#today i worked on a pair of trousers and tomorrow i have to do some pattern things for class

[giverofempathy]

also have been away from social media for a couple of days and its soooo nice ive been reading so much

[ellastone-olsen]

Fucked my way up to the top - Wanda Maximoff

DO NOT COPY ANY OF MY WORKS. MINORS DNI 18+ ONLY

Summary: You just got your first job in your life and suspiciously quickly became an assistant to the director of the company. Where's the catch?

Pairing: ceo!Wanda Maximoff × f!reader

Warnings: NSFW, dom!Wanda, sub!reader, age gap (W34 R21), mommy kink, strap on usage (W), blow job (R), pet names

DISCLAIMER: ENGLISH ISN'T MY FIRST LANGUAGE SORRY FOR GRAMMAR OR SPELLING MISTAKES

Word count: 1.2k

AN: inspired by lana del rey i really love that song

You just graduated from a college you didn't even want to go to. Wrong college, wrong specialty, but as a result, very much the right job. After one day you began to believe in fate and that this entire chain of events in your life was a blessing from above. After all if it weren’t for the strong nature of your parents who sent you to study, you would never have met Wanda.

At some point, you thought that you would never find a job in your specialty until you saw the ideal vacancy: the salary, the location of the office, the schedule, the educational requirements, everything suited you. There definitely had to be a catch somewhere. And it definitely was.

“No, put it in its place, I don’t need these papers and coffee right now. I have a meeting Y/N, why answer me i need coffee? Just think for once with your pretty little head.” That catch was your boss, Wanda Maximoff. That's what you thought at first.

You trotted behind her on the way to the conference room; in general, the very fact that the director of the company took you on as her personal assistant was already a great success. Some worked in one place for years and remained as an office clerk. And then Wanda Maximoff took you to bring her coffee, not the hardest job, especially for the money that you were paid.

When you entered the room, the hall was empty. One characteristic feature of your boss was excessive punctuality, you realized this in your first week of work. You took your place at the head of the table next to her when you felt manicured hands rest on your shoulders, stroking them. That was the second thing about Wanda Maximoff, she loved to touch you, a lot. Sometimes she would tuck a stray strand behind your ear, sometimes she would stroke your thigh; in general, such touches from her were nothing new. If you said you didn't enjoy it, you'd be lying. Wet dreams with her began to visit you in the third week of work.

And now, from her touch, you could feel your core throbbing. To your great regret, at that moment the conference room began to fill with people. As important and powerful as Wanda. To be honest, you didn’t understand that such a small employee like you was even doing here.

The meeting lasted about an hour and during this time you could feel with your whole being how tense your boss was. Everything was definitely not going the way she wanted; one of the men opposite was already starting to scream, unable to prove that he was right. The deal was on the verge of failure. “Okay gentlemen, I think that’s enough for today. We’ll continue tomorrow.” Wanda could not stand it and marked the end of this meeting.

When the hall was empty, the woman sat down in a chair with her legs spread, a sigh escaped her lips and one hand again lay on your thigh, squeezing it. "Fucking bastards." She muttered and your gaze caught the older woman's pants. She wore an expensive formal suit with a bulge imprinted on the trousers. Your eyes widened, your breath caught in your throat as you wondered what her purpose was..."See something you like?" You jumped at the question, scared that you had been caught. One of Wanda's hands strokes your thigh, moving up closer to your already dripping pussy while the other massages her fake cock through the fabric of her pants. You look at her expressionless face and nod in response to the question.

"On your knees". The chair moves back with a creak, giving you space. You stand in front of her to look into her eyes, darkened with lust, for a second and fall to your knees. Hands immediately reach for her trousers, sorting out the belt and pulling them off along with her underwear. A red strap jumps out in front of your face and you start to get nervous about the size. “I don’t think it will fit..”. You are interrupted by a grip in your hair. "Don't worry baby girl I'll make it fit now suck my cock."

She guides your head towards her length and you curl your tongue around the tip as if she can feel it. You raise your eyes and look at her, and then shut your mouth on her dick, feeling tears gathering in the corners of your eyes. Her palm cups your cheek and her thumb wipes away drops of moisture, “Oh my sweet girl wants to please her mommy so bad.” She helps you by guiding your head up and down her length, your panties are hopelessly ruined and you squirm, looking for some kind of relief. Wanda lifts her hips so that your nose touches her stomach and holds you like that for a few seconds. When your boss lets you go, your makeup is hopelessly ruined and you gasp for air.

"Such a good sweet girl. Do you want mommy to put her dick inside you? Do you want me to stretch you out and fuck you until you forget your name?" You are still kneeling in front of her and a pathetic whine comes out of your mouth, “Please mommy I really need you to fuck me.” Wanda likes your answer and growls, she pulls you to your feet and then bends you over the large office desk. Your cheek is pressed against the cold surface, the older woman has already hiked up your skirt to your waist and is stroking your throbbing pussy through the fabric of your cotton panties.“My, my, you’re already absolutely wet and I haven’t touched you yet. Do you like sucking mommy’s cock so much? Maybe next time should I fuck this beautiful, capable mouth mmm?" A sharp slap on your ass makes you gasp. "Yes yes please I will like it so much.”

Your underwear falls to your ankles and the tip of her cock teases your throbbing clit and then runs through the folds, collecting your arousal. Without warning, she fills you to the edge and started to pound at a slower pace than you would like. You gasp from the stretch "Mommy it's too big. Feel so full." Her pace increases, her hand finds your swollen clit and rubs it making you cry. "That's my good girl. Taking me so well. Come on baby mommy needs to de-stress after these bastards." Wanda leans over you and bites your neck as she continues to pound into you at a faster pace, your velvet walls starting to clench around her length. "Oh fuck Ms. Maximoff I'm close I gonna cum." Wanda’s cock hits that nice spot inside you so deliciously, pushing you inexorably to the edge. "Come on baby, cum for me. Show mommy how good she fucks you." Her fingers rub your sensitive bud faster and you see stars cumming all over her cock, crying out inaudible curses into the silence of the office. She continues to move, prolonging your orgasm until your breathing evens out.

She pulls out her faux cock and then a pair of strong arms turns you around so you're face to face so she can press her lips to yours in a leisurely kiss. Wanda walks back to sit back in her chair, holding you by the waist, pulling you behind her so that you sit on her lap. “I was not mistaken in choosing you as my assistant.”

[megalony]

Be Our Midwife

This is an Eddie Diaz imagine, requested by anon, a lot like my latest Buck imagine. I hope you will all like it, I enjoyed writing this one and have a lot of requests lined up for you all. Let me know what you think.

Taglist: @justagirlthatlovedtoread @musicistheway @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @luula @missdreamofendless @bradleybeachbabe @woderfulkawaii  @amberpanda99 @daggersquadphantom @marvel-and-chicago-fan @angryknightstatesmantrash @minjix @lyjen @kmc1989 @itsmytimetoodream @noonenuts @hiireadstuff @ashie-babie @classyunknownlover @jayyeahthatsme @sp1ritssz @dumb-fawkin-bitch @oliverstarksbae @gimatida @heart-35 @supernaturalstilinski @stefansalvatoresgf @kyky9103 @wutheringhearts2275 @gay4hotmilfs @itshamleth @chaoticnosleepinfluencer @gs29 @wh0reforsmutstuff @mel-vaz @natashamea18 @chrisevansdaughter @alexandra8484 @deena-beena-weena @targaryenluvs @shelbygeek @kpoplover-19 @marvelmenarebeautiful @gillybear17

Eddie Diaz Masterlist

Summary: While (Y/n) is spending some time with Buck, she suddenly goes into labour. They both pray Eddie will be there in time.

Enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A smile curved on Eddie's lips as he walked back into the bedroom and locked his eyes on his wife. She was stood in front of the dressing table, wearing only her bra and a pair of Eddie's lounge shorts while she gathered her hair up in a loose bun.

He finished tucking his shirt into his trousers and padded across the carpet until he was stood behind her and he curved his arms around her waist.

His hands moved to cup her bare stomach with his elbows pinning into her hips and his chest pressed up against her back. He felt the shiver that bolted down her spine when he pressed his lips just below her ear and started to nip at the skin.

(Y/n) let her head fall back on Eddie's shoulder and her hands moved to hold his wrists when his lips started to make a trail down the side of her neck and over her shoulder. Her eyes closed and she held her breath, trying to sink into his touch, but if they carried on he was going to be late for work.

"Eddie, baby…" Her words trailed off into a groan when Eddie bit her neck like a vampire and she was sure he had drawn blood.

She tightened her hands on his wrists as his fingers started to feather up and down her stomach. She could feel his lips curving into a wicked smile when he turned her to the left and slowly started walking her over to the bed. Her knees bumped into the mattress before she managed to turn around in his arms, turning to jelly in his tight embrace when he kissed her.

His lips stole her breath and devoured her like he was trying to take all of her oxygen and inhale her like a drug. His fingers squeezed her hips and he nudged her back until the back of her knees pressed into the mattress and she had no choice but to sit down.

She parted her knees to the sides so Eddie could stand between them and she smiled when his hands drifted up from her sides to cup her jaw instead.

"Baby you'll be late for work." (Y/n) strained to lean her head back until her lips were level with his and she gingerly kissed his lips, soft and quick, barely even there, to tease him back.

(Y/n) could have swooned when she watched the way Eddie grinned down at her. He towered over her like a skyscraper and when he was stood over her like that with his knees pressing into her thighs, he looked mesmerising.

She moved to lean forward, moving her arms around his waist so her hands could grip his back and she pressed her face into his chest for a few minutes, breathing in his scent. She knew he had to get going soon or he wouldn't be on time for his night shift at the station. He was doing a double, working from tonight until late tomorrow afternoon.

"Hm, you gonna be okay if I go?"

"You mean can I sleep without you?" (Y/n) countered, moving her hands up and down his back while Eddie leaned down to kiss the top of her head.

"Hm, no. I meant you've barely left the bed today, so are you gonna be alright if I'm at work? You didn't look so well this morning."

A shiver tore down (Y/n)'s spine and she loosened her arms around Eddie's torso when he bent down until he was crouching between her legs. His hands moved to her thighs and he gently raked his fingers up and down her thighs and beneath her shorts, creating pins and needles in his wake.

The way he perched his chin on her upper thigh made him look somewhat boyish and his soft smile made her heart leap in her chest. But it was the way he brushed his nose against her abdomen and pressed a soft kiss to her curved stomach that made (Y/n)'s hands move to grip his shoulders.

He didn't want to go to work tonight and be away for most of the day tomorrow if (Y/n) didn't feel well. He had been worried this afternoon when (Y/n) barely ate lunch and took herself back to bed. She wasn't the kind of person to stay in bed all day unless Eddie was there pinning her to the bed, or she wasn't well.

The last thing she needed was Eddie going to work and leaving her if she wasn't okay and needed him to look after her. She was eight months pregnant. If she wanted or needed Eddie to stay home, all she had to do was say so.

"No, I'll be okay, I feel better now anyway. And Buck's not at work tomorrow, I thought I'd annoy him for a while."

As much as (Y/n) felt better, she didn't want to be on her own tomorrow while Chris was at school and he was going to a friend's house for tea tomorrow too. And she hadn't spent a lot of time with Evan recently, they had all been busy. She was heading round to his apartment tomorrow to have a catch up.

If she didn't feel great, she would at least be around someone and wouldn't be on her own.

"You sure?"

"I'm sure, you don't need to worry, baby." (Y/n) dragged her fingers through his hair slowly and methodically while his lips merged with her stomach and his hands gave her thighs a squeeze.

"If you say so," His eyes locked with hers for a few seconds before he moved his attention back down to her stomach he was still kissing. "You gonna be good for daddy, hm?"

His lips curved into a grin against her stomach when he felt the baby wriggle around. And he wasn't sure whether that was a yes or a no.

***

"Want another drink?"

(Y/n) tilted her head back on the arm rest and turned to the side as much as she could to look behind her towards the kitchen.

One hand clutched the arm rest and her other hand moved to press against the base of her stomach. She wasn't sure the baby agreed with the mocktails Evan had been making. Mixing different juices and fresh fruits must have been a bit too acidic; the baby was doing summersaults.

"Just a cup of tea please," Her eyes fell closed and her palm smoothed circles over her stomach.

All morning she had been over at Evan's apartment, killing the time together and catching up. He'd made at least four mocktails and he stuck to the non-alcoholic ones himself to make it a bit more comfortable.

"Here you go, you okay?"

Inching forward, (Y/n) straightened her back out and clicked her spine into place. She kept one hand around the arm rest to steady herself and shuffled to the edge of the chair so she could be closer to the coffee table. Her eyes followed Evan as he set a cup down in front of her and moved to sit in his seat on the sofa, sitting on her left.

"Just uncomfy, and probably tired."

"Eddie said you weren't feeling well." Evan took a large gulp of his coffee, grimacing when he realised how hot he had made it.

"Oh, he did?" She prevented herself from rolling her eyes, but she could feel a smile forming on her lips despite herself.

"He's a worrier. What time's he coming over?"

"Shouldn't be too long, why, you want rid of me?" When she messaged Eddie earlier, he said he would pick her up on his way home from shift so Evan didn't have to drop her off. It was too far to walk, especially when Eddie knew she hadn't been feeling well these past few days.

"Hey, you can stay as long as you like." Evan slouched back in his seat and grabbed the remote, flicking through to find something for them to watch. They were both sick of the music channels by now.

(Y/n) looked back down at her phone that was on the arm rest beside her. She hadn't gotten another message from Eddie yet. He said he would come over when he finished, but he didn't say what time he expected to finish or be over here. (Y/n) missed him. She wanted her husband; and their bed.

She turned her attention to the tv while Evan flicked through the movie channels a bit too fast. She could barely concentrate on reading the titles before he went onto another channel to find something interesting. Or at least something they had seen before that could be on in the background and not cause a big distraction.

Reaching forward, she carefully picked up the navy blue mug of tea from the table and took a sip before her eyes locked on Evan again.

"Are you okay?" He must have seen the confusion in her eyes because he pointed towards her hands. "You're shaking."

Her eyes cast down to her hands and her teeth sank down in her lip when she realised he was right. Her fingers were tightly curled around her mug, but it was trembling and shaking up the tea causing small ripples to bubble to the surface.

"Probably a sugar rush… just popping to the bathroom."

She set the cup down before she ended up spilling or dropping it and moved to grip the edge of the chair. But when she lifted her head, she smiled sweetly at Evan. He was already stood in front of her with his arms out in her direction.

With a tender smile, (Y/n) placed her hands in Evan's and let him help her up, mumbling a quiet "Thank you," in his direction.

But once she was on her feet, (Y/n) tightened her hands around his and waited a few seconds. Spots danced in front of her eyes and a sharp twinge tore through her abdomen. Why did the baby have to move at the same time (Y/n) did?

After a few seconds, (Y/n) felt herself going back to normal and she gave Evan's arm a squeeze before daring to start walking. Her hand cradled the underside of her abdomen and she rubbed in circles where the baby was moving. She took a slow shuffle away from the living room and beside the stairs to get to the bathroom that was thankfully near the front door, right opposite the kitchen.

"Thank God your bathroom's downstairs," She threw over her shoulder, hearing Evan laugh as she bypassed the stairs.

It was a very big relief that (Y/n) didn't have to climb the stairs to get up to the bathroom. She wasn't sure how long it would take her if she tried, and she had been relieved when she arrived that the lift was working. (Y/n) would still be climbing the five flights of stairs now if the lift didn't work.

Her left hand stayed cradling her stomach while her right hand reached out for the wall to steady herself.

She flicked on the bathroom light and pushed the door, but just as she walked over the threshold, she stopped.

A crippling shooting pain tore through her stomach and stole her centre of gravity. Her right shoulder slumped into the wall and her breath got caught in her throat when she looked down at her feet.

Oh God.

"Buck…?"

"What's up- oh… hey it's okay. I can grab you a pair of joggers, um,"

She felt Evan's hand on her elbow and he gently pulled her off the wall so she could lean on him instead. Her hands switched so her right hand was cradling her stomach that suddenly felt like it weighed ten stone. And her left hand grabbed Evan's arm with urgency as she tried to look up at him.

Evan's eyes danced over (Y/n)'s frame and the floor before he looked towards the stairs. He had seen (Y/n) in Eddie's clothes enough times to know she would easily fit and suit some of his stuff. Accidents happen.

"No, it's… Buck I don't know if t-that was my waters." (Y/n) pulled on his arm as if he could magically find the answer for her, but when her stomach tightened, she let out a groan. Her knees weakened and she moved her hand from her stomach to pin to the wall so she didn't drop down.

"Oh shit. Are you-"

Whatever he was about to say next got cut off when (Y/n) groaned and tears started to well up in her eyes.

She didn't know what to expect or when she thought her waters would break, but (Y/n) thought it would hurt more than that. She thought her stomach would burn when it happened and she would be in agony beforehand. But the twinges and sickness she felt must have been leading up to this.

"Eddie." (Y/n) looked up at Evan, trying not to cry but she couldn't help it.

She felt his hand move round to her back and he held his other hand out for her to hold. He took most of her weight for her and carefully turned her away from the bathroom she clearly didn't need anymore.

"I'll call him, don't you worry. Let's get you sat down, then I can get hold of him and call for some help. You're fine, so don't worry."

(Y/n) found herself nodding along with him and she gave his hand a squeeze and tried to hold herself upright. She couldn't seem to lift her feet so she settled on dragging and shuffling along, moving as fast as she could which seemed to be very slow, especially for Evan.

He helped her back towards the living room and when they got to the sofa, Evan turned her around and slowly helped her sit down.

Once she was down, Evan sat next to her and looked around for his phone which he snatched.

(Y/n) watched him ring Eddie's number and she moved her hand, silently asking for the phone. She wanted to be the one to tell him. Eddie would panic, she had to tell him it was okay, that she was okay but he needed to come and get her. Now.

But her lips rolled together and a wave of panic overtook her when Evan shook his head. "He's not answering… he might be on his last call of the day."

Evan knew how it went. They would take one last call before their shifts changed over and it could drag or go quickly but that meant they left their phones either in their locker or in the truck. Eddie would answer when he got the chance. He was always checking his phone recently to make sure (Y/n) was okay and that she didn't need him for anything.

"Eddie, it's me I need you to call me when you get this… (Y/n)'s going into labour."

"He needs to be here- oh!" Her hand clenched around the arm rest and she leaned over, smothering her face into her arm to try and stop herself from crying out.

She wasn't doing this without Eddie. This was her first baby, (Y/n) didn't know what she was doing. Eddie was supposed to be here to coach her through this and tell her what to do and that she was doing great. She wanted to hold his hand and lean on him and feel his lips on her skin.

She wanted Eddie.

"Hey, he's gonna be here, just give him a little time, he might even be in the car on his way here. Let's get you comfy, and I'll call an ambulance-"

"Ambulance? No, no not without Eddie! I don't, I can't- oh Buck, it hurts!"

When she took his hand, Evan tried to smile and shuffled a bit closer until their knees were touching.

"Okay, okay that was just as a precaution… let's get a stop watch to count these contractions, yeah?"

At least Evan had had some practice in this department. He'd delivered quite a few babies on shift, he knew the basics and what he was doing. And this was his niece or nephew and he was happy to be here at the start of labour. As long as Eddie made it for the birth, everything would be fine.

Eddie had to be here.

***

(Y/n) closed her eyes and buried her face in the arm of the sofa, smothering a groan. Her back was starting to ache and twinge from how she was sat hunched over, but she didn't know what to do with herself. She could feel Evan's hand on her shoulder, running along her upper back as he sat behind her on the sofa.

She took as many deep breaths as she could manage, but it felt like her lungs were on fire. They were burning like she was breathing in smoke and she could feel her lungs inflating and deflating which was something (Y/n) never normally took notice of. And it was horrid.

"Less than two minutes now… (Y/n) I think I need to take a look, see if your dilated."

Tears welled up in (Y/n)'s eyes but she tried to nod and pull up so she was sitting upright again. She knew he was right. Evan had called an ambulance because he knew things were moving quickly, but help wasn't here yet and he was starting to panic.

He couldn't move (Y/n), it was too risky to try and get her down to the jeep and to the hospital. And he had a gut feeling (Y/n) wasn't going to go anywhere without Eddie, who still hadn't answered his phone yet.

(Y/n) tried to sit up straight and she darted her eyes up to the ceiling when Evan crouched in front of her. This wasn't how she thought the day would end up. With Evan in front of her trying to see if she was about to have her baby here on his sofa.

"I think you're gonna be having this baby here." Evan cringed when (Y/n) slammed her fist down on the sofa. Her other hand moved to smother her face and she bit her lip, swallowing a cry. "I'm gonna go grab some towels and water- just until the paramedics arrive though, okay?"

"You've done this before… right?" (Y/n) pressed her chin down into her chest and clenched her jaw until her teeth felt like they were going to disintergrate into dust. She remembered Evan mentioning before that he'd delivered a child on the job once or twice before. That was a comfort, at least they weren't going into this blind. Evan knew what he was doing and (Y/n) knew what to expect.

"Oh yes. Hang tight, one minute."

Evan patted her thigh before he got to his feet and headed over to the stairs to get what he needed.

He'd never delivered a child off-duty before. He'd never delivered a child in his own home before. This was going to be exciting.

He found a few towels and blankets upstairs and pinned them under his arm and jogged downstairs to the kitchen. He filled a plastic bowl with water and tried to keep it steady so he didn't drop it everywhere, but he felt a bolt of panic rush through his chest when (Y/n) cried out. He steadily walked back through to the living room and placed everything down on the table while his eyes set on (Y/n).

She had one hand on her stomach and the other clenched so tightly into a fist he knew her nails would be piercing through her palm.

"Here we go," He tried to smile to see if it would help calm (Y/n) down while he doused his hands in the bowl and laid two towels down, one over his lap and one over (Y/n)'s thighs. "If it's a boy, will you name him after me?" The cheesy look that came over Evan's lips showed he was only joking and told (Y/n) he was a lot calmer than she thought he would be right now.

She wanted to laugh. Evan had asked Eddie that before but Eddie refused point blank. He might consider changing his mind now when he realised Evan was going to be the one delivering their baby.

When another contraction tore through her, she pressed both palms down on the sofa and tried to sit up and lift her hips up to see if it would ease the pain or not.

"Deal." She spat but all she felt like doing was melting into a puddle and crying until her throat went raw and her chest ached. Where was Eddie? Why wasn't he here by now? Why was she having to do this without him?

"Alright��� I think you can start pushing soon."

She didn't want to. She didn't want to be doing this here. As much as (Y/n) loved Evan as a friend, having him delivering her baby felt a little too close for comfort. She was changing the boundaries. Ruining his living room. Giving him a scarred image burned into his mind for life.

"I'm scared," She could barely find her voice and when she did, her breathing hitched and her voice came out higher than usual but at half the volume. She was barely talking above a whisper.

"You don't have to be scared, you're not alone. I'm right here-" Evan placed his hand on (Y/n)'s knee and gave a reassuring squeeze. But they both jumped and Evan jolted into her knee when there was a knock at the front door.

Who was that?

Was it Eddie? Why hadn't he answered the phone if he was already off shift and on his way here? Hadn't he got the four voicemails Evan left him? Didn't he see the ten missed calls he'd had and the texts telling him it was an emergency. Call him. Hurry up. Answer the phone.

"Perfect timing!"

(Y/n) tilted her head back and tried to follow Evan with her eyes as he bolted out the room and beyond the stairs to reach the front door. She could feel the tears streaming freely down her face and sobs bubbled up in her chest like hiccups. Whoever it was, whether it was her husband or the paramedics, it was impeccable timing and (Y/n) needed them to hurry up inside.

A wave of relief rolled through Evan like a tsunami and he felt his knees shaking, threatening to give out on him when he yanked the front door open.

Eddie.

Stood before him with his usual quirked smile, flashing his teeth. His chocolate eyes were squinted, his hair was neatly brushed and rolled back on his head. He was wearing jeans, a tight grey shirt and his usual leather jacket that looked two sizes too small for him and made his arms bulge out.

"Hey Buck, you both had a good day?" Eddie slipped a hand in his back pocket and leaned against the doorframe when Evan just stared at him.

Was he not allowed inside? They had over an hour before Eddie and (Y/n) had to go pick Chris up from his friend's house. Eddie told (Y/n) he would come by and pick her up and he would stay for a drink before they left. He wasn't exactly late.

Despite the two hour call he'd been on just before his shift ended, he got back to the station bang on time to leave. Eddie got changed, grabbed his stuff and made a quick exit rather than hanging around to wind down and have a drink with the B shift. He wanted to come by and check (Y/n) was okay and take her home.

"Where's my girl?" Eddie leaned to look into the apartment, but the kitchen looked deserted and he couldn't see down into the living room.

"On the couch, in labour."

The smile dropped from Eddie's face instantly and his jaw dropped but he couldn't find any words. That had to be a joke. (Y/n) wasn't in labour- not without him here. She wasn't having the baby now. She wasn't due for another three weeks.

"What?!" Eddie barged his way inside, shedding his jacket in the hall before he ran to get into the living room where he could now hear (Y/n) crying out for him. Hearing his name pass through her lips like that made his heart drop down to his stomach that was tying itself up in knots.

"Eddie-"

"Fuck, fuck mi amor I'm here! Oh God," He pressed his knees down into the sofa and leaned over until his arms could wind around (Y/n).

He could feel how badly she was trembling and he wrapped one arm around her waist and the other hand moved to cup the back of her neck. While (Y/n) tried her best to sit forwards, pushing herself into his chest. Her face smothered against his sternum and she let the relief wash over her and let herself sob loudly into his chest.

Her hand scrunched up in his shirt and her other hand moved to hold his hip, as if reassuring herself that he was actually here with her. This wasn't a figment of her imagination trying to calm her down. She didn't have to do this alone. Eddie wasn't going to miss anything. He was here.

Feeling his lips pressing kiss after kiss against her temple made her cry harder and she clung to him, despite the pains wracking through her abdomen.

"We called you- Eddie I left hundreds of messages-"

"My phone died when I tried to check it, it's been in my locker all afternoon!" His eyes burned fury in Evan's direction. He hadn't intentionally ignored them. His phone died in his locker and he presumed (Y/n) and Evan would be fine and would have had a chilled day. Obviously he was wrong. "Baby I'm sorry."

His lips continued to press wet kisses against the top of her head until (Y/n) finally leaned back so she could look up at him. She felt his hand move round from her neck to cradle her cheek and he brushed away her fallen tears before he stole a kiss from her lips.

"How far gone is she- have you called an ambulance?"

"Yes, yes but they're not here." Evan resumed his place on the floor in between (Y/n)'s legs and took a peek before he grimaced up at them both. "She's crowning."

"Then I guess we're staying here and Buck can be our midwife, right?" Evan's quirked brow and lopsided smile was enough of an answer for Eddie.

Unravelling his arms from (Y/n), Eddie shrugged off his jacket and tossed it on the armchair before he shifted round so he was sat down rather than kneeling up.

When his name mewled past (Y/n)'s lips and her hand batted out for him, Eddie reached across for her. He slipped his hands beneath her arms and carefully eased her his way so she could lean back on his chest rather than slouch back into the sofa.

