his direction. He raised the small note in his hand, waving it gently and received a wink from your side. He laughed and turned back to walk out of the lab with a certain jump in his step. Looked like he had some thanking to do, oh and date to plan.

taglist: @fioooweeooweeeoo @cruel-seduction @buckyytorres @halliejaade @fireinmoonshot @sunsburns @murdrdocs @joaquinwhorres @brittnicki @chansburgah

[xichilie]

OMG! I absolutely love you for the way you did my request of Mydei trying to court reader ❤️😭🙏

It was so silly and perfect and i couldn't stop laughing!!!

And now theres part 2???

youre a blessing dear author 🫶

I'm glad you enjoy it, I had a lot of fun writing this ♡

Here's a part 3 ♡

Mydei x (fem)reader

Mydei courting reader (3)

Part 2

The streets of Okhema had grown quieter as the evening settled in, the sky painted in soft shades of purple and orange. The laughter of the children had faded, leaving only the distant murmur of the marketplace and the occasional chatter of passersby.

Y/N and Mydei walked side by side, their pace slow, unhurried. The excitement from earlier had died down, and now, a strange silence stretched between them.

For once, Mydei wasn’t speaking.

He wasn’t teasing her for losing, wasn’t boasting about his victory, wasn’t smirking at her like he usually did after getting the upper hand.

Instead, he was quiet.

It was… strange.

She kept sneaking glances at him, her fingers fidgeting at her sides. He was staring straight ahead, his usual sharp gaze slightly unfocused, as if deep in thought.

The memory of what happened just minutes ago replayed in her head—the chase, the cheers, the kids yelling about a reward, and then…

The kiss.

Her cheeks warmed just thinking about it.

She didn’t even know why she did it. It just felt like the right thing to do. Mydei had looked so composed, as if he hadn’t been flustered at all, and for some reason, that had annoyed her. So she acted on impulse, tugged him down, and kissed his cheek.

And then he turned bright red.

Just the thought of it made her lips twitch, but at the same time, guilt crept in.

She sighed quietly, lowering her gaze.

“…Sorry.”

The word slipped out so softly, she wasn’t sure he even heard it.

But then—

He stopped.

Y/N felt it immediately—the shift in the air, the sudden lack of movement beside her. She turned, only to see Mydei standing still, brows furrowed, watching her with open confusion.

“…What?” His voice was quieter than usual.

She hesitated before meeting his gaze. “I said… I’m sorry.”

His frown deepened. “For what?”

“For… earlier.” She shifted on her feet. “I shouldn’t have done that. It was probably weird, and I—I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, I just—”

“Why are you apologizing?”

She blinked at the sharpness of his tone.

Mydei was still staring at her, golden eyes unreadable, but there was something frustrated in the way he looked at her. Like he didn’t understand why she would even say that.

Y/N bit her lip, suddenly feeling awkward. “…Because it was kind of unfair? You didn’t really get a say in it.”

At that, Mydei let out a breath—one of incredulity.

“You think I didn’t want that?”

Y/N’s breath hitched.

The words were quiet. Almost grumbled. As if he hadn’t even meant to say them out loud.

But she heard them.

Clearly.

Her lips parted slightly, her brain short-circuiting for a second. “…What?”

Mydei’s expression stiffened, and he immediately looked away, crossing his arms. “Forget it.”

“No, hold on, what did you just say?”

“Forget it, Y/N.”

“I will not.”

“Tch.”

He turned on his heel and started walking again, this time at a slightly faster pace.

Y/N scrambled to keep up, her heart hammering, the heat rising to her cheeks again.

Did she just—

Did she mishear him?

Or did he really just say—

No. No way.

…Right?

Y/N hurried after Mydei, her heart pounding in her chest. He was not getting away that easily.

Before he could take another step, she quickly moved in front of him, blocking his path.

He stopped abruptly, barely avoiding bumping into her. “Move.”

“No.” She crossed her arms, standing her ground.

His golden eyes narrowed. “Y/N.”

“Mydei.” She mimicked his tone, unwavering. “We’re talking about this.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“You just said something that completely contradicts the way you act, and you expect me to just ignore it?” She scoffed. “No way. You’re going to explain what you meant.”

“Tch.” Mydei’s jaw clenched, and his gaze flickered away for a moment. His entire posture screamed tense, his arms crossed so tightly it looked like he was physically keeping himself from reaching for something—maybe a sword, maybe just a distraction.

Y/N took a step closer, searching his face.

“…Mydei.”

His eyes snapped back to hers.

“I don’t get you,” she admitted, her voice quieter now. “One second, you’re messing with me, the next, you’re ignoring me, and now you’re—” She exhaled in frustration. “Now you’re saying things like that, and you won’t even explain what you mean.”

Mydei stared at her, unmoving.

For a moment, Y/N thought he was just going to shut down entirely, to brush her off and push past her.

But then—

“…You really don’t get it, do you?”

His voice was quiet. Almost amused, but not in a mocking way. More like he was baffled.

Y/N frowned. “Get what?”

His golden eyes studied her face—searching, considering. Then, finally, he exhaled.

“I like you, Y/N.”

Silence.

Y/N blinked, not entirely sure she heard him right. “…What?”

His lips pressed together, then curved into a smirk, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You’re not gonna make me say it twice.”

Her brain short-circuited.

Wait. Wait, wait, wait.

He—

He what?

Her mouth opened, but no words came out. Her thoughts felt scrambled, like someone had just thrown all the pieces of a puzzle onto the floor and expected her to figure it out in five seconds.

Mydei liked her?

Like—liked her?

She must’ve looked as dumbfounded as she felt because Mydei let out a dry chuckle, shaking his head. “Unbelievable.”

Y/N snapped out of it. “Hold on.”

“What.”

“How—” She ran a hand through her hair, still trying to process. “Since when?”

His gaze flickered to the side, and for the first time, he was the one looking unsure. “…A while.”

Oh.

She swallowed. “And you—” Her voice faltered slightly. “You were trying to tell me?”

He scoffed. “Tch. I was showing you.”

Y/N opened her mouth, then closed it.

All the moments over the past few weeks flashed in her mind—his sparring matches with her, his gifts, the way he lingered around her, his small but rare smiles, everything.

Oh.

Oh.

Her face burned. “I—I didn’t—”

“Yeah. I figured,” he muttered.

She groaned, covering her face for a second. “I thought you were just—y’know, being you!”

He gave her a look. “I don’t do this kind of shit for just anyone.”

She peeked at him through her fingers, and oh gods, he was serious.

Oh.

Y/N lowered her hands, her heart hammering in her chest. “And… you’re not joking?”

His expression darkened. “You think I’d joke about this?”

…No. No, he wouldn’t.

The realization hit her like a wave.

This whole time—this whole time—he had been trying to tell her. And she—she had been too oblivious to see it.

Y/N let out a breath, her pulse racing. She met his gaze, something twisting in her chest.

“…Oh.”

Mydei stared at her for a moment. Then he scoffed. “Yeah. Oh.”

Y/N swallowed hard, her mind spinning as she stared at Mydei.

The weight of everything that had just been said pressed down on her chest, making her feel both incredibly stupid and incredibly overwhelmed. She had been blind—completely and utterly blind.

Her hands curled into fists at her sides. “…I’m sorry.”

Mydei’s brows furrowed. “For what?”

“For not noticing.” She exhaled shakily, looking down at the ground. “For making you go through all that trouble just to get me to see something that should’ve been obvious.”

“Tch.” Mydei’s lips pressed together, his golden eyes narrowing slightly. “You don’t need to apologize for that.”

She scoffed. “You literally had to chase me through half of Okhema before I even started putting the pieces together—”

“That’s not your fault.”

She looked up at him. He was staring at her, expression firm—certain.

“…Then whose fault is it?” she asked quietly.

He sighed, crossing his arms. “Mine.”

Y/N blinked, caught off guard. “What?”

“I should’ve just said something sooner.” He scoffed, shaking his head. “Instead of relying on Kremnoan traditions that clearly mean nothing to you.”

Y/N frowned. “That’s not—”

“I kept thinking, ‘she’ll get it eventually.’” His voice was low, almost frustrated—but not at her. “That one of these days, you’d finally understand.”

She bit her lip, guilt settling in her stomach. “…I still feel bad.”

Mydei let out an exasperated sigh. “You’re impossible.”

She huffed, rolling her eyes. “And you’re stubborn.”

They locked eyes, and for a brief moment, there was nothing but silence.

Then—

“…I liked you.”

The words tumbled out before Y/N could stop them.

Mydei froze.

Her eyes widened slightly as she realized what she’d just said.

“I—I mean—” She sucked in a sharp breath, suddenly flustered. “I like you—I liked you—no, I mean—” She groaned, squeezing her eyes shut. “I never let myself think about it!”

Mydei remained still, watching her carefully. “…What do you mean?”

Y/N inhaled shakily, forcing herself to meet his gaze. “I mean, I liked you—I like you—but I never let myself think about it.” Her voice grew softer. “Because you’re you.”

His expression flickered, something unreadable passing through his golden eyes. “…Me?”

“You’re a prince, Mydei,” she murmured. “You’re an Chrysos heir. You have responsibilities. A whole kingdom to think about. And I’m just—”

Her voice faltered, her chest tightening.

Just Y/N.

Mydei’s brows drew together.

“Y/N.”

Her breath hitched slightly when he suddenly stepped closer.

She swallowed, forcing herself to keep talking. “I just—I didn’t think it was possible. I didn’t let myself think about it, because—”

“Enough.”

Her words died in her throat.

His voice was firm—certain.

She looked up at him, startled by the intensity in his golden gaze.

“You’re not ‘just’ anything.”

Her heart skipped a beat.

“You think I care about any of that?” Mydei scoffed, shaking his head. “You think it matters to me that I’m a prince and you’re not?”

Y/N swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry.

He exhaled sharply, then—without hesitation—reached out, cupping the side of her face with his hand.

She froze, her breath catching.

“You,” Mydei said quietly, “are the only thing I have ever wanted for myself.”

Y/N’s heart stuttered.

Her mind went completely blank.

Mydei held her gaze, his thumb gently brushing against her cheek. “…Do you understand now?”

She barely managed to nod, her face burning.

He let out a small, breathy chuckle—soft, fond.

“Good.”

The morning sun bathed Okhema in a soft golden light, the streets already alive with the usual sounds of merchants calling out their wares and warriors beginning their morning drills. Among them, Mydei walked with an unmistakable air of satisfaction. His usual composed and sharp demeanor was still intact, but there was something different—his shoulders weren’t as tense, his expression wasn’t as severe, and if one looked closely enough, they might even catch a ghost of a smirk on his lips.

Phainon definitely noticed.

He had been casually leaning against a stone pillar near the training grounds, sipping his morning coffee, when Mydei passed by. At first, Phainon had assumed his eyes were playing tricks on him. But no. Mydei looked happy.

Suspiciously happy.

Phainon’s smirk was immediate. He pushed off the pillar and lazily strolled toward him.

“Well, well,” he drawled, falling into step beside Mydei. “Aren’t you in a fine mood today?”

Mydei didn’t react right away, but Phainon didn’t miss the way his lips twitched slightly before he responded.

“Hm.”

That was it. Just hm.

Phainon raised an eyebrow. “That’s all I get? No sharp retort? No glare?” He whistled, shaking his head. “Unbelievable.”

Mydei sighed, rolling his eyes. “What do you want, deliverer?”

“Oh, nothing, really.” Phainon took another sip of his coffee, watching Mydei closely. “Just curious as to why you look like someone who just won a war without lifting a sword.”

Mydei scoffed. “You’re exaggerating.”

Phainon clicked his tongue. “Am I?” He took a step ahead, then turned to walk backward, facing Mydei as he grinned. “You’re radiating smugness, Mydei. It’s practically dripping off of you. It’s disgusting.”

The golden-eyed prince sighed, clearly debating whether or not to entertain this conversation.

Phainon’s grin widened. “Does this have anything to do with a certain someone?”

For the first time since their conversation started, Mydei hesitated.

It was subtle—the briefest pause in his step, the slightest shift in his expression—but Phainon caught it immediately.

“Oh, this is rich.” Phainon let out a delighted laugh. “You’re really not gonna say anything?”

“There’s nothing to say.”

“Right. And I suppose that faint blush on your ears is also nothing?”

Mydei turned his head slightly, subtly adjusting his collar, but it was too late.

Phainon saw everything.

“Oh, this is fantastic,” Phainon continued, his blue eyes gleaming with mischief. “Should I go find Y/N? Ask her what happened?”

That finally got a reaction.

Mydei stopped walking.

Phainon barely had a second to register it before Mydei turned his head just enough to level him with a look.

“…You won’t.”

Phainon blinked. Then, slowly, a grin stretched across his face.

“Oh, but now I have to.”

Mydei exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Phainon.”

Phainon only laughed, stepping closer. “Come on. Give me something. Did she finally get it?”

Mydei crossed his arms, his expression unreadable. “…More or less.”

Phainon gasped dramatically. “You mean all of your awkward attempts actually paid off?”

Mydei gave him a flat look. “They weren’t awkward.”

“They absolutely were,” Phainon said smugly. “But that’s beside the point.” He tilted his head. “So? What now?”

Mydei was quiet for a moment.

Then, slowly, a small, knowing smirk tugged at his lips.

“Now,” he said, “I make sure she never forgets.”

Phainon blinked, momentarily caught off guard.

Then he let out a low whistle. “Oh. Oh, this is going to be fun to watch.”

Phainon still wasn’t done.

If anything, Mydei’s flustered reaction only fueled his mischief further.

With a slow, deliberate motion, Phainon reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. His smirk was downright wicked as he tapped a few times on the screen before turning it toward Mydei.

“Seems like you had a good time yesterday,” he mused, his voice laced with amusement.

Mydei’s golden eyes landed on the screen.

It was the picture.

The one Phainon had secretly taken while lurking in the distance—Y/N on her toes, a hand gripping Mydei’s collar, pressing a kiss to his cheek. The normally stoic prince was caught mid-reaction, his ears red, his expression stunned.

A moment of silence.

Then—

“Mydei?” Phainon said, grinning. “You okay there, buddy?”

Mydei exhaled through his nose, his jaw tightening. “Phainon.”

Phainon’s smirk widened. “Yes?”

Mydei’s eye twitched.

“Delete it.”

“Oh, absolutely not.” Phainon pocketed his phone, taking a casual step back. “This is gold. Fantastic, even.”

Mydei ran a hand down his face. He inhaled deeply, as if to compose himself. Then, he took a step forward.

Phainon immediately took another step back.

“Mydei,” he said, amusement clear in his voice.

The prince said nothing. He merely rolled his shoulders back, his expression shifting from mild embarrassment to something much more dangerous.

Phainon recognized that look instantly.

“Oh, shit.”

Mydei lunged.

Phainon barely had time to react before he bolted, laughter spilling from his lips as he dodged between passing warriors and startled civilians.

Mydei was right behind him.

“You’re dead, Phainon.”

“So worth it!” Phainon cackled, vaulting over a wooden crate as he ran through the streets of Okhema.

“Get back here!”

“Never!”

Civilians watched in stunned silence as the two Chrysos heirs chased eachother through the marketplace, dodging carts, weaving through narrow streets, their thundering footsteps echoing through the city.

It was definitely not the last time Phainon was going to bring it up.

[y3sterdaysproblem]

they said speak now - m.s.

summary: you and matt had been best friends since the moment you were born, rarely doing anything without him by your side. your families have always expected the two of you to end up together, but when matt gets a girlfriend that hates you and desperately attempts to destroy your relationship, you’re forced to confront the truth about your feelings for him. will your bond survive the test, or will the pressure of love, jealousy, and change push you apart?

wc: 2k

series masterlist

It was awkward. Beyond awkward.

Normally the car rides home were loud and full of life, the space occupied by Chris ranting about this class and that teacher, Nick yelling about whatever pissed him off that day and the occasional comment from you and Matt. Today, though, was different.

Amber was her name. She was tall, fit from cross country and so pretty. Her hair always seemed to fall into place perfectly, even on days when she claimed she had no time to get ready and she looked awful, she was still beautiful. It was no wonder Matt had a crush on her.

She was in Chris’s usual seat behind you, Chris shunned to the very back row of the van, not that he cared much, preoccupied with whatever was on his phone at the moment. The tension felt higher than usual, Matt constantly glancing between you and the girl he could see in his rear view mirror, wondering why every word spoken between you two seemed strained and forced.

Nick caught on, remembering your reaction earlier in the day when you had found out Matt was interested in this girl, seeing how the light faded from your eyes at the thought of losing Matt to another girl. He tried to fill the gaps in conversation with jokes and random comments here and there, but it seemed to do nothing to ease the awkwardness between everybody.

“So, Amber,” you start slowly, turning around in your seat to face her with a small smile. “How did you and Matt meet?” She lifts her head up, pulling her gaze from her lap where she was playing with a tear in her jeans to look at you. “School,” she says plainly, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

Everyone in the car internally cringes at her response, Matt even visibly curling in on himself at the way she spoke to you, like you were wasting precious time by asking her a question. “Right,” you respond, nodding your head with a tight smile before spinning back in your chair, sparing Matt a glance before staring out the windshield blankly, willing the ground to swallow you whole.

“We just met during lunch one day,” Matt explains after a beat of silence, smiling towards you for a moment. “We had mutual friends that were talking and I just thought she was, um.. pretty.”

You nod your head at his explanation, still staring straight ahead, leaning your elbow on the door and your head in your hand. “Nice, Matt,” you answer, voice monotone and uninterested now.

He sighs softly, knowing something has upset you and it’s going to have to be a conversation for later. Continuing the drive, you and his brothers are confused when he pulls up to their own house, parking along the curb out front. “This is our house,” Chris states obviously, implying Matt had forgotten what he’d said about taking everybody home. “I know. I’m dropping off you and Nick. Our house was the closest.” Matt answers him, meeting his eyes in his mirror.

Your heart drops, realizing you’ll have to be in the car alone with Matt and this girl that clearly already has an issue with you just from existing. “Matt,” you say nervously, turning your head to look at him. “I thought you were dropping her off first. You… you’re not coming over?”

Matt always came over on Mondays, your family used to the routine of preparing an extra meal for the boy that felt like family, sometimes even making enough for all three boys to spend dinner there. “We’re getting ice cream,” Amber chimes from the back seat, not taking her eyes off of her phone as she spoke. Chris and Nick’s eyes meet, silently speaking through their gaze as you continued staring at Matt, noticing the way he refused to meet your eyes. “I’ll be there in time for dinner,” he promises quietly, finally turning his head.

When he saw how you looked, he realized how much deeper this ran. It wasn’t just skipping out on a routine once, it was throwing a wrench in something so habitual, ruining the well oiled machine that was your guys’ relationship. He felt guilty, like he should’ve asked permission before springing this on you the moment it happened.

You stayed silent, not knowing how to respond to him, feeling a sense of betrayal seeping into your veins. “You could come inside with us,” Nick suggests softly, leaning between the two front seats apprehensively. His hand comes forward to rest on your arm, shooting you a soft smile. “Come on, we have ice cream, too. Our mom would love to see you.”

You swallow thickly and shift your gaze to Nick, revealing the thin gloss over your eyes. You nod quickly, forcing a smile on your face as you agree. “Okay,” you choke out, not sparing Matt another glance as you turn to grab your backpack from in front of you and get out of the car, admittedly shutting the door harder than you needed to. As you got closer to their house, you looked behind you to see Amber getting out of the back and into the front seat, your seat, shooting a glare your way, a snobby look that said ‘I have everything you want’.

Chris places a hand on your back to guide you inside, shutting the front door behind the three of you, and that’s when your wall crumbles, fat tears welling up in your eyes and spilling over. “Oh no,” Nick mumbles, grabbing you by your arms and pulling you into his room, leaving Chris behind as he shuts you both in there.

He stands in front of you and watches as your body wracks with tears, your head tilted down towards the floor to hide the redness blooming on your cheeks. “Hey,” Nick says quietly, pulling you into his frame gently. “It’s okay. He’d never fall for a girl like her. He won’t put up with the way she talks to you.”

“Yes he will,” you croak into his chest, your tears soaking through his shirt. “God, I’m so stupid. I’m so fucking stupid. Falling for my best friend like an idiot. I should’ve known he would never look at me like that. Not when there’s girls like her out there, I… What am I supposed to do?”

Nick’s breath catches in his throat at your confession, even though he had an idea, to hear it out loud shattered his own heart, though it wasn’t even half as painful as it was for you. “I’m sorry,” he whispers, hands rubbing over your back gently. “Why don’t you text your mom and tell her you’ll be here for dinner?”

You nod shallowly against him, sniffling loudly. Your situation is reminiscent of the time that you realized you had feelings for Matt, though this time your heart was crumbling into a million tiny pieces, scattered on the floor beneath your feet. You swore you could feel it crunching when you shuffled around, turning to dust under your shoes. This emotion felt far worse, the complete opposite of falling in love. It was one you wouldn’t wish on anybody.

Except Amber.

Fuck Amber.

-

You were quiet at the dinner table, head facing down towards your food as your fork played with the pasta on the plate, appetite long gone. Matt was sat next to you in his normal spot, his eyes flicking over to you seemingly every thirty seconds, desperately vying for your attention.

You refused to look at him, knowing it would set off a new wave of emotions. Chris and Nick felt awkward, too, while their parents had no idea there was even a problem present.

Matt knew you weren’t going to eat, and he couldn’t eat with you mad at him, not when the guilt was eating him alive. “Can I talk to you?” He says suddenly, pushing his chair back and standing up. You want to refuse, tell him that there’s nothing to talk about, but when he reaches down to rest a hand on your shoulder, you can’t help the way your body instantly relaxes at his touch.

You stand silently, still not meeting his gaze as you guys walk to his bedroom, leaving his family confused and surprised in the kitchen. Once you’re in his room and the door is shut, you finally bring your eyes up to his, seeing how concerned and upset he looked. “What’s… what’s going on?” He asks softly, voice pleading. “If this is about her I swear she won’t come between us, I told you.”

“Matt, she’s rude,” you blurt out, crossing your arms over your chest protectively. “And she clearly doesn’t like me. Probably has an issue with you being friends with a girl. You date her and she’s going to drive a wedge between us, I guarantee it.” You fully believed your statement, knowing how girls like her were.

“She won’t, I won’t let her,” Matt says, stepping closer to you. “You mean more to me than any girlfriend.” Wrong. If that was true, he’d be with you. A girlfriend has to be more important than a best friend someday.

You roll your eyes, shaking your head slightly. “You don’t get it. Today is the first time you’ve hung out and you didn’t tell me you weren’t coming over until the last minute. I don’t like her.” You admit to him with a sigh. His eyebrows furrow together, a surge of frustration running through him. “Are you jealous?”

You’re caught off guard, your own face scrunching up in confusion at his accusation. “Excuse me?” You snap back, dropping your hands to your hips now. “Jealous of what exactly?”

“Having to share me,” Matt shrugs. “Me not spending every free moment I have with you.” If you weren’t hurt enough by the whole situation, his words were enough to send your emotions into overdrive. “Matt,” you choke out, feeling your tears start to well up in your eyes once more.

He quickly realizes his mistake and steps forward, his expression softening at the sight of you. “I’m sorry,” he says quietly, grabbing your face with both of his hands, tilting your head up to look at him. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean that. I’m just.. frustrated trying to navigate this and I don’t understand what’s wrong. I thought… I thought you guys would get along and I guess I was wrong and I don’t know what to do.”