His elbows pinned into her waist and he held his hands out so (Y/n) could take them both and deadlock them in her grip.

She let her head slump back on Eddie's shoulder and she turned so her forehead pressed against his cheek and she could press a quick, panting kiss against the side of his neck. Just the feeling of his hands gripped in hers was a comfort and a relief like (Y/n) had never felt before. She couldn't exactly reach down for Evan's hand when he was playing midwife.

"Okay (Y/n), I need you to do big pushes, let's have this kid." Evan dunked his hands back in the water, suddenly wishing he had a box of gloves handy from the station. He pushed up on his knees and moved his hands to (Y/n)'s thighs, seeing the familiar sight of a head being born.

"You're doing so well… as if you started without me, hm?" Eddie smothered his lips against the side of (Y/n)'s temple but his eyes stayed completely focused on Evan.

The last thing Eddie expected when he came round was to be sitting on Evan's sofa having their baby here. He was expecting to have a drink, go get Chris and then find (Y/n) tucked up in bed. This was going to be a surprise for Chris. He thought he would be having a sleepover with Evan when (Y/n) had the baby. Now he would find out his baby brother or sister had been born without anyone else knowing. Delievered by his uncle Buck.

"I know y… you love surprises," (Y/n) heaved in between pushes, closing her eyes so she could lean into Eddie's touch as he laughed into her hair.

She pulled her knees up a little higher and leaned forward, feeling grateful when Eddie leaned with her. He was like a backboard keeping her up straight and letting her lean her weight onto him so she didn't have to think or bother with holding herself upright.

"And the head's out, take a breath. Then little pushes, okay? You're doing great (Y/n)."

(Y/n) tried to nod and it was a relief to see Evan smiling broadly while his attention was focused on the baby. Just a little more effort, and she would have a baby in her arms. All the pain would be worth it when she saw their baby and watched Eddie hold them.

"(Y/n)… hey, you're doing great, but I need you to keep pushing as swiftly as you can for me, okay?"

Her hands tightened around Eddie's and crushed his fingers into her palms when she noticed Evan wasn't smiling anymore. He looked focused, pale, wrought with tension and a sudden need for things to move quickly.

"Buck, what's wrong?" Pressing a kiss to (Y/n)'s cheek, Eddie held her tighter and tried to lean over her shoulder so he could look down at Evan. Trying to see what had him so rattled.

"Cord's round the neck." Evan nudged the towel on (Y/n)'s thighs back a little so Eddie could just about see the problem, but (Y/n) couldn't. She was too busy panting to strain enough to hear what he whispered. He didn't want to panic her because she might stop pushing or lose momentum in a panic.

He couldn't risk moving the cord now when there wasn't enough of the umbilical cord exposed and Evan didn't want to pull on it at all.

"Keep going, mi amor. So close now, keep pushing, good girl."

(Y/n) closed her eyes and smothered her face in the side of Eddie's neck, leaning back into him as much as she could until she almost pushed him down on his back. She could feel her feet fidgeting against the floor, anxious to try and push up or move or slide against the floor. She wanted to move, to do anything to relieve the tension and get this over with.

Her breaths came out in small pants and she all but screamed just as Evan lifted the towel and started to nod rapidly. "You've done it!"

When she felt Eddie leaning over her shoulder again, (Y/n) tried to look up at him, but he wasn't smiling. His brows were furrowed and he was watching Evan closely like a hawk.

She brought a trembling hand up to cradle the side of Eddie's jaw, feathering her shaky fingers across his sharp jawline flecked with stubble. "W-what's wrong?" She tried to look between Eddie and Evan to find out the problem, but her stomach tensed when she finally managed to catch a glimpse of the baby on Evan's lap.

Her stomach tensed as she watched him quickly unravel the cord that had pressed around the baby’s neck, but (Y/n) didn’t know if it had been tight or rather loose. She didn’t know if that had happened during the struggle of labour or if possibly it had been like that before. But it couldn’t have been, she felt the baby moving so it couldn’t have been strangling them for very long.

"Alright, there we go." Evan seemed to be speaking to himself more than to the couple in front of him as he fumbled to grab the pair of scissors from the coffee table. He hastily clamped and cut the cord before he turned the baby on their side so he could rub his hand up and down their back to get them breathing.

(Y/n) felt her chest heaving as she tried to regain back the breaths that she had lost but her eyes were focusing on Evan as much as they could with the tears beginning to distort her vision. The moment a small cry flooded through the air, she felt like she was going to faint.

She felt Eddie's wet lips smother the side of her head and he started to sway them from side to side as they tried to catch another glimpse of their baby.

"It's a girl." Evan wrapped the towel tightly around the little girl on his lap while he rubbed a hand over her back to make sure she wasn't in any state of shock and was still breathing well.

Pushing himself up on his knees, Evan leaned over and ever so gently settled the newborn into (Y/n)’s arms before he grabbed another towel ready for the placenta. At least this part was easier and Evan knew to keep the placenta so a doctor could check it was all there. The last thing they wanted was (Y/n) having a retained piece of placenta and needing surgery to get that out.

(Y/n) could feel a mixture of her and Eddie's tears running down her face when he smothered his lips against her cheek. They had a little girl. They'd had their baby. She was here, and she was okay.

She felt Eddie's arms move around her so his left arm was curved around her waist, keeping her pinned and snuggled back into his chest. And his right hand came up to rest on top of their girl with his thumb brushing up and down her chin.

"She's beautiful."

Nodding, (Y/n) glanced up at Eddie and stole a kiss from his lips before she turned to look at Evan. Once he'd bundled the placenta up in a towel, he scrubbed his hands in the water bowl and wiped them up and down his thighs. While he moved to sit down on the coffee table, bumping his knees into (Y/n)'s with a smile like none she had seen on him before.

"Thank you." She nudged his knee, unable to lean and take his hand to thank him properly for what he'd done for them today.

"I guess you can't name her Evan after all then, huh?" He scratched the back of his head and straightened his shoulders out, hearing a sinister crack that jolted up his spine.

"What?"

A frown etched onto Eddie's lips as he looked between his wife and best friend. Why would they name the baby Evan? Eddie had already told Evan months ago that he was not naming his child after him just because they were best friends and because Evan was Godfather.

Biting her lower lip, (Y/n) pressed her cheek into Eddie's shoulder and melted into him. But she couldn't hide her tired smile, especially when Evan was smiling like an idiot in front of her.

"I said if it was a boy, we'd name him after Buck… he- he did just become our midwife."

It was a big consolation that (Y/n) hadn't decided to stay home today. If she did, the emergency services might not have gotten to her quick enough like they clearly hadn't gotten here today. She might have resorted to calling Evan if she had been home alone in labour.

But being here when it happened was a Godsend because Evan knew what he was doing and he had done them the biggest favour in the world by delivering their daughter safely. (Y/n) couldn't have done this on her own and Eddie had barely gotten here in time. They owed Evan for this.

"What about Evelyn?"

(Y/n) looked up at Eddie, surprise pooling in her eyes when she realised her husband was deadly serious. He wasn't trying to tease Evan or make light of the situation. He was honestly suggesting naming their daughter after the Godfather that had just delivered her.

"Really?"

"You just delivered your Godchild, we owe you something." Eddie would have caved if they had a boy and named him Evan anyway. They couldn't thank him enough for helping them today. And this would give Evan something to boast about at the station for the next few weeks.

No one else at the station could say they had delivered a baby and had the baby be named after them. And this was a special occasion, this was his niece for all intents and purposes. Evan had delivered his best friend's baby.

"That's good enough for me."

[jamiefartt]

richmond's receptionist; part three

part 1, part 2

pairings: jamie tartt x reader, whole cast is mentioned

summary: with Rebecca's charity gala rapidly approaching, Jamie tries to get you to be his date, so why not take you dress shopping?

words: 19 458

warnings: no smut but hot n steamy descriptions and def some thirsting, alcohol (pls don't mix ur drinks).

outfit references: x your dress x Keeley's dress x Rebecca's dress

———

standing in front of the small mirror hanging above your bathroom sink, you brush your fingers through your damp hair. you're dressed in your work clothes, chic pleated trousers paired with a billowy blue blouse tucked into the waistband. you sigh as you lean on the sink, the porcelain cool to the touch. you pick up your mascara from next to the sink, leaning close to the mirror and carefully brushing it onto your eyelashes. once applied, you admire the way your eyes pop, accentuated by the makeup.

normally, you would dot some blush across your cheeks, but expecting you'll be seeing Jamie at work all day, you know you won't need the added flush of colour.

adding a tint of red to your lips, you begin doing your hair, masterfully tying it up into a half-up half-down hairstyle. you pucker your lips in the mirror, turning your head side to side to make sure everything is in place. a smile appears on your face, your confidence surging as you look at yourself.

as much as you're getting ready for yourself, you can't help but imagine the look on Jamie's face when he sees you today, especially after the teasing trick you pulled on him yesterday evening. of course you always try to look good at work, but the added effort is worth it for the potential to make the Jamie Tartt even a little bit flustered.

the music playing through your cozy apartment is interrupted by your phone ringing, and you rush from the bathroom to turn it off, toothbrush still in your mouth. seeing Keeley's name written across your screen, you answer, and the call opens onto her sitting at her vanity doing her own makeup.

"hey babe," she says, mouth agape in an O-shape as she curls her eyelashes. she's wrapped in her fluffy pink dressing gown and has matching coloured hair curlers wrapped in her locks.

"good morning, y/n." Roy speaks from the plush sofa behind her. in contrast to Keeley, he's fully dressed, leather jacket and all.

you wave at the couple, walking back to the bathroom to rinse your mouth. once the toothbrush and suds are down the drain, you can finally say: "hey guys! how are things?"

Roy says nothing, only giving you a thumbs up as he keeps his eyes on the book he's reading. back in your bedroom, you place your phone on the bed as you begin sliding on your staple jewellery.

"great! now, listen y/n, Rebecca's charity gala is this weekend and we need to get you a dress," Keeley says sternly, now putting on mascara.

"oh– I'm sure I have a dress in my closet somewhere," you say, turning and opening your cupboard to see if you have anything adequate.

Keeley bursts into a cackle, catching you off guard; "no, no, you need something new... something expensive and rich that will blow Jamie's socks off! or, you know, you could do that."

"oh my God, Keeley!" you shriek, your mouth flying open at her words. her laugh echoes loudly through your phone and you can't help but giggle along with her. picking up your phone, you head to your living room, grabbing your handbag from the sofa before heading to the front door.

Keeley continues explaining as you struggle to slip on your shoes with your free hand whilst holding your phone and your bag in the other; "I've booked you an appointment for tomorrow at a dress boutique in town. I can go with you if you'd like, just let me know."

"oh wow, that's amazing. thank you so so much!" with your flats slipped on, you pick up your work heels and shove them in your bag. you pant a breath before clicking open your door and heading out to your hallway. your voice echoes as you head into the stairwell of your apartment building; "are you sure, Keeley? I mean, it seems a bit excessive and I doubt I could afford anything too exp–"

"where the fuck are you?" Keeley interrupts you, peering at her phone screen with squinted eyes.

"I'm leaving my place, I like taking the stairs." you shrug in response.

"ooh, is that how you keep your glutes so tight then?" she sticks her tongue out at you playfully, and you laugh at her words.

"shut up," you reply and playfully roll your eyes.

"anyway," Keeley continues, "don't worry about the price, Rebecca said she'd cover it."

your eyes blow wide open, and you almost tumble down the stairs in shock; "what?! no, absolutely not!"

"hush, y/n, I don't wanna hear it. we're gonna make you look the sexiest you ever have in your life!"

finally reaching the bottom of the stairs, having descended 4 whole floors, you push through the double doors leading to the small car park outside. passing straight past your beaten-up old car, you walk onto the footpath.

"Keeley, I really don't think I can accept that,"

"are you walking to work?" she says, ignoring your sentiment. you shake your head a little, surprised by her question.

"yeah?"

"why?"

"because I like to walk."

"Keeley–" Roy begins, but Keeley interrupts him, "okay, y/n, gotta go. see you at work!"

before you can say bye, your phone beeps, and the screen goes black. you stop in your tracks, staring down at your phone. quickly typing in your password, you go to check your texts.

"oi!" someone shouts to you, and the fright almost makes you drop your phone. a hand flies to your chest as you look up, not at all expecting who you see.

"Isaac?" you ask, leaning down to look through his car window.

"get in. lemme give you a lift." he says before pressing a button on his dashboard. the passenger door suddenly opens, and your eyebrows raise at his evidently very expensive sports car.

without a word, you drop your phone into your handbag and walk around the car, slipping into the passenger seat.

"thanks, Isaac." you smile at him, and surprisingly, he cracks a wide, toothy one back at you. the sight makes you smile even more, and you wonder if you're bond with the Richmond players is going beyond just Jamie.

"were you walking to work?" he asks you, pushing his foot to the gas pedal and continuing down the road.

"yeah?"

"why?"

"because I like– why is that so shocking?"

your frustration evident in your voice, Isaac glances at you with a scared expression. "I was just asking," he mutters, and you sigh in exaggerated annoyance with a smile before turning your head to look out the car window. you settle into a few seconds of silence, just admiring the view of Richmond's greenery as you drive. music plays quietly through Isaac's speakers, and you enjoy the peaceful company.

"Isaac?" you ask, still staring out the window.

"yeah?" he replies gently.

"has Jamie ever mentioned me at training or anything?"

Isaac chuckles to himself, thinking for a moment before replying: "he doesn't talk about you really, but he does ask about you."

"what do you mean?" you turn to look at him, placing your elbow on the door and playing with your hair.

"like, when Keeley comes in to do promo with us, he'll hang back to ask her questions about you."

"like what?" you feel a blush appear on your face as you get shy at the thought.

"a few weeks ago, when the sign-in thing started, he asked her how long you'd worked at Richmond. then a few days later, he asked her if you were single."

"really?" you laugh, "what a slag."

Isaac laughs with you, shaking his head; "truer words have never been spoken,"

a few beats pass as your laughter dies down, and the thought of Jamie being so curious about you surprises you. he always acts so cool and unbothered, and you've only seen him soften a few times, so knowing he still thought about you before you'd even properly spoken warms something in your chest.

"but, y/n, I do wanna say..." Isaac keeps his eyes on the road as his voice softens, "whatever it is Jamie feels towards you, it's clearly something real. since you two have been doing this thing, he's been kinder, not just to us but also himself. I don't know how you got through to him, but whatever it is please don't stop. we've all seen the way he looks at you, he really likes you, mate."

lips parted and eyes wide, your gaze is fixed on the road in front of you. you're speechless, and all that's going through your mind is Jamie; how he looks at you, how he touches you, his scent and the feeling of his lips brushing past yours. before you can think of anything to say, Isaac pulls into the Richmond car park. he parks his car smoothly, slotting it next to Colin's dented Lamborghini.

"look, you don't have to tell me how you feel about him, but try not to break his heart too much if you have to." Isaac says, turning to look at you.

you nod a few times, clicking open your seatbelt before looking up at him through your eyelashes; "Isaac," you say, "I'm way too into him to break his heart."

he squints at you, obviously suppressing a smile, and he presses the buttons to open your doors.

"cheers, bruv." he nods at you.

"thanks for the lift, Isaac." you nod at him too.

both of you exit the car without another word, and you hurry in the door so you can get started with your day. unsurprisingly, Colin is already inside standing at your desk.

"good morning, y/n." he smiles at you.

"hey, Colin. sorry I'm late!" you hop behind the desk and sit in your chair, quickly changing your flats into your heels. you take the sign-in clipboard from atop the desk, only to notice you don't need to change its pages at all.

"oh," you say before putting it back in its place, "can I help you with anything Colin?"

you expect Colin to answer, but he stays silent as Isaac squeezes past him and signs in. you stare at him expectantly, and Colin just looks at you nervously until Isaac is walking down the hallway.

"are you okay?" you ask him quietly, leaning closer to him. he glances around suspiciously, making sure the coast is clear and Isaac is out of earshot.

"yeah, I just need your advice on something."

"hit me," you smile.

"I've been seeing this guy for maybe... two or three months? and I'm not sure if it's too soon to invite him to the gala this weekend."

"oh my God, Colin! that's so exciting! I'd say go for it, it's definitely not too soon." you assure him, smiling wide. his face mirrors yours and a blush appears on his cheeks.

"okay, great, thanks y/n!" he says before jogging down the hallway and to the locker room.

you smile to yourself, wondering when you became his go-to for advice. you won't complain, you're happy to make friends with the Richmond players.

"what's he so happy about?" Jamie's voice pipes up beside you as he places a coffee cup on your desk, watching as Colin borderline skips his way through the building.

you smile at him, picking up the cup. before it reaches your lips you look up at him with a sceptical look; "this isn't gonna be fucking green tea again is it?"

"don't worry, love." he assures you, sending you a wink as he finishes signing in. placing his elbow on your desk, he leans against it casually, smirking down at you. you furrow your brows, slightly suspicious of his intentions after the morning before. taking a sip, you're pleasantly delighted at the taste, although he didn't bring you a latte.

"hot chocolate?" you smile up at Jamie.

"yeah..." he says, eyes soft and smile genuine, "with a shot of whiskey."

your face drops suddenly as the aloholic aftertaste hits your throat. your nostrils flare as hot anger fills your veins, and you stand up from your seat in shock; "Jamie! what the fuck?!"

Jamie sticks his tongue out and cackles, slapping a hand to your desk before running backwards down the hallway. as you stand behind your desk, breath heaving, he blows you a kiss.

frustrated, you roll your eyes and grunt, sitting down again. you pick up your cup, lifting the lid and bringing it to your face. you inhale, instantly smelling the whiskey in the drink. with a gag, you push the lid back on, putting the cup far away from you on your desk. a grimace paints your face as you try to swallow the flavour away, but the gross liquid feels coated down your throat.

"y/n!" Keeley exclaims, excitement painted on her face as if you hadn't been speaking just this morning, "what's wrong with your face?"

"Jamie put whiskey in my fucking hot chocolate." you whine, rolling your eyes again.

"oooh, lemme have a sip," she says, holding her palms together as a plea.

"I don't think he'll ever bring me an actual latte ever again," your lips pout as you slump back in your chair.

Keeley ignores your complaint, quickly scribbling down her name before saying: "your fitting appointment is tomorrow at 6:30 after work. let me know if you'd like me to join!"

"thank you so much Keeley but I don't want to take Rebecca's money just for a dress,"

"it's not just a dress, y/n, it's a gown." she presses.

Rebecca's heels click into the building as if on cue, and she smiles wide at the two of you as she approaches.

"Rebecca! please tell y/n you don't mind buying her a dress for the gala." Keeley sighs.

"I thought you just said it was a gown, not a dress." you tease, and she rolls her eyes at you in response.

"oh, don't be silly! of course I don't care – in fact, I actively want to. can't have my employees looking cheap, now can I?" Rebecca states in a cocky tone, picking up the pen and signing in.

you look at her with an grateful look; "thank you, Rebecca, seriously."

she shoots you a wink before saying: "don't worry about it. we need you looking good for Jamie, don't we?" you can't help but blush at her words, overwhelmed by the gracious gift.

"my hair stylist and the girl who does my makeup is coming over to mine after work on Friday, we should all get ready together!" Keeley says, bouncing on the balls of her feet in excitement.

"that sounds lovely!" you say.

"I'll be there." Rebecca adds.

Keeley squeals as she waves; "see you later, girls!"

Rebecca smiles at you with a nod before walking to her office, and your excitement for the gala has finally kicked in. you think to yourself; an event where everyone is dressed up to the nines, with music and an open bar? what could go wrong?

—

the next day, as you make yourself a latte in the staff room, you're surprised by two strong hands suddenly gripping your shoulders. two thumbs dig into your skin, massaging the taught muscles.

"Jesus woman, why are you so tense?" Jamie whispers in your ear, lips grazing your skin.

your eyes flutter as you struggle to keep them open, the pressure of his fingers instantly relaxing you. you smile to yourself, dropping your head back, leaning against his shoulder.

"I would be a lot more relaxed if my morning coffee wasn't such a fucking gamble every day," you joke, looking up at him through your eyelashes, "mouthwash, Jamie... really?"

Jamie chuckles to himself, smiling at his own prank. using his grip on your shoulders, he lifts you off his shoulder, spinning you around to face him. his hands rest on your hips, pulling you close to him. standing chest to chest, you can smell his cologne, woody and rich on your senses.

"you smell nice," you say absentmindedly, not thinking before speaking the thought out loud.

"ya think so? cheers, it's Tom Ford." he says with a cheeky wink, clearly bragging.

rolling your eyes, you cock your head to the side. when you look up at him again, his face holds an expression you haven't seen before. his pupils are blown wide and a small smile sits on his pouty lips.

"what?" you ask, a smile creeping onto your face too.

"nothin'" Jamie mumbles, and you can feel his thumbs rubbing up and down your sides. his eyes move to your lips, and you blush in response. nervously, you fill your cheeks with air and purse your lips as he stares at them. he chuckles at your funny face, quickly leaning down and pecking your lips. the kiss makes you drop the expression, and his eyes finally meet yours again. you raise your eyebrows and pull your head back, and his grin grows at your surprised eyes.

"what?" he says nonchalantly.

"nothin'" you say with a fake deep voice, mocking him.

as he laughs, Jamie moves one of the hands from your waist to your back, sliding it up your spine. when he gets to your hair, he wraps his fingers around the long strands and tugs lightly, tilting your chin up. your eyes threaten to close again, and your heartbeat quickens as Jamie's eyes darken.

"wanna kiss me properly Tartt?" you whisper, teasing him with a smile.

taking a few painfully long seconds to drag his eyes over every inch of your face, he eventually drops the hand from your hair. his other hand leaves your waist as he takes a step away from you. as he spins on his heel to leave he says: "you wish."

you tsk at him, rolling your eyes while shaking your head. turning to the beeping coffee machine, your mouth speaks before your brain thinks; "Jamie," you call after him, turning back around. he reappears in the doorway in merely a split second, hand resting on the doorframe as he looks at you with raised eyebrows. "I have to go buy a dress for the gala after work and I need a lift... would you mind coming with me?"

Jamie's eyebrows relax, but his eyes widen as he stares at you, blank expression on his face. you can't read what he's thinking, immediately regretting your question: "if you can't, that's fine, I just–".

"yes." he breathes, "yes, yeah, course I'll go with ya,"

you smile at him shyly, and his straight face turns into a smiling one as he mirrors you. you nod at him as a silent thanks, and he nods back before making his way back to training. taking your cup from the machine, you smile to yourself. as you pour a sugar packet into it, you shake your head, wondering how you got into this game with Jamie in the first place.

as the time approaches six o'clock, you wait impatiently for the Richmond team to sign out. as your colleagues say goodbye and sign their names, you politely smile and chat to them, and by the time the players make their way through the hallway, you're halfway out of your chair. standing up, you pick up your handbag and shove your things into it.

"you in a hurry, y/n?" Sam laughs.

"going on another date with Tartt?" Colin adds.

"leave the two love birds alone, bruv." Isaac says, picking up a pen and signing himself out. Sam takes the pen next and does the same before passing it to Colin.

from behind the large group of players all waiting to leave, Jamie appears in his regular clothes. wearing a blue hoodie with grey jeans, you admire how simple his outfit is.

"Hughes, sign me out there would ya?" Jamie calls, heading straight for the door. he brings the pendant of his gold chain to sit between his teeth as he grins at you, eyes lingering on your white top.

he cocks his head towards the door with a curt nod; "shall we?"

the players all erupt in teasing oohs and cheers at Jamie's shameless flirting, and the excitement makes you laugh. you step down from the desk, pushing your bag onto your shoulder. Jamie walks through the door ahead of you, holding it open for you to walk through. before you go, you turn back to the group of players and blow them a kiss, making them shout even louder, jumping up and down and slapping each other's shoulders. you cackle at the dramatics, following Jamie outside.

continuing your laughter as he leads you to his car you ask him: "are they always like this?"

"sadly," he pulls open the passenger side door for you, "yes."

you drop into the seat, the plush and expensive leather comfortable beneath you. as Jamie gets into the car, you look around. there's a football shaped air freshener hanging from the mirror, and there's a small rubber duck wearing a bow tie stuck to his dashboard. his gearshift has a bracelet wrapped around the base of it, colourful wooden beads with a small heart adding a pop of colour to the black leather interior.

"didn't think I could be so intrigued by car decor," you say, and Jamie chuckles shyly as he looks around at his car.

"yeah, it's just things me mum's given me... for good luck, ya'know." the look he gives you is sincere, and you smile at the sentiment of it all.

"that's really sweet, Jamie."

he dips his head down and smiles, and you're sure you spot a blush cover his face. turning the keys in the cognition, his BMW roars to life, and you both buckle your seatbelts. you tap the address into the car's gps, grateful Keeley texted it to you without you even having to ask. as he drives out of the car park's gates, Jamie asks: "if you need a lift to this shop, how did you get to work?"

"I usually walk to work, but Isaac gave me a spontaneous lift yesterday and then picked me up again this morning," you explain, looking at the side of his face as his eyes stay fixed on the road. you watch his face morph into a confused pout.

"you walk to work?"

"yeah?"

"why?"

"what the fuck?!" you exclaim, throwing your hands in the air in frustration.

"what?!" Jamie yells back, matching your tone.

you groan, dropping your head into your hands before raking your fingers through your hair, "nothing, sorry, that's just the third time someone's asked me that."

"it's a bit weird, to be fair," Jamie shrugs.

"what? no it isn't! I swear you're all such snobs," you joke, "it's a good way to get your steps in,"

Jamie snorts, and your head snaps to the side to look at him again.

"you're such a loser," he says, shaking his head.

"as if! my phone tracks them and then I get little messages every time I do 1000 steps," you explain proudly. Jamie says nothing else, just smiles before glancing at the screen showing the directions.

the two of you sit in a comfortable silence as you watch other cars go by. sitting in Jamie's car, you can almost feel how expensive it was just by the way it glides so smoothly across the road. you try to spot similar cars at stop lights and crossroads, but somehow Jamie seems to be the only one with this fancy of a car.

"y/n?" his soft voice interrupts your thoughts.

"mhm?" you hum, looking to him.

he doesn't as much as glimpse at you, keeping his eyes forward; "how come Isaac gave you a lift?" his voice is quiet and shy when he asks. with an amused smile, you stare at him, wondering if you've imagined his reserved tone.

"Jamie?" you start, "are you... jealous?"

"pfft, what? no, why would I be?" he sputters.

"are you serious?" you ask with a giggle, and his silence speaks volumes. "Jamie..." you sigh, "the only reason Isaac gave me a lift yesterday was because he saw me walking and offered me one. this morning, he passed me again, so he stopped. it's polite to accept and, to be completely honest, I just wanted to sit in a sports car." you shrug, reassuring him.

he exhales and nods, trying to disguise his worry as a joke when he forces a chuckle; "oh, right, yeah,"

you lean closer to him, leaning your chin on his shoulder. finally, he glances down at you, smiling softly. "don't worry, Jamie. from now on, I'll only take lifts from you in your sports car."

he rolls his eyes but can't help but huff a small laugh, and you smile up at him, biting your lip. "can I turn on some music?" you ask sweetly, fluttering your eyelashes at him dramatically.

"go on then."

you squeal in excitement as you tap the screen on his dashboard, admiring the high-tech of it all. connecting your phone to his car, you press play on one of your playlists. soft music falls from the speakers, and you don't think you've ever heard your favourite songs in such good quality before. pressing a hand to the speaker on your door, you close your eyes, feeling the vibrations of the music. you fall back against the head rest, completely relaxing into Jamie's presence. he doesn't speak, letting you feel the sound in peace.

humming along to the song playing, you smile to yourself. you feel like you're floating as the car drives smoothly over the roads to the boutique. Jamie's a surprisingly gentle driver, never hitting his brake too hard and not swerving around bends. dropping your hand from the speaker, you start picking up on the sound of Jamie's movements. his breathing is steady, and you can hear him absentmindedly sigh every so often. you hear his hands run over the steering wheel when he takes a turn, and the sound soothes you. driving with Jamie makes him feel so human. usually only seeing him in the context of football, you feel like you know athlete Jamie more than person Jamie, despite your date last weekend. the date was amazing, and you learnt so much about him, but sitting in silence with him is a big difference to your usual constant banter.

after the car drives over a bump, you feel the car slow to a halt and the music stop, presuming you've arrived.

"y/n?" Jamie whispers gently, and you've never heard his voice so quiet. the other times he's whispered to you it was definitely not this sweet and soft, and the sound warms your heart.

when you turn your head towards him and open your eyes, he's unexpectedly close to you. with his elbow on the armrest between you, Jamie holds himself a few inches away from you. his gaze softens when you look at him, your eyes wide and amused.

"we're here," he whispers in the same gentle tone, nodding his head towards the windshield. your eyes don't leave each other's as you breathe in deeply. the smell of his cologne fills your sense again, now mixed with fresh conditioner and a slight hint of lavender. you yearn to be closer to him, and you have to fight the urge to wrap an arm around his neck and pull him into you.

instead, you let your eyes drop to his lips before quickly looking away, staring out the window at the shop in front of you. you feel Jamie's eyes on you for a few more seconds before he peels them off of your face, looking down at his hands awkwardly. facing him again, you smile nervously before leaning over the center console and pressing a quick kiss to his soft cheek. his head snaps up at the feeling and when he turns to you, he's blushing a deep pink.

"let's go then," you say, sighing and picking up your bag from between your legs, placing it on your lap. Jamie jumps out of the car, rushing over to the passenger side to open your door for you. one hand holding the door out of your way, his other hand reaches out for you to take. you place your hand in his, and he helps you stand up from the car – not that you need it, but you'll never say to no to some princess treatment.

"thank you, Jamie." you smiled at him.

"you're welcome, y/n." he says as he closes the car door behind you.

you approach the small shop, stopping by its window to admire some of the dresses on display; "oh my goodness," you breathe, "these are gorgeous!" your excitement doubles as you look back at Jamie.

his eyes are fixed on you as he breathes: "yeah... gorgeous,"

your heart rate speeds up suddenly, noticing the way his pupils are wide again, just like in the staff room earlier. your mouth opens, desperately trying to breathe in more air, but you get lost in his gaze. he definitely isn't talking about the dresses.

you swallow and try to snap out of it; "okay, Jamie, I'll see you tomorrow."

"what?" he says quickly, expression faltering and you can almost see his heart break in his face. you furrow your brows and repeat after him; "what?"

he stands up straight, suddenly acting uncharacteristically awkward as he fidgets with his car keys. attempting nonchalance, he shakes his head and looks away from you.

"I mean, I just thought I'd go in with you, ya'know... you might need a second opinion or something," he says quickly, scratching the back of his neck while he looks anywhere but at you.

you chuckle at his silly sheepishness, saying nothing before reaching out for his hand, taking it in yours. a blush appears on your face, and you turn and pull him into the boutique with you.

"good evening!" a squeaky voice chirps, and you can't see the person it came from. your hand still clutches Jamie's, and he holds yours tighter as you both look around. you're overwhelmed by the amount of gowns strung along racks against each wall, and your mouth hangs open as you run your free hand along the fabrics.

"phew! sorry about that, I'm here!" the voice speaks again, and when you turn around, a small blonde woman appears from behind an equally small counter.

"hiya," you speak politely, "uhm, my name is y/n. I think my friend Keeley made an appointment for me."

"ah! Keeley Jones! she's one amazing firecracker, isn't she?" the woman says with a smile, "now, where are my glasses?" she thinks to herself. her curly blonde hair is half pinned up, and her bright red glasses sit on top of her head. you're not sure whether to say something or not, watching her pick up and move stacks of paper on the counter as she searches. Jamie squeezes your hand, and you turn around to look at him. he lifts his pointer finger to his mouth and shakes his head, smiling at you. you smile up at him, taking note of what he means, but decide to do the right thing.

"sorry, I think they're on your head?" you say as politely as possible.

"oh! thank you, darling." she smiles at you before reaching out a hand and introducing herself; "I'm Sarah, it's so lovely to meet you, y/n,"

you drop Jamie's hand to shake Sarah's, which makes her notice his presence.

"and you are?" she asks, holding a hand out for him too.

"I'm Jamie," he smiles, shaking her hand with his right and covering the back of her hand with his left.

"such a sweet thing," Sarah smiles, "you're a lucky girl." she says, looking at you.

Jamie turns to you, letting go of her hand, raising his eyebrows at you with a teasing grin. you roll your eyes at him, ignoring Sarah's comment.

"right–", she says, pushing her glasses back into her hair and moving across the boutique towards a rack of dresses, "what are you looking for today?"

"well, I'm going to this big fancy gala on Friday and I need–"

"something blue." Jamie interrupts, hands politely held behind his back as he smiles at Sarah, avoiding your confused face.

"perfect! let me take some measurements and I'll get you set up. follow me, love. Jamie, you can wait here, take a seat." Sarah's excited, and completely oblivious to your surprise at Jamie's words, as she leads you through a curtain at the back of the shop. you glance back at Jamie over your shoulder, and he winks at you as he sits down on a velvet purple sofa.

the room you walk in is small, but tidy and chic. there's a large mirror covering one of the walls, and the carpet is white and shaggy. it seems to be one big dressing room, and it looks completely different to where Jamie is waiting for you. there's an iced window opposite you, allowing for natural light to flood the cream walls.

"he said something blue, is that right?" Sarah asks, handing you some kind of unitard which matches your skin tone.

"uhm, I guess, yeah," you say, agreeing to Jamie's suggestion. you're not sure why he said it, but it gives you more inspiration than you had when you arrived to the boutique.

"okay, darling. go slip on this little bodysuit behind the curtain over there and I'll be back to measure you whenever you're ready." Sarah smiles politely, guiding you towards a small but tall booth in the corner of the room.

once you've changed, wearing nothing but the skin tight playsuit, you call for Sarah. the carpet is soft under your bare feet as you admire yourself in the mirror. you run your fingers through your hair, adding some volume into it as you smile at your reflection. soon after, Sarah pushes a rack of dresses into the room.

"you haven't even measured me yet?" you laugh at the amount of fabric hiding her small frame.

"don't worry, angel, I've got a good eye for this stuff," she says with a strained voice, struggling to push the wheels over the carpet. you rush over to help her, pulling the opposite side further into the room. there's a variety of different shades of blue and fabrics on the rack; there's silk, satin, and chiffon, and you admire the way some of the rhinestones sparkle under the light.

"these are beautiful, woah..." you say, looking through the dresses.

"we have plenty of time to play dress-up later! let's get you measured," Sarah says, slipping on her glasses and taking the measuring tape from around her neck.

as you move to stand on a small platform in front of the mirror, music starts playing from the shop's speakers. you instantly recognise it as one of the songs you played in the car ride with Jamie. you blush, chuckling to yourself.

"did Jamie turn this music on?" you ask, looking at Sarah in the mirror.

"he did," she says, quickly scribbling down the length of your leg into her notebook, "he asked if he could connect his phone. he's a very nice man, very charming,"

you huff, a smile creeping up your face, "hmpf, isn't he?"

"how long have you two been together?" she asks you absentmindedly. the question makes you shake your head and sputter out your words; "oh, no, no, we're not together,"

"really?" she asks, "I thought I saw you two holding hands when you walked in,"

"it's complicated," you explain vaguely.

"oh sweetheart, there's nothing complicated about the way he looks at you," Sarah says quietly, and her statement stuns you, "he helped me choose these dresses for you by the way, I already know his favourite one."

not sure how to process her words, you turn your head to the rack of dresses, trying to guess which one he likes the most. your chest grows warm at the thought of Jamie's waiting for you in the next room, listening to a song you like, picking out dresses for you. with a blush on your face, you start to realise what Isaac meant; Jamie can be exceptionally kind.

"all done, my love! now, pick whichever ones you want to try on and if they need any tailoring, I can get that done for you before Friday." Sarah brushes strands of hair out of her face, standing up straight and pointing to the rack of gowns.

you look at her with kind eyes and smile; "thank you, Sarah,"

"now, I'll be just out there taking care of your friend, but just gimme a shout if you need help with a zip or anything." she winks at you before heading through the curtain into the boutique.

you take a deep breath, trying to focus on the sound of the music playing through the room. either Jamie has exceptionally good taste, or he's found your spotify account and has turned on the same playlist you played in his car.

trying on a navy dress, you spin around in the mirror. nice bodice, but ugly tule sleeves. you take a turquoise gown from the rack, deciding against it before even trying it on simply due to its big frilly skirt. next, you pull out a dress the brightest shade of blue, and try it on for fun, just to see Jamie's reaction. you pull aside the curtain into the shop before stepping through.

Jamie's hands fly to his mouth, biting back a laugh. you do the same, rolling your lips into your mouth to avoid a cackle from escaping. the dress is made of polyester, and is covered in sheer tule with big plastic diamonds.

"oh... babe," Sarah says awkwardly, grimacing.

"Jamie?" you say, still holding back a laugh.

"you look... absolutely stunnin'" he forces, face morphing into an almost painful expression.

a few beats of silence pass, before the three of you burst into loud and boisterous laughter. Jamie clutches his stomach in laughter, while Sarah covers her mouth the hide her amusement. you stop your laughing and pretend to look offended; "what? you don't like it?" you smile at Jamie. he digs his phone out of his pocket before holding it up proudly.

"go on, do a twirl," he says, filming you as you do what he asks. you laugh at the antics, holding up the skirt and curtsying. you blow a kiss to his camera and close your eyes, smiling sweetly.

"fuckin' beautiful," Jamie mutters, and he sounds more sincere than the jokey tone he had used before. you pretend you didn't hear it, taking a dramatic bow before disappearing into the changing room again.

laughing to yourself, you tug off the dress, appreciating the little ribbons Sarah has tied onto each dress' zip, allowing you to easily reach back and pull it down yourself. you take your time trying on three more dresses, and as much as you look like a princess, you don't feel like one just yet.

the final dress on the rack is a sequined baby blue one, and you're unsure of its boldness before you even put it on. you take it off the hanger, undoing the zip and stepping into it. pulling the skinny pink spaghetti straps over your shoulders, you feel the soft inner lining of the dress tickle your legs. all the dresses you had tried on were floor length, but this one falls three quarters down your legs, ending a few inches above your ankles.

reaching back, your hand searches for the ribbon in order to zip up the dress, but you can't seem to find it. turning around in the mirror, you stretch your neck to see it's missing.

"fuck," you whisper to yourself, desperately trying to fold your arm back and zip it up, but to no avail.

"Sarah?" you call, but she doesn't answer.

"eh, she's gone upstairs to her workshop for a minute. is everythin' alright?" Jamie replies. you hang your head, taking in a deep breath.

"could you come help me zip up my dress please?" you say, eyes to the ceiling as you dread Jamie's entrance. a knot grows in your stomach; you wanted Jamie to see the dress on Friday, after getting all dolled up, not when you're barefoot in a dressing room with your hair messy.

"yeah, sure, of course," he mutters, his voice coming closer through the curtain. pushing it open, he covers his eyes with his hand; "you decent?"

"yes, Jamie, just come in." you sigh, hand clutching the back of the dress as you stand on your tippy toes, mimicking the effect your heels will have on the outfit.

"alright, alright, just–" Jamie stops mid sentence. you look over at him, and his face bares a look of pure admiration. his pouty lips are parted, eyes wide and glossy under the light. eyebrows raised, his arms hang limp by his sides, and his chest rises and falls noticeably with his shallow breaths.

you don't speak, your face holding an embarrassed expression as you turn your back towards Jamie; "please," you squeak quietly.

he inhales a shaky breath before saying: "yeah, sorry, yeah,"

avoiding looking at him, you wait impatiently for the feeling of his body behind you. you hear his uneven breaths first as he stands behind you. fully aware he's blushing, you can't help but wish you had turned to the mirror, then you could at least see his expression as his hands carefully clutch the bottom of the zip, right above your ass. seeing the red tint on his face would make you feel a lot better about your half-assed appearance. his fingers brush the arch of your back as he pulls the zip up the length of your back, as his other hand rests on your waist. when he nears the top, his hand leaves your waist to brush your hair over your shoulder and out of the way. as the dress tightens around you, one of the straps slip from your shoulder.

as soon as the dress is secured, you turn towards the mirror again, lifting yourself onto your toes. the shiny fabric hugs your frame tightly, accentuating the curve of your hips and pushing up your chest ever so slightly. you hear Jamie gulp, and your eyes move to look at him in the reflection of the mirror. his eyes don't meet yours, however, as they're glued to your back and shoulders. he carries his gaze across your shoulder blades, slowly lifting a hand to your arm, gently sliding the thin strap up to your shoulder again. his breathing still sounds heavy in your ear, and his fingers linger on the exposed nape of your neck.

Jamie finally lets his eyes glance up to meet yours, and your breath hitches in your throat. his eyes are dark, not with lust or intoxication the way you've seen before, but with something else – something indecipherable. he holds your eye contact while his fingers continue their path over your skin. he brings them down to your shoulder before dragging them back up to your neck. trailing them down your spine, he follows the shape of your shoulder blades, drawing absentminded shapes on them. goosebumps appear on your skin, and you bring your hands up your torso nervously. the slight scratch of the sequins on your palms grounds you, and your eyes trail over your body. Jamie settles both hands on your waist again, and you drag your hands up over your stomach, to your ribcage, before sliding over your chest. you bring them back down, fingers smoothing the sparkles on your thighs.

when your eyes flick up to look at Jamie, you're surprised to see him staring at your eyes already. his cheeks are flushed, but he's managed to close his mouth for the first time since he opened the dressing room curtain. his hands drop from your waist, and he reaches up to bring your hair back off your shoulder before taking a step away from you. Jamie's eyes are sincere as he finally speaks: "y/n..."

"mhm?" you hum, turning to the side to admire the back of the dress in the tall mirror.

"I've never seen anyone as beautiful as you in my entire life." he says firmly, face unwavering as he looks you dead in the eye in the mirror.

you soften at his words, sighing as you tilt your head. he flashes you a small smile as you stare at his reflection. looking at you sheepishly, it's almost like he doesn't know the words he just spoke went straight to your heart – as if the look in his eyes didn't scream love.

turning around quickly, your breath is shallow as you hold his eye contact. his eyes drop to your lips and yours do the same, and soon enough you're stepping closer to him. peering up at him through your eyelashes, your eyes stay wide, and he looks at you expectantly. his eyes flick down to glance at your lips once more, but this time, your eyes stay fixed on his. the longer you stare at him, the more you feel your eyes gloss over. the sweet smile on his face doesn't fall, and you shake your head as you finally grin back.

standing up on your tippy toes, you throw your arms around his neck and hold him tightly. his strong arms wrap around your waist, placing one of his palms flat on the middle of your back. you sigh as you press your face into his neck, and you hear him exhale deeply as he holds you impossibly closer.

you breathe in his skin, feeling his hair tickle your cheek. Jamie groans into your neck, squeezing you so tight your feet lift an inch off the ground. you giggle into his neck, lifting your head up and back to look at him. he moves his head off your shoulder too, keeping your feet off the ground.

"is this your favourite dress then?" you tease him with a smile.

"definitely." he nods his head eagerly, eyes focused on your mouth. you bite your lip nervously, the way you always do when you notice him staring at them.

"what?" you ask sweetly, moving your head to the side in an attempt to get him to look you in the eye again.

"will you be my date to the gala?" he says quickly, eyes back on yours. his face breaks out in a large grin as you raise your eyebrows at him.

you look up, as if deep in thought, before furrowing your brows and pouting; "uuuhm... no." you state. Jamie's happy face immediately drops into a pouty, confused expression.

before he can contest your answer, you quickly peck his frowning lips, taking him aback all over again. kicking your feet, you laugh out loud; "okay, put me down now. I need to go pay for this dress."

—

looking at your reflection in Keeley's vanity mirror, you absolutely adore who's staring back at you. your hair is curled to perfection, pinned up in the classier version of a messy bun. loose strands frame your face and make the hairstyle look naturally effortless, despite it having taken 40 minutes to perfect. your eyelids sparkle with a slight dusty pink colour. skin looking filter smooth, you admire the way the light bounces off your cheekbones after Keeley's makeup artist fanned some highlighter on them.

she's behind you on the pink sofa, painting her toe nails, whilst Rebecca is next to her on her phone. you had agreed to all get ready together but Rebecca, picky as ever, arrived completely dressed up, having already had her stylist get her ready.

leaning close to the mirror, you screw open your shiny pink lip gloss before lathering it on your lips. you pop them together before puckering them in the mirror, making a kissy noise. Keeley laughs at the sound, and when you turn around, a mischievous grin grows on her face; "look at you with your lip gloss! Jamie and y/n sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g!"

the three of you share a big laugh as you stand up from the chair, the pink robe Keeley lent you keeping you cosy as you get ready.

"okay, time for my dress!" you sing, and Keeley squeals.

"I can't wait to see it," Rebecca says sweetly. you tilt your head, looking at her with kind eyes;

"thanks again, Rebecca, I don't think I can ever repay you for this favour,"

"shut up and get dressed!" Rebecca shouts, waving a hand to dismiss you.

"aah! okay!" you shout back, running into Keeley's bedroom, dress bag folded over your arm.

putting it on is easier this time, having tied your own ribbon onto the zip. you look at your reflection in the bedroom mirror, and you can't believe this is you. the dress fits you like a glove, and is still the most comfortable thing you've ever worn. the fabric is flowy around your legs, and tightens to hug your body around your hips. your pinned up hair shows off your clavicle, and the framing front pieces make your face look chiseled as ever. sitting on the bed, you slip your feet into your light pink heels, the platform pumps adding an extra two inches to your height. as you buckle them up, you can finally say you truly do feel like a princess.

"ready?" you call, cracking open the door out of the bedroom.

"yes!" Keeley and Rebecca both say at the same time, excitement evident in their voices.

you step out of the room, letting out a deep breath. there's no reason to be, but you're nervous. you hold your head up, imagining Jamie sitting in that room, and you're suddenly filled with a newfound confidence. taking long strides, you walk into the next room. stepping in front of Keeley and Rebecca, you smile wide. both of them are dead silent, staring at you with blank expressions. you do a twirl, hoping to pull a reaction from them, but when you face them again, you still get nothing. smile slowly fading, your brows furrow.

"is there something wrong?" you say, holding out your hands in confusion.

Keeley and Rebecca shake their heads in sync, and the latter finally speaks up; "not at all, y/n, wow,"

"Jamie-" Keeley starts, life re-entering her eyes, "is... going to..." she jumps up in the air as she screams "DIE!"

she runs over to you and hugs you as you cackle at their theatrics; "you look fucking amazing!" Keeley squeals.

you look at Rebecca as you squeeze Keeley's arm, and the smile she gives you feels warm and sincere. she doesn't need to tell you what she thinks, you can read it in her face. you mouth the words 'thank you' to her one last time, and she blows you a kiss.

"let's get going!" letting go of you, Keeley runs to the mirror to quickly check her makeup. you move towards the sofa, picking up your clutch bag and slipping your phone and lip gloss into it. Rebecca stands up, brushing down her outfit. her red dress highlights her long legs, and her pinned up hair makes her look even taller than she is. turning your back to her, she kindly helps you take the ribbon off your zip. Keeley's hair cascades over her shoulder in waves, and her black corset fits perfectly over a big pink silk skirt.

"we look so good," you turn to them, smiling wide before heading for the front door.

you all slip into the back of the slick black limousine Rebecca organised for the three of you, and you waste no time in popping open the complimentary champagne.

each of you have a flute in hand as you sing along to the music playing. Keeley holds up her phone to take selfies and pictures of all of you, together as well as posing on your own. laughing and cheering, you hype each other up as you show the camera your best faces. three champagne flutes down and your cheeks feel hot, the alcohol rushing through your veins.

"oh by the way, y/n, you'll be sitting at a table with me and Keeley tonight." Rebecca smiles as she takes a sip of her drink. your eyebrows arch in surprise, and you mirror her as you bring the glass flute to your lips.

"yeah, we didn't want you sitting with random staff," Keeley adds.

"I'm surprised you didn't put me at a table with Jamie," you say.

Rebecca wags her pointer finger at you; "hm, no, see that wouldn't really be playing the game, would it?"

"if you're sitting at the same table, there's no longing, no yearning, no sexual tension!" Keeley explains, grunting the last words as she balls her fists in front of her and shakes them.

"exactly!" Rebecca continues, "our table is in front of his, which means that each time he looks at the stage, his eyes have to pass you, which they obviously won't and he'll probably sit there all night staring at you until you notice him" she states matter of factly.

"you guys..." you drawl, "this is so lovely, but at this point I'll just want jump his bones the minute I see him. I've been holding off for so long!"

"I promise it's worth it... believe me, it's all about the wait." Keeley says, placing a firm hand on your knee and squeezing it in reassurance. "Rebecca knows all about it," she continues, "she's put Sam behind us as well, at the same table as Jamie."

gasping at her, you let out a small scream; "Rebecca! you're going to try pick things up with him again?!" she rolls her eyes at you and Keeley, but still smirks slyly. the three of you holler and laugh, drowning out the music with your noise. your stomach twists in nerves and excitement, not at all knowing what to expect from tonight. whatever happens, you have to try to resist the one thing you've been thinking about for weeks; let's see how hard he's going to make that.

—

the limousine finally comes to a halt at the Richmond Theatre, and the flashing cameras already catch your eye. the driver steps out, walking over and opening the car door for you, Keeley, and Rebecca. one by one, you exit the stretch, giving each other hands to help the other up.

the red carpet is rolled out from the end of the stoop, all the way up over the stairs into the venue. there's a backdrop set up for photographs displaying an array of sponsors including bantr and KBPR. Sam and Isaac pose in front of the cameras, standing a few feet from one another.

"Jerry! Dave! it's so good to see you guys again! make sure to get my good side this year," Sam points at the group of photographers, choosing for a simple wide smile. Isaac on the other hand, has his hands together in a prayer pose, face emotionless. "don't forget the shoes," Isaac says to the cameras, "make sure you get the shoes, bruv." he reiterates bluntly, pointing a finger down at the ground.

shaking your head, you laugh at their antics. looking at the people around you, you can't help but think about Jamie; is he inside already? what is he wearing? will he still like your dress? oh my God what if he doesn't show up just because you said no to being his date-

"y/n, it's your turn babe," Keeley whispers in your ear, and she places a hand on your back to guide you onto the red carpet. eyes widening in panic, you turn to grab her hand; "Keeley, I have no idea what to do, please come with me,"

she giggles, running in front of the photographers, still holding your hand. she flicks her hair aside, placing a hand on her hip and smiling wide. through her teeth she tells you: "just copy me, you're gorgeous."

as the two of you stand and pose together, Rebecca steps onto the carpet at its far end, smiling on her own. you reach over, taking her hand and pulling her between you and Keeley, and the three of you laugh and pose together in front of the cameras. slowly but surely, you get more comfortable, stepping aside to get a few photos on your own. Dani, Colin, and a number of other Richmond players stand next to the photographers, whistling and whooping in encouragement. your laugh is big and genuine as the cameras continue to flash, and the adrenaline running through your veins reignites the excitement you've had all week.

"thank you!" you say to the photographers as an event organiser beckons you off the carpet. she leads you, Rebecca, and Keeley towards the steps into the theatre. the three of you laugh at the rush caused by the attention of the cameras, and your words are filled with disbelief; "I've never done anything like that before! that was so much fucking fun!"

"I know right?!" Keeley cackles.

"ladies, I have to go in and sort some things so I'm going to go ahead. I'll see you at the table," Rebecca speaks quickly, blowing a kiss before rushing off.

"she's so sexy when she's all in charge and shit," Keeley says, watching as Rebecca struts up the rest of the stairs and into the venue. she turns to face you, looking you up and down. with an inquisitive expression, she reaches her hands up and twists your necklace around, hiding the clasp behind your neck.

"perfect," she says, "how do I look?"

"absolutely amazing," you reply to her, pulling some fluff from her lace corset.

"let's fucking do this," Keeley says with a determined expression, and the two of you hold hands again as you walk up the stairs. at the door, a server holds a silver platter with champagne flutes filled to the brim. Keeley immediately drops your hand, taking one glass in each hand. you struggle holding back a laugh as you take one for yourself, thanking the server quietly.

approaching the double doors into the theatre, you reach out your free hand to pull the handle, holding it open for Keeley. "thanks, babe," she says, taking a quick sip of her drink. the second she enters, she squeals "Barbara!" and rushes over to her friend nearby.

left to fend for yourself, you blink and widen your eyes at the sheer size of the ballroom. at the far end is a large stage, and the walls are covered in red velvet. you look up at the ginormous chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and the chatter from the large amount of guests bounces against all sides of the room. you can't discern any of the voices despite recognising almost every face. everyone is dressed up to the Gods, mingling and chatting in small groups. some people are sitting at their tables, whilst some are simply standing around.

you spot Ted and Beard talking to Trent Crimm to your left, and as you're about to move towards them to say hello, a recognisable voice finally breaks through your thoughts; "holy fuck."

snapping your head towards the sound of the voice, your eyes immediately notice Jamie standing next to the bar to your right. he stands up straight when your eyes meet, sliding his elbow from the counter and placing down his beer bottle.

your jaw slacks as you move your eyes down his body, noticing his suit. it's a smooth navy, tailored to fit him perfectly. his signet ring shines beneath the bright lights, and his tattoos peek out from under his sleeve. the tie he's wearing has a light blue pattern you can't quite make out from your distance, but when your eyes drift to his suit jacket, your mouth snaps closed.

Jamie's eyes are wider than you've ever seen them, and he doesn't seem to blink at all as you walk over to him. you stand close to him, nostrils flaring as you clench your jaw; "Jamie," you say flatly, trying to keep your breathing steady, "what the fuck is that?" you tuck your clutch under your arm, moving your hand up to his chest and poking a finger against the pocket of his jacket.

his mouth opens and closes a few times, but no words come out. avoiding your eyes, he frowns his lips and shrugs; "what's... what?"

you tsk at him, moving your head to the side in an attempt to catch his gaze again. your finger digs into his chest harder, finally making him look at you as he pulls away in pain.

"ow, what was that for?"

"where did you get that pocket square?" you ask, making your question clear. you glance down at the sequinned blue fabric folded in his pocket, and your ears start ringing as your heart rate increases rapidly.