You curse yourself for the way you melt into him, into his touch and into his stare. Why couldn’t everything just be like this? Him holding you like you were all that mattered. “How could I get along with someone who has…” everything I want, you want to scream, but the words get stuck in your throat, lost forever. “Such an awful attitude,” you settle. “Matt, I want you to be happy, I just know this isn’t going to end well. I can’t lose you.”

Matt’s thumbs are soft as they caress your cheekbones, wiping the few tears that cascaded over your skin. “You’ll never lose me. I promise.” He pauses and sucks in a deep breath, icy blue eyes boring down into yours. “Are you sure that’s all it is? Her attitude? Or is there… anything else you need to talk about?”

You could’ve sworn you heard a slight edge of hopefulness in his voice as he spoke, like he wanted there to be another reason for your outburst. This is your chance, you say to yourself. He’s waiting for you to confess.

You’re not strong enough to do anything except shake your head slightly in his grip, denying any further reasoning. You can feel your chances slipping through your fingertips, but the thought of losing Matt if he doesn’t return your feelings, it’s just not worth it. You could deal with some unrequited love for some time.

You’d get over him eventually.

a/n: how we feeling abt this series so far

taglist

@liiixsturniolos @madelinesturn @ifwdominicfike @sophand4n4 @chris-hallelujah @sophsturns @darksturnz @045696 @scorpioosworld @byhrxb @vickytaa @taelovesmattsturniolo @secret-sturniolo @theboredknightcat-blog @slvtf0rchr1s @gabri3la-sturns @delilahsturniolo @starstrucktyrantinfluencer @vanillsstuff @sturnlsstuff @imjusthereforthesturniolosmut @chrisbratt333 @mattsfavoritestar @dominicfikeenthusiast @certified-sturniolo @mattsside @sofiaaguilaxx @idrk2292 @dylansfavwife @sturnl0ve @sturnioloangelxoxo @sofia-is-a-sturniolo-triplet-fan @milasturniolo @mattsdillion @birkinbratsworld @aria003 @ariestrxsh @annsx03 @ouchywow @pasteldreams @pip4444chris @chriss-slut @yourebeautifulqueen @watercolorskyy @courta13 @craftycrafter26 @meg4-matt44 @colorthecosmos444

[johanna-517]

"Special and unique"

(CHAPTER 4)

A few days passed. After the awkward greeting with Barbara, you didn't see or speak to her again. But that's okay, you're better off this way. You can't expect anything from her; it's obvious she doesn't care about you, at least not enough to have been at least nicer to you.

You haven't seen Dick again either, and you haven't gotten anywhere near Tim or Bruce.

Right now, you were walking quietly through the mansion's hallways, since you were bored and didn't want to stay alone in your room all day today as well. So, you decided to explore this enormous mansion a little. Alfred told you it was okay, that you could explore the mansion to entertain yourself and get to know it better.

As you walked, you also took Toti with you, as was customary. Your only faithful companion in this mansion is your beloved teddy bear.

Oh well, at least now it seems he's not the only one... Because that monarch butterfly you met a few days ago regularly returned to your room, as if it wanted to be by your side. It always came in the afternoon and left when it was already dark.

You smile slightly; you really like that butterfly. You feel almost as if... That butterfly understands you, as if it wants to take care of you.

It's funny how a little monarch butterfly seems to care about you much more than your own father seems to care about you.

As you walked down the hallway, you finally stopped, staring at the large painting on the wall. It featured a picture of Bruce and his adopted children.

But you... You weren't there. You have no connection with your father or your brothers. It's probably because they don't even consider you part of this family.

"I wish I could go back to Mom..." you murmured to yourself, trying to hold back your tears. Why did this have to happen to you? Your life was perfect when your mom was there; you didn't need a father, you didn't even need siblings. You only loved her... You only needed her to make you happy.

Because if there's one thing you've known your whole life, it's that just as your mother was everything to you, you were everything to her too. Remember... How she told you she loved you, that you were the most beautiful little girl in the world, how she was happy to have a daughter as adorable as you, when she told you that... She would make sure to take care of you for the rest of her life.

But now she's gone. She left you, and now you're here... In a cold place, completely devoid of the warmth you used to find when you lived with Mom.

You stared at the picture of Bruce and his sons for a moment, wondering... 'Can I really ever be part of you? The Wayne family?'

You lightly squeeze Toti in your arms, and finally decide to look away and continue walking, trying to push away the feelings of sadness and insecurity in your chest.

As you were walking, you heard someone's voice in another hallway, and when you noticed who it was... It was Stephanie and Cassandra, the two of them walking together.

You knew who they were since, of course, Alfred had also mentioned them to you before.

You tried to ignore the feeling of excitement in your heart when you saw them for the first time, while you thought about whether to approach them or not.

You were nervous, but you didn't know when you would be able to see them again, so you decided to take advantage and approach them, trying to talk to them a little.

You approached behind them, and greeted them in a low voice, trying to appear as unnervous as possible.

As soon as they heard you, they both stopped and turned to look at you. But... Instead of answering you or at least smiling a little, they just looked at each other, murmuring a little.

"Oh... Is this Bruce's daughter? The one who arrived recently?" Stephanie asked quietly, looking at Cassandra.

Cassandra just nodded in response, confirming it. At that moment, Stephanie looks at you again, and as soon as she notices the color of your eyes, she raises an eyebrow in disgust.

"Did you see the color of her eyes? It's too weird and strange... Are you sure she's Bruce's daughter?" Stephanie murmured, with a small laugh as she left, walking beside Cassandra and leaving you behind.

Before leaving, Cassandra looks at you for a moment... You almost shudder at the cold, indifferent look she gave you before leaving.

When they walked away, you stood there, trying to process what had happened... You didn't know what should have hurt more, Cassandra's indifferent stare or Stephanie's mockery. At that moment, you really wished you hadn't learned more English; you only made the effort to learn so you could speak better with your family, but... Now it turns out that learning a little more English only helped you understand the mocking words and comments others made toward you.

You grit your teeth... Stephanie made fun of your eyes. Why did she do that? She's wrong. Because... Your mom said your eyes were beautiful. She said your eyes were 'special and unique,' that they were precious like a brilliantly colored gem.

Yes, your mother is always right... If she said your eyes are beautiful, it's because they are, right? So... Stephanie has no right to contradict that, no right to make fun of your eyes. It's not right.

Before, you let your family influence you and tried to hide your eyes to try to make them like you more, thinking that hiding them would make Bruce and Tim stop hating you. But... Nothing changed. It's obvious that they don't deserve you even trying to hide your beautiful eyes just for them, you've realized that, and you won't make the same mistake twice, you won't let someone from this family make you feel insecure about the color of your eyes again.

What Stephanie said was rude, and you don't plan on tolerating it; it's not fair. So, without hesitation, you run toward them, grabbing Stephanie's arm as soon as you reach her.

"Hey, you have to apologize for what you said about me!" you demanded, your tone firm. It's not fair for her to talk about you like that; she should at least apologize for what she said.

When Stephanie looks at you... You tense slightly at the obvious anger in her blue eyes. Without saying anything, Stephanie simply pushes you hard, causing you to let go instantly.

Oh... Bad time to be right near the stairs.

Being pushed by Stephanie's force, you fail to stop on your own before falling down the stairs without Stephanie or Cassandra even turning to look at you, unaware of the severity of your fall they simply walk away without giving you another glance.

You feel your small body slam against the stairs, causing you to fall. You manage to grab onto something halfway down the stairs, breaking your fall. However, even though you managed to stop yourself halfway down the stairs, you're still pretty injured. You were practically pushed onto the stairs, fell down, and only managed to catch yourself by grabbing something.

You try to get up, but you stop as soon as you feel the terrible pain that spreads throughout your body.

"Duele, duele... Duele mucho" you mumbled to yourself, your voice trembling slightly as you tried to bear the intense pain in your body.

Tears fill your eyes as you continue trying to get up. Trying to ignore the incredible pain that almost makes you want to scream, you finally manage to stand, leaning against the wall next to the stairs as your legs tremble slightly.

At that moment... You feel something dripping down your forehead, you reach out to touch it, and... Your fingers become stained with blood. You realize then that when you fell down the stairs, you had hurt your forehead a little and were now bleeding.

For now, the bleeding isn't excessive or severe; luckily, it's mild. But... It could get worse if you leave it like this, and you know it.

You need help, you need someone to help you.

With that in mind, you try to walk, hoping to find someone who will help you.

You ignore the intense ache in your body with every step you take, praying to run into someone soon.

So, finally... In one of the hallways, you see Tim walking. You smile with relief at seeing him. He'll be able to help you, right?

You try to approach him, saying his name to ask for help. But, as soon as you say his name, he interrupts you. "Stop trying to attract attention, I'm busy," he said in a cold tone, and without even looking at you once, he walked past, ignoring you and leaving you there alone.

You stand in shock for a moment as you watch him walk away... He...? He can't help you? Well, maybe it's because the strands of your hair on your forehead were covering the bleeding wound and he couldn't see it, or maybe it's because he didn't notice your clumsy steps or how your legs were shaking from the intense pain you were feeling. Or maybe... he just didn't even look at you, as if you weren't worth his time.

"Pero Tim... Me duele mucho... Porfavor" You murmured softly, knowing he wouldn't hear you because he'd already left. You looked down, your tears falling to the floor one after another, as you tried to process this.

Tim... He just ignored you. You might have accepted him better in another situation, but right now you were hurt, you wanted him to help you just a little. But he doesn't even feel sorry for you... He didn't even look at you now, when you needed him.

'Why... Are you doing this to me?' you asked yourself, wondering what terrible sin you had committed to deserve this. Even though you were hurt, even bleeding, Tim wouldn't even look at you, just ignoring you as if you didn't exist...

Now you understand. Tim doesn't care about you, no matter what. He'll never look at you, listen to you, or help you. Tim doesn't even consider you his sister, right? Okay, you understand. It's okay that he doesn't want to accept you, but... Really, why did he have to do this? Why did he have to leave you there hurt, looking like he couldn't care less about your condition? Whether he sees you as a sister or not, you're still a human being, and yet, he didn't have one iota of sympathy for you, didn't help you, and just walked away.

You stand there, not wanting to do anything but continue crying from the pain in your body and the ache in your heart, sitting alone on the cold floor, trying to hide your face with your own hands. And no matter what... It seems like no one else heard your cries of pain, no one came for you. Not even your own father... He can't save you, he can't take care of you, he can't... He can't even pretend that he actually cares for you, even a little.

You stay there, with no desire to do anything but continue crying from the pain you feel in your body and your heart right now, sitting alone on the cold floor, trying to hide your face with your hands. And no matter what happens... It seems like no one can hear you cry, no one has come looking for you. Not even your own father... He can't save you, he can't take care of you, he can't... He can't even pretend to care for you, not even a little.

After a few hours, Alfred finally returned to the mansion. He had to leave early to do some grocery shopping, and now he was back. When he entered the kitchen, Alfred remembered you and wondered if you had actually left your room to explore the mansion while he was gone.

Wanting to know, Alfred leaves the kitchen and heads to your room. When he sees you're not there, he realizes that you've indeed decided to go out and walk the mansion's halls this time. However, he couldn't help but feel a slight pang of worry in his chest. Wanting to make sure everything was okay, Alfred began looking for you, walking through the mansion and calling your name, hoping to find you soon.

However, after a while of searching, he didn't find you. He grew more worried as he continued looking for you. And finally... he found you. You were sitting in the corner of one of the hallways, your hands covering your face, crying and sobbing.

Seeing you like this, Alfred's heart leaped with concern, and he quickly approached you. He helped you, took you to your own room, and took care of bandaging and treating your wounds gently.

He asked you what happened. You were about to tell him, but you stopped... You realized what had happened was serious, and that if you told Alfred that Stephanie had pushed you, and that Cassandra had ignored that fact, and that Tim had also ignored you when you tried to ask him for help, then he might get mad at them.

Maybe they're not your family... But you know they're almost like family to Alfred. So... You decided to lie and say you fell down the stairs by mistake, and that there was no one around to help you.

You lied because, even if you don't have a good relationship with them, you don't want them to get into trouble because of you if you tell Alfred.

Also... A thought kept running through your mind.

"You just want attention"

You remembered what Tim had said when he'd ignored you. Maybe... He was right? Maybe you'd been too persistent or intense earlier, but... Could he really blame you for that? You were just a little girl desperate to fit in with her new family, a little girl longing for the warmth of this family you were supposed to belong to.

You just wanted... To feel like you belonged here, to feel like you had a family that loves you here. Is that so hard?

❦: (Just to remind you that some of the reader's phrases will be in Spanish and others in English, just to highlight the fact that her main language used to be Spanish, but that she has now also learned some English now that she lives in Gotham. //I hope you liked this chapter♡).

[spaceycat]

okay but imagine young tony or steve knowing your college schedule and planning his whole schedule around it which means he plans his whole life around it (bonus if he’s not dating you yet)

just an idea lol, take ur time and do it if you wanna :))

AHHHHHHHH UESNUES YESY EYEES, COLLEGE!STEVE LET ME AT HIM!! i might make this a two parter ??? maybe the second one will be smut, but the first one will be them getting together LET ME KNOW IF YALL WANT THAT!!!!

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༄.° ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ ...  ╰┈➤ 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚜𝚞𝚋𝚓𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝟷/𝟸 🧸ྀི

♫ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: i love you the way you are by bobby vinton (2:54)

✰ pairing: college!steve rogers x college!fem!reader

✰ cw: fluff, swearing, kissing, lowkey stalker-ish if you squint, love confessions, characters getting together but not actually stated, steve is a dork

✰ word count: 2.1k+ (lord)

✰ summary: steve notices you in his politics class, he starts to develop a crush on you and he then asks a mutual friend for your schedule - purposely posing himself outside your classrooms so he could make conversation and sitting next to you during politics.

✰ a/n: THEEHHEEHEHHEHEH, there's kinda alot of dialogue but YUHH!! COLOURING MAKES ME WANT TO EXPLODE, SOME OF THE COLOURING IS WEIRD - I BLAME TUMBLR

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༺colour chart༻ reader ❀ steve ☀︎ sam ✈︎

Steve first saw you in his Politics class, he thought you were cute - but nothing really developed from it. That's when your professor paired the two of you up for a project, he then noticed the small things about you - how your pens were chewed, how you sniflled every so often, how you always did your hair in a different way everytime he saw you. Suddenly, a feeling of affection developed into a crush. 

And now, you were sitting in his dorm - he kicked out his roommates as soon as he heard word that you were going to come over for the politics project. He wasn't really focused on the project, not even in the slightest - he just looked at you, his eyes big and wide filled with awe and appreciation that somehow you managed to be the one that was paired up with him.

The two of you were sitting on the floor of his dorm, a few stray pieces of clothes or pieces of paper scattered across the floor. Steve tried to clean up, he really did - but there is only so much you can do in 5 minutes.

He occasionally shifted his eyes down to the notebook infront of him, pretending to atleast do some work - his page was filled with scribbles of some notes, some doodles and now his pen was just absentmindedly scribbling across the page as he continued to keep up this facade.

You were on your computer infront of him, humming to yourself as you scrolled through presentation templates - he was mainly just looking at you know, his notebook discarded on his lap. He took note of your hair, which was down - some strands falling across your face that you had to tuck back behind your ear periodically. He wanted to do that, tuck your hair behind your ear and tell you how pretty you were and kiss you all over and--

Maybe he was getting ahead of himself, I mean you two have solely talked over the presentation - nothing more, nothing least and yet he was nothing short of obsessed.

"We should play some music." Your voice broke him out of his thoughts, he then realised that you were looking straight at him - probably knowing that he's been staring at you for an unhealthy amount of time. "Hm?--" "Music, we should play some." "It's just.. awkward silence, and I want to know what kind of music you're into, Rogers." "Would you believe me if I said hard-core rap?" You stared at him for a moment, squinting your eyes as to figure out if he was serious or not - you'd giggle. "No-- not in a million years."

You put on some music on your computer, it was quiet - just so you could still hear eachother. "Thanks for letting me come over on such a short notice." "Yeah, yeah-- of course."

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The next day, Steve didn't see you - you guys didn't have Politics with each other, so he didn't even see you in the hallway, no awkward eye contact, no overcompensating conversations. He missed it, he missed talking to you and making you laugh.

That's when he saw his room-mate Sam walking down the hallway, he knew that you and Sam were close friends, closer than you and Steve ever were.

"Sam--" "Hey, Steve." Sam continued to walk, Steve caught up with him. "Uh-- you know that one girl, that I was talking about who's in my Politics class?" "Mhm.." "You're friends with her, aren't you?" "Steve, what's this about." "Nothing-- nothing, I just wanted to know what classes she's in." "You better not be trying to get into her pants, Rogers." "No-- no, god no. I just- want to see her more." "Sure." "I'm serious--" Steve stood infront of Sam, stopping him in his tracks. Sam sighed, "Alright fine-- just.. don't be weird about it- okay? I'll talk to her." "God-- thank you, thank you, thank you--" "You owe me, okay?"

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Later, Steve was in his dorm - scrolling through social media on his phone, when Sam walked in setting down his things. Steve looked up at him expectingly, that's when Sam sighed; pulling out a printed out copy of your college classes schedule.

"This is some weird stalker shit yknow--""Dude, shut up." "You must be crazy for this girl if you're literally forcing me to get her schedule.""I didn't force you-- you said you would." "It's still fucking weird, Steve."

His eyes skimmed over the piece of paper, noting that you had night literature class the next day - but that means that he would need to stay on campus hours after his classes just to remotely see you, but that's something he was willing to do.

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The next day, Steve was at the college - his classes have been over for hours now. He was waiting outside your Literature class, ensure how to pose himself. Should he like pretend to accidentally walk into you and be like "Oh, sorry-- I didn't I see you there." No-- no, that's weird. He opted to be pretending to be on his phone, looking busy. That's when people started filtering out of the class. Then he saw you - posing up against the wall.

"Steve?--" "Hm? Oh.. hey." "I thought your classes were over." "Uh-- no, no. Still here." "Well I was about to head to that café up the road.. do you wanna join me?" "Yeah.. I could eat." I could eat? God, his mouth speaks faster than his mind thinks sometimes, but even then he followed you like a lost puppy out of the english building at your college.

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The two of you filed into the cafe, it was late at night at this point - the moon replacing the sun and stars filling the sky. You sat down a booth. Steve ordered a coffee and one of the sandwiches on display while you ordered just a latte, already having eaten.

Awkward silence covered the two of you, your fingers drumming against the table while Steve ran a hand through his hair, trying to calm the stubborn strays.

A waiteress came over, placing down the food and hot drinks - you muttered a thanks as she walked back the way she came. You took a sip of your drink - looking up at Steve hesitantly. This all suddenly felt real.

"What were you doing before I came out of class?" "Oh, y'know-- studying and stuff." "Mhm.." You smiled a bit, taking another sip of coffee - you didnt believe a word Steve had just said but you thought it was charming. "What? You don't believe me?" "Is this another add-on to the hard core rap thing?" "Very funny." He'd cross his arms, tilting his head at you. "What were you actually doing." He let out a sigh, thinking it was better to come clean. "Waiting for you.." "Waiting for hours on end for me?" Steve just shrugged, taking a sip of his coffee. "How'd you know where I was anyways?" "Hm?" He looked up at you, he definitely heard what you said - but as he asked again he silently hoped that the question you asked would miraculously change once he questioned you. "How'd you know where my literature class was.." "..I dont know-- Sam must've told me or something." "Oh shit, I forgot Sam was your roommate." You said with a chuckle taking a sip of your coffee. "Yeah.." "Wait, Sam told me yesterday that he needed my schedule like desperately.. was that you who needed it?" "Well-- well I wouldnt say I needed it like bad or anything--" "It actually was you?" "Well, yeah.. it was." "Why?" "I needed it so see when you were free for the project." "Bullshit--" "What?--" He chuckled, not seeming to get anything past you. "You're a pathological liar, Stevie." He smiled at the nickname, looking down at his coffee - biting his tongue between his teeth as he nodded. "Alright you caught me.." "Oh really?" "I just wanted to know when I could take you on a date." You leaned back in your seat, crossing your arms. "Smooth." Steve fiddled with the coffee mug, his attention solely focused on you - his gaze almost nervous. "What do you say?" "Walk me back to my dorm and I'll think about it." "..Alright." He stood up, paying for the food - practically ushering you out of the door.

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As the two of you walked across the campus, Steve noted how cold it was getting as December rolled near. His hands were shoved in his jacket pockets as he walked slowly beside you - watching as you looked up at the stars of the night sky. The two of you soon neared your dorm building, Steve dragged his hand out of his pocket, grabbing your hand before you could walk inside - his touch gentle and soft.

"You didnt expect me to just forget about the whole date thing did you?" "What, did it seem like I did?" "You're awfully silent, sweetheart.." The nickname just rolled of his tongue, spur of the moment. He watched as you moved closer to him, almost seeking warmth from in from the cold surroundings.

Steve then saw a snowflake fall down into your done-up hair, he then looked up and around - snow started to fall around the two of you. The whiteness coating the trees and the pavement, snow perching itself on each other's hair, shoes and shoulders.

Steve didn't even notice how your attention didn't divert away from him, your eyes still on his face as he looked around the environment. You then pulled him back to reality, back to you by grabbing his chin with your fore-finger and your thumb and tilting it back to face you. The two of you just stared into each other's eyes as you dragged your thumb across his soft bottom lip as you leaned up to place a kiss to his lips - a short and sweet one.

You'd move back down to the soles of your feet, looking up at him. "Was that dumb?--" He didn't even give a response, capturing you in another much needed kiss - filled with love and adoration. It's everything he's ever wanted all in one, your lips still tasting faintly of coffee and the lip balm you were wearing. A hand slipped to cup your face, feeling the soft skin beneath his fingers that his wanted to touch and feel for the longest time. You didn't shy away, you didn't pull back, you kissed him back like you were waiting for this moment as much as he was.

As you both pulled back from the kiss, he noticed a single strand of hair that fell across your face - he then tucked it behind your ear, smiling widely down at you. Adoring the snowflakes adorning your hair and eyelashes as you looked at him with big wide eyes.

"I'd like that date.." "Yeah?" "Yeah.." "Cool." "Cool?-- that's all you're going to say?" You said with a giggle, as a sheepish smile adorned his face. "You're a dork, Steve." You then pulled him back into another short kiss, gripping onto his jacket.

You soon parted ways, as you entered your dorms he just stood there, grinning like an idiot - looking down at the snowy ground. His hands resumed their place in his jacket pockets as he walked back to his dorm building that was on the other side of the campus - but he was willing to make that walk everyday if it means seeing you.

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As Steve walked into his dorm, he took off his jacket and placed his keys near the door. That dorky smile still plastered on his face. Sam noticed almost immediately. "What's got you smiling?" "Nothing, it's nothing." Steve walked over to his bed, sitting down. "Did stalking really get you somewhere?" Steve smiled at him, before nodding - Sam's jaw dropped. "What?!--" "Okay so-- we went out to some cafe, we talked and then we walked back to campus and it started snowing and then we kissed." "Man, what the fuck-- why do you get a romance movie scenario for being a weirdo." Sam leaned back against the wall near his bed, crossing his arms. Steve just shrugged, looking down to the floor.

He was excited for that date, and just to see you again - see you smile, see you laugh because of him. And then he realised that his part of the politics project was due tomorrow and he barely made a dent in it because of him swooning over you, he couldn't have it all.

But he has you, and that's all he really cares about.