"Sarah made it for me to match your dress," Jamie admits sheepishly, shoulders slumping as he looks down at his fidgeting hands.

"come with me." you say, turning around and walking across the ballroom. Jamie follows you like a lost puppy as you walk past the other guests. "hey guys, I'll see you in a bit!" you chirp as you pass the coaches and their resident writer. they wave at you and Jamie with confused faces, but you ignore them. pushing through another set of double doors, you walk into a hallway.

looking side to side, you spot what you're looking for down the hallway and on the left. you don't look behind you, sure Jamie is right there, as you strut past another bar and some couched booths. stopping to chug your champagne, you discard the glass one of the tables. when you finally reach the door labelled 'ladies, you push open the door, hoping nobody's inside.

Jamie's suddenly stops as you head into the bathroom, brows furrowed, and you roll your eyes before pulling him in with you. when you walk in, you thank God there's no one in there to see you drag in the man trailing behind you. pushing open the first stall you see, you yank Jamie's arm to pull him inside.

you drop his hand, pressing your hands against his chest and pushing his back into the door, making it shut. you waste no time in slotting your feet between his and leaning forward, connecting your lips together. his hands find your waist as he realises what's happening. your clutch drops to the floor and you grab his biceps, keeping yourself steady.

hunger sets into you as you kiss him deeply, already panting as you messily move your lips against each other. your tongue slips into his mouth with ease as your hand reaches for his hair, grabbing a handful and tugging it. he groans into your mouth as his hands move up your back, holding you impossibly closer. you struggle to suppress the moan in the back of your throat as his tongue dips into your mouth, and your knees buckle at the feeling. Jamie uses this as his chance to spin you around, pressing your back against the cold door and quickly locking it without even having to look. with one hand placed firmly on the arch of your back, the other comes up to your face, tilting your jaw up as he kisses you even harder. your heads move side to side quickly, not once pulling away for breath as you move against each other vigorously. your fingers are still tangled in his hair whilst your other hand grips his arm tight, feeling the way the muscle flexes as he holds your body against his.

your mind goes completely blank, and your senses heighten as Jamie feels warm - no - hot. your heart hammers against your chest as you feel yourself start to sweat, your shared body heat starting to become overwhelming as your ears ring. all you can see, feel, and smell is Jamie; his cologne, his cold rings, his smooth skin on yours. both of your lips are sticky with lipgloss, and the noises your mouths make together make you blush. Jamie slides his hand from your face to your neck, running his thumb down your throat as he continues to tangle your tongues together. the touch pulls a low whine from your throat, and you completely lose the strength to hold yourself up.

your hand leaves his hair and quickly finds his tie, wrapping it around your fist and tugging it. you use the leverage to pull your back from the door before pressing the same hand into his chest.

Jamie reluctantly pulls his lips off of yours as you push against him. you're both breathless, panting with open mouths as you stare at each other. his pupils are dark and blown wide, breathing jagged, and his lips are even more plump than usual. yours feel equally as swollen, cheeks hot and hair messy.

without a word, you bend down, picking up your long discarded purse from the floor. turning your back to Jamie, you unlock the stall door and walk towards the sinks. dropping your purse on top of the marble, you run cold water over your hands in an attempt to cool yourself down before digging through your clutch. pulling out a bobby pin, you fix a rogue strand of hair which has fallen out of your updo. as you do so, Jamie appears from the stall, hair no longer messy. he catches your eyes in the mirror and smirks at you. as he passes you by, he brings his palm up to slap your ass, making your disheveled expression form into a smile.

you watch his back as he leaves the bathroom, and the fact he doesn't turn to glance at you makes you part your lips and huff, impressed by his sudden composure. turning back to the mirror, you stare at yourself. your cheeks are flushed, lips red and swollen, and your legs shake beneath you. holding the sink for support, you lean forward, fanning your face with your hand in an attempt to cool your skin. the door squeaks open, and you quickly stand up straight and pretend to fix the hair around your face.

a brunette woman you don't recognise walks in, and you send her a polite smile through the mirror's reflection. "having a good night are we?" she grins knowingly, scrunching up her nose and raising her eyebrows. you let out a surprised cackle, quickly shaking your head and shrugging; "just fixing my makeup, you know how it goes."

"right..." she drawls, winking at you before she disappears into a stall. you sigh out a breath, glad it wasn't Keeley or Rebecca walking in on you, even though they would probably have a few tips to make yourself look less sloppy after you and Jamie's heated make out.

sure, you weren't exactly playing the game of tension they were talking about, but your kiss with Jamie was worth every second. you wouldn't have lasted flirting with him all evening without knowing what he tasted like. the feeling of his lips on yours, hands pressed against your back while you clawed at his hair, is going to replay in your mind all evening, and you hope you won't be going home alone.

pulling your lipgloss from your bag, you quickly dab some more on your still-puffy lips. hoping all traces of Jamie are gone, you clip your clutch closed and head for the door. as you push through into the hallway, the loud chatter of the event reverberates through the walls, and adrenaline sets in again. you decide against returning to the ballroom just yet, walking down the hallway and to the small bar at the end of it.

"y/n!" Sam beams as you meet him at the bar. you get the attention of the bartender.

"I'll try the peachy keen, please," turning to face Sam you say: "how are you, Samuel?"

"I'm doing good, what about you?" he laughs at your use of his full name.

"hungry! I'm so excited for the meal and the auction and everything," you say, accepting your cocktail from the bartender with a "thank you so much."

"ah, really? are you going to bid on Jamie?" Sam asks with a grin.

"ha!" you cackle, "Jamie wishes I'd bid on him! but... I don't really think I can afford the auction anyways. Keeley said it goes into the tens of thousands!"

"I think Jamie would do it for free if it was you bidding on him, he's obsessed with you." Sam takes a sip of his drink, and you arch your eyebrows; "really?" you ask.

"oh yes, for sure... but I don't think I need to tell you that," he says with a smirk on his face.

"what do you mean?" you shrug nervously, already picturing Jamie's dark eyes when you pulled away from him in the bathroom stall. you bring your sweet drink to your lips in attempt to distract yourself.

"well, I saw him stumble out of the women's restrooms a few minutes ago. he's not very good at hiding his certain excitement, if you know what I mean,"

Sam's words take you aback, and you snort into your drink and cough as you place the glass down. you wipe the splatters from your face and look up at him with a shocked look.

he continues, the smirk on his face growing even more devilish; "and then I see you walking out of the same bathroom a few minutes later... which makes me think that maybe... you were in there together?"

you inhale deeply, raising you eyebrows and smiling at him. picking up your glass from the bar, you turn to walk away. "I will speak to you later, Sam. enjoy your meal." you say politely, and he laughs at you as you turn and head through the doors and back into the large ballroom.

contrary to when you arrived, the carpeted room is now bustling with people. you stand still in front of the door, stunned by the crowds. you can hear the familiar laughter and shouts of the Richmond players, but you can't see them. you look over to the stage to see Rebecca standing beside it, nervously discussing something with Higgins. glancing back towards the bar you had previously found Jamie at, his place is now taken by Roy and Keeley as they stand close together. her hand holds his arms as he looks down at her lovingly, a content smile resting on his face. you smile at their interaction, the gentle side of both of them is a rare sight at work, and it's as if they're all alone in this room full of people.

"excuse me ladies and gentlemen," Rebecca's voice sounds through speakers around the room. chatter dies down as everyone turns their attention to the stage, where Rebecca is standing behind a microphone.

"thank you so very much for coming," she pauses as the chatter dies down quickly, "dinner is going to be served soon, so if everybody could please find their seats, that would be delightful." everyone applauds Rebecca as she smiles and walks off the stage. you beeline towards her, awkwardly smiling at people as you push past them. standing next to the stage, Rebecca is flattening non-existent creases in her dress as she now talks to Ted.

"it's gonna be amazing, boss, don't you worry!" you hear Ted chirp as you approach the two. sensing your presence, Rebecca turns her head and smiles at you.

"oh, y/n, thank goodness you're here." she breathes.

your face contorts into a puzzled look as you glance at Ted whose face is still in his classic closed mouth smile; "we arrived together," you chuckle to yourself, and her face of realisation makes the three of you laugh. "let's go find our seats." you say, and you look back to Ted, "will you be sitting with us, coach?"

the three of you move towards the tables, and Rebecca guides you to table nine, smack down in the middle of the ballroom.

"that's right! I can't wait to tell Roy about my new uniform designs,"

"it's called a kit, coach," Beard suddenly appears next to Ted, Jane beside him.

"well we'll have to make them thermal then... winter is coming!" Ted says proudly, snapping his fingers with a chuckle.

you look up at Beard, completely confused. "Game of Thrones," he says in a flat tone. from beside him, Jane also speaks up in the same way; "Kit Harington."

"ah," you say, the awkward smile on your face fading as you turn away from the encounter, shaking your head as you walk to the other side of the table. pulling out the chair directly across from Ted, you're facing the stage with your back to the rest of the tables. as you move to sit down, however, Rebecca stops you.

"wait, okay, hold on," she circles the table, stopping at each chair and crouching down. your brows furrow as you watch her, clueless as to what she was doing. she brings her hands up in front of her face, holding her fingers in an L-shape as she frames her vision. "perfect..." she stands up straight and pulls out the chair in front of her, "this is your seat."

the antics make you laugh, giving in and moving two seats to the left and sitting down; "thanks?"

"you're so very welcome," her tone is sincere, as if she didn't just dance around the table choosing you a chair. she sits down in the seat to your right, immediately grabbing for one of the complimentary bottles of white wine set in the centre of the table. screwing open the top, she fills your glass first, all the way up to the brim. she does the same for her glass, almost making it overflow, before putting the wine bottle back into its ice bucket.

"Rebecca, oh my God," you widen your eyes at her with a smile, and her mischievous smirk makes you laugh. "I've already paid for it! we might as well drink it." as the two of you giggle, you raise your glasses and clink them together, some wine spilling over the rim as you cheers.

"hey! wait for me!" Keeley runs over, Roy trailing behind her, before lifting her cocktail up to join your toast, "here's to y/n shagging Jamie tonight!"

your hand flies to your mouth in shock and you shush her, glancing around to see if anyone heard her vulgar words. the only other guest who heard her comment was Roy, who smiles at you sympathetically before muttering "fucking gross," under his breath as he sits down. Keeley playfully sticks her tongue out at you before moving to sit beside between Rebecca and Roy. she leans over closer to you and Rebecca as Roy fills their glasses with wine; "have you seen Jamie's pocket square, by the way?"

you don't need to be looking in the mirror to know the intense blush that just set across your cheeks as you avoid looking at her. Rebecca furrows her brows and shakes her head, looking between you and Keeley. you suck in your lips and close your eyes, knowing what Keeley is about to say.

"it's the same as y/n's dress!" she whisper yells, and you reluctantly open one eye to see Rebecca's reaction.

"what the fuck?!" her eyes shoot open wide as her head snaps to look at you. you stay quiet, opening your other eye and bearing your teeth in a wide grimace. "how did he get a piece of your dress?" Rebecca says to you in a hushed tone before her face drops, "oh my God, y/n, don't tell me you've already slept with him."

now it's your turn to widen your eyes in a shocked expression; "Jesus, no!" you say, slightly offended by Rebecca's assumption. she, Keeley, and Roy stare at you expectantly, waiting for you to continue.

"what?" you ask them, nervously chugging the rest of your peach cocktail. none of them speak as they watch you drink, and you roll your eyes before explaining: "he went dress shopping with me and I guess the tailor made him a pocket square for tonight. I swear I had no idea he was going to do that! he did it behind my back."

Keeley squints at you, clearly not believing a word you say. when you look at Rebecca, she pouts her lips and nods, but you can't decipher whether it's in reassurance or mockery. "I believe you," Roy suddenly says, "he's a possessive little bitch, he would definitely pull this shit."

you chuckle at his words, and he sends you a quick wink with a small smile. as you look past Roy, your smile drops, not giving you the chance to return the wink, and Rebecca says what you're thinking: "speak of the devil,"

"you talkin' bout me?" Jamie says, firmly placing his hands on Roy's shoulders as he stands behind him. a cocky grin plasters his face as he stares down at you, quickly winking at you as your mouth falls slightly open.

"let go of me." Roy states, face stone cold as he stares ahead. Jamie doesn't follow his order, simply squeezing Roy's shoulders and shaking him side to side. "I'll kill you." Roy says again, but Jamie ignores him.

"Rebecca?" he asks sweetly, taking his time to drag his eyes off of you and look at the woman next to you, "why can't I sit at this table?"

"oooh..." Ted says, watching intently as Rebecca folds her arms on the table. Jamie's tight-lipped smile is sweet, but fake, and Rebecca mirrors his expression. she inhales deeply, tilting her head to the side as she looks up at him.

"because I said so, Jamie." she says, and your eyebrows arch as you bite back a smile when he glances at you, his cocky expression now cracking slightly. his grin turns into a pout as he gasps for a response. "but-" he starts, but Rebecca interrupts his rebuttal: "because I pay you to play football for me, Jamie, not to accompany me to dinner."

Roy bursts into a loud laugh, gaining everyone's attention as the table goes completely silent. Jamie slides his hands from his shoulders, startled by the sound of his laughter. Keeley giggles from beside Roy, covering her mouth to hide it. the whole table looks at him, amused smiles creeping up your faces. Jamie, on the other hand, looks defeated, eyes finding yours again. he sends you a sad look, pouting his lips. silently, you lift your shoulders in a shrug, smiling at him. your smile is sincere and warm, despite his opposite expression. still, since your encounter in the bathrooms not too long ago, your heart is finding it hard not to be fond of Jamie as you look at him. you'd like to keep up the tension-filled flirtatious banter, but since feeling the pressure of his mouth on yours, you can't help but long for the next time you'll get to taste him.

"good one, Rebecca," Roy finally speaks, falling back into his blunt normality as he brings his drink to his mouth.

Jamie composes himself, rolling his eyes before glancing at everyone at the table; "whatever," he mutters, looking straight at you again, "see you during the auction, y/n," he winks before turning and walking away, clearly quickly recovering from the embarrassment.

Rebecca and Keeley slowly turn towards you, mouths agape, and the three of you wait a few seconds before squealing in excitement.

"holy shit!" Keeley says, reaching across Rebecca to grab your hand, "he wants you!" she growls, and you all share another screech as you process Jamie's parting words.

"who wants who?!" a voice interjects your noise, matching your excitement with an amused tone and a wide smile. you look to your left as the same brunette from the bathroom sits down in the free seat next to you. your expression drops as you feel the blood drain from your face, contrasting the deep blush Jamie had just given you. she catches your eye and smiles wide; "hey! we're at the same table, what a coincidence!"

"Sassy Smurf?!" Ted hangs his head to the side to try and see her face. she immediately turns to him, opening her arms wide as they match each other's wide smiles. "Marlboro Man!" she shouts, and they embrace in a quick hug. the interaction both warms your heart and confuses you, turning to give Rebecca a questioning look. you're overwhelmed by all of the interactions you've had since sitting down at the table, and at this point you have no idea how the evening is going to pan out.

Rebecca smiles at you, interrupting Ted and the mystery woman's conversation to introduce you; "y/n, this is Flo, my best friend,"

"since childhood," she includes, "and you can just call me Sassy, it makes me feel more interesting," she smiles and winks at you as she holds out a hand for you to shake. you take it, repeating Rebecca by saying "I'm y/n, it's so lovely to meet you."

"y/n is our receptionist at Richmond, and she's really good," Keeley says, "she gets along with literally everyone, especially Jamie Tartt." she smirks at Sassy and raises her eyebrows suggestively.

Sassy turns to look at you wide eyes, an intrigued smile spreading across her face as she looks at you. you can almost see the cogs turning in her mind, and your face falls as you try to shake your head as subtly as possible. panic starts setting in as you realise she's connecting the dots between you in the bathroom and the conversation at the table, and you hope your wide eyes tell her not to mention your post-Jamie run in.

"ooh," she drawls, elongating the vowels as she nods her head. you hold your breath, hoping she understood your silent plea. "yeah, he's not really my type but, go get it babe," she sends you a cheeky grin and raises her brows at you. you feel the back of her hand tap the side of your thigh in reassurance as she turns her back to you; "so Ted, how have you been?" you hear her say, and you sigh in relief before drinking as much wine as you can in one gulp.

everyone quickly moves on, diving into their own conversations. Ted and Sassy seem to know each other quite well, Sassy leaning close to him as he speaks, making him blush. Rebecca must notice your confused expression, interrupting her own chat with Keeley and Roy to lean in to your ear; "they've slept together a few times." your eyes widen as you dramatically scoop your head to the side to look at Rebecca. you exchange knowing smiles, and her eyes soften as she looks at you. furrowing your brows as you notice her expression change, you're about to ask her if everything's okay, but she beats you to it.

"as much as we tease you about it," she starts, "Keeley and I think you and Jamie are perfect for each other. I can see how much you like him and -- not that he's hiding it very well -- but I can tell he is utterly in love with you."

you open your mouth to contest, but Rebecca holds a hand up to stop you; "I promise, y/n. now, during the auction, I want you to bid whatever amount needed to win him. don't worry about the cost, I'll cover it."

"oh- absolutely not!" you gawk at Rebecca, "you can't buy me a dress and a man!"

"of course I can. I'm the boss, remember?" her voice is stern as she pats your thigh.

"please, I'm begging you, just take the dress out of my paycheck." your eyes are pleading as you clasp your hands together. she shakes her head at you and tsks; "none of it. now, let's eat."

as if on cue, dozens of waiters appear out of nowhere, carrying platters of plates. first they bring the chicken, then the steak. you all dig into your dinner, and the food is delicious - not surprising, Rebecca would never settle for less than perfect. you eat, drink, and laugh, especially with Sassy beside you, her numerous offhand comments making you laugh louder than you normally would if you didn't have this much alcohol running through your veins. you notice the way Ted looks at her, even when she's speaking to someone else, and you recognise it as similar to the way Jamie looked at you in the dress boutique earlier this week. his eyes are soft and features relaxed, a small smile resting comfortably on his lips. his pupils are big, and his chest moves up and down slowly as he breathes -- he seems completely at ease, despite the hustle and bustle of the room. it makes you think of seeing Keeley and Roy earlier, looking at each other as if they were the only ones here, not a care in the world about who's around them. you smile to yourself before turning your attention back to the story Sassy is telling, some retelling of a funny memory she shares with Rebecca.

Keeley laughs at her words, and the sound is just infectious, making you laugh more than the story itself. your eyes move to look at Roy, who looks at Keeley with soft eyes identical to Ted's. you huff a small laugh to yourself, it going unnoticed by those around you as they're all engrossed in the conversation. Roy stares at Keeley with such adoration that it tugs at your heartstrings. their chairs are pulled close together, and his arm is draped over the back of her chair as she leans into him ever so slightly. her wine glass sits in her hand as she laughs, and each time she does, Roy smiles to himself. you doubt he's even listening to Sassy's tale, completely distracted by Keeley's joy. he's infatuated with her, and you can tell by the way she continues to crack his hard exterior. you wonder what he's like with her behind closed doors; you bet she has him walking around wearing her signature pink robe.

you look down at your hands, admiring the manicure you got in preparation for the event. the glossy light pink colour matches the details of your outfit, and you're still surprised at how comfortable your dress is. you run your fingers over the blue sequins, seeing how they reflect the chandeliers above you. you can't believe Jamie's little stunt he pulled -- when did he even ask Sarah to make him that pocket square? you look over your left shoulder, trying to find him at the table behind you, but he's not there. when you look to your right and past Rebecca, you see a table with Richmond staff, but no still no Jamie. scanning the countless people at the event, you can't seem to spot him.

it seems you were looking too far, however, as when you look at the table diagonal to yours, also in the middle of the room, your eyes land on him immediately. he's already looking at you, lids low on his eyes as he stares. you quickly glance away, trying to hide the fact you were looking for him, but you can feel his eyes burning into the side of your face. he's sitting with other Richmond players, but doesn't seem engaged with them at all as he stares at you. you have no idea of knowing how long he's been staring at you, but decide to meet his eyes again. as predicted, he's still looking in your direction. unlike usually, his face isn't cocky or teasing. instead, his eyes are soft and dark, and his mouth is closed in a small and subtle smile, probably unaware of its presence on his face. your gentle smile morphs into a shy one as he doesn't break away from your stare.

looking back to your lap, you touch your fingertips up to brush your lips, replaying every second of your kiss with Jamie in the bathroom. your skin recalls each goosebump as you imagine the way his hands ran up your spine. as you remember the taste of his tongue against yours, a blush takes over your face and your vision blurs. days of tension and patient waiting were interrupted by that first kiss, and you hope that wasn't your last.

—

the evening continues smoothly; you all finish your meals and continue emptying the wine bottles. warmth runs through your veins as alcohol mixes with contentment, and you fight the urge to blurt out something stupid about Jamie in your conversations. this proves to be made extra hard with him in your peripheral vision, and you can feel his eyes on you every time you laugh. you get more flustered the more wine you drink, and it's a true struggle not to stand up, take Jamie's hand, and take him home.

your engrossed in conversation with Sassy and Ted when Rebecca speaks into the microphone on the stage. you hadn't even noticed her leaving the table, a testament to your tunnel vision after a few drinks. Keeley shuffles over to sit next to you, and you see Roy standing up from the table. he buttons his suit jacket swiftly as he slides past the other tables and towards the stage. Keeley grabs your hand and squeals; "time for the auction! I will literally kill anyone that bids on Roy."

"ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for coming to support this year's annual Benefit for Underprivileged Children gala!"

the room breaks into a loud applause at Rebecca's words, and you take the opportunity to glance at Jamie. this time, to your surprise, he's not looking at you. his eyes are focused on the stage, and you use his distraction to look him up and down, eyes lingering on his pocket square. dragging your eyes upwards again, you notice Sam looking at you. he's sitting right next to Jamie, and is clapping absentmindedly as he stares at you with a challenging look, eyes squinting. you ignore him, quickly facing the stage again.

"now for the part you've all been waiting for," Rebecca continues, "the auction for a chance to spend an all-expenses paid evening with one of Richmond FC's very own football players!" everyone claps again, and the cheers get louder as Roy makes his way onto the stage. you jump at the sound of Keeley screaming beside you, her arms in the air as she claps for her boyfriend. his face remains expressionless as he lifts a hand up to salute to Keeley, and she does the same. she grabs your arm with one hand as the other holds her bidding paddle at the ready.

"I love it when he acts all 'I'm Roy and I don't smile'" she puts on a gruff voice as she smiles, "I just keep trying to make him crack!"

"first up, Roy Kent." Rebecca says, gesturing as Roy steps up to the microphone.

he takes a deep breath before using his best deadpan voice to say: "if any of you, other than Keeley Jones, put up your hand, I'll have you escorted out of here." the crowd laugh at his words, but his face stays cold as Keeley throws her paddle up into the air; "twenty-five thousand!" she shouts with a beaming smile, standing up from her seat with a small jump. "sold to the lovely lady in the puffy skirt!" Roy says into the mic before Rebecca even has the chance. Keeley squeals as Roy immediately exits the stage, making his way back over to the table. when he reaches Keeley, she throws her arms around his neck and kisses him sweetly. Ted coos at the gesture, and the players behind you cheer and ooh at the couple obnoxiously. Roy flips them off as he keeps his lips on Keeley's, and it makes you think of Jamie again.

when you flick your eyes over to his seat, you find it empty, but Sam still manages to catch your eyes again. you curse under your breath before forcing a smile. he points to the stage and when you turn your head, you see Jamie standing on the stage next to Rebecca. the spotlights make his pocket square sparkle, and the sight makes your heart beat faster than it should. "he's a possessive little bitch" Roy's words run circles around your head, and you can't help but admit you don't mind his possessiveness -- only when it comes to you.

"next we have a free meal with unlimited wine at the luxurious Richmond Hill Hotel with the one and only Jamie Tartt!" Rebecca exclaims, "and if the lucky bidder gets even luckier, she can have one night's stay in the hotel included!"

your cheeks flush a deep crimson as your mouth drops open wide. Sassy turns to you with a loud gasp, and Keeley cackles as she grabs your hand, bouncing up and down in her seat. your hands cover your mouth as you duck your head shyly, your entire table encouraging you to reach for your paddle. you finally make eye contact with Jamie, who is biting his lip with a teethy grin. he shoots you one of his classic winks and you sigh, picking up the paddle.

"let's start at five thousand for Jamie," Rebecca says.

you're about to put your number in the air, but someone else beats you to it. you look to the right, following the voice repeating the number, only to see Roy with his paddle in the air. the room erupts in laughter, including Jamie. Roy looks at you and winks; "we could get some extra training in," and he cracks you a smile.

"five thousand for Roy Kent? okay," Rebecca says as she holds back a laugh. her eyes are on you as she continues; "six thousand?"

finally lifting your paddle, you call out: "six thousand!"

Jamie smiles as Rebecca says your name into the microphone. unlike at the table earlier, his face is back to a cocky grin. strong arms crossed in front of his chest, his chin is held high as he runs his tongue across his teeth. his eyes are glued to yours, so you take it upon yourself to drag them up and down his body, enjoying the view. his trousers are tight around his thighs, and his arms practically bulge out of the suit jacket. how had you not noticed this earlier? how big he looks in the fitted outfit, and how much you like his blonde hair, and how the button up shirt he's wearing isn't white, but is actually the same shade of dusty pink as your shoes. your lips part as you realise just how much you two are matching, and your brows furrow in feigned anger. Jamie smirks as he sees you looking him up and down, but you decide to tease him just a bit more.

"do I hear seven thousand?"

eyes on his, you refuse to lift your paddle, despite Sassy trying to lift your hand. keeping it tucked under your crossed legs, you don't make any move to bid on him.

"seven thousand pounds!" you hear from behind you, and you turn to see Sam's hand in the air. everyone laughs again, and his joke starts a ripple effect amongst the football players.

"ten thousand." Isaac says bluntly, and when Jamie blows him a kiss from the stage he says: "love you, bruv!"

the bidding goes through a number of players dotted throughout the room until finally, the number reaches nineteen thousand.

"any more for any more?" Rebecca hopes, glaring at you.

Keeley drums on the table suddenly, and Sassy is quick to join in. soon, Roy, Ted, Beard, and even Jane are all tapping the table, giving you a drum roll.

"twenty thousand!" you shout, shaking your head as you throw your eyes to the sky. Rebecca doesn't give the chance for any more bids, immediately saying: "sold for twenty thousand to y/n y/l/n!"

Jamie laughs as he looks down at you, and you bite your lip as he mouths to you; "you're mine."

—

with the auction finished, and some of the Richmond players paired up with new potential wags, most of the tables are empty. although Rebecca couldn't hire the real ABBA, Higgins managed to find a more-than-decent cover band to take the stage as musical guest. you bounce up and down to the rhythm of the music, hand-in-hand with Rebecca. you spin her around, and she does the same to you as you sing along to the classic 'Dancing Queen', and you point to her every time the chorus plays. you laugh and cackle as you scream along to the songs, dancing with Rebecca and Keeley, and sometimes Sassy. allegedly, Roy doesn't dance, so Keeley has resorted to dancing on her own. she has long discarded her heels, and you wish you had the balls to do the same.

when the song switches to 'Chiquitita', Keeley collapses against Rebecca's chest, clutching her tightly in a hug. Sassy whispers something to Ted, who has been krumping the whole time, before they both disappear through the double doors into the hallway you had pulled Jamie through earlier. you smile as you watch them walk away, hand-in-hand. when you turn back to Keeley and Rebecca, you're surprised to see Sam standing in front of you, hand outstretched. you take it with a shy smile, and he pulls you close. you put a hand on his shoulder as he leans down, but he keeps the hand not holding yours to himself; how respectful. together, you move side to side as he has to shout in your ear to be heard above the music.

"where's Jamie?" he asks.

"I don't know," you reply, standing cheek to cheek so he can hear you.

"you look stunning tonight, y/n."

"thank you, Sam! you look great!" when you saw him at the bar earlier, you hadn't completely recovered from Jamie, so you hadn't noticed his sophisticated look for the night.

"I know you and Jamie were in the bathroom together," he says, ignoring your compliment, "and I noticed your matching outfits."

you roll your eyes, pulling him close to you so you can explain yourself; "I didn't know how was going to do that! Roy said he was being possessive."

"and Roy is right...," he says, twirling you around using your entwined hands, and he stops your spin halfway, allowing your eyes to fall on a sulking Jamie, "now go talk to Jamie. I've gotten him all jealous and bothered, now you have to handle the rest while I try to talk to Rebecca."

turning to face Sam again, you laugh wildly, slapping his arm as you pretend to be upset at his antics. he matches your expression, cackling as shakes his hips. you hold your pointer finger up to him, quickly grabbing his hand again and pulling him towards Rebecca, who is still holding Keeley in her arms. their height difference is exacerbated by Keeley's missing shoes, and her eyes are closed as she rests her head on Rebecca's chest. your boss looks at you, pursing her lips as she holds back her laughter. you move closer to her; "Sam has no one to dance with, maybe you can lend him a hand?" you say before leaning down to whisper in Keeley's ear. "Sam is here." you say, and she doesn't need any more information before standing up straight and dancing through the crowd and out of sight.

pushing Sam towards Rebecca, you let go of his hand, quickly fixing the twisted strap on your pumps before stepping back onto the carpet. fittingly so, the band starts singing 'Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!', and you smirk to myself as you walk towards Jamie. his jacket is unbuttoned, pockets hanging loosely at his side. with his head down, he has one hand in his pocket and the other fidgeting with a toothpick on top of the table. he doesn't notice you approach, so you move to stand behind him. you bend over slightly, folding your arms over his shoulders as you hold your face next to his. Jamie, stubborn as always, doesn't react to your presence, so you flatten your palms against his midriff, feeling his hard abs beneath his shirt. this makes him sit up slightly, taking a hand out of his pocket and placing it over your hands.

"isn't it funny you're at table six, and I was at table nine..." you say in his ear, but he ignores your silly comment.

your fingers drag up painfully slowly, reaching his chest before he drops his hand down. his chest moves up and down rapidly as he borderline pants at your touch. separating your hands, you bring them across his chest firmly before pulling them up to his shoulders. you squeeze his solid muscles, secretly admiring his strength.

"there's not a soul out there," you whisper along to the song, lips brushing his ear, "no one to hear my prayer,"

"Jamie," your voice is sultry in his ear, knowing exactly what you want from him right now. the song isn't helping your heated state, the bass pumping in your flushed chest. he tips his head back as you continue to massage his shoulders, resting it in the crook of your neck. you can see every inch of the soft skin on his throat, and you drag your eyes over his adam's apple as it bobs with his nervous gulp. stopping the movement of your fingers, Jamie stands up abruptly, buttoning his jacket with shaky hands.

smirking as you look up at him, he clenches his jaw and shakes his head as if telling you not to say anything. without another word, he takes your hand in his, interlocking your fingers tightly, and walks towards the door. he pushes through the first set of double doors, you in tow, before suddenly coming to a halt. you stand beside him, both of you silent for a few seconds. torrential rain slaps the pavement outside of the venue, and you look at your clothes with wide eyes. he does the same, and when your eyes meet again, you both laugh. his hand comes up to brush his air back as he looks out at the rain, but your eyes are glued to his bicep. the seams of jacket look like they're about to burst as he flexes his muscles, and your smile fades into an O-shape as your jaw slacks. yes, he's a professional footballer, but he's so big, and so muscular. your eyes drop down as you lean back, taking a glimpse of his backside, and that is definitely a rugby ass.

"fuck it," he mumbles, pulling you from your trance, and before you know it he's pulling you outside. you rush down the steps, squeezing his hand tight so you don't slip, before running to the street corner. there's a line of black cabs picking up guests, and Jamie pulls open the door to one. holding open the door for you, he lets you crawl in first, before ducking down.

"hi!" you chirp to the driver as Jamie climbs in next to you, "sorry you have to drive in this weather," you apologise before giving him your address through the plastic privacy partition. the driver closes it, so you buckle your seatbelt, and once Jamie's shut the door, he does the same.

"we're going to yours?" he asks, pushing his dripping wet hair out of his eyes.

"yeah." you say simply, smiling at him. you're sure you look like a drowned rat, and you hope your makeup isn't running down your face. despite only being in the rain for a minute or so, you're both completely soaked.

you look at each other for a few seconds as the driver takes off, and you can't help but laugh at each other's appearance.

"you look like you do after training, but... worse," you giggle, pushing a misplaced strand of his hair over.

"and you look... just a little bit melted," he laughs, "but still gorgeous." while you laugh, your lip quivers as you shiver from the cold rain, so he shrugs off his wet jacket, laying it over your legs in a poor attempt to keep you warm, but it's the thought that counts.

turning to look through the window, the air suddenly grows a little bit awkward. five minutes ago you were ready to let him do whatever he wanted to you, and now you're sitting next to each other in a silent cab completely drenched from the rain. you sigh, thinking about your next move. you want to reach over the middle seat and take his hand in his -- quite frankly, you'd prefer to straddle him and make out with him right here and now. but you stick with your first option, glancing down at your lap before sliding your hand over and taking his. as you fold your fingers together you bring his hand up, brushing your lips over the back of it as you kiss each of his knuckles. you don't look at him, just hold his hand in your lap as you continue staring out the window.

the drive continues in silence for a few more minutes, before Jamie clears his throat. eyes glued to the street, you don't look at him when he speaks; "aren't you happy you won me in the auction?" you can hear the smirk in his voice as he says it, and you roll your eyes with a smile.

"is this our free date night, then? because I was actually going to give it to my dad as a birthday gift, he loves you." you reply, still avoiding turning to him.

"I'll make sure he tells you how good I am in the bedroom," this makes you snap your head towards him, mouth agape, and he laughs at your expression as he tosses his head back against the car seat. you laugh along with him, staring at his bright smile. your eyes drop down and look at how his wet button up clings to his skin, and suddenly your heart beat speeds up again.

attempting to calm yourself, you look at the jacket draped over your lap. reaching for its pocket, you pull the folded blue fabric out of it. you hold it up to Jamie, raising your eyebrows in silent question. his expression falls sheepish again, smile fading. he glances out the window briefly before turning to you again, concerned look on his face.

"y/n, I just wanna say -- I'm sorry if me wearin' that pocket square made you uncomfortable. I guess I was so wrapped up in all of the flirting and everythin' that I didn't think about how it would look wearin' that tonight," his words are sincere as he looks at you with furrowed brows.

"Jamie," you whisper, eyes softening as you process his worry, "thank you for apologising, but don't worry. sure, it was surprising, but honestly I think it's really fit..."

his worried look turns to confusion as he puckers his lips; "what? are you serious?" he asks you, eyebrows arched.

"yes, Jamie, I'm being very serious. why do you think I took you to the bathroom and made out with you?" you say, absentmindedly playing with the fingers wrapped around your hand.

his eyes look to the ceiling of the car, and he licks his lips as he thinks hard. sighing, he starts slowly nodding his yet; "yeah... I guess so... well-played." he says, winking at you, and suddenly he's back to his regular, teasing self.

"so, why aren't we going to my superstar footballer mansion?" he asks, lips frowning in a grimace.

"because my penthouse flat is right here," you say, ducking your head down and pointing out of his window. the cab stops right in front of the small car park of your apartment. it's not a big building by any means, so it's more like a drive way that have a few cars parked on it. Jamie looks up at the four-storey building before looking at you with a bored expression.

"penthouse?" he repeats, pointing his thumb out the window, "how luxurious." he rolls his eyes before digging through his trouser pocket, pulling out a money clip.

"a money clip?" your tone now matches his, "what are you? fifty?"

"here ya go, sir," he hands a wad of cash to the taxi driver without even knowing how much the ride was. he ignores your comment, opening the door and holding it for you. you pass him his jacket, and when you step out of the car, he throws it over your shoulders. the rain is still lashing, and you make a run for the front door as Jamie closes the cab door and thanks the driver.

you hold your clutch over your head as you try to shield your hair from any more rain, but you doubt it helps at all. you knock on the double doors to the entrance, and the doorkeeper sitting in his small booth inside buzzes you in. Jamie catches up with you and places a hand on the small of your back as you walk inside. you shrug his jacket off, handing it to him as you make your way to the lift. he folds it over his arm, and smiles at the doorkeeper as you walk past his desk. you press the button to call the lift, and the doors immediately open.

"Jamie Tartt?" he asks out loud, completely bewildered.

the two of you step inside the lift, and when Jamie turns to face him with a friendly face, he holds a finger to his lips as if to shush him. the door slides closed, and the doorkeeper remains in shock the entire time. leaning against the wall, you stare up at Jamie with an amused grin, but the second the lift starts its ascent, Jamie turns to you. he grabs your face and crashes his lips onto yours. your hand flies up to clutch his wrist as you lose yourself to his touch. you waste no time slipping your tongue into his mouth again, and you feel like you can finally breathe. all evening you imagined doing this again, and now your body shivers as the anticipation comes to an end.

the lift stops, and Jamie stands up instantly, clearing his throat. you're left panting against the mirrored wall of the lift as it dings and the doors open. Jamie stands aside, holding out a hand as he beckons for you to walk in front of him. pushing yourself up, you pop open your clutch to dig for your keys. when you walk past Jamie he, of course, gives you a small slap to your ass. you squeak at the noise, but don't say anything else, pulling your housekeys from your bag. Jamie follows you around the corner and towards your door, and when you unlock it and push it open, the warmth of your apartment feels like heaven on your wet skin.

"it's small, but it's all I need really," you explain to Jamie as you walk towards your sofa. "nah, it's nice," he smiles at you sweetly, the opposite to the way he looked at you in the lift.

your living room and kitchen are conjoined, and the space definitely isn't the biggest, but its coziness welcomes you. dropping yourself onto the plush couch, you sink into the pillows, staring at Jamie. he clicks the door shut behind him before slipping off his dress shoes and placing them next to your doormat, right beside your work shoes. he turns and walks towards you, unbuttoning his jacket and throwing it over the arm of your grey sofa. you expect him to sit down next to you, but instead, he crouches down, kneeling on the ground proposal-style. quickly sitting up, you stare down at him skeptically, wondering what his next move is. his eyes hold yours as he slides his hands up your calves, and goosebumps raise on the smooth skin instantly. leaning forward, Jamie pushes your dress an inch over your knees before gently kissing them. you can't help but laugh at the feeling, it tickling slightly due to your damp skin. his thumbs slide over the divots in your knees, and graze over some scar you've had since childhood.

his hands slide down your legs before he focuses his fingers on the clasp of your heels. lifting your right foot up slightly, he brings his lips to your ankle, kissing gently before sliding the pump off. he does the same to the your other foot, and the relief of having your shoes off makes you sigh as you hang your head back. Jamie presses his thumbs into the sole of your left foot, easily rubbing the knot out of the arch of your foot. a small whine slips from your lips at the feeling, and Jamie lets a low chuckle slip as he moves on to your other foot, doing the exact same thing. this time, you manage to hold back your groans, biting down on your bottom lip with your eyes screwed shut.

moving his lips back to your ankle, Jamie straightens out your leg, running kisses up the side of your calf. when he reaches your knee, he brings your leg back down before sliding his hands up to your thighs, one hand on each leg. you lift your head to look down at him, and his eyes hold a pleading look as he stares up at you. your lips part, completely invigorated by the sight of Jamie on his knee in front of you, hands hidden under your dress, practically begging to touch you. leaning forward, you take control, wrapping his tie around your fist as you pull up, helping him back to his feet. he holds his hands out for you, and you take them as he lifts you from the sofa. staring up at him, hands resting in his, your flutter your lashes.

"you okay?" Jamie whispers, a crooked smile appearing on your face.

you nod and hum in response, letting go of one of his hands and stepping past him. he follows you as you pull his hand, walking down the hallway. you pass the bathroom, heading straight for your bedroom. leaving the door open behind you, you push Jamie into the room ahead of you, letting go of his hand. he sits down at the end of your bed, legs spread. you slot between them, back turned to him. reaching up, his fingers delicately pull at the zip on the back of the dress as you pull down the straps, and you think back to the boutique; you knew you wanted tonight to end this way, but never in a million years had you actually thought it would.

as the dress drops from your frame, you hear Jamie's breath hitch at the sight of your pink lingerie. his hands immediately come to your waist, spinning you to face him. straddling his lap, your hands come up to his neck as his hold your back to keep you up. a smile creeps onto your face as your cheeks go hot, and Jamie mirrors you. moving to look down to avoid your gaze, his eyes snap up again immediately, flustered by the lace covering your body. a giggle escapes your lips as you pulls his face to yours, pressing kisses to each cheek before moving up to his forehead, then down to his nose, before finally reconnecting your lips.

deepening the kiss, your lips move against his with a hasty hunger, and as you're about to slip your tongue into his mouth again, Jamie pulls back; "oh shit," he says, and you shake your head in confusion.

"what?" you ask, embarrassment beginning to cloud your mind as you stare at him expectantly.

he avoids your eyes, shaking his head with his lips parted in thought; "I forgot to sign out after work today."

———

i told u this would be long x_x

thank u so so much for reading richmond's receptionist! i've had the most fun writing this and will probs write an epilogue asap (i'm not ready to move on yet)! any feedback is welcomed and appreciated, thank u! <3

[papaya-twinks]

just an assistant - l.n

Warnings: angst, swearing

Pairing: Lando Norris x fem!reader

A/N - I was convinced not to wait another two days to post it - yes, I have the next two parts written but I’m torturing all of you xoxo

@landinhoe @mayalou @horseymchorse3

You were a good assistant, so, so much better than Maddie, and for some very, very unusual reason, Lando found himself almost...excited for when you would arrive. “How early can I bring back her arrival?” Lando asked, sitting in his own apartment, his phone to his ear as Zak sighed, 

“Our contract doesn’t dictate that, and we’d need to increase he salary, which we can’t afford,” Zak said. Lando groaned internally, he wanted you there for as long as possible. Currently, you were hired by McLaren, meaning they paid you, not Lando. Then it hit him. “I’ll hire her,” Lando said, “with my own money,”. 

“What, like, she stays round yours and works there too?” Zak asked, the idea almost absurd to him. Zak could tell his lead driver was catching some kind of obsession with you, but this was honestly desperation. “I don’t decide for her, Lando,” Zak said, the Brit groaning on his end of the line. “I’ll talk to her,” he muttered, hanging up. He was gonna have a hard day tomorrow. 

You arrived at the MTC at 9am, as per your contract timings, going to pick up Lando’s coffee on the way, as you walked up the stairs. This time, you were adorned in a pretty, flowing blue summer dress, your hair tied back out of your face in a high ponytail. You knocked on the door, unlike last time, Lando expected you, and opened the door. 

Lando had his own room in the MTC where he’d stay unless he had meetings, the room with a few outfits and clothes, along with team wear and other things. Thought he was technically only supposed to stay there for team events, he usually found himself arriving from his apartment straight here during the week of the British Grand Prix. 

The sight in front of you was somewhat surprising, usually, Lando would be wearing a hoodie and joggers or whatever random, comfy outfit he’d have, whereas today was different. Lando was standing in front of you, his curls neat, albeit the single lock that hung in his forehead, adding to the boyish charm. 

He was wearing a tight fitting black r-shirt, his biceps bulging through slightly, along with loose black trousers, white trainers on his feet, adding colour to the outfit. His neck and collarbone was adorned with chains and a necklace with a cross pendant, his large fingers accented with silver and black bands, wrists littered with bracelets and looking fresh. 

“You look shocked,” he mused, taking the cup from you as he sat he down on the sofa, gesturing to your usual arm chair. You cocked your head at the sight, a cup of bubble tea on the table. What was going on? Why was he acting different? “So I noted what you drank yesterday, is that such a big deal?” Lando said, his usual cold demeanour returning as he looked you up and down. 

Pretty outfit. “Wanted to talk to you,” he said, clasping his hands together as he leaned forwards, putting the cup down onto the table silently.  “Sure,” you said, trying to blind back the surprise etched across your features. “How’s the salary doing?” he asked, a question which surprised you. Since when did he care?

“It’s okay,” you shrugged, “I get on okay,”. He nodded slowly at the words. Lando probably couldn’t relate, what with never having experienced a loss or lack of money. “Would it help if the wage was increased?” he continued, as if choosing his words carefully. Increased? Was he offering you a raise? “It would be helpful, yeah,” you mumbled, scratching your neck. 

“I can’t give you a raise, though,” he said. Part of you was a little upset he couldn’t, but then again, he didn’t owe you anything. “But,” he said. But? But what? It could happen? “McLaren can’t afford to give you a raise,” he said, “but I can,”. This was confusing now, what was he trying to tell you? “But that means I have to hire you,”. 

“Like, you pay me? And I work for you still?” you asked. “Yeah, but you come home with me too,” Lando said, “and you stay in my guest room,”. Your eyes widened at the prospect, staying either Lando and in his house? The thought of it was somewhat daunting, in some aspects, as well as exciting. Maybe. You’d finally pay off your mortgage or something. 

“Do I get holidays?” you asked, ready to negotiate a contract. Your eagerness to negotiate made a smirk flicker to his face a grin on his features. “You do,” he said, a hint of reluctance in his voice, “but I pay you triple to do housework too “. Triple?! What kind of idiot would you be to say no?

One week later.

You inhaled sharply as you stood outside Lando’s door, wearing a small, cherry red minidress, looking pretty as ever, before you raised your hand, knocking gently on the wooden frame. It took a few seconds for Lando to rush down the stairs as he opened the door, his eyes landing on you. You were coming inside his home. Wow. 

He was wearing a green hoodie and grey joggers, looking comfy as he nodded his head curtly to you. Lando said nothing, taking the suitcases from behind you and putting them at the foot of the stairs. “I’ve got a list of things for you to do,” he said leading you inside. 

You didn’t even know why you’d expected for him to be any different, nicer even, that would ridiculous. “Here,” he waved a piece of paper in front of you vaguely, pushing it into your palm as you took the paper from him. “My stuff..?” you asked, gesturing to the suitcases at the foot of the stairs. 

“Pack it away in your own time,” he reminded you now that your work hours were no longer the same, and you finished at eight. “Listen,” Lando said, stopping you as you were about to start the first task, which read - ‘Clean the living room’. You paused as he gripped your arm, pulling you back to where you were originally standing. 

“I’m taking off five quid from your monthly salary,”. Five pounds wasn’t a lot, compared to what he was paying you, but it still confused you. “Well, I’m the one buying the food,” he said, “you’re only cooking and eating it,”. He had a fair point, actually. “Alright,” you nodded, Lando’s face still stern and emotionless. 

This was gonna be a long day. Or week. Or month. 

Who knew how long you’d work for him? 

[hazeracha]

• // shy // •

pairing // felix x reader

summary // request // when you and felix are left alone backstage and he looks a little too good in his outfit you can’t help yourself...

warnings // fluff?? making out, suggestive

wc: 1.5k

A/N I still can't tell if I enjoy requests... like I enjoy writing about what people actually want to read, but I am always scared it doesn't meet their expectations

You are currently walking the streets of Felix’s hometown, you have a few hours to waste before the concert. He wanted to show you a few of his favourite places before he takes you to meet his family tomorrow and join them in watching the concert. But tonight you would be watching from backstage.

The whole time you were walking with Felix he was trying to take pictures of you. You didn’t mind it, you were just shy and didn’t like when all the attention was on you. It was also because you didn’t know how to take a good picture of yourself, you could never get the right angle or you just thought you looked stupid. Which is one of the reasons why Felix likes to take so many pictures of you any chance he gets. You never send him any so he has to take matters into his own hands and do all the work himself.

This is also the same when it comes to sending some riskier photos to Felix, many times when he was away on tour he would message you telling you how much he missed you or more specifically missed your touch. Felix was a very physically affectionate person and that also continued over into your sex with Felix. You always wanted to send him a photo of yourself just to help him out, or give him something to look forward to when he returned home. You just could never bring yourself to do it.

Now you are currently sitting on one of the couches in the waiting room. All of the boys had gone to get their make-up done or change their outfits which left you alone, you scrolled through social media for a while before hearing the door open. You looked up from your phone to see Felix walking in alone with his hair and make-up finished.

You have to admit that you think Felix looks better without make-up covering his beautiful features such as his freckles and golden skin. But he still looks absolutely breathtaking when he is all dressed up and ready to perform, and for some reason today he looked exceptionally good. That or the fact you were a little turned on by the videos and photos stay's were posting from previous concerts.

Felix sat down on the couch opposite you which had his bag and the rest of his stuff sitting on it. He plugged in his phone scroling through the photos he took of you earlier before looking over at you. "Are you excited for tomorrow?" he asked slumping down on the couch and spreading his legs, you tried to reply but for some reason, you couldn't think of anything. "hmm" you hummed as it seemed that was the only sound you could make come out your mouth at this moment.

He looked so good in his tight leather trousers that accentuated his thick thighs and small waist, the black mesh top that covered nothing and the cropped top that exposed his abs. Everything was turning you on, no one was in the room. Maybe your two could- it wouldn't take long for you to finish- he would- No!!! Stop thinking like that, someone could walk in at any moment.

"You okay?" you nodded once again not being able to form a verbal response. You stood up from the couch you were sitting on and made your way towards Felix. You stood between his legs and looked down at him taking the phone from his hands and placing it on the couch. You lean over Felix causing him to tilt his head to look up at you, as you place your hands on his thighs. You run your hands up and down his thighs getting a little higher each time. "Babe stop it. What are you doing?" he held your wrist with both his hands stopping your movements.

"I'm not doing anything" You shook your head causing your hair to fall over your face. Felix let go of your wrists to move your hair out of the way letting you resume your movements on his thighs and also let your hands travel under his shirt feeling his abs through the mesh. You place your hands on his shoulders as he does to the back of your thighs to steady you as he helps you straddle him and sit on his lap. You place a hand under his chin tilting his head towards you placing a kiss on his lips.

"What happened to my shy girlfriend a few hours ago who wouldn't even let me take a picture of her?" he questioned. You had always been more confident when it came to getting intimate, it's like you became a different person, you don't know where it came from. It was as if when you became horny a switch flipped inside you and you became this more confident version of yourself. "She's still here lix, you just look too good for me to not do something about it"

You placed your lips back on his keeping the kiss soft, but Felix's actions became more rough and desperate as he grabbed your hips and moved you against his thighs. "Babe we can’t do this what if someone walks in?" he said but his actions didn't match his words as he pushed you down on his thighs harder rolling your hips along them.

"Then let them walk in" you breathed out pulling away from his lips and trailing your kisses down his jaw. He tilted his head to the side to give you access as your kisses trailed down his neck, you started to leave a mark on his skin but he stopped you.

"Back up here baby" he said placing a finger under your chin and tilting your head up. "I still need to go on stage, plus I can't have my parent's see this" he laughed a little. You both looked into each other's eyes for a few seconds before Felix trailed his thumb across your bottom lip pulling at it slightly. He kisses you this time a little rougher as his tongue brushes against your bottom lip and enters your mouth.

"We need to stop" he breathed against your mouth kissing you again as you pulled at his hair. "You keep saying we need to stop but you're enjoying this just as much as I am" you joked pulling away and resting your forehead against his. "I know I just don't want someone walking in and seeing us- you like this?"

"You know I don't mind it baby" You replied. "You're saying that to me now but I know it's not really you that's talking" he explained. "Of course it's me, come on, no one will come in" You kissed him again pulling him in by the back of his neck.

"Can we just stop, please? he pulled away and looked at you again rubbing his hands up and down your thighs in a comforting gesture. You nodded as he pulled you into a hug. You rested your head in the crook of his neck and wrapped your arms around his waist as Felix ran a hand along your back the other resting on the back of your thigh.

"I'm sorry" you muttered after a few moments of silence. "What are you apologizing for?" he questioned. "I got a little carried away, and I feel like I made you uncomfortable" you explained. "No! you didn't make me uncomfortable at all baby. I just didn't want someone to walk in a see us like that, I just feel it's something very private and not something people should see"

"I know but I'm still sorry," you said as you sat up to look at him. You wrapped your arms around his neck kissing him softly. "Well I accept your apology even though I don't need it," he said as you cuddled back into him closing your eyes.

Felix reached for his phone to take a picture of you cuddled up into his arms just as the door opened and Seungmin walked in. "Hi everyone!" he announced as he walked in sitting on the couch opposite you and Felix. "Hey Seungmin" you and Felix both replied enthusiastically at the same time causing you all to laugh.

"That tickles" he whispered into your ear after he stopped laughing.

After a few minutes, the rest of the members were all ready for the concert. Just before Felix had to leave you stuck your tongue out licking his neck causing him to squeal and pull away in disgust. The rest of the members and a few of the staff turned to look at the two of you to see what happened, only to see both of you laughing together. It seemed like you were in your own world and forgot about everyone standing around the room looking at you.

It caused everyone to smile and even Chan took out his phone to take a picture of you two laughing together which he would send you later. It soon became your favourite picture of you and Felix together and even became both your lock screens.

© byeguyshiladies04 2023

[degendame]

What Went Wrong?

Chapter One

Chapter 2 Here Rating: Explicit (for later content)

Category: F/M

Relationships: Female Farmer/March

Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Fluff, Major Character Injury, Eventual Smut, Eventual Romance

Word Count: 5639

~~

Mistria's newest resident, Sylvan, has comfortably settled into her life in the small town. Having had a hand in every project to restore and improve Mistria, she's gained the townsfolk's respect, including that of the distrustful and cold blacksmith. Their friendship has developed over time, but March's insecurities and jealous tendencies bubble up, leading to hurt feelings as Sylvan sets off into the mines.

Later that same day, March discovers her collapsed in the rain just outside town, seriously injured, leading him to feel immense guilt and wonder what went wrong?

~~

The chilly fall air blew through the forge, carrying dried leaves across the anvil and tousling March’s hair, a welcome contrast to the heat of the forge he had been working all morning. He rolled his shoulders, working out some of the tension from leaning over the anvil while he observed the order form Adeline had given him this morning. 

He had finished the brackets that were required, he could finish the nails today as well, work on fasteners tomorrow, and be able to turn it all in tomorrow evening. March grinned to himself, she probably wasn't expecting a two-day turn around, but of course he could deliver.

“You look pleased with yourself.” an amused tone cut through his thoughts.