[maskedbyghost]

When the Walls Fall (p. 5)

Summary: Simon’s never been great at dealing with feelings, especially when they come out of nowhere. From the moment he laid eyes on you, something shifted, but he did his best to keep it under wraps. It’s only when Price steps in, playing a little bit of matchmaker, that Simon’s forced to face what he’s been ignoring. Between the awkward tension, the attraction, and a little help from the Captain, maybe they’ll both figure out what’s been right in front of them all along. Word count: 2 k PART 1 PART 2 PART 3 PART 4 Something full of fluff because you guys deserved it.

Simon woke up to the beeping sound of a heart monitor and the sterile scent of a hospital room. His body felt heavy, and for a moment, he just lay there, staring up at the dimly lit ceiling, trying to remember how the hell he got here.

His head was foggy, thoughts sluggish, but then it hit him all at once—the ambush, the gunfire, the pain. You.

His breath hitched slightly. He remembered everything. The way you had held onto him, the desperation in your voice as you begged him to stay with you. And worst of all—his own words.

“I’m in love with you.”

Simon let out a breath while dragging a hand over his face. Fuck. What the hell had he done? He hadn’t meant to say it. He’d spent so long burying it, pushing you away, making sure you never knew. And yet, in his weakest moment, he’d let it all out.

You were going to hate him now. You’d avoid him, keep your distance, pretend none of it happened. He had ruined everything.

His jaw clenched, a familiar self-loathing creeping up his spine. He had one job—to keep you at arm’s length, to make sure you never got close enough to be hurt by the mess that was him. And yet, he had failed spectacularly.

But then, a voice cut through the silence.

"I hate seeing your face like that," you murmured. "Because it means you're thinking about something. And it's probably something not true."

Simon startled slightly, his head snapping toward the voice. He thought he was alone. His eyes scanned the dim room, and then he saw you—sitting in the corner, surrounded by shadows.

His heart stuttered in his chest. You were here.

You shifted in your seat before standing up, the soft glow from the window catching your face as you moved toward him. There was no anger in your expression. No disgust. No avoidance.

Simon didn’t know what to say. Didn’t know how to breathe properly, let alone how to face you after everything. He could only watch as you stepped closer to his bed, your eyes locked onto his, waiting for him to speak.

But of course, Simon had no idea what to say as always.

You stopped a few feet from his bed, arms crossing over your chest as you studied him. Simon could barely meet your eyes, his fingers flexing against the hospital sheets like he wanted to grab onto something to ground himself.

"How do you feel?" you finally asked, voice softer than he expected.

Simon exhaled slowly, forcing himself to look at you. "Like I got shot," he muttered.

You let out a breathy laugh, shaking your head. "Smartass."

He huffed through his nose, a smirk appearing on his face before vanishing just as quickly. Silence settled between you for a moment, not uncomfortable, but heavy with everything unsaid. He knew you were waiting for him to speak, to explain, but he didn’t know where to start.

So he defaulted to the worst possible assumption. "Are you here out of pity?" His voice was quiet.

Your expression didn’t change at first. Then, after a second, you scoffed, shaking your head in disbelief. "Jesus, Simon."

He tensed.

You stepped closer, arms dropping to your sides. "Stop thinking so little of yourself."

He swallowed; throat suddenly dry. "It's not—"

"It is." You cut him off, your gaze firm. "You act like you’re this untouchable, broken thing, like no one could ever want you for anything other than pity." You gestured toward him. "You think I sat in this room for hours because I feel sorry for you?"

Simon didn't respond. He wasn't sure he could.

"You are so fucking stubborn," you muttered, rubbing your forehead before sighing. "I don’t pity you, Simon. I care about you."

His chest tightened, something deep inside him twisting painfully at the words.

You sat on the edge of his bed, your voice quieter now. "I meant what I said before. You think too much. And most of the time? You’re wrong.”

Simon blinked, caught between disbelief and hope. He was still trying to process it, trying to make sense of the warmth in your eyes, the steadiness in your voice.

But before he could say anything, you reached out, hand hovering near his before finally resting gently on top of it.

And just like that, for the first time since waking up, he could finally breathe.

-

The barracks were the same as always—dim lighting, the smell of stale coffee, and the low hum of conversation between the team. It had been weeks since Simon had been here, weeks of recovery and restless nights spent thinking too much. But now, he was back, and everything felt almost normal again. Almost.

Price leaned back in his chair; arms crossed over his chest as he gave Simon a once-over. “You look like shit.”

Simon grunted. “Good to be back.”

Gaz smirked. “Missed you too, mate.”

Soap was grinning like an idiot, arms draped over the back of the couch. “So, how’s it feels to be in one piece again?”

Simon was about to answer when the door opened, and you walked in.

Everything else faded.

For a second, it was like the first time he saw you—back when you joined the team. Now he knew you, knew the way your eyes softened when you were worried, the way you scoffed when he said something self-deprecating, the way you stood by his side even when he gave you every reason not to.

And you were looking at him now, searching his face, checking to see if he was okay.

Soap let out a dramatic sigh, shaking his head. “Christ, you’re still whipped, huh?”

Simon didn't look away from you as he muttered, without hesitation, “I’m gonna marry her one day.”

The room went silent.

Soap’s mouth actually dropped open, Price raised a brow, and Gaz let out a low whistle.

You, on the other hand, froze mid-step, blinking at him like you weren’t sure if you’d heard him correctly. “What?”

Simon finally tore his gaze from you, rubbing a hand down his face. “Nothin’.”

Soap snorted. “Nah, nah, you can’t just say that and move on like it’s nothin’.”

Price smirked, taking a sip of his coffee. “Agreed.”

You were still staring at Simon, eyes wide, lips slightly parted. And for the first time in his life, he actually considered running.

But then—

You smiled. Not a smirk, not a scoff, but a real, genuine smile.

And Simon thought, well. Maybe one day wasn’t so far away after all.

-

That night, Simon found you on the roof, sitting near the edge with your knees drawn up, arms loosely wrapped around them. He wasn’t sure why he came looking for you—maybe he just knew you’d be here, away from the noise, collecting your thoughts like you always did.

You didn’t turn as he approached, but you must’ve heard him. “Shouldn’t you be resting?”

Simon huffed, stepping closer, the gravel crunching under his boots. “Shouldn’t you?”

Finally, you glanced at him, raising a brow. “I’m not the one who got shot.”

“Fair point.” He exhaled, shifting his weight before sitting down beside you. There was a moment of silence, the kind that didn’t feel uncomfortable but wasn’t exactly easy either. He rubbed a hand over his face, then finally said, “I owe you an apology.”

You snorted. “You owe me a lot more than that.”

“Yeah,” he admitted. “I do.”

He looked at you then, really looked at you—the way the dim light softened your face, the way the wind tugged at your hair. He hated how badly he had screwed this up, how much he had pushed you away when all he ever wanted was to pull you close.

“I was an ass,” he said, voice rough. “I shouldn’t have treated you like that. I just… I didn’t know how to handle it.”

You were quiet for a moment, then said softly, “Handle what?”

Simon exhaled, staring out at the horizon. “How I feel about you.”

Something in your expression shifted, but you didn’t interrupt, so he kept going.

“I kept thinking you deserved better. That you wouldn’t want to deal with all the shit that comes with… me.” He swallowed, jaw tightening. “But pushing you away didn’t make me want you any less. Just made me more of a dick.”

You tilted your head, studying him. “Yeah, you were.”

Simon huffed a small laugh, shaking his head. “Right. Deserved that.” He took a breath, gathering himself, then turned to face you fully. “Look, I know I’ve been shit at this. But I want to do better. If you’ll let me.”

Your lips twitched, eyes glinting with something unreadable. “Is this your way of asking me out?”

He shifted slightly, uncomfortable but determined. “Yeah. It is.”

You leaned back on your hands, smirking. “Thank god. For a second, I thought you were about to propose.”

Simon groaned, dragging a hand down his face as you laughed, clearly enjoying yourself.

“You’re not gonna let that go, are you?”

“Absolutely not.”

He sighed, but there was no real frustration in it. If anything, he felt lighter than he had in weeks. Maybe longer.

“So?” he asked.

You glanced at him, lips curving. “So?”

He rolled his eyes. “Is that a yes or no?”

You let the silence stretch, just long enough to make him sweat, then finally nudged his arm. “Yeah, Simon. It’s a yes.”

And for the first time in a long time, Simon felt something settle in his chest—like maybe he didn’t have to run from this anymore.

-

A few years later...

Simon never thought he’d have something like this. A home. A life beyond missions and gunfire. But here he was, standing in the middle of a kitchen, barefoot, wearing an old T-shirt, watching you try (and fail) to flip a pancake.

“Jesus Christ,” he muttered, stepping in just as the pancake half-landed on the pan, half-slumped over the side.

“I meant to do that,” you said, huffing as you grabbed a spatula and tried to salvage it.

“Sure you did.” Simon smirked, wrapping his arms around your waist from behind, his chest warm against your back. “Need me to take over?”

You wiggled against him just to be annoying. “Nope.”

“Right,” he muttered, lips brushing against the side of your neck as he tightened his hold. “Then I’ll just stand here. Watch the carnage.”

You sighed dramatically. “I don’t know why I married you.”

Simon chuckled, resting his chin on your shoulder. “For my charming personality, I imagine.”

“Oh, absolutely.” You rolled your eyes but didn’t pull away. “That and the fact that you proposed in the most ridiculous way possible.”

He groaned, pressing his forehead against your shoulder now. “We are not bringing that up.”

“Oh, we absolutely are.” You grinned. “Who asks someone to marry them in the middle of a stakeout?”

“We were waiting for hours. Needed to kill time.”

“I thought you were joking! And then you just pulled out a damn ring like it was the most casual thing in the world.”

Simon smirked. “And yet, you still said yes.”

You sighed, pretending to be exasperated. “Yeah, well. That was my first mistake.”

“Mmm.” He kissed the side of your neck slowly. “Don’t think you regret it much, though.”

Your breath hitched just slightly, and he knew he won this round. You let out a small laugh, tilting your head to nudge his. “No. I don’t.”

Simon smiled, tightening his hold on you for just a second longer before finally letting go. “Now, step aside before you burn down the kitchen, love.”

You groaned. “You’re so—”

“Charming? Handsome? An incredible husband?” He flipped the pancake perfectly, shooting you a smug look.

You threw a dish towel at him. “Insufferable.”

And Simon—the man who once swore he’d never let anyone close—just grinned at you, looking happier than he ever thought he’d have the right to be.

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@daydreamerwoah @nightunite @rigbyscar @kittygonap @buggg4life @tessakate @m-artemisa-c @first-time-fanfic-writer @identity2212 @trulovekay @lostintransist @blush-haze @pedrosweetiepie

[edensrose]

·˚꒰ 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒎𝒆 ? ꒱ ₊˚ˑ

ᡴꪫ ﹙𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠! 𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙪 𝙜𝙤𝙟𝙤 𝙭 𝙛𝙚𝙢 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧.﹚─── ⊹ ۪ ࣪ ꒰ when the strongest falls for you but can't have you , how does he react ? after getting everything he wants in life ; how aren't you in his hands yet ? ( ˖ ࣪❀˳ ) : blackmail + obsessive satoru, forced kissing

⊹ ۪ ࣪ ꒰ ( 𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒏'𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔 )﹕first satoru piece and it's dark?? hell yeah

satoru gojo always got what he wanted. why wouldn't he? he's the strongest. heir and leader to the gojo clan. blessed with charm and striking good looks. if he wanted it, it was his. that's how it's been for his entire life. well, apart from one thing. 

you. 

oh what a darling you were. the first time you stepped into jujutsu high he felt a rush even limitless couldn't compare to. to hell with infinity - your eyes held the universe. the brush of your hand on his when reaching for a pen sparked the cosmos. your smile, oh your smile. the way you spoke to him? said his name? how cute you were, struggling to rise in rank. weak and pretty? you're the whole package. he wanted you more than anything he's ever set eyes on. 

shouldn't have been a problem, right? women and men flock around him like lovesick fools. what would make you any different? the way you looked at him with those pretty eyes. affection. it can only be affection. and yet. 

those hearts in your eyes are never for him. 

they're for suguru. 

the one thing he's wanted more than anything - snatched away by his best friend! he didn't even stand a chance. he only realised that the day he confessed to you. and you . . . had the nerve to reject him. him. do you have any idea who he is? 

why the hell did you turn your face and fluster about your heart belonging to suguru? how could you choose him over his best friend? he so much as looked at something and it was his; and yet you - you never so much as looked at him once suguru yanked you into a relationship. 

yes. yanked. plucked even. you are his simply because he wanted you . . . he just needed you to realise that. 

he played his cards. surely, you would fall for him. see that suguru is no match compared to him. but you didn't. you continued this pointless charade up until graduation. hand still tight in the man's you claim to love. nonsense. you didn't know any better. you didn't know what satoru could do for you - a bumbling grade 3 sorcerer struggling to make ends meet. you could be something great with him at your side!

he just needed to make you realise.

a push in the right direction. which is where you find yourself now. facing him: the right direction. hands stuffed in his pockets lazily as if he didn't just confess to you a second time around. your awkwardness brims so clearly as you stutter and blabber on about how you were serious last time. how you only view him as a friend. how you're with suguru. 

stubborn one, aren't you? all that awkwardness faded to anxiety when the man you knew as friend cornered you against one of the desks. it's only now you are met with the full prowess of his height. how easily he dwarfs you. invades your personal space with two large hands clamped on the edge of the desk your back leans into. 

"do you have any idea what I could do for you?" his signature grin is but a ghost. a dry, dull look hangs on his features. with a white brow arched and bright blue eyes akin to ice. he doesn't even tilt his head. irises stare down in a shadow over his dark specs. a testament. 

frost. like his index knuckle that brushes on your cheekbone. so tender. gentle. unlike a hollowed voice that speaks of horrors right above you. 

"do you have any idea what i could do if you reject me again today?" a single knuckle becomes his large hand. cupped at your cheek and tilting your head up further to meet his now looming face. "you see, I'm a special guym sweetheart, we both know that. don't we?" 

his thumb strokes on your face. at last, a little grin returns. it's the furthest thing from familiar. "I could give you everything. make you. or -" 

satoru's lips ghost yours. the grip slips below your jaw. voice lowered to a cold whisper. 

"ruin you." 

perhaps he should have expected the impact that came for him. the bloom of red over his pale cheek as you shoved him away and took your chance to scitter away. 

your touch. 

he didn't bother turning on his infinity around you. why should he? you're too weak, too pretty to do any real damage to him. and besides. 

even the sting of your palm on his face was heavenly. you hit him, and it felt like a kiss.

he couldn't help but feel irritated. his sweet, stubborn girl. no matter. he's given you the warning. you've tied his hands. this is your fault. 

your fault that the letter in your trembled hands writes clear in bold, black ink that : upon thorough thought and observation, we regret to inform you of your drop in position, to grade 4.

it's your fault that you'll have to go crawling back to him. in tears and stutters. so full of questions, horror. 'why would you do this to me satoru?' 'I don't understand.' 'I have a family! a sick father. please.' 

he'd only catch your quivered hands. smile so sweetly as you beg and plead for his help. you'll do anything. anything.

"anything, sweetheart?" 

his face looms closer. just like it did last week. lips ghosting yours. strong hands on your waist. soft whispers to hush your hushed whimpers. "then . . ." what a devilish croon. lilted and low. what cruel eyes. soon to be the only ones you'll know. 

"how about a kiss? from my pretty girl." 

what other choice do you have, but to shakily press your lips to his. yelp when he shoves you back into the wall and pours more heat into it. more control. trap you against him and take the breath from your lungs. he's wanted this since highschool - he sure as hell isn't going to settle for a peck. 

satoru is a greedy man. if he wants it, it's his. you simply fall into that category. and now he finally has you to himself. with just a bit of blackmail and tears. you're his. 

and as your heart wails and you scramble with hands in his hair. his lips on yours. begging for breath. for anything but the suffocating feel of his kisses and his large body trappinh yours. you can't help the dreadful thought amongst your tears - 

but what about suguru?

[buckysouvenir]

in the hex, episode 9: a new beginning

pairing: bucky barnes x y/n summary: Y/N, a witch with no memory of her true nature, lives a seemingly perfect life with her husband, Bucky Barnes, in a quiet, idyllic 1950s town. Everything seems picture-perfect—Y/N and Bucky are a deeply loving couple, content in their everyday routine. They share playful moments, enjoy simple pleasures, and have a deep connection that feels unshakable. Their life is peaceful, with no hint of anything out of the ordinary. However, things aren’t what they seem. authors note: last episode!!!! i'm so happy and thankful for all the messages, likes and comments! ♡ as promised, if you guys are still interested, i could make some spin offs.

last episode | in the hex masterlist

reblogs, likes and comments are always encouraged and highly appreciated! thank you ♡

The first thing Y/N feels is warmth.

Not the sterile chill of the hospital room, not the distant hum of machines—warmth. A steady, grounding presence beside her.

Her fingers twitch.

There’s a sharp inhale. The warmth shifts, a gentle pressure enveloping her hand.

She blinks. The light is soft, filtered through white hospital curtains. The air smells faintly of antiseptic. Her entire body feels heavy, sore, like she’s been asleep for too long.

And then she sees him.

Bucky.

Sitting beside her, still gripping her hand. His eyes are wide, stunned, like he hadn’t fully believed she’d wake up.

Y/N swallows, her throat dry. "Hey."

It’s barely a whisper, but it breaks something in him.

Bucky exhales sharply, his grip tightening like he’s afraid she’ll disappear. "Hey."

She tries to sit up, but a sharp pain shoots through her ribs. Bucky is up in an instant, hands gentle as he helps her ease back against the pillows.

"Easy," he murmurs. "You took a pretty bad hit."

Y/N exhales, wincing. "Yeah… I remember."

And she does.

The Hex. Wanda. The illusion. The battle that shattered everything.

She remembers the way Bucky had held her, the way he had whispered for her to stay. The way he had looked at her—like losing her would destroy him.

And she remembers the way she had felt.

How much she had wanted to stay with him.

She looks at him now, drinking in the sight of him. The dark circles under his eyes, the tension in his jaw, the way his shoulders sag like he’s been holding the weight of the world.

"How long?" she asks.

"Three days." His voice is rough. "You scared the hell out of me, Y/N."

Something flickers in her chest, something warm and aching. She squeezes his hand. "I’m sorry."

Bucky shakes his head. "Just—don’t do that again."

The corner of her lips quirks. "I’ll try not to get caught in a reality-warping illusion again, got it."

A breath of laughter escapes him, but there’s no real humor in it. His thumb brushes over her knuckles, absent-minded, like he’s memorizing the feel of her skin.

Silence settles between them.

Not awkward. Not tense. Just heavy—weighted with things unsaid.

She swallows. "It was real, wasn’t it?"

Bucky stills.

He doesn’t pretend not to understand.

"Yeah." His voice is soft, almost hesitant. "It was."

The feelings they developed inside the Hex—manufactured or not—were real.

And that realization is terrifying.

"It’s funny," she murmurs, staring down at their joined hands. "In the Hex, I thought we had all this history. I thought we were something we weren’t. But the whole time, we were just... teammates."

Bucky is quiet.

Then, slowly, he says, "Were we?"

Y/N looks up at him.

His expression is unreadable, but his grip on her hand tightens. "I didn’t just fall for you because of the Hex, Y/N." His voice is quiet, rough around the edges. "I think… maybe I was already halfway there."

Her breath catches.

Bucky shifts, his fingers brushing against hers. "Maybe I didn’t see it before. Maybe I didn’t let myself. But being there—with you—it didn’t feel fake."

Y/N exhales shakily. "No. It didn’t."

Bucky watches her closely, like he’s waiting for her to say something, to make the call.

"So what happens now?" she whispers.

He takes a breath. "That’s up to you."

It’s an unspoken confession. A quiet truth between them.

Maybe it’s too soon. Maybe they’re still piecing themselves back together after everything that happened.

But right now, in this moment—

Y/N simply squeezes his hand, a small, tired smile on her lips. "Then let’s figure it out together."

Bucky nods, something soft and unguarded in his gaze.

And for the first time in a long time—

They’re exactly where they’re supposed to be.

#taglist: @whisperingashgarden @baw1066 @mirrorballbb @skittslackoffilter @fan4astic @torntaltos @lovebabybellah @annoylinglyaries @thewiselionessss

[spiderluvbot]

🖇 ROMEO IN DISTRESS ! jacaerys velaryon.

summary — jace attempts to deal with newfound emotions while you attempt to avoid him. notes — here it is, finally. my war with tumblr is over. you should know a lot of words are in italics just for the vibes (?). aegon is about to be the nosiest bitch ever and i love that for him. warnings — cursing, slight drug mention, i have no idea how schools work in other countries.

previous • masterlist

ENGLISH IS MY SECOND LANGUAGE.

you quickly got out of the car, slamming the door shut as you mentally cursed helaena.

somehow, the walk to the door had felt both too long and too short. each step you took felt like it was bringing you closer to your own personal doom.

pulling out the spare key alicent had gifted you, you hoped that, miraculously, jace had suddenly decided to start leaving earlier, sparing you any awkward encounters.

your hands trembled as you unlocked the door, the heavy wood groaning as it moved aside to reveal the foyer. the house was quiet —too quiet, almost as if it were empty— and the feeling you had before entering, that it might swallow you whole, now seemed absurd.

letting out the breath you hadn't realized you were holding, you smiled to yourself. you were being completely ridiculous, everything was fine.

you headed to the stairs ready to bother helaena into hurrying up just in case, shaking your head at how stupid you were being when the sudden sound of a chair caught your attention.

jace and luke sat at the table eating their breakfast, you could see them from the spot near the stairs, where you had frozen.

the three of you shared an awkward glance. luke seemed aware of what was going on between you and his brother (whatever it was. you weren't sure yourself), because he looked as uncomfortable as you two did.

surprisingly, jace was the first to break the silence.

"hey."

"hey." you answered back, unsure of what else to say.

running away from your problems is never a good idea, but right now, that's exactly what you were going to do. you couldn't stand the way he looked at you. he had always looked at you like an acquaintance and nothing more, but now his eyes were so different. you weren't sure you liked different.

clearing your throat, you tried to avoid his stare as you pointed towards the stairs. "i'm just here to pick up helaena."

luke couldn't help but laugh, going back and forth between you sprinting upstairs and jace practically staring holes into the spot where you had been standing. he was sure his brother had never focused this hard on anything.

at first, he was ready to make fun of him —because what else were younger brothers for?— but the look on jace's face stopped him, he had that dumb smile again. so instead, he flicked a piece of cereal at him, hitting his cheek, and spoke softly once he had his attention.

"i like her for you."

"she's just a friend." jace answered fast, too fast for luke to believe him. "she's barely a friend, she's not even my friend, she's helaena's!"

his brother only raised his eyebrows, gaze unwavering.

"i just got out of a relationship."

"yeah, like three weeks ago. besides, weren't you telling sara to ask that girl she likes out last night?" luke rolled his eyes. "you know, you can start dating again. no one's gonna stop you."

"we barely know each other." jace had his arms crossed, his gaze fixed on the small cracks of the old table like they held all the answers.

sometimes he just couldn't understand jace. luke sighed, leaning back against his chair as he studied his brother. it was typical, jace overthinking things, acting like there were invisible rules he had to follow, to always be perfect.

"so get to know her." luke shrugged, picking up his dirty bowl and leaving his brother alone in the dining room.

jace remained seated, frozen in place as he anxiously bit his nails (a habit his mother chastised him for daily), and wondered what the hell he was supposed to do with his feelings.

luke's words kept repeating in his mind, no matter how hard he tried to push them away.

he was right. last night, when sara called to apologize again, they ended up talking for hours, rekindling the friendship they once had. she had confessed to jace that she might have feelings for someone new. she felt guilty, but he had felt surprisingly lighthearted and told her to go for it.

things with her were alright, and moving on seemed far easier than he had expected when they first broke up. and a small part of him wondered if he, too, loved but was not in love.

but the idea of moving on —of liking someone else— felt terrifying, and he lacked the advice he desperately needed.

he couldn't talk to helaena, obviously. aemond lacked any interest in anything related to romance, daeron and luke would mock him about anything and everything, and he would rather die than go to any of the adults in his life. joffrey would surprisingly be his best option, if he weren't an eight year old.

which left jace with one option, one really, really bad option.

he pulled out his phone, letting out a harsh breath as he tried to convince himself he wouldn't regret this. his finger hovered over the contact of the only person who could help him and keep a secret

don't do anything embarrassing.

what the hell does 'don't do anything embarrassing' even mean? everything he does is embarrassing to aegon!

jace took a deep breath, running his hands through his hair as he headed to his room,trying to figure out what exactly could aegon be thinking about.

his footsteps faltered when he reached the hallway, helaena's voice echoing against the walls. she said his name. were you two talking about him? did you talk about him?

he took a hesitant step forward, his body trembling and his heart hammering as he fought the urge to get closer to the door. he shouldn't eavesdrop —he knew that. but there was a gnawing voice in his head telling him to listen, to lean as close as he could, and figure out what you were saying. his fingers hovered near the doorframe, his mind racing with questions he wasn’t sure he was ready to hear answers to.

he couldn't do that. jace took a deep breath, swallowing the knot in his throat as he backed away. he couldn't spy on you to figure out how you felt— if you even felt anything.

he walked back to his room, his knuckles turning white from the pressure as he closed the door. he threw himself onto the bed, grabbed his headphones to block out any noise from helaena's room, and hid there until it was time to leave.

meanwhile, you were stuck with helaena and her latest powerpoint presentation: '10 reasons you should date jacaerys' (which she had spent all night working on instead of her actual homework), along with the following speech during the drive to school.

it was at times like these that you welcomed the fact that helaena was older. although it would be a lie if you said that her words didn't stick with you all morning, especially when the subject of the talk sat just a few desks away from you.

sharing a few classes with jace had never been something you paid much attention to, not doing more than sharing some occasional small talk. but today, the thought of his proximity gnawed at your insides, forcing you to steal glances his way every chance you got.

telling yourself it would be the last time, you turned again —only to find him already staring, offering a tiny smile. you quickly turned away, trying to ignore the warmth spreading across your face.

you were convinced that this was stupid, jace didnt deserve to be ignored just because you felt awkward every time you looked at him. despite helaena getting into your head, he was still a good friend and acted relatively normal (or as normal as he could be considering that she probably reacted the same way towards him, at least.)

shaking your head, you tried to focus back on your teacher, fighting the tension in your hands as you wrote, along with the persistent feeling of being watched —until a small piece of paper hit the back of your head.

you turned back slowly, careful not to be seen, only to catch jace's gaze once more. he smiled again, nodding towards the crumpled paper by your foot before quickly pretending to write as the teacher turned to the class.

your fingers reached for the paper, carefully unfolding it to find jace's messy handwriting scrawled over an old math equation. are you coming with us today?

turning one last time, you mouthed a 'yes' at him, smiling at the thumbs-up he gave you and, subsequently, at his face when the teacher scolded him for not paying attention.

you could do this. things were still normal between the two of you, and jace was still jace —an awkward moment wouldn’t change that. whatever had happened yesterday, it would soon be forgotten, as if it had never happened in the first place. you were sure of it.

the rest of the class passed as usual, and soon enough the bell was ringing as you gathered your things, ready to meet helaena at the cafeteria.

"hey." a warm hand rested on your elbow, and your eyes met a slightly disheveled Jace.

"hi." your gaze drifted downward to where he toyed with the zipper of his jacket. he was nervous. "is something wrong?"

"no, no. listen, i—" he hesitated, biting his lip before continuing. "i just wanted to make sure everything was cool. between us, you know? i don't know, i just feel like we've been kinda walking on eggshells around each other lately."

"oh. yeah, no, everything's okay." you sputtered, trying to reassure him. "things are fine, don't worry."

"okay, good." he gave you a smile again, that smile again, and your breath faltered.

things were not fine.

things were not fine and you couldn't do this.

you took a deep breath, your eyes darting around the room as panic settled in.

"i have to go." you spoke quickly, and ran away faster, hoping to blend into the crowd of students while searching for helaena in the multitude.

someone called your name. anxiously, you glanced back to find sara scampering towards you.

"hey. hi, sara." your voice came out shaky. god, you wished the ground would open up and swallow you.

"hi. how are you?" she asked as she started walking beside you.

"good, i'm good." bad. terrible. awful. "how are you?"

"i'm good. look, i wanted to thank you again for last night. It felt good to finally talk to someone." she smiled, bumping your shoulder with her own. "i'm glad we're friends now."

"yeah, me too." you had to fight back a grimace. sara was great, she really was, but every time you looked at her, you could almost see jace and his goddamned smile, and the guilt was slowly driving you insane.

how do you tell your new friend that you had a maybe-romantic, maybe-not moment with her ex-boyfriend and now people are starting to think something is going on between you two?

the sight of helaena standing by her biology class entrance felt, quite literally, like a miracle. she waved her arms over her head to get your attention, and sara distractedly grabbed your hand, pulling you along as she sprinted towards her.

they decided to spend the free period in the library, and at first, you hoped the towering shelves of books would shield you from everyone. you were lost —too distracted to fully follow the conversation and too afraid to join, dreading any mention of last night.

but as the minutes passed without helaena bringing anything up, your heartbeat slowed, allowing you to actually listen. they were chatting about a singer sara liked, something far removed from exes and nephews, and a sense of calm finally settled over you.

that was, at least, until sara's eyes widened, fixed on something behind you. you turned, only to find the very person you had been hoping to hide from for the rest of the day.

"jace!" sara smiled, getting up to hug him, and dread filled your chest.

turning slowly, you found him standing just behind you, so close that you could feel the faint heat radiating from his presence, much closer than you had expected.

jace offered her a smile, then one to helaena, and finally, he looked at you.

he didn't really know what to do. things had been awkward last night, and then this morning, and then you said things were fine, but you ran away right after. he thought he might be reading too much into it, but still couldn’t help but feel that things were far more complicated than he had hoped.

swallowing the knot in his throat, he offered you what he hoped wasn't a grimace, trying to suppress his nervousness. it felt like time had stopped, and he couldn't look away, far too focused on the way your eyes sparkled and how the sun gleamed over your skin.

slowly, a real smile began to form on his face, and he shyly murmured a greeting before clearing his throat and sitting in the empty chair beside you.

sara glanced between the two of you, a small, confused frown forming between her brows when she noticed you wouldn't make eye contact with anyone.

her gaze shifted to helaena, who watched the two of you with an excited smile. sara wondered what was going on. she felt the urge to ask but didn't want to make you any more uncomfortable than you already looked, so she chose to stay quiet, at least for now.

wanting to break the silence that hung over the table, she drummed her hands against the surface in a random rhythm before turning to jace. “so, are you excited for the next game?”

“what? oh, yeah. coach is making us train hard,” he said distractedly before looking at you. “you're coming, right?”

the way he stared at you, coupled with the feeling of sara's eyes on you, made your stomach churn. you had to stand up abruptly, gathering your things, certain you were about to vomit.

“maybe. i have to go. bye, guys.”

they all stared at you, confused, as you walked away. jace had thought you left class quickly before, but now he felt like you were running away, and an awful ache settled in his chest. he couldn't help but wonder if his presence had been what drove you away.

"is she okay?" he asked, his gaze fixed on the entrance of the library.

"maybe she got uncomfortable when you brought up the game," helaena answered quietly, playing with her sleeves.

"fuck, you're probably right. i didn't think about that." his gaze shifted from the door to sara's guilty face.

"think about what? what are you talking about?"

"the next game is against ben's school," his aunt said, giving him a pointed look, as if to tell him he should know the turmoil that would bring.

"she's probably dreading seeing him. i know i would, after a breakup like that," sara winced as she spoke .

"you know about that?" helaena turned to her with wide eyes.

"pretty much the entire school knows about it, hel. it wasn't necessarily the private kind."

"why, what happened?" jace knew you had broken up with your boyfriend at the beginning of the year when he changed schools. he remembered helaena bringing you home even more than usual, alicent cooking all of your favorite meals and drying your tears. still, in his mind, he had always assumed the breakup had been amicable. clearly, it hadn't been, and he now realized he might have been the only one unaware of that.

sara hesitated, biting her cheek as she frowned.

"i don't think you should hear it from someone else, but I can tell you the guy's a complete asshole. i doubt anyone would be mad if the team went a bit rough on him."

"i'll keep that in mind," he nodded. the ringing bell interrupted them, cutting the conversation short, and they said their goodbyes before going their separate ways.

the conversation lingered in his mind all day. he only snapped out of his thoughts whenever he caught a glimpse of you —only for you to disappear every time he tried to get closer, either making an excuse to leave or simply walking away before he could reach you.

even now, hours later, he was too frustrated to focus on training. the coach had given them a break (jace knew it was mostly so he could get his shit together, even if nothing was said.). he kept biting his lip, tangling his fingers in the undone laces of his skates as his gaze flickered repeatedly to his bag.

"dude, what was that out there?" cregan walked into the locker room and headed straight for him, a concerned frown on his face as he sat down beside him.

jace ignored the question entirely. instead of giving him an answer, he reached into his bag, pulled out his phone, and stared at the dark screen before finally turning to his friend.

"do you think it would be stupid if i looked up a girl's ex?" jace asked nervously.

"already planning on moving on from my sister, velaryon?" cregan nudged his shoulder.

jace's eyes widened, panic flashing across his face. "no, that's not it, i—" he sputtered, scrambling to explain in fear of having pissed him off.

"calm down, i'm just teasing you." cregan snickered at first, but the worried look on his friend's face made him turn serious almost immediately. "jace, seriously, it's fine. you two broke up a while ago, you're allowed to have feelings after that. besides, you're the one that got dumped, man. it's not like you broke her heart or anything."

"so i've been told," jace whispered to himself annoyedly, remembering luke's comments from that morning.

"so, who are we stalking?" cregan wanted to tease him more, maybe ask who the lucky girl was, but he knew jace would only tell him when he was ready. and this didn’t seem like the moment.

jace groaned, opening instagram and typing the dreadful name into the search bar.

"shit, man. is that benji?" cregan pulled the phone closer, shielding the screen with his hand to block the glare from the lights. "haven't heard about him since he left."

"yeah, me neither," he answered absentmindedly.

cregan seemed about to speak, but was interrupted by the coach calling him over, leaving jace to scroll through gym photos and game videos.

so far, he had learned three things. one, ben seemed to have a new girlfriend. two, he played center now. and three, he still had old pictures of you posted.

the last one bothered him more than it probably should.

there was one specific picture he particularly hated —from a few months after you met helaena, and when he had a crush on you— you were cuddled into benji's arms, pressing a kiss to his bicep, with a caption that read something stupid like, gotta keep these muscles in shape for my girl.

it irked him. not only were you not his girl anymore, but benji was also dating someone else now.

the mature part of him recognized that, as sara had said, benji was an asshole, and told him to move on.

the immature part of him, on the other hand, was feeling jealous —and about to do something pretty stupid.

he considered talking to aegon at first, before remembering he had skipped training. jace told himself this was an innocent, harmless thing with no ulterior motives. before he could change his mind, he reposted the story in which cregan had tagged him earlier.

and if you happened to see it and noticed that he clearly had much nicer arms than ben, well, that would have nothing to do with him.

his phone dinged shortly after.

jace groaned again, lowering his face until it hit his palms, fingers pressing against his eyes so hard he could see spots.

he let out a deep sigh as he stood, walking up to aemond with a frown.

"you know, i'm not fond of being spied on," he said, leaning against a locker with his arms crossed.

"there is no spying to do, nephew. you're loud," aemond replied, indifferent. "pettiness doesn't suit you."

"i wasn't being petty," jace attempted to defend himself, but it was clear from his uncle's expression that he didn't believe him at all.

"of course not," aemond replied in his usual sarcastic, bored tone before walking away.

jace let out a harsh exhale, checking his phone for any new messages before following him back into the rink, welcoming the cold against his warm skin.

you, on the other hand, were currently bundled up in your blanket, leaning against the headboard of your bed as 'confessions of a shopaholic' played on your tv.

your gaze drifted to the clock on your nightstand, dreading how quickly time passed as it inched closer to seven. with a sigh, you paused the movie, knowing it was time to start getting ready.

after a quick shower, you put on some light makeup and searched your room for the warmest tights and shirt you could find, layering them under your jeans before grabbing a jacket and a pair of gloves. soon after, your phone buzzed with a text from helaena, telling you to wait outside.

deciding to sit on the front steps while you waited, you pulled your phone from your pocket, opening instagram and mindlessly scrolling through friends' stories to pass the time. nothing out of the ordinary —floris had posted a short video of her cat sleeping on her lap, and your cousin had shared a photo of herself and her sister at a restaurant.

a car passed by, and you lifted your head to check if it was your friend. realizing it wasn't her, you looked back down —just in time to see jace's latest story.

your eyes widened as they followed the vein running along his arm, your thumb instinctively pressing against the screen to hold the story in place before it could disappear. you were apparently too distracted, because you had completely missed the car currently parked in front of you.

it wasn't until you felt a slight touch on your shoulder that you let out a small shriek and looked up to find helaena, her face almost fully covered by a big, fuzzy blue jacket.

her eyes moved between you and your phone screen, a teasing smile forming on her face. "were you looking at what jace posted?"

"what? no," you said, getting up and hurriedly walking past her, trying to ignore the sound of her laugh as you got into the car and greeted her family.

you spent the entire drive trying to keep helaena quiet, lightly smacking her arm whenever she started talking about jace.

"what's up with you two?" alicent asked from the passenger seat, turning to give you an odd look.

"nothing!" your voice came out too loud for the silence in the car, making you grimace. you cleared your throat quickly, scrambling for a distraction. "uh, is everyone else meeting us there?"

alicent simply nodded, an amused smile playing on her lips as she glanced between you and helaena.

the rest of the drive had been thankfully quiet, if a bit awkward, and soon enough, you were scrambling out of the car, unaware of the looks otto, alicent, and daeron were giving you.

the ice rink was buzzing with people, and the stalls around it were adorned with twinkling lights, filled with people selling and buying food and handmade crafts. a familiar laughter blended with the background music and the sound of skates gliding across the ice, and you followed the noise, only to see rhaena, wobbling and clinging to her father while baela skated gracefully, teasing circles around them.

criston headed your way, followed by aegon and aemond. they quickly welcomed everyone before leading us near the stalls, where everyone else sat at a big table.

jace was, thankfully, nowhere to be seen. a part of you felt guilty for the relief his absence gave you, but the thought of facing him, especially with everyone watching, made your stomach twist. so, after a quick greeting, you grabbed helaena and pulled her away under the excuse of taking a walk.

"i don't get why you don't wanna see him." helaena had at least waited until you were far from her family, but her curiosity finally got the best of her. "he's a lot happier now that he likes you, and you blush every time you see him, so you clearly like him too!"

"i don't like him." you frowned at her, hiding your face against the collar your jacket.

"yes, you do!" helaena was used to having a hard time understanding people, but you? she understood you like nobody else, and she was sure she was right.

"hel, for the last time, nothing is going to happen between us." you were trying not to be too harsh with her, but anything relationship-related brought an uncomfortable feeling to your chest that you would rather ignore.

"is it because of ben?" helaena's voice was quiet, cautious. "i get it, what he did sucks, but jace wouldn't do that. he's nice."

"yeah, well, ben used to be nice too. and how did that end?" you caught yourself mid-sentence —lashing out at helaena wasn't fair. the sight of her reaching to cover her ears made you feel worse than anything that had happened today.

letting out a tired exhale, you reached for her, pulling her into a side hug when she allowed you to touch her. "i'm sorry, i didn't mean to be so loud. and i know jace wouldn't do that to me, i just... to be honest? i don't think i'm ready to date anyone yet."

"yeah, i get that." she nodded against your shoulder before lifting her head to look at you. "but when you are, he's a good choice."

she shot you a cheeky smile and walked away, leaving you standing there, stunned.

"that's not gonna happen!" you ran after her, both of you laughing as you caught up.

"yes, it will," she sing-songed teasingly. "i know it. i already dreamed your entire wedding."

"please stop talking."

she laughed loudly at your grimace before her expression grew serious, eyes widening.

"oh my god!" helaena paused in the middle of the trail and squealed. it took you a moment to stop, and you had to take a few steps back, only to find her crouched in front of a tree.

"what? what's wrong?— shit!" you tripped as you hurried back to her, carefully walking the rest of the way to make sure you didn't step on your shoelaces again.

"there's a frog."

"what do you mean there's a frog? it's the middle of winter." you crouched behind her to tie your shoes properly, and she turned to show you her hands.

between her hands sat a small, almost-brown frog. "i think it's hurt. maybe it can't move."

you could see helaena's hands start to tremble, her brows furrowing in concern.

"don't worry, we'll take care of it."

"it's gonna freeze." helaena whined.

"so we'll get it somewhere warm together, just wait a second," you said, frustrated as you fumbled with your shoelaces, struggling to grasp them with your gloves on.

she stayed silent for a moment, looking behind you before blurting out, "i'm sorry but you'll thank me one day."

"what?" you heard quick footsteps and looked back up, just in time to see her running away.

she ignored you when you called after her, leaving you to huff in frustration as you finished tying your shoelaces.

"hey, i've been looking for you." your hands stilled for a second as you recognized jace's voice. suddenly, helaena's eagerness to leave you behind made perfect sense. you stood up slowly, already planning to complain about her betrayal, before turning to face him.

"uh, hi," you answered quietly, shoving your hands into your pockets and staring at the snow slowly piling over your shoes.

"hi." he sighed the word as he stared at you, and an awkward silence took over. you wouldn’t look at him, too busy staring at the ground. jace bit his cheek before speaking again.

"so, i was wondering if you wanna..." he trailed off, raising his arm to gesture toward the rink behind him with his thumb.

"oh." you froze, wondering what to do, when the a woman entering the bathroom caught your attention. "actually, can you wait a minute? i just need to go to the bathroom real quick." without waiting for him to answer, you walked past him and headed to the bathroom stalls.

silver hair and smoke caught your attention as you searched for a familiar face. you looked back to make sure jace couldn't see you, then veered towards the bench where aegon was sitting.

reaching behind him, you leaned against the backrest, calling his name as you fought the urge to run back to the bathroom and lock yourself inside.

"aegon." he was far too focused on his phone, forcing you to whisper as loudly as you could without attracting attention. "aegon!"

"jesus!" he quickly moved his arm away, as if he didn't want to touch whatever had just scared him. "the fuck you want?"

"i need your help."

you were clearly desperate, considering how much you looked around, and the fact that you had gone to him, of all people, for help.

"i'm busy." he lifted his phone slightly, just enough for you to see the screen before going back to scrolling.

"will you listen!" the desperation in your tone was, quite frankly, music to his ears. the day had been pretty boring so far, he was out of weed, and he needed some entertainment. "helaena just abandoned me for a frog, i can't find anyone else, and jace is trying to get me to go skate with him!"

"so go skate." he shrugged before turning his attention back to his phone.

"i can't do that!" aegon rolled his eyes. you sounded so scandalized, anyone would've thought he told you to shoot someone. " that thing is full of couples!"

you pointed behind you and his gaze followed your finger, landing on the rink, which was indeed filled with sickeningly sweet couples and happy families.

were you exaggerating? probably, yes. but at this point, you were sure you would lose your mind if you had to spend one more second alone with jace

"okay, so tell him you don't know how to skate." aegon had to fight the grin off his face. he didn't really have an elaborate plan —maybe getting everyone to leave the two of you alone all night or making you sit cramped next to each other on the drive back— but this? this was an opportunity he couldn't let pass. "there. problem solved."

"yeah, and how do i explain the past five hundred times i came here to skate with you?"

"please. you and helaena sneak off to be by yourselves all the time, he won't know." he stood and took a final drag of his cigarette before putting it out and covering the smile he couldn't quite suppress with his hand. then, he cleared his throat, forcing a bored expression. "well, i'm starving, i'll go get some food. good luck, though."

you looked up to the darkening sky, squinting to see the first few stars appearing as you groaned, before walking back to jace.

"hey... i'm back." you attempted to sound normal, excited even, but pretty much anyone who heard you would be able to tell how much you wanted to disappear. anyone but jace, at least.

he just stood there, smiling at you in that way, his eyes sparkling as much as the lights hanging around you.

"so, you wanna go skate?" he nodded towards the rink.

"uh..." your eyes darted around, searching for someone —anyone— who could help you escape this. with no one in sight, panic started to take over, and you blurted out the one thing you'd thought would be extremely stupid to say. "i don't know how to skate, actually!"

"oh." you didn't know how to skate? he'd seen you skate a million times! jace didn't know what to do. he looked around, his cheeks expanding as he exhaled, trying to figure out a different way to spend time with you. "well, we could—"

"helaena!" you cut him off with a sudden yell, grabbing his arms and pulling him to the side.

"helaena?" jace asked incredulously, opening his mouth to talk again, before being interrupted once more.

"yes, helaena. i need to talk to her." you started backing away, turning to speak as you went. "sorry, i have to go. sorry."

you left quickly, glancing back to assure him you’d be right back. he wasn't sure he believed you.

jace stood where you left him, frozen as people brushed past him, lightly swaying from the force. he frowned, following you with his eyes as far as he could before you disappeared, then started walking in the opposite direction.

he didn’t know where he was going, all he could think about was you. were things between you really that bad? why did you keep avoiding him?

he turned when he heard someone calling his name, catching a glimpse of aegon by one of the food stalls, and approached him, ready to vent to him and, surprisingly, ask him for advice again.

"so, how are things going between you two?" aegon asked, though he didn’t seem particularly interested, too busy struggling to open his bag of chips.

jace sighed, snatching the bag from his hands, tearing it open, and shoving it back at him. "like shit."

aegon barely reacted, popping a chip into his mouth. "why? i thought you were getting some alone time." he waggled his eyebrows and stuffed his mouth.

he walked towards a bench and jace followed after him, sulking as he dropped himself in the seat.

"this is useless, she keeps avoiding me."

"nah, mate. she's just shy, i'm telling you." aegon spoke as he chewed while throwing himself by his side, crumbs falling on his lap.

"she just told me she doesn't know how to skate, aegon." jace complained. she hated him, he was sure. "she's been coming here with us for the past two years. clarly she doesn't want me to be near her."

aegon shook his head, placing an arm around him as an amused smile took over his lips.

"see, this is where you're wrong, nephew. this is a classic chick tactic—"

"please stop saying chick." jace quickly pulled away, scolding him as he frowned. aegon just rolled his eyes and raised his hands in defeat.

"yeah fine, whatever. my point is, she's clearly saying that so you'll offer to 'teach her'. she's doing you a favor, man. setting the mood for, like, romance, and shit."