He jumped a little, but quickly regained his composure, “There’s a lot to be pleased with.” he said, gesturing broadly to himself with a smug grin.

Sylvan, Mistria’s newest resident, snorted at his ego, rolling her eyes. It had been a few seasons since she arrived, and the work she’s been putting into the community is evident all over her body. Her skin took on a slight tan over the summer, and although it was fading as winter approached, the tone still brought attention to the scars that littered her arms; some were faded and older from her time as an adventurer in the guild before she took up residence in Mistria, others still pink or white and fresh from her many expeditions into the local mines as of late. She had toned up quite a bit as well, she mentioned before that despite being an adventurer, she didn’t do as much consistent labour as she did now, mostly only functioning as support for groups that needed it in order to make ends meet, and she was pleased to be really getting into shape now.

She was wearing a dingy brown short-sleeved shirt despite the chill in the air, and a pair of beat up trousers as opposed to crisp shirts and jeans or skirts she usually wore, her normally loose jade hair was tied up, and held back from her face with a red checkered bandana she often wore. “You going to the mines?” he asked.

“Yup, I need some ore, Adeline asked me to make some ingots for a project she’s lining up.” she replied, holding up a parchment with details of the request, “I was just stopping by to let you know I was heading down there.”

“Why? I’m not your babysitter.” March sneered, why wasn’t he asked to source ingots? He’s the blacksmith. He could feel the warm rush of envy course through his body.

However, his head immediately cooled when he saw her face fall into a frown, clearly taken aback by his sudden shift in tone. “Just figured someone should know where I am in case something happens.” she said shortly, making an effort to hide just how hurt she felt, “sorry to bother you.” 

He opened his mouth to say something as she turned on her heel and took off toward the narrows, but his words failed him. When she was out of sight, he kicked a bucket over, “Shit!” he spat, frustration and shame washing over him. 

He was angry with himself, it had been months and while he had been harsh and standoffish to her in the beginning, thinking she would jump ship at the first opportunity, he’s come to realize she’s really in it for the good of Mistria. She’s had a direct hand in every project to rebuild and improve Mistria since she arrived, and he has watched her run herself ragged to the point he could no longer doubt her intentions.

Through it all, she put up with his attitude and showed him genuine kindness and grace. He began to warm up to her quicker than he wanted to admit, her occasional retorts to his snappy remarks were something he grew to enjoy, she took him as he was and delivered comebacks with a smile, even when all he could do was glare. His demeanour has softened over time though, often holding casual, pleasant conversations, or even asking how her day was.

 Some townsfolk have begun to make quips about him falling for her. He was always quick to dismiss the rumours, but he couldn’t deny the way his eyes would linger on her as she passed by, the way his voice would soften towards her when they were alone, or how sometimes he had to fight the urge to reach out and touch her.

Either way, it has been a long time since he made snide remarks about wanting to be left alone, and because of that she probably felt they were at least on friendly terms by now, and they were as far as March was concerned; but his stupid ego and jealousy just had to rear its ugly head as soon as she mentioned Adeline relying on her to procure ingots related to the development of Mistria. 

“Obviously she would do that” his mind chastised him as he mentally kicked himself. She already had him working on an order, so it would be smart to assign the task to someone who not only can source their own ore but has also received lessons from March himself, but his insecurity sits heavy in his chest and he went and said the wrong thing again.

With a heavy sigh, he returned to his work, resolving to try to make it up to her and not make an ass of himself again when they were both less busy.

~~ — ~~

She had been both incredibly unlucky and incredibly lucky today. 

The chill of the night air bit her skin, aiding her in keeping her consciousness from slipping away as she stumbled through the entrance to the mine. Her breathing was ragged and adrenaline still flooded her bloodstream, she had made the unfortunate discovery today that creatures from lower in the mines had made their way up higher, causing some areas to be densely populated with a variety of monsters, some of which she had never encountered before.

 Her body was battered, bruised and bloody, and with her mana entirely depleted there was fuck all she could do about it. She had managed to wrap a particularly bad puncture wound on her calf with some material she tore from her trousers, but she was unable to assess any other injuries, her head was swimming, her vision hazy and her balance was off, in part due to the number of rocks she had flung at her head, but also likely due to the pain that shot up her legs no matter what leg she put weight on.

The only reason she survived was because a stray chunk of iron launched at her by a clod had hit her square in the sternum and knocked her down a crevice, the fall doing more damage to her already beaten body, but also landing her right beside the elevator shaft on the next level down that she was lucky she had already encountered and got working beforehand, enabling her to escape.

I just have to make it to the clinic. She urged herself, forcing her body to move. She wasn’t quite sure how late it was, but she felt pretty certain most of the townsfolk were in bed.

 She awkwardly shuffled and limped her way across the narrows toward town, every movement making her body scream out in pain, she moved at a snail's pace and just as she cleared the narrows and made it to the outskirts of town, it began to rain. The rain soaked her already chilled skin and made her shiver violently, it made it even harder to move, and she could feel her consciousness slipping, she began to lose hope that she would make it much farther… 

 As she began idly hoping someone would find her quickly after she passed out, she heard the distinct clash of hammer on metal cutting through the static sound of the downpour, March was still working.

She tried to call out to him, but her voice came out weak and hoarse. She continued to limp her way toward the road that marked the edge of town, knees threatening to buckle and her vision closing in around her. “Just a few more meters…” she desperately urged herself, but as she dragged her foot across the gravelly road, her toe caught a stone and sent her painfully crashing into the dirt with a dull thud. A searing pain ripped across her side, lighting her body up with pain signals that racked her brain, she definitely just made a wound much worse.

She heard a voice, but the ringing in her ears made it unintelligible. She struggled to lift her head towards it and though her eyes would not focus through the haze and rain, she recognized the familiar mop of crimson hair rushing toward her. Waves of relief crashed through her body at that moment, washing away the last remnants of adrenaline and plunging her into darkness.

~~ — ~~

March had made more progress on the order than he thought he would have today. He figured mostly due to the fact that his encounter with Sylvan this morning made him put his nose to the grindstone to ward off his guilt. Having made all the nails and about half of the fasteners that needed to be done, he checked the time, noting it was just after midnight. He resolved to finish a few more before turning in for the night, knowing full well he was going to have a hard time sleeping anyway, and glad to be in a location where working late into the night wouldn’t disturb anyone except Olric, who slept through practically anything.

The rhythm he fell into as he brought his hammer down on the hot metal was therapeutic, maintaining focus and control helped him clear his head. Using his tongs to bend the piece into shape, he lifted the piece to check that the bend was even, but as he brought it eye-level he watched as a drop landed upon it, fizzling away with a hiss. March paused and looked to the sky as the rain began to ramp up, he decided he should just finish the other piece he had prepped and then call it a night.

Hurrying to work was harder to maintain the zen focus he was trying to achieve, needing to stop to reheat the metal more often as the rain cooled it faster than he wanted. As he ceased hammering to bring it back to the forge, March swore he could hear a strange voice cutting through the rain. 

He paused, straining to listen through the downpour and pinpoint its location, and then– *thud*. The sound came from the direction of the narrows, and the feeling that something was wrong gripped him. Unease settled in his gut as he set his work on the anvil and rounded the wall that separated his property from the wooded area at the edge of town.

His eyes immediately fell on the distinct pattern of a familiar red bandana, “Sylvan?” He called out to her, she was on the ground a few meters from the edge of town, at the sound of his voice she weakly lifted her head to look up toward him. His legs were in motion before he could think to move. 

He was at her side in an instant, but she had already lost consciousness. He fell to his knees, throwing his smithing gloves off, not caring where they landed. “Sylvan!” panic set into his voice as he gently rolled her over, in the dim light that managed to reach from the village he could see she didn’t stir, he pressed his fingers to her neck to find her pulse, and although he found it, it was weak and her skin was so cold under his fingers. 

“Fuck!” he exclaimed to himself, his mind was bombarded with emotions, guilt and worry palpable in his chest, “What happened to you?” the question fell from his mouth despite knowing he would receive no response. Gingerly, he lifted her, and cradled her to his chest in an effort to stabilize her and provide her some warmth as he hurried to the clinic.

            He attempted to keep a low impact trot despite his panic screaming at him to hurry, trying to maintain a semblance of speed while also trying not to shake her too much, he had no idea exactly how bad her injuries were and didn’t want to worsen her condition.

 As he made his way through town, the lights allowed him a much better look at her visible wounds, there was almost no part of her arms or face that weren’t marred with gashes and bruises; he could assume the parts of her that were hidden under her clothes were just as bad, if not worse. He was concerned to notice her breaths come out rough and shallow and how pale she had become.

 It didn’t make sense, she had been down there countless times and though there were times she would get banged up, it was never this bad. As far as March knew, the creatures in the mines were all fairly minor, what changed that would put her in this state?

He paused at the door to the clinic just enough to get a grip on the door handle and rushed inside, “Valen!” he cried out, “We have an emergency!” 

He heard the commotion of her scrambling upstairs before she emerged, clearly having just woken up but already alert, “March! What’s wro–” she began, before her eyes settled on Sylvan in his arms, “Oh gods! Lay her on the examination table, I’ll go prep to tend to her!” she instructed before she rushed back out of sight. 

He gently set her on the table, she let out a weak groan and he hoped that was a good sign. In the light of the clinic, he could see just how bad the variety of wounds that peppered her skin were. 

He looked around the room in an attempt to keep his nerves calm, and caught a glimpse of himself in a mirror on the wall past the exam table. He was soaked from the rain and covered in mud, but what disturbed him the most was the blood, her blood.

 The sight could have made his heart stop; his forearms had some scattered smears from the way he had carried her, but what shocked him the most was the dark crimson stain that spread across his chest where her side had been pressed to his body. He looked at her and confirmed, she had bled through her shirt as he carried her, had he reopened the wound when he moved her? His blood ran cold at the thought.

His mind began to spiral as guilt put his heart in a vice grip, but he was snapped out of his thoughts by Valen, who rushed down the stairs and to her side, getting to work at checking her vitals and assessing the damage.

 “I think her side is bleeding badly.” March managed, his mouth was dry, and his eyes were locked on her side. 

Valen gave him a quick look of sympathy, acknowledging his shocked state and the blood that stained his shirt. She rounded the table, March kept close but out of her way, as she reached for shears and began to cut Sylvan’s clothes from her body. Normally, March would avert his eyes to spare Sylvan's dignity, but at the moment he felt so numb that the situation didn’t even register. Under her shirt she was, as he expected, completely covered in bruises, some were an angry reddish purple while others took on blue and black colouring, various cuts and scrapes peppered her skin, and along her side was a large gash that made him clench his fists anxiously.

“Thankfully,” Valen started, taking a moment to turn to March, “This wound was given enough pressure to begin clotting and isn’t actively bleeding anymore.” She cast a pointed glance to the stain on his shirt, “You did good, March.” He felt some relief in knowing he had aided her in some way. 

Valen continued, “However, it will need stitches.” she sighed, concern painting her face, March’s stomach did flips as she began to list off a summary of injuries, “She’s also got quite a few broken ribs, a puncture wound on her right leg, multiple minor lesions, both ankles are sprained, her left shoulder is partially dislocated and she’s likely got a concussion…”

She paused looking at March, he felt his heart in his throat as she looked confused before she continued, “But despite all the factors, she’s relatively stable. Which is honestly nothing short of a miracle given the damage to her body.”  

March just nodded numbly, not daring to feel relief, as Valen stood and made her way to the corner of the room. His eyes stayed fixated on the slow, shallow rising and falling of Sylvan’s chest to keep him grounded.

“I’m just going to retrieve some elixirs from storage, they should expedite the healing process while keeping her stable, but we may need something stronger…” she trailed off, casting a glance to her patient on the table before she disappeared down the trap door.

Aside from the rough breaths from Sylvan and the muffled sounds of Valen rummaging beneath him, the stillness of the room was stifling. He stepped closer to the exam table, watching Sylvan's face, she was so still she would have almost looked peaceful, if not for the smattering of dirt, blood and bruising that littered her features. He reached for her and gently swiped some dried dirt away that was near her eye, then trailed his hand along the outside of her arm in a tender caress before gently taking her hand in his for a moment. The chill clinging to her skin and the way her fingers just sat limply in his hand made his eyes prickle with tears. The realization that he had been so stupid to avoid his feelings for her stung, the pain only made worse by the fact their last exchange had ended so bitterly.

Suddenly, the door to the clinic slammed open, startling him and making him retract his hand, ripping his attention away from the sorry state of his personal affairs.

“March!” it was Olric, “It’s late and you didn’t come inside, so I went to look for you and I found your gloves by a patch of bloody dirt on the gravel path outside town!” the words tumbled from his mouth at lightning speed, he opened his mouth to speak again but seemed to finally notice the state March was in, eyes flicking to the dark patch on his shirt before darting to the table where Sylvan lay.

March’s throat felt tight as he tried to speak, “I’m sorry, I–” he was cut off as Olric swiftly crossed the room and captured him in a strong embrace, one hand holding his head to his shoulder as his other firmly stroked his back, March allowed himself to return the hug.

“You don’t have to explain.” he said simply, his voice emanating concern and soft understanding, a few moments passed then he gave March a tighter squeeze before letting go. For once, March actually lamented the loss of contact.

Creaking hinges alerted both men to the presence of Valen re-entering from the basement, carrying with her 3 vials, all a similar muddy pinkish red with subtle differences in hue. 

“Ah, Olric.” She greeted him as she approached, “I was about to suggest March go at least leave you a letter while I tend to our friend here so you wouldn’t worry should he not return before you wake up, but I see we were too late.” Her voice held a practised, casual tone, but there was still an underlying bite of concern that she couldn’t quite hide.

She made her way back to Sylvan’s bedside, re-checking her vitals to confirm her condition remained the same. “It’s odd,” she spoke as she began preparing a tray of tools for suturing, “with the state she is in, her vitals should be all over the place, in cases like this things like blood pressure, pulse and breathing should fluctuate.” 

She set the tray on a cart beside the bed, pulling up a stool she situated herself to get ready to start working, her brow furrowed in confusion, “her vitals aren’t healthy, but they aren’t life-threatening, and they’re staying almost too steady… it’s as if something is keeping her that way.”

March watched Valen pour a sterilizing solution on the wound on Sylvan's side as contemplated her words. He was about to speak, but Olric beat him to it, “is that…a good thing?”

Valen sighed as she threaded a needle, “I’m not sure… As it stands right now, I believe it’s what has kept her alive, but I have no idea what the cause is.” She turned to them, a worried look crossed her features, “there’s no telling what the effects will be, it seems like some outside force is keeping her vitals in equilibrium, but I don’t know if it will cease once her body is no longer in danger.”

March’s brain struggled to keep up, slowly putting pieces together through the fog brought on from his stress and exhaustion. He watched Valen work diligently, applying stitches with calculated grace that spoke to her skill. He felt his body tense when what she was avoiding saying clicked into place, “So you’re saying if her vitals just stay this way, she won’t recover?” 

She didn’t look up from her task but was quick to respond, “I can’t say for certain that is what will happen, only that if her vitals are stagnated like this, she won’t get worse, but she won’t get better either.” She began to wrap up the sutures as she continued, “I’m sorry to have alarmed you, that was not a prognosis, I am just as confused as you are in this case.” As she snipped the thread, she turned to March, this time looking right into his eyes, “prepare for the worst, and hope for the best.”

March felt Olric’s hand on his shoulder as she tidied up, and began checking her over again. He felt himself sway in place and he realized just how long he’s been on his feet with all of his muscles tensed.

Having felt the way he faltered, Olric pulled over a chair and offered him a seat, March gave him a thankful nod and noticed how tight his brother was clenching his jaw, as well as his tense shoulders and fists balled at his sides.

Olric noticed March’s assessment of him and relaxed his face into a gentle smile, “have a seat bro, I’m just worried too, but she’ll pull through, we both know she’s tough”

March could sense the uncertainty in his voice but was thankful nonetheless, as he sat down and some of his muscles relaxed a wave of exhaustion hit him hard enough he felt as if he suddenly aged 10 years. He glanced at Valen who was checking over Sylvan, applying pressure to different areas of her chest, looking absolutely perplexed.

“What’s wrong?” March asked, anxiety thrumming through his system anew.

“I-it’s her ribs…” her utter confusion making her trip over her words, she looked up to March, wide-eyed, “many of them have already healed… I don’t just mean that they’ve begun healing, they’re completely healed!”

The brothers exchanged confused and hopeful looks, before March spoke up, “but that’s good though, right?” His voice hesitant.

“Well… yes. Them being healed is good overall, however, the situation with her vitals still perplexing and will require monitoring.” She began to rummage around as she continued, “March, are you going home tonight? If you are concerned, you may stay here in the other bed.” she finished, having dug up a couple of large basins and some towels.

Olric placed his hand on March’s shoulder, “you should stay if it will make you feel better. I’m forcing you to take the day off tomorrow anyway.” He said sternly, “I’ll tell Adeline what happened.”

March stared at Sylvan for a moment before nodding, exhaustion overtaking his ability to speak at that moment. 

“Okay,” Valen started, her voice warm, “I’m going to administer the elixirs, tend to her other injuries, and then get her washed up and into a gown if you would like to go get anything from home.”

March stood and moved toward the door, but Olric stopped him, “you’re exhausted. Why don’t you go sit on the bed and I’ll grab you some clean clothes from home.” 

“Yeah, okay.” March managed, his brother patted him on the back and turned him toward the bed before heading out the door.

March sat staring at the floor ahead of him with his hands folded in his lap, his brain slowly processing the events of the day, the quiet sounds of Valen filling the basins filling the silence. He was so lost in thought he didn’t hear her approach until she was right in front of him, presenting a basin of clean warm water and a couple towels to him.

“Please feel free to clean yourself up, March.” her tone was gentle, acknowledging he was going through a lot at the moment, “I figured you may be too tired to climb into a bath, but this would be better than nothing.”

It was hard for him to find his voice, he desperately wanted to be alone, but also didn’t dare to leave until he knew Sylvan would be alright, “thank you.” He said, voice gravelly and hoarse. Valen smiled warmly before pulling the privacy screen across for him and returning to her patient.

As March stripped down to his boxers the feeling of his shirt peeling from his chest made his skin crawl, he avoided looking down, not wanting the image of his skin tinted with Sylvan’s blood to permeate his mind. He slowly got to work scrubbing his body with the dampened towel, his body was on autopilot, his movements almost robotic, but freshening up a bit felt nice.

He wrapped up quickly and sat back down on the bed, piling his dirty clothes on a chair by the bed and opting to wait in his underwear for Olric to return with his change of clothes. He could hear the sound of trickling water as Valen worked at washing up Sylvan on the other side of the privacy screens. He found himself crossing his fingers as he hoped she would make a quick recovery.

The door to the clinic opened and a moment later Olric was peeking around the privacy screen at March, silently he held up two bottles of beer, and March felt the warmth of his brother's caring gesture wash over him.

Olric set a bag down on the floor by the bed, before pulling a small parchment wrapped parcel out of it and handing it to March, who unwrapped it to find a sandwich his brother had made for him.

“Thanks, Olric.” He said, his voice thick with appreciation, he hadn’t noticed how hungry he was until now, and immediately dug in.

“You know I’ve always got your back,” Olric stated, pulling a bottle opener out of his pocket and popping the top off of each of the bottles he held in his one hand, passing one to March then sitting on the bed next to him.

They sat in silence for a moment while March finished his sandwich, occasionally stopping to wash it down with some beer. Once he was finished, he bunched up the parchment and set it aside on the table beside the bed. 

“I have no idea what happened to her,” he started, “well, I mean, I have some idea, she was in the mines, so obviously something happened there… but what went so wrong?” he chugged back the last of his beer as he finished his thought, feeling the alcohol take just a bit of the edge off his nerves.

“Well,” Olric’s voice was pensive, “when I worked the mines there were practically no creatures to speak of, but from what Sylvan said they’re everywhere now. Sure, they’re all small and weak from what she’s seen so far, but there’s no telling what lies deeper.”

March sighed, “you’re probably right.” He said, pausing to contemplate how naive he had been to assume the safety level of the mines would remain the same throughout. “When I found her, she had collapsed just outside of town, she must have made it all the way there from the mines.” 

He felt his guilt bubble up in his chest anew as he continued, “She stopped by to tell me she was going down there, she wanted someone to know in case something happened… I told her I wasn’t her babysitter and upset her… I should have gone and checked when it got late.”

Olric slung an arm over his shoulder, pulling him into a sideways hug. “You’ll just have to apologize to her when she wakes up.” He said optimistically.

“But what if she doesn’t?” March couldn’t stop his voice from cracking, his eyes beginning to sting as distress settled in around him, “She’s so beaten up, what if something happens and she’s gone? The last thing I did for her was dismiss her because I was stupid and jealous!”

“March.” The level tone in Olric’s voice brought him back to his senses somewhat, “I understand this is really hard and scary and you feel guilty. But you know she isn’t going to hold that against you, and you don’t know that she isn’t going to get better. It isn’t going to do you any good to wear yourself down with what if’s. Besides, you heard Valen, her body is somehow healing itself rapidly, that has to count for something.”

March was silent for a moment, before he let out a tired sigh, “I hope you’re right.” He stood, rummaging through the bag and digging out a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt Olric packed for him to sleep in, he quickly got dressed before turning to his brother again, “Thank you, Olric, for everything tonight.”

“No problem, bro. I’m always here for you.” Olric replied as he got to his feet, “I’ll head home and get some sleep, so I can let Adeline know what’s up first thing tomorrow. Try to get some sleep.” 

“I’ll try.” March replied, exhaustion pounded through every fibre of his being but worry still overrode it heavily, he wondered if he would even get to sleep at all tonight.

Olric gave him a pat on the shoulder before turning and heading for the door. March sat back down on the bed and listened for sound in the clinic that would hint at what was going on. 

“March?” Valen’s voice startled him.

“Yeah?” He replied, a little louder than he intended.

Valen appeared from behind the screen, “She’s doing well, all things considered, I relocated her shoulder, wrapped her ankles up and got all her wounds disinfected and bandaged. She seems to be responding well to the elixirs and remarkably all of her ribs are healed, some of the minor scrapes and bruises healed while I was tending to her as well.”

 She sighed, running her fingers through her hair, “it’s completely outside my scope of expertise, but it seems to be a positive overall, I’ll ask Juniper to come have a look at her tomorrow, it seems like something that she would be more acquainted with. Try to get some rest tonight, I will do the same.”

March nodded, “Thanks for all the help, Valen.” 

She seemed a little taken aback by the appreciation from the usually cold man, “I’m just doing my job, it’s no problem.”

She grabbed the basin from beside the bed, and March heard her empty it before she retired to her room to rest. March laid down, staring at the ceiling and hoping for his exhaustion to take hold and put him to sleep, as the minutes passed by he found that the eerie silence of the clinic didn’t help the unease that still clung to him.

With a sigh, he rose to his feet, resolving to pace around for a bit to try and wear down his nerves but finding his feet carried him right to Sylvan's bedside. Her breathing was no longer as rough as it was before, but it was no less shallow, he guessed that was the work of whatever force was at work here. She was wearing a medical gown and Valen had tucked her in up to her waist with her arms over top of the blanket, her skin was clean with noticeably fewer bruises, and bandages wrapped around her in various locations just as Valen had mentioned.

He reached out and gently brushed her hair away from her face, his fingertips lingering on her cheek, some of the colour had returned to her face and she didn’t feel as cold anymore. He hoped that whatever force was at play here was on her side.

He quietly moved a chair over to her bed, taking a seat and leaning forward, crossing his arms on the bed in front of him. He reached his hand out to rest against her side, and he was able to barely feel the beat of her heart through the slow expanding and contracting of her rib cage on the back of his hand. He rested his head on his arms and it wasn’t long before he was plunged into an exhausted, fitful sleep.

[the---hermit]

27|05|2023

As I mentioned in my last couple of posts I decided to take the weekend off studying, to recharge a bit. I need some rest to do all the studying I have to in the next few weeks. Today was already different from what I had planned, but I definitely rested. I am happy to say I slept till 9 am which is very unlike me but I really needed it. I took the morning slowly, I continued my book. And then in the afternoon I went shopping with my mom. I haven't in so long, it was actually pretty fun, and I am very happy to have found some summery trousers because I really needed a pair. Going out with my mom means I didn't read as much as I wanted, and I haven't even worked in my garden as I had planned, but it's okay, if tomorrow won't be raining I will do the garnden work once I get up in the morning. I doubt I'll finish the book this weekend as I was hoping. I am struggling a bit, I feel like the beginning, where chapters were a bit shorter, worked a bit better for me. I am finding it a bit slow at the moment, but maybe it's also just me being tired and not focused enough, I don't know. I am nevertheless intrigued to so what will happen next, so I'll keep you updated.

Productivity and self care:

read first thing in the morning

listened to a feel good playlist as I was cleaning my room up

listened to a couple of old episodes of the books unbound podcast

wore a nice outfit that made me feel good about myself

went out with my mom (and actually bought myself something other than books? I cannot remember when was the last time?)

practiced Irish on duolingo

continued reading The Left Hand Of Darkness

📖: The Left Hand Of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

[theninjasanctuary]

I don't mean to not post any updates, it just happens. OTL

Not that there's an awful lot to say, but then again it was ever thus.

I've felt overwhelmed with work this semester (no, not just this semester... more like always), and still do, and I procrastinate mostly by reading Reddit and browsing for second-hand finds. Struggling to keep up with chores, postponing everything, it's a mess.

Anyway. Classes are over-ish for the semester (not that I hate grading any less), and I feel like there's a bit of breathing room again, am making tiny steps towards regaining some control. Cleaned a bit, washed my make-up brushes and hung up the LED string lights around the mirror yesterday. Today it was sunny when I woke up, I did some exercise, roasted some pumpkin for pumpkin soup tomorrow and made pepperoni pizza from scratch at the same time.

At-home workouts have suffered since I fell over 2 months ago, because a spot where my right thigh meets my butt still hurts with most stretches (quietly working towards regaining mobility, but it's taking longer than I hoped for). Also, my wrist still aches, in fact worse lately, so the post-Christmas appointment with a specialist surgeon feels warranted. The GP said they'd probably give me a steroid shot.

My face isn't doing great either, possibly stress has been a factor, have had surprise cystic acne that never comes to a head, and skin surface blemishes that won't heal despite covering myself with hydrocolloids day and night. As a desperate measure, have tried applying chlorhexidine mouth wash, which appears to work where standard antiseptic had no discernible effect. On the mend at the moment, but PMS looms once again and who knows what new horrors it'll bring.

For all the pointless browsing of Sellpy and Momox I've done, I think I've mostly arrived at a place where I can identify an enthusiastic YES from a yes, but not at that price, and a maybe. And the things I've bought are from the first category, and I will still return them if the fit isn't good. Over the past couple of weeks, I've bought a moss green silk blend COS cardigan - I've seen the same model listed before but it sold before I made up my mind -, a pair of Calvin Klein casual wool trousers, an unused pair of the same H&M linen joggers I've worn for several summers (regrettably, my thighs shred them), and an Aquascutum cashmere cardigan. It's been subzero these past few days, but not too cold yet, am still able to feel nicely put together when I go to work.