"you really think that?" jace sat up straighter, already feeling better. the thought of you wanting anything romantic with him brought a nice warmth to his chest.

"yeah, chicks love to play hard to get. trust me." aegon smirked and patted his back.

"stop saying chick."

"whatever. just go get a new girlfriend and leave me alone." aegon pushed him to his feet and waved him off.

"screw you." jace yelled while walking away.

"no, screw her!" aegon yelled back teasingly. despite his annoyance, jace was too busy dealing with the way his heart somersaulted at the idea of you being his girlfriend, so he simply smiled and raised his middle finger towards him without turning back.

if what you wanted was romance, he would be sure to give you exactly that.

taglist: @glennussy. (thanks for being the first person in the taglist queen🙌💖)

[eraserbread]

I would die for curse user! Nanami

pining for curse user!nanami after he's shunned from sorcery... gimmethat :((((

➽────────────────────────❥

you wonder if your friends can see the unease in your face. they're all laughing around you, smoking, drinking and being... friends. it's hard to pull yourself together enough to be here, but you try. they deserve the best, most social part of you.

but its so fucked because he's supposed to be here. nanami wasn't supposed to have run away like he did. and... it's all he did. he ran away in the middle of the night -- took his blade, left his clothes, and disappeared. in the wake, rumors spread like wildfire, your peers saying things like he finally snapped or he just moved to a different country. suguru suggested malaysia -- everyone called him an idiot.

since the night he left, he's been messaging you on an unknown number. little things like;

good morning. miss you.

or

still thinking about you. hello?

tonight it was:

in the city just for a night. i can't meet you on campus.

that's the message you glance down at as shoko hands her smoke over to you. you're left staring at the dimmed screen for a second, and all the attention falls off of satoru's stupid mission story and onto your awkward figure.

"you're good, right?"

no, you're not good -- you want to tell satoru. you want to see their face as you tell them nanami's been in constant contact. you wonder how they'd react. you wonder if they'd react.

as you open your mouth to respond, shoko taps into your side. "hey, you want my wrist to go limp, here?"

the five of you do this every other friday - get drinks and insane plates piled high with sushi at your favorite restaurant, and catch up. it's been easier to do it this way since graduating - most of you stayed on campus, but the few who didn't, you and suguru, didn't show up much at all.

"sorry." you pull a tight-lipped smile, taking it from her hands. she steps out of conversation for a moment, mentioning to haibara how 'if he doesn't take any missions, he won't make any money' or something of the sort. you weren't really listening.

nanami... all you can think about is nanami

nanami. nanaminanaminanaminanami....

"hey- you'll get ash in the food, come on,"

"this is like... the eighth time you disassociated tonight -- what is wrong?"

you don't tell them the truth. instead, you run away.

away from your loving, prying friends and into the arms of your empty apartment and the promise of your nanami. it was so cruel - this hold he has on you. everyone tells you he's a coward, or too unfit to handle his emotions. even the ones he loved just shrug him off, now.

but, not you. never you.

not even when he shows up at the apartment door you guided him to with a grey hoodie over his head.

"i don't expect you to understand." is the first thing he says to you in over a year. "but I would like to explain..."

"ke-kento..."

"let me in, please." then, he looks up at you and through the darkness you can see the small, smoldering fires in his eyes. they were always there, but brighter with age and angst. it's so hard not to cry.

"c'mon."

you're turned around, closing the door when his hands ball into fists at his side. you two's whirlwind high-school romance was long gone, now. all that's left standing in this tiny apartment is a shell of who once loved another.

"then, explain."

so, he wastes no time. if nanami was one thing, it was straight to the point. "I despise watching this society treat my friends as curse bait. none of us chose this."

"but, it's our duty-

"no. it's not." he finally pulls off his hood, still unable to look at you, but all you can look at is him. "our duty is to be human. to work until the day we die, yeah, but not die from our work." he's monotone and familiar, finally meeting your gaze so you can see all of him. shamelessly, you reach to flick the light switch on.

he cut his hair.

"I don't want to be a villain."

you don't even care that he's watching you comb over his body with your eyes. it seems as if this time out of sorcery aged him, but never in a bad way. short hair, mean eyes, strong jawline, and broad shoulders - all of it was new for you, but all of it is nanami.

all you can think to do is shake your head. it's something - some kind of answer.

"and i hope you don't see me as changed... i'm still yours." he gets shy just like he always did, drifting off in volume as he licks your romantic ego.

every cell in your body is screaming to let him in. the want is clawing at your morals, peddling over all of the grief and sorrow and confusion nanami's leaving caused you all. it was so sudden, and he was one of the strongest.

it feels wrong to admit just how healthier he feels when you finally hug him again. there are muscles under your fingertips -- hardened skin and bone you have to dig into to feel the familiarity. you're breathing in his city-tinged, warm colongned musk, breath shuddering and breaking all over his shoulder. he touches you, too. just above your hips, lightly, like he's wary of scaring you off.

a year isn't too long, but it's just long enough for kento to feel unsure about himself.

it didn't matter if he was a dead-man walking, sentenced to execution by a society he once treasured. there's something about you that makes him want to risk it all.

so, he does - elbow-deep in your sweet spirit.

[sdmnpact]

Please fuck me.

Wroetoshaw x Reader smut

** MDNI 18+ **

~~~

It was a cool saturday night. You were at the pub with a couple of friends and friends of friends. You were honestly about ready to head home. You were slightly tipsy but not outright drunk. You were also feeling very needy. Needy for someone's touch. Unfortunately you didn't have anyone to relieve you.

You looked around at the group of friends. Chip, Freezy, Bach, Harry... Harry. You always fancied him. You found him incredibly attractive but you never tried anything with him because you weren't looking for a relationship and you know he wasn't either. But tonight, maybe it doesn't have to be about a relationship. It could be about two friends doing each other a favor.

You made your way towards him unsure of how you should approach him. You don't want to be super forward and start with 'Please fuck me.' but you didn't know how to make it casual either. You clearly stood there for a long time debating it because he noticed you lingering around him.

"You alright, Y/n?" He said holding a glass of beer in his hand. His eyes slightly glazed over. His hair slightly messier than his usual birds nest. "Oh uh yeah, I'm fine." You said nervously, the courage you briefly had, now faded as you were about to walk away.

"Well, you wanna join me for a drink?" He said gesturing towards an empty table in the corner of the pub. You looked at him, his eyes visibly darker. "Sure." You said, your voice deeper than before as he ordered you two another beer.

You walked towards the table sitting down on one side. He finally came a couple seconds later holding two pints in his hands placing one in front of you while taking the other as he sat down.

"So, you having fun?" He said beginning a conversation. "Yeah, it's been great, I was actually getting kind of tired and thinking about leaving but I..." You began forgetting who you were talking to. You were about to spill the fact that you were looking for someone to help you with your, your need.

"But what?" He questioned scooting forwards as if this was a secret he needed to hear up close. "Oh, it's nothing. I'm just tired is all." You said smiling weakly, taking a swig of your beer. He looked at you, furrowing his eyebrows knowing that something was up with the way you got awkward all of the sudden. You kept drinking your beer, looking around the pub trying to avoid eye contact.

Suddenly, you felt a leg brush against your own underneath the table. Your head snapped back to Harry who was staring at you, his eyes filled with hunger now. "Harry-" you began.

"Shh, it's alright love." He leaned in closer so only you could hear him. "I know you came over to me so I can fuck you." Your eyes went wide as those words left his mouth. "What!" You exclaimed as he sat back finishing the rest of his drink. He licked his lips slowly as you watched closely. His eyes focused on you as you badly needed that tongue to be licking you instead.

"You make it quite obvious, you know. I see the way you look at me. Those little fuck me eyes you make every time we meet up. I'm not the only one who notices either." He smirked as you gulped, his leg still pressed against you slowly making it's way up and down.

"My mates say I need to fuck you already. They want me to stop your suffering." He said with a small breathy laugh. "So let's go." He said getting up and putting some cash on the table. He began walking towards the exit without looking back. You sat there still too stunned to do or say anything. You watched as he stopped at the door turning to face you. He gestured to you mouthing a 'well are you coming then'.

You quickly scrambled to your feet making your way towards him like a dog towards a bone. You looked back at your friends as some had smirks on their face looking at you. Were you that obvious?

Harry had already called an uber and it had been waiting outside. Did he plan on fucking you tonight already? You both got in, sitting apart from each other. You looked out the window, your heart pounding harder than ever before. Your stomach in knots as you wished you were already at his flat.

You felt him grabbed your hand. You looked towards him but he kept looking out the window. You smiled to yourself trying not get too excited.

The ride felt like an eternity but you finally arrived at his flat. "Thank you." Harry said towards the driver as you both got out making your way inside the building.

He unlocked his flat door and you walked inside as you heard the door lock behind you.

Just as you were turning around, you felt his arms wrap around you. His mouth already on your neck planting small kisses up and down. "Harry" You said quietly. His small kisses turning into aggressive bites. You moaned as his teeth made contact with your skin. One hand on your breast the other gripping your waist. You went back into him feeling a tent in his pants. He was just as needy for you as you were for him.

He tugged at your shirt, desperately trying to pull it off. You helped him, leaving yourself in your bra. "You don't know how badly I wanted this, how badly I wanted you." He growled as you turned to face him. He picked you up causing you to yelp at the sudden movement. He placed you on the counter, reaching behind you unhooking the clasps on your bra.

Your breast now exposed to him as he stood back in admiration. "Sculpted so perfectly." He muttered under his breath coming forward placing his mouth around your left breast taking the other in his large hand. Your head went back as you enjoyed the sensation of his warm mouth around your nipple. His saliva dripping off as he moved on to the other one.

"Please fuck me." Your thought from earlier leaving your mouth as your heat throbbed at the thought of him.

"Oh don't worry darling, I will." He said teasingly, sucking on your nipple even slower. His eyes looked up at you as you felt his tongue make circles around your nipple. His hand traveling to your lower body. Luckily, you were wearing a skirt so he had easy access to you.

His hand going underneath your skirt feeling the fabric of your underwear. You have been dripping all over yourself at this point leaving quite the mess. "Oh baby, all this for me?" He said with a smirk as he pulled away from your breast.

You watched as he pulled down his trousers and boxers. His member snapping back and hitting his stomach. You licked your lips in anticipation. His fingers made their way back between your legs moving your underwear to the side making sure to brush against your heat. "You ready?" He asked as he positioned himself. You nodded your head, biting your bottom lip. He smiled at the sight of you as you inched forward.

He grabbed his member, pressing his tip against your entrance as he slid it up and down, still teasing you. You whimpered as you inched towards him again, his tip entering you slightly. "Hold on princess." He said smugly as he continued teasing you. You felt yourself dripping all over him as he finally put himself inside of you slowly. You gasped at the feeling of his thick cock slipping between your folds.

His hands wrapped around your waist as yours kept yourself upright on the counter. He leaned in near your ear and whispered. "You're so fucking tight. don't worry, I'll fix it." He stood back and finally began thrusting in and out of you. He began slowly making sure it wouldn't hurt but the way your legs pushed him into you further made him realize you didn't care about the pain.

His thrusts getting faster, deeper. It's almost like something clicked in him. Instead of the sweet guy you usually knew, he became more dominant, more aggressive.

He plowed into you harder making you almost scream with pleasure. His low grunts fueling your hunger for him.

Your sweaty palms causing you to lose your grip on the counter as you had been propping yourself up. Harry seemed to notice and slowed down, picking you up still inside you. He made his way towards his bedroom, carefully setting you on the bed. "More comfortable?" He questioned as you nodded. This time instead of thrusting into you roughly, he decided you would feel more pleasure if he slowly slammed into you.

He pulled back and quickly plowed into you, his hips making contact with your inner thighs causing you to loudly yelp out at the sudden sensation. "Fuck." Left your lips as you began to feel euphoric as he continued this move.

Slowly you felt yourself beginning to reach climax. Your walls tightened around him causing him to pick his pace up again going faster trying to get you to cum quicker.

The sudden change making your legs go weak as you reach up above you for anything to grab as you almost couldn't handle the amazing feeling you felt.

You breast bouncing back and forth the faster he went. His hand reaching for one, cupping it as if it bothered him. You couldn't take the pressure anymore, your legs wrapped around him as you felt yourself release. The feeling bringing tears to your eyes as Harry kept going feeling himself about to finish.

Your grip on the sheets getting tighter as you felt his warm liquid fill you up. He stood over you, both of you breathing heavily. He looked at you, admiring your beauty as your makeup was smudged and your hair was a mess. You were still the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.

He pulled himself out of you, laying next to you on the bed, the sounds of your panting filling the room. "So, wanna do this again sometime... or now?" he said breathlessly, looking over at you as you looked at him with wide eyes. "Maybe after a break but definitely again." You said through a breathy laugh.

~~~

A/n

Listen, I've been reading a lot on here lately and got some... inspiration. I hope you enjoyed!

[evilincoperated]

Insecurities

Pairing: Early Seasons!Spencer Reid x gn!reader (No use of y/n)

Summary: Spencer just can't understand why you'd be with him.

Fluff and hurt/comfort

wc: ~600 words

cw: Insecure talk, very very slight little women spoilers

You were sunshine, you were like a perfect cup of coffee, black with a ton of sugar. Spencer just couldn’t understand. You were you, funny, gorgeous, smart, loving, and perfect. And he was him, too tall, too skinny, too awkward, he rambled about things that almost nobody cared about, his tie was always crooked no matter what he did, in short, he was just not right. And yet you were with him, you lived with him, you watched Star Trek with him, you said you loved him, and he just couldn’t understand. 

He was sitting on your couch, trying to read his copy of Little Women, you were both reading it at the same time, your own mini-book club. But instead of being able to read he was watching you. Just wondering why you stayed, why you chose him, why you said yes. “Spence?” “Hm?” He blinked a few times after hearing your voice. “You’re staring,” you said, looking up from your book and smiling. “What are you at chapter forty or something?” You said grinning. “No, no, I'm past that.” “Of course you are.” You looked back down and continued reading. 

Spencer tried to continue reading, but he just kept glancing up. “What chapter are you on?” “Fifteen, but I already know what will happen.” “Then why’d you pick this book?” “Cause I love it.” He smiled at you, reaching out to grab your hand, you obliged, smiling. “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong, or are we going to keep acting like nothings wrong while you stare at me?” “I’m just confused.” “You? Genius Spencer Reid confused about something?” He glared at you playfully. “What are you confused about? Little Women isn’t that confusing, but if you’re a Jo and Laurie truther then I might have to leave the room for a minute.” “I guess I just don’t understand why you’re with me.” 

You sit your book down and adjust yourself so you’re sitting up and looking at him, “What the hell do you mean by that?” You ask, staring at him, clearly upset by the question. “Well, I mean you’re so perfect-” “I’m absolutely not perfect but go on.” 

“You know what I mean,” he swallows. “You’re just way too good for me, you’re beautiful, and I’m just me. And I mean I just don’t get it. Nobody gets it. Everybody tells me I really lucked out, and that you’re way out of my league, and I agree. You’re everything. You could have anyone you want, you could literally be a model, and you’re with me. And I just don’t know why.”

You blinked a few times and stared at him blankly. “First of all, I could not be a model. I do not have the mental health capacity for that,” you get up and sit next to him. “Secondly, I could not have anyone I want, but even if I could, I’d still want you.” You cuddle into his side, “This may sound cheesy, but even though I’m not perfect, I’m perfect for you.” He smiled and laughed a little, “You’re right, that was cheesy.” “I know I didn’t magically get rid of your insecurity, and saying that you have no reason to be insecure isn’t exactly helpful. But it's true, and I’ll always be there for you.”

He wrapped his arm around your shoulders. “It makes me feel a bit better.” “Good.” “Sorry I pulled you away from your book.” “Don’t worry about it, I’ve read it before. I love you Spencer.” “I love you too.”

[allhandsonhotch]

You’re not his mom. | A.H

pairings: grieving!hotch! x girlfriend!reader

warnings: talks of parental death, cruel hotch, arguing/fighting, mentions of foyet arc, grief, awkwardness??, idk what else to put.. lmk if you see something that should be here!

It had been a few days since Haley passed and you had no idea how to help your boyfriend and his son through it so you did what anyone else would do— you tried to help.

Aaron had a meeting with Strauss and you offered to stay at the apartment with Jack and he seemed fine with it, until he came home.

You were giving Jack a bath and he watched from the doorway as Jack laughed as he played with his toys.

After he was done with the bath, you got him ready for bed in the way you’d watched Aaron do time and time again. Lotion, pj’s, comb his hair, and you thought you were doing a pretty good job yet under Aaron’s gaze you couldn’t help but feel the resentment from here.

Once Jack was in bed, you walked out to the living room of Aaron’s apartment unaware of where to go from here. “Took awhile but he’s asleep.” You tried to smile as you walked over to him.

Truth was you didn’t know how to help either of them, Jack didn’t really understand why his mommy wasn’t around anymore and Aaron. God Aaron. He was angry, as he should have been but his anger was starting to be taken out on you when you weren’t doing anything wrong.

“Well— he’s asleep and—” “You’re not his mom.” He cut in— his tone stern and angry. You flinched at his words, the sharp edge of them cutting deeper than you expected. You knew you weren’t Jack’s mother—you would never try to replace Haley—but hearing Aaron say it like that, with such finality, made something inside you ache.

“I know that,” you said softly, forcing yourself to hold his gaze despite the weight of his anger pressing down on you. “I was just trying to help.”

Aaron let out a sharp breath, rubbing a hand over his face. He looked exhausted, grief-stricken, barely holding himself together. But instead of breaking, he hardened, his walls rising higher. “I didn’t ask you to.”

You swallowed, nodding slowly. “I know,” you repeated, because what else could you say? That you were trying because you loved him? Because you cared about Jack and wanted to be there for both of them? Because you couldn’t just stand by and do nothing while they unraveled?

Aaron turned away, his hands braced against the back of the couch, his shoulders tense. “He already lost one parent. I can’t— I won’t have him getting attached to someone else who—” He cut himself off, shaking his head.

Your chest tightened. “Who what, Aaron?” You asked, stepping closer even though you knew you should give him space. “Who might leave? Who might not be good enough? Because if that’s what you think, just say it.”

He turned then, his eyes dark and tired. “I can’t do this right now.”

You nodded, blinking back the sting behind your eyes. “Okay.”

You wanted to say more—to tell him you weren’t going anywhere, that you loved him, that you weren’t trying to replace Haley but that Jack needed stability, love, something to hold onto—but the words felt useless against the wall he’d put up.

So instead, you walked toward the door, grabbing your coat as you went.

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” you said, voice steadier than you felt.

Aaron didn’t respond, just stood there, staring at the floor, lost in a grief that not even you could pull him out of.

And as you closed the door behind you, you realized that for the first time since Haley’s death, you weren’t sure if he would let you back in.

The cold air hit you the moment you stepped outside, a stark contrast to the warmth of Aaron’s apartment. You hadn’t realized how tense you’d been until you took a shaky breath, willing the tightness in your chest to ease. But it didn’t—not really.

Aaron was grieving. He was hurting. You understood that. But understanding didn’t make his words sting any less. You’re not his mom.

It wasn’t like you had ever tried to be. You loved Jack—of course, you did. He was sweet and innocent, caught in a storm of loss he couldn’t fully comprehend. And you loved Aaron. That was why you stayed, why you tried so hard to be what he needed, even when you didn’t know how.

But maybe that wasn’t enough. Maybe you weren’t enough.

You barely made it to your car before the first tear slipped free. You swiped at it quickly, frustrated with yourself for letting this get to you. You should have expected it—should have known that Aaron wasn’t ready for you to step in like this, not when everything was still raw.

Still, as you sat in your car, gripping the steering wheel, you couldn’t shake the doubt creeping in. If he couldn’t let you help him now, when he needed it most, would he ever?

You didn’t sleep much that night. You thought about calling him, but you knew he wouldn’t answer. So you gave him space. One day passed. Then two. Then three. No call. No text. Just silence.

By the fourth day, you weren’t sure what to do. Were you supposed to wait for him to come to you? Did he want you to? Or was this his way of pushing you out?

Before you could spiral any further, your phone rang. Aaron.

Your heart jumped into your throat as you answered. “Hey.”

There was a long pause on the other end before he finally spoke. His voice was quiet, strained. “Can you come over?”

Relief and hesitation warred inside you. “Are you sure?”

Another pause. Then, softer this time, “Please.”

That one word broke whatever resolve you had left. “I’ll be there soon.”

Aaron looked wrecked when he opened the door. His eyes were bloodshot, his posture weighed down with exhaustion. He looked like a man who had been fighting a battle with himself—and losing.

“I’m sorry.” The words came out rough, like they hurt to say. Aaron exhaled sharply, his fingers flexing at his sides as he forced himself to meet your gaze. “For what I said the other night. For how I—” He stopped, shaking his head as if he couldn’t quite find the right words. “I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”

You swallowed, your heart aching at the vulnerability in his voice. “I know.”

He let out a breath, his shoulders slumping slightly. “I just—” His voice faltered, and for the first time in days, you saw something crack through the anger and exhaustion: guilt. “I don’t know how to do this,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

You took a careful step closer. “You don’t have to do it alone.”

Aaron closed his eyes for a moment, as if he was trying to hold himself together, then let out a slow breath. “I know,” he said again, and this time, he sounded like he actually meant it. “I just—I look at you with him, and he’s happy. And I should be grateful. But instead, all I can think is that Haley should be here. She should be the one giving him a bath, tucking him in, reading to him.” His voice broke slightly, and he dragged a hand over his face. “And then I hate myself for thinking that, because I am grateful for you.”

You felt your throat tighten, but you didn’t move, didn’t interrupt. This was the first time he had let himself be honest with you since it happened.

Aaron let out a humorless laugh, shaking his head. “I don’t know if I’m doing this right. If I’m being the father he needs, if I’m handling any of this the way I should.” His eyes found yours, dark and heavy with grief. “But I do know I don’t want to push you away.”

You took another step forward, closing the space between you until you were right in front of him. “I never expected to replace her, Aaron,” you said softly. “I just want to help. I love you. I love Jack. And I know you’re hurting, but you don’t have to go through this alone.”

His breath hitched, and for a second, he looked like he might break. But instead of pulling away, he reached for you, his hands tentative as they settled on your waist. You felt the tension in his grip, the way he was holding on like he wasn’t sure he deserved to.

“I don’t know how to do this without hurting you,” he admitted.

You placed your hands over his, squeezing gently. “Then let’s figure it out together.”

For the first time in days, Aaron let himself lean into you, pressing his forehead against yours, exhaling a breath that sounded like surrender.

And as you stood there, wrapped in the quiet comfort of each other, you knew this wasn’t going to be easy. But you also knew you weren’t going anywhere.

Aaron’s grip on you tightened, as if grounding himself, as if afraid you might slip away if he let go. His forehead was still pressed against yours, his breath warm and unsteady. You let him take his time, knowing he wasn’t a man who gave in easily—not to grief, not to weakness, and certainly not to his own needs.

Finally, after what felt like forever, he whispered, “I don’t know if I can be what you need right now.”

Your chest ached at the raw honesty in his voice. You knew Aaron well enough to understand the weight of those words. He wasn’t just mourning Haley—he was terrified. Terrified of failing Jack, of failing himself, and now, of failing you.

“You don’t have to be anything other than what you are, Aaron,” you murmured, sliding your hands up his arms, feeling the tension coiled beneath his skin. “I don’t expect you to have all the answers. I just need you to let me be here.”

He swallowed hard, his hands flexing against your waist. “And if I don’t know how?”

You lifted your head slightly, just enough to meet his gaze. His eyes were tired, filled with so much pain it made your heart squeeze, but there was something else there too—something hesitant, something hopeful.

“Then we figure it out,” you whispered.

Aaron exhaled a slow, shaky breath. Then, before you could say anything else, he pulled you against him, wrapping his arms around you in a way that felt less like possession and more like desperation. Like he needed this—needed you.

You let him hold you, let him breathe you in, let him feel the steady reassurance of your presence. Your fingers found the back of his neck, your touch gentle as you whispered, “I’m not going anywhere.”

He didn’t respond, not with words. Instead, he buried his face in your shoulder, his entire body sinking into yours as if he was finally allowing himself to feel everything he’d been holding back.

And in that moment, as you stood there in the quiet of his apartment, wrapped in each other, you knew this was just the beginning. The road ahead wouldn’t be easy, but you weren’t afraid.

Because for the first time since Haley’s death, Aaron wasn’t pushing you away.

He was holding on.

Aaron didn’t move for a long time. He just held you, his breath warm against your neck, his grip firm like he was afraid you’d slip away if he loosened it even a little. You didn’t rush him. You didn’t speak. You just stayed there, letting him take what he needed.

Eventually, his grip eased slightly, and he pulled back just enough to look at you. His eyes were red-rimmed, heavy with exhaustion, but there was something else there too—something quieter, softer.

“Jack’s been asking for you,” he admitted, his voice rough from emotion.

Your heart clenched. “Yeah?”

Aaron nodded, dragging a hand down his face. “He keeps asking when you’re coming back.” He swallowed hard, glancing away for a moment. “I didn’t know what to tell him.”

You hesitated, searching his face. “Did you… want me to come back?”

His jaw tensed slightly, like he was still fighting some internal battle with himself. But when his eyes met yours again, the hesitation melted away.

“Yes.” The word was quiet but firm. A choice.

Relief washed over you, but you didn’t let it show too much—you knew this was still fragile ground. “Then I will,” you said simply.

Aaron let out a slow breath, nodding. He stepped back fully then, rubbing the back of his neck like he was trying to shake off the weight of everything between you. “He’ll be happy to see you.”

You offered a small smile. “I’ll be happy to see him too.”

A beat of silence stretched between you, filled with everything unsaid. Then, tentatively, you reached out, your fingers brushing against his hand. He looked down at the touch, his expression unreadable, before slowly lacing his fingers with yours.

“Stay,” he said, so quietly you almost didn’t hear it.

You squeezed his hand. “Okay.”

And just like that, the space between you closed—not completely, not yet, but enough. Enough to remind him he wasn’t alone. Enough to remind you that he wanted you here, even if he didn’t quite know how to say it.

And for now, that was enough.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE 🫵 EEL BUTLER AND LION SIMP. Now that we know how you feel about their new idol fits, can I ask how does your OC feel about them? iirc she’s not a sona or self insert so her thoughts might be different than yours.

[Referencing this post!]

First of all, I think it's just really funny to think about Crowley having his students wear school-sponsored/mandated idol outfits and sing on stage 🤡 The opening story to the Blazing Jewel event confirms that Crowley’s having them do a musical live for an acquaintance of his who was impressed by their VDC/SDC performance. "It's good for your futures!" he'll insist. "And good for attracting generous donations and sponsors!" "No more complaining from you boys! Get into those suits, slap on your makeup, and I'll see you out there on the bright, shining stage!" ☆～（ゝ。∂）(The boys all grumble about how much they hate this asdasvufvyofqevyefabi)

Assuming that's the situation, maybe poor Miss Raven is told to assist Professor Crewel with making sure the boys are complying (since they're usually argumentative) OTL so she's rushing around doing makeup, adjusting their outfits, etc. She apologizes to everyone along the way--after all, it's because of her uncle that they're being inconvenienced 💦

Of course, Miss Raven does think that everyone looks good, (she especially loves all the shiny bits on the outfits, how they catch the light and sparkle) but she's still plagued by the guilt of knowing most of them don't want to be here. Makes herself glance away or stare at the wall if she thinks she's been looking at someone for too long; she knows that's awkward and impolite. She has to stay professional!

Jade would find it all amusing--it's different than the usual everyday, so he welcomes the change in pace. He plays along, behaving like the perfect little angel (excluding some teasing).

"... You seem awfully pleased about this," Raven remarks as she fiddling with some chains. They've twisted, and she's beginning to suspect he purposefully knotted them to prolong the time she spends with him.

"Fufufu... Well, it does take me back to my middle school days. Floyd, Azul, and I used to play in a little jazz band of our own. The contrabass, in fact."

She quirks a brow. "You? In a band? That's... surprising. This isn't another one of your deceptions, is it?"

He laughs, and it sounds musical itself. "Is that really so difficult to believe? Music is considered a precious gift to merfolk. Being able to share a song with the world means more to me than you can possibly imagine."

"Oh, is it? That's interesting. I had no idea that music held such significance to your people. Many birds share a similar sentiment; songs and special calls may be used to find partners, so it has more of a romantic connotation."

"My, how... fascinating." His mismatches eyes glitter with mirth. "Perhaps we are more alike than I initially thought."

She sighs. "... Please do not get ahead of yourself and focus on the task at hand. This performance needs your undivided attention."

Jade leans in, his nose and hers almost touching, his smile razor-sharp. "Then I do hope you whole-heartedly accept my gift to you, Miss Raven."

Leona's the opposite; he's pissed off that he got woken up from his nap to do what is essentially a friggin' PR stunt to make the school and the headmaster look good. Bitches and moans the entire time.

"You aren't making this easier for anyone, Leona-san. Certainly not for yourself," Raven gently scolds him. He's fighting with the buttons of his dress shirt, which strain to contain him. "I understand that this is an annoyance, but please bear with it for the time being. It will go by that much faster if..."

The buttons finally give up and come free. His shirt spills open to the valley of his cleavage.

Raven frowns, raising a hand to shield her eyes out of respect. "I'm not sure that's appropriate for our purposes."

"You're soundin' an awful lot like Kifaji, Canary." Leona shoots her a scathing glare. She balks, her resolve wavering. "I gotta breathe, don't I? And 'sides, if it's publicity the headmaster's after, he'll get his damn publicity."

Raven raises a finger, but quickly lowers it and clamps her mouth shut. It's not worth it to argue with him. He's cooperating for now, just nod and move on. "... Very well, so long as you get approval from Professor Crewel before walking on stage, it should be fine."

She spins on her heel to head to the next student--but a commanding voice calls out, pinning her in place.

"Not so fast."

A shadow falls over her. Raven dares not move.

"The headmaster, Crewel. I don't care what either of 'm thinks--but what about you? I need the little assistant's approval too, don't I?" Leona steps into view, tugging on the lapels of his jacket. "I'll need ya to appraise me real carefully."

[cressidagrey]

The McLaren Matchmaking Disaster

Pairing: Oscar Piastri x Sabrina Clarke (Original Character)

Summary:

Sabrina Clarke is sure Oscar Piastri hates her—he either ignores her, runs away, or responds like a malfunctioning robot.. In reality, Oscar has a massive crush… and is the most socially inept man on the planet. Enter Lando Norris, self-proclaimed matchmaking genius, and suddenly, all of McLaren is watching their disaster of a love story unfold. 

Warnings and Notes: 

Happy Race Weekend! To celebrate, here are 10k of socially awkward Oscar 😂 Warnings: Other than Oscar being an idiot and not being very nice...not really? Unless you count Lando being a menace.

(Also it's Lando (Car) because Ken's job is Beach. Get it? 😂)

As always big thanks to @llirawolf , who listens to me ramble

Running Tally of Oscar’s Most Awkward Moments Around Sabrina

(Maintained by McLaren Staff, because they are way too invested)

Sabrina: “Morning, Oscar!”Oscar: blinks three times, nods, walks into a doorframe. 

Sabrina sneezed. Oscar panicked and said “Congratulations.”

Sabrina asked if he wanted a snack from the media lounge. Oscar responded with “Thank you, you too.”

Sabrina tripped on a cable. Oscar, trying to help, tripped over the SAME CABLE. They both ended up on the floor.

Sabrina was filming content and asked, “Oscar, do you have a fun fact for the fans?” Oscar: “No.” (And then just walked away.)

Sabrina put a hand on his arm while laughing. Oscar’s brain fully rebooted. Lando had to snap in front of his face to get him to respond.

She handed him a water bottle during a shoot. Instead of taking it, he just… held out his hand next to it like a Sims character waiting for an animation to load.

Sabrina: “Hey, Oscar, can I ask you something?” Oscar: “No.” (Then realized what he said and immediately walked away.)

He got caught staring at her during lunch. When she asked what was up, he picked up a random spoon and said “This is nice.”

Sabrina: “How are you feeling today?” Oscar: “Yes.”

Sabrina: “Do you need anything before the press conference?” Oscar: “Uh… oxygen?”

Lando asked Sabrina to pass Oscar a clipboard. Oscar fumbled it so badly it ricocheted off the table and hit him in the stomach.

Sabrina: “Hey, Oscar, do you have a charger?” Oscar: “I have… no.” (He had one in his hand.)

She asked what he was listening to in his headphones. Oscar blurted out “the national anthem” for no reason.

Sabrina: “Oh, Oscar, you have something on your face.” Oscar, instead of asking where, just froze and stared at her like a deer in headlights until Lando wiped it off for him.

She walked into the room while he was drinking a smoothie. He immediately forgot how to use the straw and inhaled half of it into his lungs.

Oscar was tying his shoes when Sabrina walked by and said, “Hey, Piastri!” Oscar just… stayed crouched on the ground like a gargoyle until she left.

Sabrina: “You look tired, did you sleep well?” Oscar: “No thanks.”

Sabrina: “Oh, I love that hat on you!” Oscar: “You too.” (She wasn’t wearing a hat.)

She waved at him during the drivers’ parade. Oscar waved back but was so distracted he almost fell off the float.

During a McLaren team lunch, she asked, “Oscar, do you want ketchup?” Oscar: “I don’t know.” (?????)

He saw her struggling to carry some equipment and instead of offering to help, he just stood there stress-blinking until Lando stepped in.

Sabrina asked, “How’s your day going?” Oscar: “It’s Tuesday.” (It was Sunday.)

He walked into a doorframe because Sabrina smiled at him.

Sabrina: “Good luck out there!” Oscar, despite knowing how to form sentences, somehow responded with, “Yeah, you too!” (She was not driving.)

During a chaotic debrief, she passed him a pen. He took it, then immediately handed it back to her without using it.

Sabrina complimented his driving. Oscar panicked and said, “Thanks, I try to be fast.” (Oscar. You drive F1. That is the point.)

They accidentally reached for the same energy drink. Oscar let go immediately, then left to get a different one from the other side of the garage, as if the fridge had personally betrayed him.

He tried to be polite and open a door for her. Somehow ended up standing directly in the doorway instead, effectively blocking her path.

Sabrina: “Are you busy later?” Oscar: “Yes.” Sabrina: “Oh, with what?” Oscar: “I don’t know.” (SIR.)

Oscar tried to make a joke during a group conversation with Sabrina. He messed up the punchline, got flustered, and then said, “Never mind,” and fully walked away.

Sabrina: “That was a great race!” Oscar: “Thank you, you too.” (AGAIN, SHE WAS NOT RACING.)

He was standing near the coffee machine when Sabrina approached. Oscar: “Oh, do you want coffee?” Sabrina: “Yeah!” Oscar, despite standing closest to the machine: “Okay, cool,” and then just walked away without making her one.

***

Oh. 

Oh no. 

Oscar would rather face a wet track on slicks than a conversation with Sabrina Clarke. Unfortunately, she was walking straight toward him, all sunshine and good intentions, and he was fresh out of exit strategies.

Oscar should have seen it coming.

He should have known the exact moment he stepped out of the McLaren motorhome that fate would betray him.

Because there, standing directly in his path, was her.

Sabrina, the McLaren Social Media Admin with the sunshine personality and way too much energy at ungodly hours of the morning. Sabrina, who always had a camera in his face and a teasing smile. Sabrina, who made his brain short-circuit every time she so much as said his name.

Sabrina, with sparkling blue eyes and blonde hair and a smile that made him forget everything. 

Sabrina, who Oscar was utterly, hopelessly, embarrassingly into.

Which was a problem, because every time she tried to talk to him, he went completely blank. Like an idiot.

He could already feel his brain preparing to betray him. Sabrina Clarke was too nice, too bright, too pretty, too much—and he was about to be too awkward, again.

Sabrina Clarke had the kind of energy that made people gravitate toward her. Oscar, meanwhile, was actively considering throwing himself into a bush, so he didn’t need to talk to her. 

He didn’t even have time to process it before—

"Oh! Hey, Oscar!"

—brain malfunction.

His heart did something weird. His palms went sweaty. His ability to form words? Gone. Completely erased.

Sabrina was smiling at him, completely oblivious to the fact that he was internally combusting.

Say something, say something, SAY SOMETHING—

"Move."

Sabrina blinked. "What?"

Oscar wanted to die.

"Uh—" he cleared his throat, staring anywhere but at her. "You’re. In the way."

(She wasn’t. Not even a little bit.)

Sabrina’s face immediately dropped. "Oh—sorry?" she said, stepping aside quickly.

Oscar didn’t even acknowledge it. He just walked past her. Like a complete asshole.

It took every ounce of self-control not to physically sprint away.

Behind him, he could hear her mutter, "Okay, what did I even do?" under her breath.

He hated himself.

And then—

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"

Lando’s voice boomed from behind him, but Oscar refused to stop walking.

Lando, however, had zero intention of letting him get away.

"OI, PIASTRI, GET BACK HERE!"

Oscar sped up.

Lando broke into a jog.

"Why are you like this?!" Lando shouted as he fully started chasing him.

Oscar turned a corner—bad idea. It was a dead end.

Lando caught up in seconds, skidding to a stop, hands on his hips, staring at him like he was some kind of scientific anomaly.

"Dude. WHAT. WAS. THAT."

Oscar, still pretending he had any dignity left, shrugged. "Nothing."

Lando threw his hands in the air. "NOTHING?! You literally just behaved like the biggest arsehole this side of the Atlantic!"

"Lando, leave it."

Lando did not leave it.

Instead, he physically grabbed Oscar by the shoulders. "Okay, I let the last seven incidents slide, but THIS? Mate, you just bulldozed past her like she wasn’t a human being."

"I panicked."

Lando threw his hands up. "Oscar. Mate. Why are you like this?"

Oscar checked his imaginary watch. "Oh wow, look at the time. Gotta go."

Lando stepped in front of him. "Oh no, you don’t. You’re going to explain why every time Sabrina so much as looks at you, you lose all brain function."

Oscar pressed his lips into a thin line.

Lando’s eyes widened. "Wait—OH MY GOD."

Oscar knew exactly when realization hit.

Lando’s face lit up with the force of a thousand light bulbs.

"You LIKE her."

Oscar immediately attempted to escape.

Lando tackled him.

Well—not tackled, but he grabbed Oscar’s arm in a death grip.

"You actually like her. This is golden," Lando cackled, shaking him slightly. "You absolute idiot. Oh, I have to fix this."

"No."

"Yes."

"Lando, I swear—"

"Don’t care, already decided. Operation Get Sabrina and Oscar Together is a go."

Oscar groaned, tilting his head back against the wall. "I hate everything."

Lando clapped a hand on his shoulder. "No, you love Sabrina. And I’m making sure she knows it."

He closed his eyes. Oscar knew—deep in his soul—this was only the beginning of his suffering.

***

Sabrina stormed into the media office, tossing her iPad onto the desk with a dramatic sigh. She spun around in her chair, hands flung into the air.

"He hates me. He HATES me."

Her colleague and friend, Gabby, barely looked up from her laptop. "Who hates you?"

Sabrina let out an exasperated laugh. "Oscar! Piastri! Did you not just see what happened out there?"

Gabby frowned, finally paying attention. "Uh, no? What did he do?"

Sabrina turned in her chair so fast it nearly tipped over. "I was literally just walking to the garage—MINDING MY OWN BUSINESS—and he comes out of nowhere, and tells me to move. Because I am in his way. He makes direct eye contact, glares at me like I personally offended his ancestors, and then just—walks away. No words. Just pure, unfiltered hostility in his eyes."

Gabby blinked. "That’s… weird."

"RIGHT?" Sabrina threw up her hands again. "At this point, I feel like I must've wronged him in some past life. Like, maybe I cut him off in traffic when we were both pigeons or something, because there is no other explanation!"

Gabby let out a short laugh. "I don’t think that’s how reincarnation works."

"Well, something happened, because I have never seen someone so fundamentally allergic to my existence!" Sabrina groaned, dropping her head onto the desk.

"Maybe he’s just awkward?" Gabby suggested.

Sabrina lifted her head, narrowing her eyes. "No. No, he is actively avoiding me. Like I carry some kind of Oscar-specific plague. And today? Today was a new level! He looked pissed off! What did I do?!"

Gabby considered it for a moment before shrugging. "I mean, if he really hated you, he’d probably just be indifferent. Maybe he’s just bad at talking to people he doesn’t know well?"

Sabrina gave him a flat look. "We have worked in the same paddock for over a year. If he wanted to know me, he could just, oh, I don’t know—say words instead of burning a hole through my soul with his death glare!"

Gabby held up her hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, you have a point."

Sabrina groaned again, leaning back in her chair and covering her face with her hands. "God, I swear if I find out I somehow insulted his entire bloodline without realizing it, I’m quitting."

Gabby smirked. "No, you’re not."

"Okay, but I’ll think about it dramatically," Sabrina muttered.

Gabby patted her shoulder. "I believe in you."

Sabrina sighed. "Well, someone has to."

***

Lucy (Engineer): Okay, someone PLEASE explain what just happened with Oscar and Sabrina in the paddock??

Jordan (Marketing): Oh my god, yes. I saw that. What was that???

Matt (Mechanic): He just… bulldozed past her like she was invisible.

Adam (Hospitality): No no, he looked directly at her, said ‘Move’ and WALKED AWAY.

Lucy (Engineer): ???????????????

Adam (Hospitality): I was standing right there. Sabrina just went “What did I even do?” and looked genuinely hurt.

Gabby (Social Media):  She thinks he hates her.

Jordan (Marketing): I mean… fair assumption.

Gabby (Social Media): Is Oscar beefing with our own social media team? Did we post something offensive about him?

Emily (PR): I NEED TO KNOW BECAUSE IF HE IS, THAT IS A NIGHTMARE WAITING TO HAPPEN.

Lando (Car): GUYS

Lando (Car): YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE WHAT I JUST DISCOVERED

Jordan (Marketing): Lando, if you’re about to say Oscar hates Sabrina, we already know.

Lando (Car): NO. THAT’S NOT IT. HE LIKES HER.

Matt (Mechanic): Sorry.

Matt (Mechanic): HE WHAT?

Emily (PR): Be so serious right now.

Lando (Car): DEAD SERIOUS. He has a stupid crush on her, and every time she talks to him, he just completely SHORT CIRCUITS.

Emily (PR): So what you’re saying is—he wasn’t just being an asshole for no reason today.

Lando (Car): CORRECT. HE WAS AN ASSHOLE BECAUSE HE IS A SOCIAL DISASTER WITH A CRUSH.

Matt (Mechanic): Wow. That is somehow worse.

Jordan (Marketing): So all those weird, awkward interactions we’ve been tallying up for the last month…

Matt (Mechanic): WERE BECAUSE HE LIKES HER???

Lando (Car): YES. I CAN’T BELIEVE IT TOOK ME THIS LONG TO FIGURE IT OUT.

Gabby (Social Media): Okay but. Someone has to tell Sabrina this because I think she genuinely believes she has committed a crime against him in a past life.

Jordan (Marketing): Lando. Do something.

Lando (Car): Oh don’t worry. I’m already matchmaking.

***

Oscar Piastri had a massive crush on Sabrina.

Unfortunately, Oscar also had the social skills of a malfunctioning toaster when it came to talking to her. The guy could navigate an F1 car at 200 mph with the precision of a machine, but the second Sabrina so much as looked at him? Catastrophe.

Which was exactly why Lando—being the helpful, selfless friend that he was—decided it was time to intervene.

Sabrina was standing by the McLaren garage, chatting with one of the engineers, her laugh carrying over the hum of activity. Oscar was approaching from the other side, completely oblivious to her presence.

Lando saw an opportunity.

"Oscar, mate," he said, slapping a hand on his shoulder. "Come with me real quick."

Oscar barely had time to react before Lando was steering him directly toward Sabrina.

Oscar immediately stiffened. "Why are we going this way?"

"Because," Lando grinned, "you need to learn how to talk to her like a normal human being."

Oscar immediately started looking for an escape route. "Nope. No. Absolutely not."

But it was too late. They were already there.

"Sabrina!" Lando greeted cheerfully. "Oscar has something to say to you."

Sabrina turned, surprised. "Oh? What’s up, Oscar?"

Oscar’s brain blue-screened.

He stared at her.

Sabrina, smiling, waited for him to speak.

Oscar did not speak.

Lando nudged him, eyebrows raised. Dude, say something.

Oscar’s brain panicked. "I—uh—" He swallowed. "—nothing. It's fine."

Sabrina’s smile faltered. "Oh… okay?"

Lando blinked. "That’s not what you were gonna say, mate."

Oscar refused to make eye contact. "Nope, I’m good. I should—uh—go."

Sabrina’s confusion deepened. "Did I do something?"

Oscar whipped around, eyes wide. "What? No! No, you’re fine. It’s just—uh—" He struggled. "It’s me."

Sabrina hesitated, her expression unreadable. "Right."

Lando watched in horrified fascination as Oscar, now fully committed to fleeing, muttered a quick, "Okay, bye," and walked away.

Just like that.

Sabrina blinked after him. "Did… did he just leave?"

Lando dragged a hand down his face. "Oh my God."

Sabrina turned to him, exhaling sharply. "Lando. Be honest."

"Mm-hmm?"

"Does Oscar hate me?"

Lando choked. "What? No! No, he—" He stopped himself, then groaned, dragging a hand through his hair. "Oh, this is so much worse than I thought."

Sabrina frowned. "I don’t understand. Every time I talk to him, he either ignores me, barely acknowledges me, or runs away."

Lando shook his head. "He doesn’t hate you."

Sabrina crossed her arms. "Then what’s his problem?"

Lando hesitated. Then, exasperated, he muttered, "He has a massive crush on you."

Sabrina laughed out loud. "No, he doesn’t."

Lando threw his hands up. "Sabrina, think about it. He’s fine with literally everyone else, but the second you show up? He turns into an awkward disaster and flees."

Sabrina gave him a deeply skeptical look. "That means he likes me?"

Lando nodded. "He is so down bad, it's pathetic."

Sabrina shook her head. "Or, he just hates me and doesn’t know how to tell me."

Lando groaned. "This is a nightmare."

Sabrina sighed. "Look, Lando, I appreciate the optimism, but from where I’m standing? Oscar Piastri despises me."

Lando desperately needed to fix this.

Instead, he pulled out his phone and opened the McLaren group chat.

***

Lando (Car): I have failed. Sabrina 100% thinks Oscar hates her. This is worse than I imagined.

Gabby (Social Media):  How did you fail?

Lando (Car): I TRIED TO HELP. I walked Oscar right up to her. I gave him the perfect opportunity.

Jordan (Marketing): And??

Lando (Car):  And he stared at her like a deer in headlights, muttered some nonsense, then WALKED AWAY.