Oddly enough, my piercings have been fine lately, even the rarely used ones haven't immediately gone septic when I have enough prep time to put some studs in before going out.

[domi-scu]

Do you like my coconuts?

Today felt like a beach day. So that’s what we made it.

But because we already checked out all the nearby beaches and still wanted to see something new, google told us about one, called Tub Kaek, that was about 30min drive away and supposedly very quiet because all that is around there are some ‘luxury hotels’.

For some reason, the coffee at our hotel this morning was absolutely disgusting so we had another one in a café across the road just to wake up a little. From there, we walked up to a first taxi we saw and asked if he could take us there.

He said he could and that he’d wait for us there however long we’d like and drive us back. This seemed like a pretty simple solution so off we went. He did offer to stop at a place with elephants on the way which we refused. I had one elephant sanctuary planned near Chiang Mai that actually takes care of the elephants rather than uses them to make money off tourists and I’m really annoyed we didn’t get to do that. But with how packed this place is and how many tour stand offer this experience here, I get the feeling that although they don’t do riding on elephants anymore, it’s really just to make the tourists feel better about being ‘ethical’ but they’re not actually treated that well. We did drive past it though so at least we got a quick glance from the car.

I have to say, I’m a big fan of taxis here because it’s just a truck with a roof over the back and you sit outside. Saves us from aircon and we get nice breeze. We did ask if there is anything else interesting on the way there but he said not really.

The beach was pretty much as described. Not many people, no tour boats and quiet. Exactly what we needed after yesterday. We bought ourselves a floatie so we took it with us and just chilled, read a book and went for a swim. At one point, we decided it was time for cocktails so Alex went for a walk to find us some. I gave him 500 baht note and two 100 notes just in case they didn’t have change. Well he came back saying that he spent all of that on 2 cocktails… I think he may have found the most expensive drinks in all of Thailand.

Thankfully, we also saw a woman with a stand near the entrance to the beach so I walked up to see if she had any coconuts. And she did! We’ve been talking about having some for a few days now but always forgot until it was too late. So I carried two of them across the beach, surprised how damn heavy they were! Who says you can’t get a good workout on holiday.

We did consider renting paddle boards but by the time the sun went down a little, we were so exhausted from the heat we just wanted to go home. We also didn’t dare to look how much the food is around here but were getting fairly hungry.

Once back in Ao Nang, we popped into the same restaurant we visited the first day and I asked for an Irish coffee so I could finally take a picture! Unfortunately they didn’t have any cream so it just looked like a sad iced coffee. Oh well, you’ll just have to imagine it and I’ll try to figure out how to make it at home. As the restaurant was completely empty, Alex had a chat with the owner (I say Alex because as it turns out, I go non-verbal when I’m too hot and tired). We did get some tips on how to bribe Thai officials for work visa. Could come in handy one day.

The evening plan was slightly more active- shopping for elephant trousers! I will probably be buying 5+ pairs at some point to bring home with me because it’s the comfiest thing I have ever worn and I need to get enough to last me until someone I know goes to Thailand next time and who knows when that might be. The majority of the shopping will likely be done in Bangkok, including an additional suitcase, but I saw a really colourful pair yesterday that I simply needed to have. Well that and I also need something to wear here because we packed quite light.

We discussed what to do tomorrow and I decided I could probably pull off driving here because the traffic is surprisingly light. There is a place called Emerald Pool about and hour drive away from here and since renting a motorbike is only 200 baht/day (around £5), we will be doing that! Wish us good luck so that we don’t get lost on the way although it might end up being a more interesting story.

[jhypeach]

Looove ur writing! may i request Mark hot tub makeout session and riding his thigh TYSM!! <3

Mommy, Daddy and Minjae

famLEE: pt. 2, pt. 3 pairing: mark lee x fem reader warnings: thigh riding, kisses ohh that's so sweet. i really appreciate that anon 🥺 ily and thank you

After returning to work after almost 4 years of being a mother, you never had any "me" time nor any "husband and wife" time. You often spend your days off sleeping or looking after your child.

Mark, on the other hand, had become extremely busy since he was promoted; the last time you went to bed together was months ago before you returned to work, and you haven't seen him since.

But today, you've only got a few patients and no one’s in such a critical state that they need you to be on call. Basically, you can consider this your day off. It’s just 7 in the evening, and tomorrow starts your official day off.

So here you are spending your time bathing yourself in the bathtub after putting your daughter in bed, with your whole body sunk and leaning your head on it.

You heard the door to your shared bedroom with your husband open, which made you sneak a peek, although the bathroom door was closed. Maybe Mark saw your lab coat and bag on your bed and called for you, "Babe?" he yelled, "In here," you yelled back, still with your eyes closed.

Not long after, the door to your bathroom opened, revealing Mark on his undershirt and trousers with two buttons undone. "You’re home early," he pointed out, to which you hummed in response.

While you’re closing your eyes, feeling the pleasant temperature of the water and the fragrance of your lit scented candle, Mark strips off his office attire and climbs into the bathtub with you. You sat for a while, giving him enough space behind you to rest your back against his chest.

As you two adjusted and made your position comfortable, Mark made you sit on his lap as he hugged your waist from behind, kissing your earlobes as he whispered, "I missed you." You scoot closer to his embrace as your response and his kisses go to your jaw while he whispers some words that make you tickle. "So, is this me and y/n time?" he asked, resting his chin on your shoulders and stroking your waistline.

"Minjae's asleep. I think we can do some cuddles, hmm?" he asked again, "Yeah," you said, gradually shifting your position to face him and spreading your legs so he could be between you.

You stared at him for a while, admiring every feature of your husband’s face, fixing his hair, caressing his prudent cheeks. A tear suddenly fell down on your cheeks, which made Mark worried, "Hey, baby. What’s wrong?" he asked as he wiped your tears. "It’s just, it’s been a while since I got to have you for a night," you cried as you interlocked your fingers behind his neck. "I just missed you," you continued, still crying.

Mark cooed at you, slightly smiling at how your hormones are making you sensitive. His left hand was caressing your cheeks while his right hand remained on your waist, stroking it up and down to calm you.

He then kissed your lips in an attempt to make you calm, and maybe it worked as you stopped sobbing and kissed him back, and it suddenly turned into a make-out session. You then started grinding your core into his lap as it ached for friction.

Mark smiled between kisses when he noticed what you were doing. "You really did miss me," he declared. Your hand traveled to his shoulder, holding for some support to your humping on his thigh. "I did," you said as you kissed his jaw down to his neck. "A lot," you continued, still grinding your pussy on his thigh.

Your "husband and wife" time got interrupted by the faint knock on your bathroom door. "Mommy," your daughter looked for you. You plopped your head on Mark’s shoulder, crying again as your only rest and time with your husband got interrupted by your own daughter.

Mark laughed at you as he stroked your back to soothe you. You cried on his face. "I just want to have you for a night." "Mommy," another faint knock was made, "Shh... I know, I know." Mark was trying to calm you down while trying to get up from your hold.

Minjae started crying when she didn’t hear any response from you. "Love, daddy’s here!" Mark yelled when he finally freed himself from your hold on his neck. Now all he needed to do was to get up and get dressed for him to attend to your daughter.

"Babe, I do miss you too. But Minjae is looking for us," he said this to make you get up from his lap. You nod in response, still sulking, so Mark kissed your pouty lips one last time before getting up and drying himself. “Finish your bath, I’ll just make us dinner," he said as he finally climbed off of the bathtub.

Guess being a mom takes a lot away from you.

"Minmin misses daddy so much" you heard your daughter complained to her dad when Mark got her up.

Me too, love. I missed your dad too

You said to yourself, still sullen from your snatched bonding with your husband, as you washed yourself so you could join them for dinner.

[queenshelby]

The Secretary

31 Days of Kink: Day 12

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x Reader

Warning: Smut, Dom/Sub

Words: 1567

Imagine working for Thomas Shelby and…well guess!

***

‘Come in and sit down’ Tommy instructed as he indicated towards one of the armchairs in front of his large oak desk.

You complied with his request but couldn’t help but worry. Your performance has been rather bad over the past two weeks as you and your boyfriend were fighting once again.

‘Have I done something wrong Mr Shelby?’ you asked.

Tommy settled himself in the chair opposite you, long limbs clad in his dark suit. He loosened his grey tie and took it off, placing it on the desk next to him, as he spoke to you.

‘Today? No’ he chuckled. ‘But I am wondering what a young woman like you is doing in the office on the weekend’ he added.

‘Just…I don’t know’ you said. The truth was that you didn’t want to be at home with your boyfriend.

‘Don’t you have a man?’ Tommy asked.

‘I do’ you responded with a faint pink sheen painting your cheeks.

‘You do?’ Tommy smirked. ‘Is he not treating you well that you have to hang out here?’ he then went on to ask.

‘No’ you barely managed to say as a true blush suffused your skin and you looked away from Tommy.

‘Why are you with him then, eh?’ Tommy asked as he looked at you searchingly but you didn’t respond to is question.

‘Either he is rich or the sex must be pretty good if you stick around for a man who treats you badly’ he chuckled.

You shook your head shyly in response to Tommy’s comment and Tommy’s eyes widened.

‘So, he isn’t rich and the sex isn’t good…I see’ Tommy chuckled just as he stood up and took off his black suit jacket. He then rolled up his sleeves, revealing the light hair on his forearms on his pale but beautiful skin all the while he could feel you watching him.

Tommy knew that he should really should leave you alone. But your whole manner was as if you were waving a red flag and he was the bull. He could not resist any longer.

He leaned over you, hands resting on either side of your armchair. Your breath sped up and your pupils were dilated.

‘Maybe the right man hasn't come along yet, eh’ Tommy smirked as he lowered his face to yours.

Just as you were about to say something, Tommy tilted your head up and claimed your lips. But, it wasn't a romantic kiss. It was a sexually dominant one. He licked and suckled and lightly bit your lips, before invading you with his tongue. Your muffled protests instantly became aroused moans and Tommy could feel you surrender to him.

He withdrew from you, maintaining his grip. You were flushed, your lips swollen, eyes closed your breathing fast.

‘Stand up Love’ Tommy said. His tone was commanding and you didn’t dare to argue and complied with his request.

‘Good girl’ Tommy said before he resumed kissing you, then trailed kisses down your jaw and then your neck, which where he bit you ever so gently. You moaned and melted into him. He had you by the neck and your body understood, even if your mind didn't.

Eventually Tommy lifted you up and turned, placing you on to the desk. He then nudged your legs apart and resumed kissing you, bringing your body flush with his, pressing your breasts against his hard chest and pressing his hard cock against your mound through your clothing.

You were moaning and trembling and he pulled back a little and you let out a little automatic protesting mewl. He slid his hand under your skirt to feel you through your panties.

‘You're soaked already, Love’ Tommy grinned and your eyes snapped open, looking at him dazed, a little pained "Oh!' torn from your lips.

He withdrew his hand, then encircled your waist and glided both hands down your hips. ‘Do you want me to fuck you?’ Tommy grinned.

You moaned and tried to squeeze your legs back together, remembering your boyfriend at home. But, Tommy kept them open, his hands gripping your thighs.

‘Answer me Love’ Tommy asked as his grip tightened. He already knew the answer but he needed to hear it from you.

‘I have someone…’ you said. Your tone was breathless, lacking conviction.

‘I don't think you get this wet for your man now do you, eh?’ Tommy grinned.

‘No Mr Shelby’ you said. You closed your eyes, a shamed blush painting your cheeks.

‘So, I ask again. Do you want me to fuck you?’ Tommy asked, his fingers tracing over your mound.

‘Yes’ you nodded shyly in between moans.

‘Well then’ Tommy responded before pushing you down on to the desk and pinning your arms above your head. He glared down at you. ‘Are you going to behave and be good for me, Y/N?’ he then went on to ask.

‘Yes Mr Shelby’ you moaned as Tommy brought your wrists together and secured them with one large hand, then used the other to pull down your grey skirt and white panties.

Without warning, Tommy inserted a finger into your wet entrance.

‘So fucking wet’ Tommy groaned as his finger slipped into you with ease.

You moaned loudly in response and Tommy soon added another finger before finding your G-spot. While his fingers thrusted in and out of you, he circled his thumb around your entrance to take some of your wetness and used it to play with your clit. He watched you carefully, learning you, taking pleasure from you. You were arching into his fingers, wanting more and he took away his grip on your wrists and kneaded one of your breasts, pinching a nipple as he went.

‘Oh god’ you moaned as you responded to Tommy’s actions with pleasured gasps and began to tremble. You arched, muscles tightening, trembling, holding your breath, then you let out adorable undignified sounds as you came all over his hand.

‘That's it Love’ Tommy groaned as he withdrew his hand from you and tasted you on his fingers.

You opened your eyes dazedly, not seeming quite aware of where you were just as Tommy pushed his fingers at your mouth.

‘Taste yourself’ he said impatiently and you felt compelled to obey him. You licked his fingers and then, without further instruction, sucked him of all of your juices.

‘That looks delightful Y/N. I wonder how you'd do with my cock in your mouth…Let's find out, eh’ Tommy grinned as he came away from you on the desk and unzipped his trousers, untucking his shirt and freeing his cock.

You pushed herself up slowly before dropping to your knees in front of Tommy.

‘Open’ Tommy instructed as he guided his cock into your mouth. He was pretty big and you were unsure what to do exactly as this wasn’t something your boyfriend made you do.

You bobbed your head up and down Tommy’s hard shaft several times until Tommy took hold of the back of your head, wanting you to take him in further.

Just as Tommy guided himself into your throat, you couldn’t help but gag.

Tommy sighed, taking you by the ponytail with one strong hand to pull you away and letting go again.

‘There is enthusiasm, and you are obviously trainable. But let us work on that later’ he chuckled.

You withdrew, looking at him with a slightly hurt gaze and stood up in an ungainly way.

‘Now Love, let’s make you come again eh’ Tommy smirked as he grabbed your arms and turned you around before pushing you down on his desk.

He kept you down with his hands, gripping your hips, as he slowly lined his cock up with your entrance.

Slowly, he inserted his cock into you, inch by inch stretching your tight walls as he went. You were wet and open to him and there was no special resistance to his penetration. He lost himself in how hot and tight and wonderful you felt and the half-pained half-pleasure noises you were making for him.

Tommy began to thrust slowly then fucked you harder and harder, pausing occasionally to prolong the pleasure for both of you. You were trembling and moaning and then he sensed you tightening around his cock.

‘That’s it Love, come all over my cock’ he grunted as your legs began to shake.

‘Oh god fuck yes’ you moaned as your second orgasm washed over you.

After your high subsided, Tommy finally pulled out of you and made you drop onto your knees again.

You instinctively opened your mouth as you watched Tommy stroke his cock.

‘I expect you to swallow’ Tommy said sharply just before, with one loud groan, he filled your mouth with several spurts of his warm and sweet cum.

You complied with his request and, after you let him fill your mouth, you swallowed, not spilling a single drop.

‘Right, I've got some work to be getting on with’ Tommy said as soon as he came down from his high and zipped up his pants.

You quickly got dressed and turned to go, still dazed, and you were nearly at the door before he spoke again.

‘Y/N’ Tommy said and you turned back to look at him.

‘Break up with your man and come back into the office tomorrow. This time, don’t bother wearing panties, eh’ Tommy smirked.

‘Yes Mr Shelby’ you said disconcerted and wide eyed.

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[myherowritings]

PART 2. LOVE IS FAKE, MARRY A WEALTHY SUITOR

SUMMARY. Todoroki Shouto was a wealthy, young CEO who inherited his father’s enterprise. You were a barista at a local cafe who wouldn’t mind some extra cash. One day, Shouto came in during an early morning shift and tipped you such a large sum of money, you were certain it had to have been an accident. To your surprise and complete pleasure: It was not.

PAIRING. ceo!todoroki shouto x barista!reader

WORD COUNT. 2.5k

GENRE. ceo/barista au, fluff, eventual smut

WARNINGS. none in this chapter

A/N. thank u guys for all the positive feedback on this series so far and i really hope u enjoy this chapter too ! ^-^ xx sof

SERIES MASTERLIST

© myherowritings — all rights reserved. reposting, modifying, copying, or translating of any kind is not allowed. do not read my writing as asmr. do not plagiarize.

It seemed your subtle pleas to the gods to see the mysterious businessman again had been answered, since only the day after Shouto gave you a $100 tip, you saw him at the cafe. 

You looked to the skies with a hint of suspicion. This seemed too easy— You were expecting at least a few weeks of your heart pining as you wondered where-oh-where your dreamy customer could have gone. But instead, after a mere 24 hours later, you saw him enter the store in a pair of pressed trousers and a light blue, button up shirt that was rolled just below his elbows. 

Blinking, you drew your attention away from his exposed forearms. You knew he was attractive from your first encounter, but was he always this hot? 

Sadly, you couldn’t focus too much on that since he had to get behind the line and obstruct himself from your view, and you had to take the order of the next customer. 

“Hi! I can take the next person in line.” You smiled. “Good morning! What can I get started for you today?”

After repeating that five or so more times and starting a few drinks on hot bar, you finally reached Shouto’s place and, thankfully, there didn’t seem to be too many patrons piling behind him. 

“Good morning, Shouto!” you greeted when he stepped forward to the counter. “How are you this morning?”

“Better now that I saw you.” 

Your smile faltered as your cheeks heated up, but you tried to brush it off with a laugh. While Shouto had the definite looks of a so-called businessman playboy, his words held none of the flirtatious intonation as one might expect. In fact, he sounded like he genuinely meant it— Like he was only stating a simple fact and had no reason to be shameful. 

It felt both like an attack on your heart and like a refreshing glass of water at the same time. 

“How about you?” he continued. 

“I could say the same thing,” you said with a chuckle, but you found yourself meaning everything you told him. Though you didn’t expect to see him again at the cafe so soon, you couldn’t deny the instant he walked through the doors, your morning felt just a little bit brighter. “Didn’t think I’d see you again so soon, but this is a pleasant surprise.” 

Shouto had the decency to look a little bashful as he averted his gaze slightly. “Yeah. I…really liked the...cheese danishes.” 

Surprised, a small giggle left your lips. “Don’t tell me you finished all three dozen of them!”

“Well…” He looked even more sheepish. “I didn’t exactly… I guess you could say that.” 

“I’m glad you liked them so much you came back for more,” you teased, looking down at the pastries from the oven you just stocked. “Sadly, our fresh pastry today is a chocolate croissant. I can tell my manager to have cheese danishes made again soon though!”

He shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll try the chocolate croissants today then. Maybe five dozen this time.” 

Five multiplied by twelve… A whole 60 chocolate croissants? Were they all for him? You shrugged, not one to judge. If someone wanted to eat 60 croissants, so be it. Though you did hope he wouldn’t eat it all in one sitting. That might give him a stomachache. 

“Alrighty, five dozen chocolate croissants,” you repeated as you typed it into the register. “And would you like any beverages with that? Another flat white maybe?” 

“Actually, I’ll have a large macchiato with two extra shots of espresso this time.” 

You nodded with a hum. “Long day ahead?” 

“Unfortunately.” 

“I hope the coffee and croissants can carry you through, Shouto!” you said, wishing his day would go by smoothly. “Will that be all for you today?”

“Thank you, Y/N. I hope so too. And yes, that’s it.”

“Great. $73.24 is your total then! Will you be paying in card again?” 

He nodded. 

“Go ahead and scan and sign when you’re ready.”

You busied yourself by writing his name and order on a large cup and starting the espresso pulls. Your manager was helping get the pastries and other orders ready this morning, so it was nowhere near as hectic as yesterday. 

“Your order will be to your right. It was nice seeing you again, Shouto.” You smiled, giving him a small wave and already wishing you could hold the line up to talk to him longer. “See you tomorrow morning?” you asked almost hesitantly.

He returned your smile with upturned lips of his own. “Yeah. Tomorrow.” Before he left the counter, he pulled out another $100 bill—did he go to a dry cleaners to have his cash steamed and ironed? It was almost ridiculously crisp—and handed it to you. “A tip to show my appreciation for your service.”

“A-Again?” you stammered, eyes wide. That was $200 in two days from just his tip alone. That was more than you made in two weeks when you worked part-time! “Are you sure?”

Whether he had money to spare or not, this was incredibly generous of him and you would never have expected this amount from anyone. And it wasn’t like Shouto made it a scene for everyone in the shop to look at and gawk; he was subtle yet unashamed. Like he wanted to do it for no other reason than to do it. 

“Of course. You deserve it for your work, Y/N.”

The customer behind him made an impatient noise and you winced. You wanted to be able to thank him more, but all you had time for was a simple, “Thank you, I really appreciate it.”

Shouto nodded in response before walking to the other side of the cafe to wait for his order while you managed the other customers in line, a fuzzy but warm feeling lingering in your stomach from your bizarre interaction. Money or not, you enjoyed seeing him in the mornings and were already looking forward to your brief conversations that would take place the next days to come.

He certainly gave you something to look forward to amidst the inconsiderate customers who barely saw you as human every morning. Sometimes, that was all you could ask for. 

When Shouto left the store and the line had died down towards the end of rush hour, your manager approached you with a curious look on her face. 

“That guy named Shouto…?” Miyazaki said. 

You nodded. 

“A friend of yours?”

“You could say that… We just met yesterday’s morning shift,” you said as you finished up the green tea latte for one of the remaining stragglers from the last hour’s boom. “But he’s really friendly I think.”

“You only recently became associated?” she asked, lifting a brow. “It seemed like you two were quite chummy today.” Then, nudged your side. “He was rather attractive don’t you think? And rich-looking.”

Fumbling with the lid on the beverage, you stifled a surprised cough. Sure, you got along with your boss and thought she was one of the more understanding and kind individuals you have worked under, but gossiping about the looks and potential income of a customer with your 56-year-old manager was not on your bingo sheet as a worker here.

“I…” You called out the order for the latte before turning back to your manager. “He is.”

“Ooh, he’s rich?”

“I meant he’s attractive!” you sputtered, feeling abashed at her blunt words. You thought of the tip he gave you in your pocket and his orders of dozens of pastries. “Rich…maybe so. Not that it matters!” 

Miyazaki tsked. “Of course it matters! Marry rich and your life will be easier. That’s what my mother told me and what her mother told her.” She shook her head. “Should’ve listened.” 

You laughed, feeling only a little awkward. It wasn’t the first time you heard that sentiment from someone older than you. It wasn’t uncommon for family members or even workers you were close to to share that same advice—if you could even call it that.

While you agreed money could make a lot of things easier, marrying someone for wealth didn’t appeal to you. But you recognized that even that may come from a place of privilege to be able to say. 

“He seems like a wealthy suitor for you, yes?”

“Suitor—?” you choked out. “No! I mean— We just met! We don’t know anything about each other really.”

She sighed, “Young people and their obsession with marrying someone they ‘know’ for true love. When do you really know someone anyway?” Waving a hand she changed the topic. “But enough of that. What I wanted to say was next time that man comes in here, we can offer him a complimentary box of a dozen pastries— Since he’s spent so much in so little it feels like the right thing to do.”

“Sure. A complimentary dozen.” Finally. Work. A topic you felt much more comfortable talking about. “That, I can do.” 

“And then maybe offer a hand in marriage while you’re at it.”

“Mrs. Miyazaki!” you gasped, feeling only mildly affronted. 

“I joke.” She ruffled her hair and smoothed down her apron. “I’m going to make more pastries now. Can you hold up the front?” 

“You can count on me.”

“I know I can. Thanks for your hard work!” 

And with that, she headed to the backroom where the kitchen was to leave you alone with your thoughts in a quiet cafe. Rush hour ended so there were only a few customers trickling in, most much kinder and more pleasant to talk to than the bustling businessmen of the earlier shift. 

Throughout your small conversations with the patrons, you found yourself thinking back to two things— One, how interesting traditional values and teachings in collectivist cultures were and questioning where you fell into place with them, and two…wondering about Shouto. 

Tomorrow, he had said before he left. You’d see him again tomorrow. 

Oddly enough, you were looking forward to it more than you’d like to admit. 

— ✩ —

It was the fifth day of the week, the fifth time he had seen you at the cafe, and he was already tempted to see you again. Would it be invasive to get another pastry after work? Would you even be there working at that hour?

Shouto saw you this morning (along with all the other mornings before that) and yet he couldn’t quell the pull he felt towards you with only the short interaction time you had together. But he would take what he could get without being weird. 

He had been told in the past he could be too forward and dysregulate his feelings and scare people off, and that wasn’t something he wanted to risk with you, though he was certainly much better at it now with learning and practice. If he was reading things correctly, you at least seemed to enjoy seeing him during your shift. 

“You got more pastries, sir?” an employee from the medical supplies sector asked him gleefully. “I swear they get better each time!”

Shouto nodded with a smile. “I’m glad you like it. I’ll be sure to relay your compliment.”

With the dozens of pastries he’s been ordering from your cafe (each order seeming to grow every time he visited after realizing just how much his employees enjoyed it), he would place them around the breakrooms and staff kitchens in the establishment. Those areas were always fully stocked with drinks and sandwiches and chocolates in case anyone needed a little boost, but nothing seemed to bring as much comfort as freshly baked pastries did. And a different baked good almost everyday seemed to give people more to get excited about. 

He owed it all to your sales’ pitch and blinding smile that made him want to buy it. And your personality, of course.

His Personal Secretary had started to wonder why she no longer was tasked with his early morning coffee runs, and Shouto had to find a way to answer without saying it was because there was a barista he wanted to keep talking to. 

Not even he was that shameless. 

The first time, his PS had just called in sick and Shouto decided he might as well head to a cafe himself for the first time in a while. He worried he might have been rusty while ordering, but you did such a good job at being welcoming and guiding the transaction that he found himself actually enjoying it. (Enjoying you, maybe. But it was too soon to admit that.) 

And now, after that initial meeting, he decided it was worth half an hour of his day to give his PS some early morning break time and visit the cafe himself. 

It was worth it so much, in fact, that the next morning on a Saturday, despite most of his employees being given the weekend off, he still went to buy some coffee and pastries. 

“Good morning!” an older lady called as he entered the front doors. Shouto had seen her assisting in shifts and baking pastries when you were busy working the cash register. “What can I get started for you today?”

He looked around the store—relatively quiet compared to the rush hour during the weekdays—and to his disappointment, saw no sight of you. 

The current barista laughed, seeming to read his very thoughts. “Looking for someone? Y/N perhaps?”

His gaze shot up, feeling like a kid getting caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to by his guardian. Cautiously, he gave a small nod. 

“‘Fraid they have the weekends off, actually,” the lady—her name tag read Miyazaki—said. “But don’t look so down, they’ll be back on Monday morning to greet you with a smile.”

He nodded again, feeling his face heat up. Was he that transparent or did Miyazaki just know too much? “Thank you, ma’am.”

She chuckled, waving him over. “No need to be so formal. Now, is there anything I can get for you? Or were you just visiting in hopes of asking our dear Y/N out?”

“No— I…” Shouto felt himself averting his gaze. “I’ll order something.”

At his apparent discomfort, her mischievous gaze softened. “Of course, hon. Sorry for teasing too much. I was just excited seeing how adorable you and Y/N were.” She cleared her throat. “I mean, that’s not my business. Anyway. What can I get started for you?”