Emily (PR): …Like just walked away?

Lando (Car): Just turned and LEFT. Like a weirdo.

Gabby (Social Media):  Oh my god.

Emily (PR): Does he think she’s Medusa or something? Why does he keep acting like she’s about to strike him down?

Matt (Mechanic): At this point, I’d believe it.

Lando (Car):  AND THEN Sabrina ASKED ME IF OSCAR HATES HER.

Lucy (Engineer): Oh no.

Jordan (Marketing): HE WHAT???

Lando (Car): I TRIED to explain but SHE DOESN’T BELIEVE ME.

Jordan (Marketing): I mean… can we blame her??

Lando (Car): GUYS. HE DOESN’T HATE HER. HE LIKES HER. HE LIKES HER SO MUCH IT HURTS TO WATCH.

Matt (Mechanic):  I need receipts. How do you know?

Lando (Car): HAVE YOU SEEN HIM AROUND HER? HE CAN’T FUNCTION.

Jordan (Marketing): I thought maybe he was just awkward in general, but no. He is specifically incapable of speaking to Sabrina.

Emily (PR): This is so embarrassing for him.

Lando (Car): RIGHT?

Gabby (Social Media):  So what do we do?

Lando (Car): FIX IT. We need to get them in a situation where Oscar CAN’T ESCAPE.

Lucy (Engineer): Like what? Lock them in a room?

Lando (Car):  …Not a bad idea.

Lucy (Engineer): HR would not approve.

Lando (Car): Ugh, fine. But we need a Plan B. I REFUSE to let Oscar fumble this forever.

Emily (PR): I’m just fascinated by the fact that Oscar Piastri—who is literally one of the most composed drivers on the grid—completely crumbles in front of Sabrina.

Jordan (Marketing): I KNOW RIGHT.

Matt (Mechanic):  Someone needs to record this for science.

Lando (Car): You guys don’t understand. He’s DOOMED. And she genuinely thinks he LOATHES her.

Lucy (Engineer): This is actually tragic.

Lando (Car): I AM TAKING MATTERS INTO MY OWN HANDS.

Lucy (Engineer): Oh no.

Gabby (Social Media):  This will end in flames.

Jordan (Marketing): Can’t wait.

Lando (Car): Watch and learn, people. 🚨

***

Sabrina slumped into her chair, rubbing her temples like she was nursing the world's worst headache. Across from her, Gabby leaned against the desk, arms crossed, waiting for an explanation.

“So, let me get this straight,” Gabby said slowly. “Lando Norris—who is the human embodiment of chaos—just waltzed up to you and said Oscar Piastri has a crush on you?”

Sabrina groaned, dragging her hands down her face. “Yes.”

Gabby blinked. “Oscar Piastri.”

“Yes.”

“The same Oscar Piastri who, just today, physically recoiled when you asked if he needed anything?”

Sabrina let out a hysterical laugh. “YES.”

Gabby whistled. “Wow. You’re right. He definitely has a crush on you.”

Sabrina shot her a glare. “Be serious.”

“I am serious.”

Sabrina threw her hands in the air. “How does that make any sense?! He doesn’t even look at me for more than two seconds. Every time I speak to him, he either ignores me, stares like I’ve just grown a second head, or runs away like I’m carrying the plague.”

Gabby hummed. “Yeah, that does sound like a man with a debilitating crush.”

Sabrina let out another groan and dropped her head onto her desk. “Oh my god. I can’t believe I believed Lando for even a second.”

“Did he at least have evidence?”

“His exact words were: ‘He doesn’t hate you, Sabrina. He likes you. He likes you so much he’s malfunctioning.’”

Gabby snorted. “That sounds like Lando.”

“Right?” Sabrina threw up her hands. “And when I told him Oscar’s actively avoiding me, he just went, ‘No, no, that’s just because he’s awkward and nervous.’ As if that’s supposed to be reassuring!”

Gabby tapped a finger against her chin. “I mean. That does check out.”

Sabrina gaped at her. “You’re insane.”

Gabby just shrugged. “I’m just saying—if I were you, I’d consider the possibility.”

Sabrina groaned dramatically. “Or, hear me out—he just hates me.”

Gabby gave her an exasperated look. “Sabrina, no one has ever hated anyone the way Oscar Piastri allegedly hates you.”

“Exactly!”

“No, I mean, if he did actually hate you, he’d be way more normal about it.”

Sabrina blinked. “What?”

Gabby smirked. “If he truly disliked you, he’d be able to talk to you just fine. People don’t act weird around people they don’t like. They act weird around people who make them nervous.”

Sabrina opened her mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. “...No.”

Gabby just grinned. “Yes.”

Sabrina scowled. “You and Lando are both delusional.”

Gabby shrugged. “Maybe. Or maybe you should test it.”

Sabrina narrowed her eyes. “How?”

Gabby’s grin widened. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe just… talk to him again. See if he spontaneously combusts.”

Sabrina huffed, crossing her arms. “Fine. But when I prove you wrong, you’re buying me coffee.”

Gabby chuckled. “Deal. But when I’m right—I get to say ‘I told you so’ forever.”

***

Sabrina took a deep breath. Okay. This time, it’s going to be fine. It was just a normal conversation. Nothing weird. No running away. No painful silence. Just… normal.

Just Attempt #376 of Sabrina Laurel Clarke trying to have a normal Conversation with Oscar Jack Piastri. 

She spotted Oscar standing by the coffee machine, looking at it like it had personally betrayed him. This was her chance. No escape routes. No distractions.

“Hey, Oscar,” she said, keeping her voice light and casual.

Oscar visibly flinched.

Sabrina hesitated, then pushed forward. “You okay?”

Oscar’s mouth opened, then closed. He blinked at her. Then, with the most robotic movement imaginable, he slowly turned back to the coffee machine. “Fine.”

Sabrina frowned. “Are you sure? You look—”

“I am fine,” he cut in, voice slightly too loud. “Totally. Completely fine. Nothing is wrong. Everything is great.”

Sabrina stared at him. “...Okay?”

Oscar jabbed a button on the coffee machine with unnecessary force. Nothing happened. His jaw tightened. He jabbed it again. Still nothing. Sabrina watched, mildly concerned, as he pressed the button three more times, increasingly frantic.

“Do you want me to—”

“No.”

“Oscar, I think it’s out of—”

“I said no.”

A beat of silence.

Then, because fate clearly had a sense of humor, the coffee machine sputtered violently—and exploded espresso directly onto Oscar’s shirt.

Sabrina gasped. “Oh my god.”

Oscar stared at himself, completely blank-faced, coffee dripping down his front.

Sabrina moved without thinking, grabbing a napkin from the counter. “Here, let me—”

But as soon as she stepped forward, Oscar jerked back like she was about to attack him. “I’M GOOD.”

Sabrina froze mid-motion, napkin in hand.

Oscar stood there, eyes wide like a deer in headlights, coffee-soaked, absolutely radiating panic.

Then, before she could say anything else, he spun on his heel and speed-walked out of the room.

Sabrina stood there, napkin still raised, mouth open in disbelief.

And that was when she heard laughter.

She turned to see Lando, cackling into his hand, watching the whole disaster unfold like it was the funniest thing he’d ever seen.

“He hates me,” Sabrina muttered, dropping the napkin.

Lando wiped a fake tear from his eye. “Nah, mate. He’s just in love with you.”

Sabrina gaped at him. “Are you—did you see that?! He ran away from me like I was a literal threat to his safety.”

“Exactly,” Lando said smugly. “That’s not hate. That’s terror.”

Sabrina threw up her hands. “SAME THING.”

Lando just grinned. “Trust me. It’s really not.”

****

Lando: Oi.

Lando: Mate.

Lando: OSCAR.

Lando: ANSWER ME.

Lando: YOU RAN AWAY FROM HER LIKE SHE WAS THE GRIM REAPER.

Lando: BECAUSE OF A COFFEE MACHINE.

Lando: DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW INSANE THAT LOOKED.

Oscar: Leave me alone.

Lando: I will absolutely not.

Lando: You physically recoiled when she tried to hand you a napkin. A napkin, Oscar.

Oscar: I panicked.

Lando: NO SHIT.

Lando: She thinks you hate her.

Oscar: …

Oscar: That’s unfortunate.

Lando: UNFORTUNATE???

Lando: YOU ARE A DISASTER.

Oscar: I KNOW. STOP REMINDING ME.

Lando: Fix it.

Oscar: How?

Lando: Oh, I don’t know, maybe stop acting like she’s an apex predator every time she looks at you?

Oscar: That’s not helpful.

Lando: Neither are you, mate.

Oscar: I’ll figure something out.

Lando: You’d better. Because I swear, if you make her think you hate her one more time, I am personally locking the two of you in a room until you admit you like her.

Oscar: …

Oscar: You wouldn’t.

Lando: Try me.

***

Oscar knew—knew—that Lando was up to something the second he walked into the McLaren motorhome. The smug grin. The too-casual lean against the counter. The glint of mischief in his eyes that could only mean bad things.

Oscar didn’t have the patience for it today.

“What,” he said flatly.

Lando beamed. “Oh, nothing. Just thinking how tragic it is that you and Sabrina never seem to get much time together. What a shame.”

Oscar’s stomach dropped. “Lando—”

“So I thought,” Lando barreled on, ignoring him entirely, “why not fix that? Quality bonding time! No better way to build team spirit.”

Oscar took a slow, steadying breath. “Lando.”

“Which is why,” Lando continued, still smiling like a menace, “you and Sabrina are filming a ‘Try the Aussie Snack’ video together in five minutes.”

Oscar’s soul left his body.

“No,” he said immediately. “Absolutely not.”

“Yes.”

“I’m not doing it.”

“You are doing it.”

Oscar’s eye twitched. “I refuse.”

Lando clapped him on the shoulder. “Too late! Already confirmed. Sabrina’s setting up the camera.”

Oscar stared at him, betrayed.

“You’re the worst.”

“I’m the best,” Lando corrected. “Now go. And for once, try acting like a normal person around her.”

Oscar considered running. But before he could even attempt an escape, Lando grabbed him by the shoulders and physically steered him toward the media room.

This was going to be a disaster.

Oscar could already feel the impending catastrophe brewing as Lando shoved him into the media room.

Sabrina was there, sitting cross-legged on the couch, setting up the camera with an easy smile. That was already a problem.

Because Oscar, despite all his best efforts, forgot how to be a functional human being the second she smiled at him.

“Hey, Oscar,” she said, looking up. “Ready to try some weird snacks?”

He opened his mouth.

Nothing came out.

Lando, standing behind him, groaned. “Oh my god. Speak.”

Oscar managed a nod. A stiff, awkward nod that made Sabrina blink in confusion.

Lando sighed, already regretting everything. “Okay, I’m leaving before I get second-hand embarrassment.” He gave Oscar a pointed look. “Don’t screw this up.”

And then, just like that, he was gone.

Leaving Oscar alone. With Sabrina. On camera.

This was a nightmare.

Sabrina tilted her head, studying him. “You okay?”

“Yes,” he said too quickly. “Fine.”

She gave him a look, clearly unconvinced, but didn’t press. Instead, she lifted the first snack—some kind of mystery Tim Tam flavor—and held it up. “Alright, first one up. Want to do the honors?”

Oscar nodded again, grabbed the package, and—

Immediately fumbled it.

The Tim Tams slipped right out of his hands, hit the table, and tumbled onto the floor.

Silence.

Oscar stared at them, horrified. Sabrina stared at him, confused.

Then, to make it worse, instead of just picking them up like a normal person, Oscar blurted out:

“I meant to do that.”

Sabrina laughed.

Like, full-on laughed.

And Oscar? He wanted the earth to swallow him whole.

Instead, he bent down, grabbed the fallen package, and shoved it back onto the table with unnecessary force. “Let’s just—let’s just get on with it.”

Sabrina was still grinning as she unwrapped the pack, clearly amused. “Sure, whatever you say.”

The rest of the filming went about as well as expected.

Which was to say: terribly.

Oscar stammered through half his sentences, nearly choked on a Wagon Wheel, and at one point, when Sabrina playfully nudged his arm, he nearly knocked over the entire table.

By the end of it, Sabrina must be fully convinced he was the strangest person alive.

And Oscar?

Oscar was fully convinced Lando Norris was going to die for putting him through this.

****

Lando (Car): 

Lando (Car):  I just did my best matchmaking work to date.

Emily (PR): Oh no.

Matt (Mechanic): Oh no.

Gabby (Social Media):  Oh no.

Lucy (Engineer): Oh no.

Lando (Car):  Why do you all react like that??

Emily (PR): Because your matchmaking has the success rate of a crashed simulator.

Matt (Mechanic):  What did you do?

Lando (Car):  I set up Oscar and Sabrina to film the snack taste test together.

Adam (Hospitality):  Oh no.

Lando (Car):  STOP SAYING THAT.

Adam (Hospitality):  And how did it go?

Lando (Car):  Not well.

Emily (PR): Define not well.

Gabby (Social Media): Wait. I just watched the footage.

Gabby (Social Media): The footage is completely unusable unless we want people to think Oscar is actively having a stroke.

Matt (Mechanic):  What did he do??

Gabby (Social Media):  He dropped the snacks, stumbled over every sentence, stuttered like 15 times, choked on a Wagon Wheel, and almost knocked over the table because Sabrina barely nudged him.

Matt (Mechanic): For fuck’s sake.

Gabby (Social Media): Sabrina literally came up to me after filming and once again was like, “I think Oscar genuinely hates me.”

Lando (Car):  HE LIKES HER. HE JUST DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO FUNCTION.

Adam (Hospitality):  This is the worst case of “boy failure” I have ever seen in my life.

Emily (PR): Can we salvage anything from the footage?

Gabby (Social Media):  I mean. It is funny.

Lando (Car): Post the choking clip.

Emily (PR): We are NOT posting footage of one of our drivers choking on a Wagon Wheel.

Lando (Car): Cowards.

***

Sabrina wasn’t sure why Lando had insisted she sit next to Oscar at the team dinner, but she should have known it was a terrible idea.

The moment she slid into the seat beside him, he tensed like someone had just threatened to light him on fire.

“Hey,” she tried, keeping her voice light.

Oscar didn’t even look at her. “Hi.”

It was clipped. Sharp. Barely there.

Sabrina blinked. Okay, then.

She tried to brush it off. Maybe he was just tired. Maybe he was stressed. Maybe—

“Oh, Sabrina, you’ve gotta try this,” Lando announced, loudly enough for half the table to hear. He speared something off his plate and dropped it onto hers like he was a benevolent king bestowing a gift. “Oscar loves it. Right, Oscar?”

Sabrina glanced at Oscar just in time to see him staring at the food like it had personally offended him.

“…Sure,” he muttered, then grabbed his glass and took a sip of water like it physically pained him to be part of this conversation.

She hesitated. “I mean, if you like it, I’m sure it’s good—”

Oscar made a noise that was something between a cough and a laugh. “Yeah. Right.”

Sabrina froze.

What the hell was that supposed to mean?

Lando kicked Oscar under the table—Sabrina could hear it—but Oscar just shot him a glare and went back to stabbing at his food with a little too much aggression.

Okay. She’d give him one more chance.

Sabrina turned to him again. “So, uh, do you have any fun off-weekend plans?”

Oscar finally, finally looked at her.

“No.”

Then he immediately turned back to his plate.

Lando groaned and dropped his head into his hands.

Sabrina clenched her jaw.

She was done.

Every time she tried to talk to Oscar, he shut down completely. He either ignored her, barely acknowledged her, or treated her like she was a personal inconvenience.

And yet, for some insane reason, Lando kept pushing them together.

She shoved a forkful of food into her mouth, silently seething.

Lando was wrong.

Oscar didn’t like her.

Oscar Piastri hated her.

***

Lando (Car):  I GIVE UP.

Lando (Car):  I TRIED. I REALLY TRIED.

Lando (Car):  AND HE JUST SAT THERE LIKE A F***ING STATUE AND MADE IT WORSE.

Matt (Mechanic): What happened??

Lando (Car):  IT’S A DISASTER.

Lucy (Engineer): Oh no.

Emily (PR): What did he do this time?

Lando (Car):  Sabrina tried to make conversation. Asked about his weekend. Lando (Car):  And this idiot just said “No.” AND WENT BACK TO EATING.

Jordan (Marketing): 💀💀💀

Emily (PR): You’re joking.

Gabby (Social Media):  WHY IS HE LIKE THIS????

Lando (Car):  I DON’T KNOW. I WISH I DID.

Matt (Mechanic): What did Sabrina do?

Lando (Car):  She looked like she was seriously reconsidering her life choices.

Lando (Car): And I don’t blame her.

Gabby (Social Media):  We’re gonna lose her. She’s gonna quit and it’s gonna be Oscar’s fault.

Jordan (Marketing): What if he actually does hate her? Like, genuinely?

Lucy (Engineer): No way. I caught him staring at her like a lovesick puppy two days ago.

Lando (Car):  EXCUSE ME??????

Lucy (Engineer): Yeah. He was watching her across the paddock. Full-on, dazed, in a trance, staring.

Jordan (Marketing): So he likes her. But every time she talks to him, he malfunctions.

Matt (Mechanic): That’s what we’re saying, yes.

Lando (Car):  I am going to fight him.

Emily (PR): How are you gonna fix this?

Lando (Car):  I DON’T KNOW. HE WON’T LET ME HELP.

Gabby (Social Media):  Maybe stop helping.

Lando (Car):  NEVER.

***

Sabrina flopped down onto her bed with a deep sigh, staring up at the ceiling. “I think I’m actually starting to take it personally.”

Her roommate, Gabby, barely looked up from where she was scrolling on her phone. “What, the Oscar thing?”

“Yes, the Oscar thing,” Sabrina said, throwing an arm over her face. “It was funny at first. Like, ‘oh, haha, Oscar Piastri is awkward around me,’ but now—Gabby, I swear to God, I think he actually hates me.”

Gabby finally put her phone down. “He doesn’t hate you.”

Sabrina let out a humorless laugh. “He won’t even speak to me! Do you know what happened today? I asked him how his weekend was, and do you know what he said? No.”

Gabby blinked. “No?”

“Just ‘no’ and then he went back to eating like I didn’t exist.”

Gabby winced. “Ouch.”

Sabrina groaned, rubbing her hands down her face. “And then Lando looks like he’s ready to kill him, and I don’t even know why! Like, am I missing something?”

Gabby bit her lip, hesitating. “…Well.”

Sabrina turned her head to look at her. “What?”

Gabby shifted. “Lando did say Oscar has a crush on you.”

Sabrina just stared at her for a second. Then she scoffed. “Yeah, right.”

“I’m serious.”

“That makes zero sense,” Sabrina argued, sitting up. “Who acts like that around someone they like? He actively avoids me! I feel like I’m in high school again and the guy I had a crush on would rather jump into traffic than have a conversation with me.”

Gabby sighed. “I know it’s weird, but maybe he’s just really, really bad at talking to his crush?”

Sabrina let out a small, sad laugh. “Well, whatever the reason, I’m kind of over it. I don’t like feeling like an inconvenience every time I open my mouth.”

Gabby gave her a sympathetic look. “Maybe you should just… stop trying?”

Sabrina flopped back onto the bed. “Yeah. I think I will.”

***

Sabrina had always prided herself on being professional. On handling things with grace. On not letting things get to her.

But tonight, Oscar Piastri had officially broken her.

She didn’t know why she even bothered anymore. She had spent months trying to be friendly, trying to smooth over whatever invisible tension sat between them, trying to convince herself that maybe—maybe—she was just imagining things.

But she wasn’t.

Because when she had reached out—again—to be nothing but nice to him, he had made it crystal clear how he felt about her.

It had been something so small.

She had only been trying to help.

They had all been standing around post-race, the energy in the McLaren garage a buzz of relief and exhaustion. She had noticed his water bottle was empty and, without thinking, had grabbed a fresh one off the table and handed it to him.

A normal, human gesture.

And then, Oscar—fucking Oscar—had recoiled.

Actually recoiled. Like she was something disgusting.

“I don’t need you to do things for me,” he had snapped.

Loud enough for people to hear.

Loud enough that Lando had blinked at him like he had lost his mind.

Loud enough that Sabrina had felt the words like a slap across the face.

It was the way he said it. The disgust. The finality. The absolute contempt in his voice, like she had committed some crime just by offering him a bottle of water.

Her fingers had gone numb around the plastic before she let it drop to the table, her throat so tight she thought she might actually choke on it.

For a second, she swore she saw regret flash in his eyes, but she didn’t care.

Because fuck that.

She had taken a step back, plastered on that bullshit little smile she had gotten too good at faking, and said, “Noted.”

Then she turned on her heel and left.

She didn’t stop until she was out of the garage, away from the noise, away from him, before her hands started to shake. Before the stupid lump in her throat finally won.

She had spent months trying to figure out what she had done to make Oscar Piastri hate her so much.

And now?

Now she was just done.

Sabrina barely made it around the corner before her breath hitched in her throat.

She had tried—God, she had tried—to keep it together, to swallow it down like she always did, to shake it off and pretend like it didn’t matter.

But it did.

Because she was so tired of this. Of trying, of second-guessing, of making excuses for why Oscar Piastri treated her like she was something he couldn’t stand to be around.

And tonight? Tonight, he hadn’t even tried to hide it.

A fresh wave of humiliation crashed over her, and suddenly, she was gripping the side of a metal barricade, blinking rapidly as tears burned in her eyes.

“...Sabrina?”

She squeezed her eyes shut, willing her voice to come out normal before she turned. But one look at Gabby, her closest friend on the media team, and it all crumbled.

Because Gabby took one look at her face and knew.

“Oh, babe.”

That was all it took. The dam broke.

Sabrina let out a harsh, shaky breath, pressing her palms against her face as the tears finally spilled over.

“I don’t—I don’t know what I did,” she choked out, voice wrecked.

Gabby stepped in without hesitation, arms wrapping around her tightly, like she could shield Sabrina from the weight of it all.

“You didn’t do anything,” she murmured. “He’s just—he’s weird—”

“No, he hates me.” Her voice cracked, and she shook her head, pulling back just enough to look at her friend. “I don’t—why does he hate me?”

Gabby’s expression twisted, like she was trying to figure out the right thing to say. But there wasn’t a right thing to say, because there wasn’t a reason.

Sabrina wasn’t stupid. She knew not everyone had to like her. But this? This was something else. Something cruel, something that made her feel like she was some idiot constantly trying to reach for a friendship that was never going to exist.

And maybe she could’ve handled that.

But what she couldn’t handle was how much it hurt.

How much it made her feel like she was the only one in the world who didn’t understand why she deserved it.

Gabby exhaled, tightening her grip on Sabrina’s shoulders.

“You need to stop trying,” she said gently. “Because if he’s too much of a coward to explain himself, then he doesn’t deserve to have you wasting another second on him.”

Sabrina let out a wet, broken laugh, swiping furiously at her face.

“I wish I could,” she whispered. “I really do.”

***

Gabby (Social Media): LANDO. I AM GOING TO KILL YOUR TEAMMATE.

Lando (Car):  …okay, so context would be great before I start panicking???

Jordan (Marketing): Seconded. What did Oscar do this time?

Gabby (Social Media): Oh, you mean aside from being a complete nightmare of a human being to Sabrina for MONTHS??

Lando (Car):  Look, I know he’s socially incompetent, but what happened?

Gabby (Social Media): HE MADE HER CRY.

Lucy (Engineer): OH WHAT THE HELL.

Matt (Mechanic): Wait, actually cry? Not just frustrated huffing and ‘I’m gonna scream’ kind of cry?

Gabby (Social Media): FULL ON. TEARS. Lando, she thinks he hates her. She literally just said, “Why does he hate me?” THROUGH TEARS.

Lando (Car):  …I’m going to kill him.

Gabby (Social Media): Not if I get there first.

Emily (PR): Oh my God. Sabrina is one of the nicest people here, what is WRONG with him??

Lando (Car):  You guys. He doesn’t hate her. He likes her. He just has the social skills of a damp paper towel.

Gabby (Social Media): OH REALLY? You wanna come tell her that while she’s sobbing into my shirt??

Lando (Car):  I—

Lando (Car): Okay yeah that’s really bad.

Adam (Hospitality): What the hell does he do to make her think he hates her???

Gabby (Social Media): Oh, you mean aside from looking like he’d rather walk into oncoming traffic than hold a conversation with her?? Or the fact that whenever she so much as breathes in his direction, he either ignores her or flees the scene like she’s a serial killer???

Matt (Mechanic): Tbf, he also does that when I ask him to sign merch for my niece.

Gabby (Social Media): THAT IS NOT THE POINT.

Lando (Car):  I swear he’s just a nervous wreck around her.

Gabby (Social Media): Well, congratulations, your nervous wreck of a teammate has finally broken her.

Lando (Car): Okay, okay, I’m fixing this.

Gabby (Social Media): Fixing it how??

Lando (Car):  Step 1: Yell at Oscar.

Lando (Car):  Step 2: Figure out Step 2.

Emily (PR): This is going to be a disaster.

Matt (Mechanic): Someone record it.

***

Oscar barely had time to react before Lando stormed into his hotel room, slamming the door shut behind him.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Lando demanded, eyes blazing.

Oscar blinked, still in his McLaren hoodie, halfway through removing his shoes. “Uh—”

Lando cut him off. “Sabrina is CRYING, mate. ACTUAL TEARS. Do you understand how hard it is to make someone like Sabrina cry? You have to be horrible. And congratulations! You did it!”

Oscar’s stomach sank. “She’s crying?”

“Yes, you absolute moron!” Lando threw his hands up. “Gabby just texted the group chat saying she’s full-on sobbing because she thinks you hate her.”

Oscar swallowed. “I don’t—”

“I KNOW YOU DON’T,” Lando yelled. “But do you know what she knows? That every time she tries to talk to you, you look like you’re being held at gunpoint and then RUN AWAY.”

Oscar rubbed a hand over his face, guilt pooling in his gut. “I didn’t mean to—”

“Well, guess what? Intentions don’t mean shit if the person on the other end is crying their eyes out in a hotel room thinking you despise their existence.” Lando grabbed Oscar’s arm and yanked him toward the door. “You’re coming with me.”

Oscar dug his heels in. “Lando—”

“No. I don’t care if you combust from secondhand embarrassment. You’re apologizing to her.”

Oscar sighed, defeated, and let himself be dragged down the hallway.

Sabrina looked up when the door swung open. Her eyes are still red-rimmed, and when she sees Oscar standing there, she stiffened immediately. Gabby, beside her on the bed, narrowed her eyes.

“What is he doing here?” Sabrina asked, voice hoarse.

“He has something to say,” Lando announces, shoving Oscar forward before leaning against the door like a prison guard. “And he’s not leaving until he says it.”

Oscar’s mouth went dry. Sabrina crossed her arms, waiting. Gabby glared.

“I—” Oscar started, but the words catch in his throat.

Sabrina exhaled sharply. “Let me guess. You want me to stop bothering you? You think I should take the hint?” She shook her head, voice cracking. “I get it, okay? I got it a long time ago. You don’t have to do this whole awkward pity act.”

Oscar felt like the world had flipped upside down. “Sabrina—”

“No,” she interrupted, standing up. “You’ve spent months making me feel like I’m less than nothing to you. Like I’m some annoyance you can’t wait to get away from. And now, what? You’re forced to be here, and I’m supposed to pretend it’s fine?”

“That’s not—”

“Then WHAT is it?” she snapped, eyes burning. “Because I have tried, Oscar. I’ve tried to be nice. I’ve tried to talk to you. And every single time, you look at me like I’ve killed your dog before you run away like you can’t stand to be in the same room as me.” Her voice wobbled. “Do you have any idea how much that sucks?”

Oscar was frozen, heart pounding. Sabrina’s chest rises and falls unevenly, her fists clenched at her sides.

“I don’t hate you,” he blurted.

Sabrina lets out a bitter laugh. “You have a really funny way of showing it.”

“I don’t—” Oscar ran a hand through his hair, exhaling harshly. “I like you, okay?”

The room went dead silent.

Sabrina blinked. “What?”

Oscar squeezes his eyes shut, then opened them again. “I like you,” he repeats, quieter this time. “That’s why I’ve been so—” He gestures vaguely at himself, expression pained. “Weird. I get nervous, and then I panic, and then I make everything worse.”

Sabrina just stares at him, speechless. Gabby’s jaw has dropped. Lando lets out an I KNEW IT under his breath.

Oscar shifted awkwardly. “I never meant to make you feel like I hated you. I just... didn’t know how to act like a normal person around you.”

Sabrina exhaled slowly, emotions warring on her face. Finally, she rubbed her hands over her eyes. “I cannot believe this.”

Oscar winced. “Yeah.”

Lando clapped his hands together. “Okay, well, I think this is a great development! Now that the truth is out, maybe we can all move past the months of absolute torture you’ve both inflicted on us.”

Sabrina glared at him. “Lando.”

“What?”

She sighed. “Shut up.”

Oscar was standing there like he wants the ground to swallow him whole. Gabby, sitting on the bed, was looking between them like she’s watching the most fascinating TV drama of the year.

“You like me,” Sabrina repeated, like she’s trying to process the words in real time. “That’s why you’ve spent months acting like I have the plague?”

Oscar shifted his weight from foot to foot, looking thoroughly miserable. “Yes?”

Sabrina stared at him, then threw her hands up. “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard!”

Lando makes an exaggerated ding ding ding motion with his hands. “That’s what I’ve been saying!”

Oscar shot him a glare. “Not helping.”

Sabrina pressed her fingers to her temples, exhaling sharply. “Do you know how much I’ve stressed about this? How much I’ve analyzed every single interaction we’ve ever had, trying to figure out what I did to make you hate me? And the answer was just this?” She gestured at him, looking completely exasperated. “You like me?”

Oscar winced. “I panicked.”

“Oh my god,” she groaned, dropping onto the edge of the bed.

Lando leaned against the wall, looking far too amused by the situation. “I mean, at least we got to the bottom of it, yeah? No more crying, no more existential crises about why Oscar Piastri has been treating you like an actual curse.”

Sabrina glared at him again. “Lando.”

“What?”

“Go away.”

Lando blinked. “Excuse me?”

“This is your fault,” she said, standing back up and jabbing a finger in his direction. 

Lando scoffed, offended. “I tried! Do you know how many times I’ve told Oscar to stop being a complete weirdo about this?” He turned to Oscar. “Tell her! Tell her how many times I’ve told you to stop being an idiot!”

Oscar sighed. “He has told me.”

“See?” Lando gestured dramatically. “I tried to help, but noooo, someone just had to be emotionally repressed and incapable of functioning like a normal human being around their crush.”

Oscar pinched the bridge of his nose. “Lando, leave.”

Lando raised his hands in surrender. “Fine. But you both owe me after this.”

He strided to the door, pausing dramatically with his hand on the handle. “Oh, and just so you know? The entire McLaren staff group chat is losing their minds over this. We’ve all been waiting for this moment for months.”

Sabrina groaned. Oscar looks like he might pass out.

Lando grinned. “Okay, now I’m leaving.”

And with that, he walked out, whistling cheerfully.

Gabby gave them one look before following behind him. 

Once the door clicked shut, silence settled over the room.

Sabrina exhaled, looking up at Oscar again. “So.”

Oscar shifted uncomfortably. “So.”

She tilted her head, studying him. “What do we do now?”

He hesitated, then said, “I think this is the part where I properly apologise for being a complete asshole.”

Sabrina snorted, some of the tension finally easing from her shoulders. “Yeah. Probably.”

Oscar met her eyes. “I really am sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel like—like any of that. I was just so nervous all the time that I kept making things worse, and then it snowballed, and I didn’t know how to fix it.”

Sabrina watched him for a long moment, like she was deciding whether or not to accept that. Then she sighed. “Okay.”

Oscar blinked. “Okay?”

“I accept your apology,” she said, crossing her arms again. “But you really need to work on your people skills.”

A ghost of a smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “Yeah. I’ve been told.”

She raised an eyebrow. “By Lando?”

“And everyone else.”

She let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. “God. This is ridiculous.”

Oscar hesitated. “I, um. I get if this whole thing has been too much, and if you don’t want to—”

“Oh my god, just ask me out,” Sabrina interrupts.

Oscar stops. “What?”

Sabrina gestures vaguely. “You. Me. A date. Because if I have to spend one more week waiting for you to act normal, I will actually lose my mind.”

Oscar swallowed. “Would you say yes?”

Sabrina sighed dramatically. “After all of this? If I say no, I’d just be proving Lando right about us being a disaster.”

Oscar let out a short laugh. “So… will you go out with me?”

Sabrina rolled her eyes, but there was a small smile playing at the corner of her lips. “Yes, Oscar.”

Oscar exhales, something warm settling in his chest. “Okay. Good.”

A beat of silence. Then—

“OH MY GOD,” Lando yells from outside the door. “I KNEW IT.”

Oscar groans. Sabrina bursts into laughter.

And just like that, everything finally made sense.

***

Lando (Car):  EVERYONE SHUT UP AND PAY ATTENTION. I HAVE DONE IT. I HAVE SUCCEEDED. I AM A GENIUS.

Lucy (Engineer): …What did you do.

Lucy (Engineer): Oh god, what did you break.

Adam (Hospitality): If this is about your fantasy football league, I’m muting you.

Lando (Car):  NO. IT’S EVEN BETTER. I HAVE MATCHMADE. I HAVE FIXED OSCAR PIASTRI.

Lucy (Engineer): That’s a bold claim.

Matt (Mechanic): That’s an impossible claim.

Adam (Hospitality): Fixed in what way? Like, emotionally? That feels out of your skill set.

Lando (Car): OSCAR AND Sabrina ARE GOING ON A DATE. I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS. I AM CUPID. I AM INEVITABLE.

Lucy (Engineer): …What.

Jordan (Marketing): No.

Matt (Mechanic): This is a prank.

Lando (Car):  ASK HIM. ASK HER. I DRAGGED HIM TO APOLOGIZE AND HE CONFESSED HIS CRUSH AND THEN SHE SAID YES AND NOW THEY’RE A THING.

Lucy (Engineer): Oh my god.

Adam (Hospitality): I feel like this should be impossible.

Emily (PR): Are we sure she’s not secretly plotting revenge?

Gabby (Social Media): Yeah, I feel like she deserves at least a week to recover from months of psychological warfare before making this decision.

Lando (Car):  NOPE. IT’S HAPPENING. I AM A HERO.

Lucy (Engineer): I don’t think that’s the word I’d use.

Adam (Hospitality): Did Oscar even want you to set them up?

Lando (Car):  LOL NO.

Matt (Mechanic): So you bullied him into a relationship.

Lando (Car): MATCHMAKING. NOT BULLYING. DIFFERENT.

Gabby (Social Media): Sabrina better make him suffer first, just on principle.

Lucy (Engineer): Yeah, she deserves to be emotionally compensated.

Emily (PR): Someone make sure Oscar doesn’t panic and ruin it before the first date even happens.

Lando (Car):  DON’T WORRY. I AM HIS DATING COACH NOW.

Gabby (Social Media): That is so much worse.

Matt (Mechanic): This is a disaster.

Lucy (Engineer): I’m getting popcorn.

Jordan (Marketing): Oh, absolutely.

Adam (Hospitality): We should start a bet on how long it takes before Sabrina realizes dating Oscar is harder than working here.

Lando (Car):  Y’ALL HAVE NO FAITH.

Emily (PR): Absolutely not.

Lucy (Engineer): None.

Adam (Hospitality): Zero.

Matt (Mechanic): We have seen him try to talk to her.

Lando (Car):  WELL NOW THEY’RE DATING. SO I WIN.

Gabby (Social Media): Bold of you to assume she won’t dump him out of frustration within a week.

Jordan (Marketing): Honestly, I give it three days.

Lando (Car):  Y’ALL ARE HATERS. I AM A LEGEND. OSCAR OWES ME HIS LIFE. Sabrina OWES ME HER HAPPINESS. THIS TEAM OWES ME A STATUE.

Matt (Mechanic): …

Lucy (Engineer): Muting him now.

Jordan (Marketing): Same.

***

Lando (Car):  UPDATE. THEY ARE ON THE DATE. I REPEAT. THEY ARE ON THE DATE.

Lucy (Engineer): Are you watching them right now?

Jordan (Marketing): Are we… stalking them.

Matt (Mechanic): I just wanna know how long until Oscar panics and spills his drink.

Lando (Car): I’M NOT STALKING. I’M JUST… MAKING SURE MY HARD WORK PAYS OFF.

Gabby (Social Media): You are literally sitting two tables away from them.

Lando (Car):  THAT’S CALLED SUPERVISION.

Emily (PR): This is deeply unethical.

Lucy (Engineer): Yeah, I’m pretty sure we’re violating like five HR policies right now.

Gabby (Social Media): If HR asks, I was not here.

Matt (Mechanic): So what’s happening?

Lando (Car):  OKAY. So. Sabrina is talking. Oscar is nodding. HE HAS NOT SAID A SINGLE WORD.

Lucy (Engineer): Classic.

Jordan (Marketing): Sounds about right.

Lando (Car):  Wait. WAIT. HE JUST TRIED TO TALK. HE OPENED HIS MOUTH.

Lucy (Engineer): And?

Lando (Car): HE KNOCKED OVER HIS WATER GLASS INSTEAD.

Lucy (Engineer): Of course he did.

Gabby (Social Media): That’s our boy.

Emily (PR): Was it a full glass?

Lando (Car):  OH IT WAS VERY FULL. IT HAS NOW ENTERED Sabrina’S LAP.

Jordan (Marketing): Jesus Christ.

Lucy (Engineer): It’s over. She’s leaving.

Adam (Hospitality): There is no coming back from this.

Lando (Car): NO WAIT SHE’S LAUGHING.

Matt (Mechanic): What?

Lucy (Engineer): …Why??

Adam (Hospitality): Is she okay??

Lando (Car):  I THINK SHE JUST ACCEPTED THAT HE’S A DISASTER AND IS EMBRACING IT.

Gabby (Social Media): Honestly, that’s the only way this relationship survives.

Emily (PR): I have no words.

Matt (Mechanic): Is Oscar okay?

Lando (Car):  HE LOOKS LIKE HE WANTS TO CRAWL UNDER THE TABLE BUT SHE’S SMILING AT HIM. HE MIGHT SURVIVE THIS.

Gabby (Social Media): Sabrina is way too kind for this world.

Jordan (Marketing): Should we be worried about her decision-making skills?

Gabby (Social Media): Absolutely.

Lando (Car):  GUYS GUYS SHE JUST PUT HER HAND ON HIS ARM. THIS IS PROGRESS.

Matt (Mechanic): Do you think he’s gonna pass out?

Lucy (Engineer): 50/50 chance.

Jordan (Marketing): Do we have a medic on standby?

Adam (Hospitality): I bet he overthinks it and freezes.

Lando (Car):  HE’S JUST STARING AT HER HAND LIKE IT’S A COMPLEX MATH PROBLEM.

Matt (Mechanic): Yeah, that tracks.

Lucy (Engineer): What’s the over/under on him panicking and excusing himself to the bathroom for like ten minutes.

Adam (Hospitality): Already placing bets.

Lando (Car):  I AM SO PROUD. MY BOY IS ON A DATE. HE’S FLAILING BUT HE’S ON A DATE.

Emily (PR): This is the single most unhinged group chat I have ever been part of.

Gabby (Social Media): Agreed.

Matt (Mechanic): Not even top five, honestly.

Lando (Car):  I WILL UPDATE YOU ALL LATER. STAY TUNED.

Lucy (Engineer): God help us all.

Lando (Car):  OKAY UPDATE. OSCAR SURVIVED THE HAND ON ARM INCIDENT. BARELY.

Lucy (Engineer): Define “barely.”

Matt (Mechanic): Is he still breathing?

Lando (Car):  Yes. But he was so still for like a full 30 seconds that I thought he had short-circuited.

Adam (Hospitality): He probably did.

Gabby (Social Media): The man is a Windows XP loading screen in human form.

Lando (Car):  Anyway. They’re talking again. I can’t hear what they’re saying but Sabrina just tilted her head like she’s curious about something.

Emily (PR): Oh god. What did he say?

Lando (Car):  I HAVE NO IDEA BUT HIS FACE IS COMPLETELY RED.

Matt (Mechanic): He probably just apologized for spilling the water… again.

Lucy (Engineer): That’s fair. But also, is it too much to ask for him to just act normal for one date?

Gabby (Social Media): Yes.

Adam (Hospitality): Highly unrealistic expectations.

Lando (Car):  HOLY SHIT WAIT. HE JUST MADE HER LAUGH. ON PURPOSE.

Lucy (Engineer): No way.

Matt (Mechanic): That doesn’t sound right.

Adam (Hospitality): Are you sure she’s laughing with him and not at him?

Lando (Car): It looked intentional???

Emily (PR): Are you absolutely certain?

Lando (Car):  No.

Jordan (Marketing): Reasonable.

Lando (Car): BUT SHE’S STILL SMILING AND HE LOOKS LIKE HE MIGHT ACTUALLY BE RELAXING.

Lucy (Engineer): Impossible.

Adam (Hospitality): Sounds fake.

Matt (Mechanic): I won’t believe it until we see proof.

Lando (Car):  WELL GOOD NEWS. I HAVE FOOTAGE.

Emily (PR): Lando, please tell me you did not just record them on their date.

Lando (Car):  I may or may not have.

Jordan (Marketing): That is so creepy.

Lucy (Engineer): So send it.

Adam (Hospitality): Yeah, we need evidence.

Lando (Car):  SENDING…

(Lando has sent one video.)

Matt (Mechanic): …Wait. Is this actually real???

Lucy (Engineer): He did make her laugh.

Jordan (Marketing): She leans in a little too.

Adam (Hospitality): This is history.

Emily (PR): I hate that we’re all so emotionally invested in this.

Lando (Car):  GUYS WAIT—

Jordan (Marketing):: Oh no.

Matt (Mechanic): What?

Lando (Car):  HE JUST LOOKED AT HER LIPS.

Lucy (Engineer): 😳

Adam (Hospitality): 😳

Jordan (Marketing):: 😳

Matt (Mechanic): 😳

Gabby (Social Media): …Are we about to witness Oscar Piastri actually kissing someone???

Lando (Car):  I DON’T KNOW BUT HE IS THINKING ABOUT IT. I CAN SEE IT.

Lucy (Engineer): Oh my god.

Gabby (Social Media): Sabrina just tucked her hair behind her ear. That’s the universal “I like you” sign.

Matt (Mechanic): This is HUGE.

Lando (Car): GUYS HE’S GONNA DO IT. HE’S GONNA—

Gabby (Social Media): DON’T JINX IT.

Lando (Car):  OH FOR FUCK’S SAKE. HE JUST PANICKED AND LOOKED AWAY.

Lucy (Engineer): Oh my god.

Adam (Hospitality): This idiot.

Matt (Mechanic): The sheer whiplash.

Lucy (Engineer): This is painful to witness.

Emily (PR): Someone go shake some sense into him.

Lando (Car):  I AM SO MAD.

Gabby (Social Media): We were so close.

Lucy (Engineer): Classic Oscar Piastri.

Matt (Mechanic): What now.

Lando (Car):  I AM FORMULATING A PLAN.

Jordan (Marketing):: God help us.

Emily (PR): Please don’t make it worse.

Lando (Car): I will get these two together if it’s the last thing I do.

Gabby (Social Media): Let’s be honest, it probably will be.

Lucy (Engineer): R.I.P. Lando Norris. Cause of death: excessive matchmaking attempts.

Gabby (Social Media): We’ll put it on your tombstone.

Lando (Car):  YOU’LL THANK ME WHEN THIS WORKS.

Gabby (Social Media): Big if.

Emily (PR): Huge if.

Lando (Car):  You’ll see. 😈

Lando (Car):  OKAY. NEW PLAN.

Gabby (Social Media): Oh no.

Lucy (Engineer): Here we go.

Matt (Mechanic): I’m scared.

Jordan (Marketing):: We should be.

Emily (PR): Lando, I beg you to reconsider whatever you’re about to say.

Lando (Car): TOO LATE. I’M TEXTING OSCAR RIGHT NOW.

Adam (Hospitality): About what?

Lando (Car):  ABOUT HOW HE NEEDS TO STOP BEING A COWARD AND KISS HER.

Matt (Mechanic): …During the date?

Lucy (Engineer): Oh my god.

Jordan (Marketing):: He’s going to see you texting him.

Gabby (Social Media): Lando, no.

Lando (Car):  Lando, yes.

(Lando has sent a screenshot.)

Lando (Car):  SENT.

Matt (Mechanic): …“KISS THE GIRL YOU COWARD.”

Gabby (Social Media): That’s what you went with???

Jordan (Marketing):: Subtle.

Lucy (Engineer): Elegant.

Emily (PR): Deranged.

Lando (Car): Well, he just looked at his phone.

Gabby (Social Media): Oh god.

Matt (Mechanic): How’s he reacting?

Lando (Car):  He blinked. Like, twice. Real fast.

Adam (Hospitality): That means he’s panicking.

Gabby (Social Media): Yeah, that’s a full system reboot.

Lando (Car):  WAIT. HE JUST PUT HIS PHONE DOWN AND SAID SOMETHING TO HER.

Lucy (Engineer): WHAT DID HE SAY.

Lando (Car):  I DON’T KNOW, I CAN’T LIP READ. BUT SHE’S SMILING.

Matt (Mechanic): HOLY SHIT.

Gabby (Social Media): If this works, I take back everything I said.

Lucy (Engineer): No you won’t.

Gabby (Social Media): Yeah, no I won’t.

Lando (Car):  HE’S LEANING IN.

Gabby (Social Media): OH MY GOD.

Adam (Hospitality): I’M GOING TO THROW UP.

Gabby (Social Media): IT’S HAPPENING.

Jordan (Marketing): SOMEONE RECORD THIS.

Emily (PR): DO NOT RECORD THIS.

Lando (Car):  I ALREADY AM.

(Lando has sent one video.)

Gabby (Social Media): HOLY SHIT HE DID IT.

Gabby (Social Media): I NEED A MOMENT.

Matt (Mechanic): HE ACTUALLY KISSED HER.

Jordan (Marketing):: I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS WORKED.

Emily (PR): Delete the video. Right now.

Lando (Car):  Absolutely not.

Matt (Mechanic): He’s still alive, right? Like, he didn’t just immediately short-circuit and pass out?

Lando (Car):  Barely.

Lucy (Engineer): I think we should all take a moment to recognize the true hero here.

Jordan (Marketing):: Lando?

Lucy (Engineer): Lando.

Matt (Mechanic): Lando.

Gabby (Social Media): Please don’t encourage him.

Lando (Car):  You’re all so welcome. 😌

***