He asked for a macchiato and a couple dozen of today’s pastries, paid, and tipped. (Though, it was initially met with a blatant rejection. He didn’t take it too hard; he knew some older members of society thought of tips as insulting and he’d never force anyone to take a tip if it made them feel bad. But after offering again, she thankfully accepted it.)

When he left the cafe, although the exchange was pleasant enough, Shouto still found himself disappointed he wasn’t able to see you. 

At least he had something to look forward to next Monday morning, though part of him wished the day would somehow come sooner. 

a/n: hope u enjoyed miyazaki’s words of wisdom u.u FHKDF i’m totally kidding, but if ur asian like me then u kNOW what convos like that are like omg ,, just had my mom and two grandmas tell me that recently :’/ kskskfd but anyway i hope u enjoyed this chapter and liked seeing a glimpse of shouto’s thoughts ;3 tysm for reading!

what to expect in the next part:

more shouto and y/n :>

maybe some ~flirting~ pfft idk idk u.u

some minor...misunderstandings 

“hello, zuko here” vibes

[wellpresseddaisy]

Long Ago (and far away)

Part 6

Severus shut his front door, turned, and just leaned against it for a moment. He gripped tightly to the tin of biscuits, partly to keep his hands from shaking (stress? too many bouts of crucio at too young an age? who even knew at this point), and breathed deeply. The faint hint of lemon oil furniture polish and the heavier scents of beeswax and lamp oil grounded him deeply in his home. He listened, letting the fire crackling in the sitting room grate and the muffled tick of his mantle clock further settle his jangled nerves. Slowly, his fingers unlocked around the tin, holding it more naturally, not in the vice grip he'd had before. Anxious questions wished to bound about in his brain, chasing answers until he'd worked himself into another headache. 

But he had a great deal more to do today than sit about and fret. He forced himself to push off the door, heeling out of his boots and padding into the sitting room in stocking feet. He'd left his house shoes upstairs. Again. 

"Severus!" The bright greeting, so reminiscent of the previous day, nearly had him hurling the tin at the voice. 

"Sir?" He managed a strangled reply, heart thudding. 

"How was your visit with the Weasleys?" Tom Riddle bustled (and how did a man of his size manage to bustle?) into the sitting room, bearing a loaded tea tray. The warm smell of baking scones drifted out of the kitchen with him before the door swung shut. He'd obviously done some transfiguration work on his clothing, enlarging a different shirt and pair of trousers to fit better.

"It…" he paused to clear his throat. "It went well, thank you. Mr. Weasley was called away, so I spoke to Mrs. Weasley. She sent me back with ginger newts."

"I just made tea...thought you could use something." He smiled gently. "Why don't you put your tin in the kitchen and then come sit with me?"

Gently worded as it was, Severus knew an order when he heard one. "I take my tea with only a splash of milk, please."

He escaped to the kitchen, thankful for a few more moments to collect himself. The vow he'd made once, to protect the boy, twanged at him, unsettling even his iron control. Now that he knew, he had to take action. Well, once he'd spoken to the Weasley boys, Merlin help him. Severus set the tin on the counter and paused. The dishes they'd used that morning sat in an actual drying rack he didn't remember owning, and a batch of steaming hot oat scones sat cooling on a rack that he also didn't remember owning. If he hadn't had more breakfast than he was accustomed to and biscuits he'd have been tempted.

Turning, he swept back into the sitting room, sinking onto the sofa next to Riddle. He accepted a cup of tea and sipped...perfect. Severus wanted to be surprised, but found himself appreciating Riddle's domestic abilities instead.

"Are you…did you get the information you needed?"

The heat of the drink through his mug warmed his hands while the bright, almost citrus notes lifted his mood. At least a bit. He rubbed his fingertips against the pottery, the repetitive motion soothing some of his stress. 

He loved the heavy, hand-thrown mugs. He'd found them in the Lake District one chilly summer and fell in love with the smudgy greens and grays and purples. They looked like a foggy morning on the moors.

"I think so. I'm going to have to engage in some amount of subterfuge, I think. I'll ask Minerva to tea tomorrow, if that doesn't upset any plans?" 

"Of course not." Riddle smiled warmly at him. "It can be a touchy thing, placing children."

"And especially touchy with this one. We really ought to have an office of child welfare, but that upsets certain factions." Severus sighed. 

"There now," Riddle murmured. "Your shoulders are down from around your ears."

"I suppose…Mrs. Weasley was distressed. It can be difficult. She's been writing to the headmaster."

"Hmm, she would. Used to complain about you, frequently, but that was mostly that you would give her twins occasional pointers."

"What did my...counterpart think of you?" He couldn't help the curiosity, driven to know that answer, even if it was rude. It was the same urge that sometimes resulted in explosions in the lab.

"Oh, he would have cheerfully seen me to the bottom of Black Lake." Riddle smiled at him, warm and frank. "We had a somewhat...contentious relationship. I was called in as a response to...well, what happened at the start of your second term teaching?"

"The sixth and seventh years engaged in a 'prank', the results of which could have killed a professor. I took appropriate measures." Severus settled his mug on his knee and stared down into the depths.

"Your counterpart caned sixteen students in front of their housemates. I was brought in by the board in the aftermath." Riddle clarified.

Severus startled, nearly upsetting his mug. Riddle removed it gently from his hands and set it on the table.

"I take it you didn't have the same reaction?"

"I would never…" Severus began before stopping to collect himself. He did not wish to sound like some hysterical, Wilde-ian duchess. "I confined them to their rooms and forbade them from communicating with either housemates or home. I wrote to their parents or guardians, informing them of the situation and possible disciplinary routes. To a one, they chose the same consequences and the headmaster agreed."

"That would sidestep the issue with, well, fourteen sets of parents and guardians screaming for your head." Riddle folded Severus' hands between his. "The board decided I would be a tempering presence and…to continue with his employment, your counterpart had to agree to live under my guardianship. He didn't care for that. I do hope I won't be as much of an imposition on you."

Severus swallowed hard. This sort of man, treating him with warmth and kindness, would be too easy to rely on. And it was only for a day. He had to remember that, no matter how much he wanted. Riddle wouldn't stay forever. Hell, Riddle probably wouldn't stay past the evening, once he had his finances sorted.

His counterpart was, clearly, a complete sapskull. And probably a tarmagant to boot.

"I doubt you will be." He answered, finally, withdrawing his hands. "I should go and dress."

"Of course. I'll be waiting. Just—"

"Yes?" Severus turned back at the bookcase.

"Lucius Malfoy, Severus. He…he made a curtsey where I'm from. You said he'd chaperoned you to Gringotts once. I just remembered why that bothered me. It was Mrs. Malfoy who was head of the family, despite marrying in." Riddle's brows creased in concern. "Do you know…"

"I…I have no idea. He never said and at the time I would have been too young to really pay attention. Oh, hell." He leaned against the bookcase and let his head thump on a shelf. "He may well have ruined me. Socially, at any rate. Although…it isn't as if I had a sterling reputation before that."

Witch Weekly had done a piece on The Scandals of Severus Snape when he was named head of Slytherin.

It was illustrated. He wondered if Minerva kept a copy. 

"I just wonder why Gringotts allowed it." Riddle said. "They've always been strict about the chaperonage requirement. It's the one way they can stick it to the upper class."

"They may have allowed it once or, more likely, he just paid a fine. It isn't as if I'm really part of…any of it. It just…well, it makes life just a little harder."

Severus left as quickly as he could without looking like he was fleeing.

-----------------

Severus stood before his clothes press, ghosting his fingers over the fine fabrics. Merlin but Narcissa spoiled him. Sending him beautiful clothes and fruit from the conservatory and his favorite tea. She's shielded him, too, at school and after. She'd taught him to carry himself properly, to speak well, to behave as a Pureblood ought.  

He should have known, really.

Thinking of her, his hands bypassed trousers and pulled out one of her gifts. He undressed quickly, depositing his teaching clothes on one of the valet stands that lived in the corner. Trousers folded across the bar, his coat on the heavily padded hanger, and his shirt folded and set over the trousers. He pulled on fresh combinations and padded barefoot back to the highboy next to his clothes press. He rooted around in one of the top drawers, coming up with a pair of fine, black silk stockings and Slytherin green ribbons.

Severus sat on his bed to pull on the stockings, adjusting the emerald green clocking to emphasize his ankles. He gartered them just below the knee with the ribbon. The garters weren't strictly necessary, charmed as the stockings were to stay up, but a bit of hidden cheekiness bolstered him, the snakes twining about the ribbons, ghosting an embroidered tongue over the garter's edge every so often. He slipped his feet into house shoes to keep his stockings from snagging on the floor and stood, turning to the pile of fabric on his bed.

The cream colored under-kirtle went on easily, the same silk and wool blend as the previous evening, but this one with sleeves to accompany the high collar. Severus fastened the collar, settling the shoulders before smoothing the heavy skirts. He squirmed into the sleeveless, high-collared kirtle next, using a touch of magic to do up the opening at the left side. The black woolen fabric laid stark against the sleeves and collar of the under-kirtle. The collar fastened with just a touch of his fingers as well, and he arranged the under-kirtle's collar to just peek out. He wouldn't wear a cravat, but the high, layered collars gave the impression of stock collar and waistcoat. 

Severus picked up the last layer and shook it out. He slipped into the long, flaring coat. As deeply black as the kirtle, it was cut almost exactly like his teaching coat. The skirts, though, flared out over those of his under-layers and skimmed the floor. He did up the buttons that ran from chest to hip, appreciating Narcissa's eye for detail in the perfect fit. Twisting his arm a bit, he fastened the buttons on one sleeve, adjusting the cuff down over his knuckles, before moving to the other. He shook out his skirts one more time before he hopped to settle everything and then went to check himself in the full-length mirror.

His breath caught in his throat at his reflection. The lamps lighting his room softened the edges, but he looked...he looked right. Both sides of himself blended skillfully in one ensemble—Potions Master and Prince. He wasn't a tall man; early malnutrition put paid to any great height or breadth for him (and he should have seen the markers in the young Potter), but the sweep of the skirt and the unrelieved black gave him presence. He'd never match the polished beauty of a child of an Old House, but he finally felt like his deepest self. Heart stuttering, he trailed his fingers down the glass, some unspoken yearning lodged around his sternum.

But he had no time for yearning. He shook himself out of his reverie and went to collect his gloves from the highboy. He'd wear his black over robe out to dispel the slightly ecclesiastical look. One time being accosted in London was enough.

And he would cease such silly wanting.

[fangirlings-things]

Rescheduled Lesson

❦ PART. II

Fandom: Enola Holmes

Pairing: Sherlock Holmes x female reader

Word count: 3K

anon said: Can I request a Sherlock x reader where she visited Enola often when Sherlock left on long cases, so they became good friends? And when Enola runs away to find her mom, she goes to stay with the reader, which Sherlock deduces and tries to get her to let him find Enola and talk to her? -&

A/N: this request was amazing and I loved every bit of it!!! I put all my inspiration in this, tried to make the personality of the character good, so I hope you like this piece, love, I did my best!! (also I’m thinking about a part 2? if you guys like it let me know, I would be delighted to write it) (had to repost guys, I'm sorry!!)

also, the tag list for this fandom is open!!!

gif credit: @henrycavilledits

❧ You knew the Holmes family was nothing like the other families that lived in the countryside. The father had died many years before. The two oldest sons had already left home, to live their lives and follow the careers they desired. On that incredibly big house, where once lived a family, there was only a mother and her youngest child left. Perhaps the fact that you yourself was considered a little off by other people, was the fact that made you become friends with them.

You lived completely alone, surrounded by books in a small house. Your life was made of studying, researching and writing texts about science. You loved it, great authors of the matter being your inspiration. You tried to learn their teachings and with luck, wanted others to learn as well. You almost couldn’t believe when one day in the middle of a sunny afternoon, Eudoria Holmes had showed up at your door and invited you to her house, where she asked you to be Enola’s science teacher. She educated her daughter not for society, but for herself, so that she could find her own path when she came to grow up. That instantly made you respect that woman and accept her offer.

Twice a week you would go to the Holmes’s house and spend hours and more hours teaching the girl. Darwin, Copernicus, Newton, Galilei. She was eager to know and you were eager to teach her. She was the first student you had that actually wanted to learn and that was amazing. Made you proud and happy, more than you could say. At the evening, Eudoria would ask you to stay for dinner. You would put lessons aside and talk and laugh together. They were like your family, the one you didn’t had.

You were always excited for the days of teaching Enola to come soon. They were your absolute favorites of the week. In the beginning of the afternoon of one of those days, you had been incredibly surprised by a knock on your front door while you gathered the books you would make the girl read and study. Frowning, because you never had visitors or received letters, you went to attend the door.

And when you opened it, you saw that your visitor was Enola herself.

“Hi, Miss (Y/L/N)” the girl smiled at you, a little forced smile that instantly made your frown grow deeper. She was wearing boy’s clothes, even a hat, and her long brown hair had been hidden inside of it. “I’m afraid today’s lesson will have to be rescheduled”

“Enola, what…” you began, confused. You had seen her dressed in boy’s clothes before around her house, that wasn’t a big deal. She did find them more comfortable, she had told you before. But the fact that she concealed her hair as if she wanted to hide it and the expression on her face, something that you couldn’t quite identify but resembled urgency, was enough for you to get anxious.

“Please, Miss (Y/L/N), can I come in? I promise I’ll explain everything you want to know” she pleaded, eyes locked on yours as she did so. The tone on her voice made you nod and take a step to the side, locking the door once she was already inside. “I had never been here. Your house is really amazing” the girl seemed overwhelmed by all the books and unfinished texts you had around, laying on tables and shelves.

“Thank you” you said, mind still running fast as you tried to understand what was happening. You walked after the girl, that had advanced until she reached the next room of your house, one who only had two couches and a table. “Enola, what is going on?” her face instantly lost the admiration she was having for your belongings. Her eyes went to the floor, and she went silent. That made you sight. “Enola, you promise you would explain. And you know you can trust me”

That seemed to make her come around, because she sighted as you had just did and sat at one of your couches. Or better, she laid down on it, placing her head over a pillow and focusing her eyes on the roof. Her hands were joined over her chest. “I came here because I wanted to hide, Miss (Y/L/N). I’m running away”

Your eyes went wide at that declaration and you sat on the other couch, realizing that would probably be a long conversation. “Enola! Think about your mother! She loves you. Your disappearance will hurt her deeply”

“No, no, I’m not running away from my mother. I’m running away to find her” the girl sat straight on the couch, eyes meeting yours again like they had before at the door. She could see the confusion in your eyes grow by each word she spoke. “My mother went missing a few days ago, Miss (Y/L/N). She didn’t say goodbye or said where she was going. She only left me clues, here and there that I’ll have to use to find her”

Worry got a hold of you, the same worry you had recognized on Enola’s eyes. Eudoria. Where would she have gone? Was she fine? Not knowing you realized, was terrible. As you thought about what Enola had just said, another question got to your mind. “If your mother is missing, who are you running away from, Enola?”

“My brothers. Sherlock and Mycroft. Well, especially Mycroft, because he wants to send me to a finishing school, that prepares young women for society” the clear disgust in her voice would have made you laugh if you weren’t so worried.

“Where will you go to find your mother, Enola? What plans do you have? Do you want me to go with you?” all questions left your mouth in such a rush, that it seemed like you had just spit out the words one after the other.

The young girl smiled kindly and got up, going to sit right next to you on the couch you were on. She grabbed your hands in hers gently and squeezed them tightly. “Thank you for offering to go with me, to support me, Miss (Y/L/N). Is more than my own brothers have done. But this is something I have to do alone, I have to be the one to find her and know why she left. And I think that the less you know, the better it will be”

Oh, that girl. You smiled while you looked at her. Eudoria had raised her to be a force of nature and had achieved that goal, brilliantly. You squeezed her hands back in affection. “When will you leave?”

“At sundown today” she said, so quickly that you realized she had already thought about everything. At least, on that phase of that 'plan' to find her dear mother. “Will walk to the train station, not the closest one but the next, and get on the first train in the morning tomorrow. In this way, I’m quite sure my brothers won’t be able to understand my intentions soon enough as to catch me”

“Very well” you passed your arms around her and hugged her tight, sighting. “Let’s get you some food for your journey, then. If you find Eudoria and she finds out I let you almost starve I’ll get in trouble”

Enola laughed as she hugged you back.

════ •⊰❂⊱• ═══════ •⊰❂⊱• ════

Enola had left at sundown of the previous day, just like she had said she would. Carrying nothing more than money her mother had left her, a bag of food you had given her and her favorite book of yours, Origin of Species, you had watched her walk away into the night alone, as her name backwards spelled.

You had spent the whole night incapable of sleeping, wondering if she was fine and if she hadn’t encountered any dangers as she travelled on foot. You worried so much but all you could do, was hope that she would stay safe and find her mother. Soon.

On the next day, you had spent the morning and the beginning of the afternoon distracted. Tried to complete some of your works, but couldn’t. Your mind would always go back to the gone girl and her well being.

You had frustratedly been trying to read the same page of one of your books for fifteen minutes, without being capable of keeping any attention on it, when for the second time in a long time, you heard knocks at the front door.

You got up instantly, leaving the book forgotten upon the closest table as you rushed to the door, already smiling at the thought at Enola had came around on her idea of going alone and was back to ask you to go with her.

When you opened the door though, you realized that it wasn’t Enola who had knocked. It had been a man. A man you had never seen before.

He was tall, it was the first thing you noticed. The fact that he had no beard, was the second. And then, details of him came rushing into your mind through your eyes. He had short, curly hair, bright eyes and memorable features. He wore a white shirt, a brown vest with small white details in it and a brown suit as well as trousers of the same color. No tie which was insula for men that well dressed.

“May I help you?” you frowned at him, holding the wooden door firmly with one of your hands. To receive the visit of men, had always made you nervous. You lived alone, after all, and the world was becoming a more violent place day by day.

“I hope so” he said, which such confidence on his voice that it actually made you raise your eyebrows at him. His eyes were fixed in you, analyzing your face with much intensity. Far more than you thought it would be appropriate. “I’m Sherlock Holmes. And I suppose you are Miss (Y/L/N), my sister’s science teacher”

You took a moment to watch him again, trying to put into your mind that the man in front of you was the Sherlock Holmes, the detective who was making a name on England, solving the most incredible and difficult cases on his own. After long seconds of silence where you only stared at each other, you cleaned your throat. “I am in fact Enola’s teacher, Mr. Holmes. How did you know?”

“I found her works, studies on great science authors. They all had writings on the borders where she constantly mentioned a desire to please and make a 'Miss (Y/L/N)' proud. It only took me a visit to one of the closest houses to ask who it was and get pointed in your house’s direction” he explained, in an impersonal tone quite fitting to a detective. He saw the incisive tone look you were giving him, filled with suspicion, and smiled slightly as he looked at his feet, before focusing his eyes back on yours. “I came here because Enola ran away from home, Miss (Y/L/N). And I think she would come here to see you if she needed help”

You sighted, looking into his eyes. You remembered Enola’s words, where she had told you Mycroft was the one who wanted to send her to a finishing school, the one who had made her run away. If that had been Mycroft Holmes at your door, you would have denied being her teacher or even knowing the girl, wanting to cut the conversation short. But that was Sherlock Holmes. Enola hadn’t expressed much anger towards him and honestly, he would for sure find out the truth on his own. He was the best detective there was in the nowadays. You tell him, would just spin faster the process and you would be able to send him away sooner.

“Come in, Mr. Holmes” you took a step aside, motioning for him to come in. He did, in slow calculated steps and once he was inside you closed the door, sighting. You expected him to say something, but he didn’t. Not at first. Instead he walked around just like Enola had done, eyes floating through the uncountable books you had, all in a complete mess over the tables, piles and more piles of them . ���She was indeed here, your sister”

He turned his head to look at you, a genuine smile on his lips. “I was already certain of that” then he walked towards one of the tables, fingers running through one of works. The paper was a bit kneaded, but he didn’t seem to care. “The works you did with Enola, the amount of things she learned… they were quite impressive”

You crossed your arms over your chest, trying to contain your surprise to know you had impressed the most impressive man of all, Sherlock Holmes. You waited for him to speak again, but he didn’t, just kept on walking through the room and inspecting your things with his perceptive eyes. “I don’t know where she is, Mr. Holmes. She left many hours ago”

He placed his hands on the pockets of his trousers, turning completely to you the resemblance of his previous smile on his lips. “And I believe she didn’t tell you what were her plans?”

“No and if she had, I wouldn’t tell you” you said and went to sit on a chair, at the table he had been studying with his eyes previously.

“Mind if I take off my suit?” he asked simply. You just nodded for him to go on, not giving it much thought. He took off his brown suit in gracious movements, then placed it in one of the other empty chairs close by. “May I ask why you wouldn’t tell me my sister’s plans, Miss (Y/L/N), if you knew them?”

“Enola said your brother wants to send her to a finishing school” you replied, watching as one after the other, he folded the sleeves of his white shirt until they got close to his elbow. Unconsciously, you noticed how his muscles could be seen from under his shirt. “To try to turn such a brilliant, incredibly smart young girl into a 'lady society' would be a terrible mistake. She shouldn’t be forced to do it” at the end of that sentence, Sherlock Holmes had grabbed two books in his hands and after reading the tiles, he went to the shelves and started placing them there. “Excuse me, what do you think you’re doing?”

“I am organizing your books, Miss (Y/L/N). In alphabetical order, of course. Like I’ve noticed you do after a quick inspection” he smiled at you again, placing those two in place. Then, he went to the table and grabbed a few more. “I personally agree with you. I don’t think Enola should be sent to such a place, but she is my brother’s ward. It is out of my hands” he read the titles, then turned around to return to the shelves. “I suppose you weren’t raised as a lady of society also, for you live by yourself apparently and your academic interests”

“You’re wrong” you said with a little smile taking a hold of your lips, and that made him stop organizing the books and look at you with a frown. She shouldn’t be wrong often. “I was raised to be a lady, until the point where my parents died. After that, I started to live on my own, for I had no more relatives. It gave me a chance to become who I wanted to be, instead of whom I was being carved into”

“You chose your own path” he said with a bigger smile this time and when you nodded in agreement, he returned his look at the shelves. “How did your parents die?”

“They were murdered” you tried to swallow the knot on your throat. Even though they had been controlling parents to the most when regarding your future, they were still your parents, and you loved and missed them. “The police never found out by whom”

“The police can be quite… inefficient” he turned back around with his hands already empty. “I’m really sorry”

“Thank you” you said, squeezing your lips in a thin line as old memories came to surface. Things you hadn’t you thought about in a long, long time. “If there isn’t anything else, may I escort you to the door?”

Your polite way of sending him away made him smile.

He placed the books he had just gathered back on the table, grabbed his suit and accompanied you towards the door, not bothering to dress the piece again. You opened the door and he stepped out, turning to look at you once more. His eyes were curious, interesting. Full of something you couldn’t quite identify, so mysterious as his sister’s.

“If you find Enola, don’t stop her from trying to find your mother” you told him, trying to repress the emotion in your voice. “Not knowing what happened… can be quite disturbing”

“I promise, stop her, is not my intention” he looked down at his feet once again, as if he was thinking for a brief moment, before his eyes went back to yours. “I could try to find out what happened to your parents. Who was their murderer”

“I don’t have much money, Mr. Holmes” you told him, your turn now to look down at your feet.

“I never said you would have to pay” he replied and with that your gaze snapped back up to meet his, and that made him chuckle. You couldn’t deny he looked quite beautiful when doing that. “You were there for my sister through much time and when she needed help, when I wasn’t. That is enough paying for me. Think about it, Miss (Y/L/N). After I find my sister and discover where is my mother, I am willing to take over your case. If you want me to” he nodded his head in your direction in a silent appreciation for your reception in your house and began to turn to walk away, but stopped himself in the middle of such movement. “May I know your first name?”

You smiled softly at that. “It’s (Y/N), Mr. Holmes”

“Please, call me Sherlock”

And after that, he walked away.

[cornishkat]

Protecting M - Pt One

Gareth Mallory x F!Reader

Warnings: Guns, Violence, Swearing

Summary:

M was adamant he did not need a babysitter but Bond was not taking no for an answer. after what had happened to his predecessor.  So  Bond calls in a favour from an old friend to keep an eye on M while he was away.

“Bond, I do not need a babysitter, I am more than capable of looking after myself”

“Sir, I don’t have a doubt about that, but with Moneypenny on leave I am just suggesting an extra pair of hands”

“Why do I think who you have in mind is not going to be just be efficient at answering the phone”

“I won’t deny she does have a certain skill set that would put my mind at rest when I have to leave tomorrow”

“007 do I need to remind you I am your boss not the other way around”

“I am fully aware of that I just want to ensure that you have someone around who has your back while I’m away”

“Anyone would think you cared Bond”

“Just getting used to you, I do not need another M to work with”

“Touching, I suppose the work is piling up out there”

“So, its agreed, excellent you are going to like her, very much your sort of person”

“You’re not setting me up on a blind date 007”

“Wouldn’t dream of it Sir”

This was the last time that you were ever going to end up owning Bond a favour, even when you were still in the game, you had hated the paperwork and admin that came with it.  Now thanks to Bond saving your skin in Mexico you were facing days of it just to baby sit Bond’s boss.  You were not even sure he even needed protecting, you had looked into Gareth Mallory, ex SAS Lieutenant Colonel, got it to trouble with the IRA in the nineties when he was held hostage, but you were pretty sure that there was probably more to Mallory than what was in his file.  But Bond must have concerns if he had called in a favour for this and even though you hated to admit it, he was usually always right.

Hanging up your coat you put on some coffee and started sorting through the paperwork piled on the desk.  You might as well do something productive while waiting for Mallory to arrive at work, you had to admit you were intrigued to meet the man that Bond and dragged you out of retirement for.

Mallory caught the aroma of coffee as he walked down towards his office, it was just after six and he had expecting to be in long before she arrived.  He knew Bond was just being careful after what happened to the previous M, losing her had hit him hard, but he was already regretting agreeing to let Bond bring this woman in today.  He didn’t have the energy to have to meet someone new and get them up to speed with how his office worked, he just wanted Moneypenny back   As he opened the door to the office he saw a blonde woman sitting at Moneypenny’s desk sifting through paperwork while sipping coffee.  As he shrugged off his coat she looked up and fixed him with her green eyes.

“Good morning, Sir, Y/N/N Y/N”

Standing up she moved around the desk and held out her hand to him.  He took in her soft grey trousers and cream silk blouse, her blond hair swept up into to a high ponytail and the firm handshake.

“Good morning, they call me M”

“Coffee?”

“Thank you, I see you have got yourself settled in, hopefully you won’t have to endure this for too long, I take it Bond filled you in”

‘He did, you seemed to have him worried and with Bond that is no mean feat”

“I take it you know Bond well, but I believe his is worrying unnecessarily and I fear your time is going to be wasted”

“As much as anyone can know him and though we both may hate to admit, when it comes to things like this he is generally right”

“Well can we just make a deal that if he does turn out to be right let’s just not tell him, he will be unbearable”

“Deal, there is nothing as awful as a smug Bond”

You watch Mallory take his coffee and head into his office, maybe this was not going to be as tedious as you thought.  There was definitely something about the man, from his beautifully tailored suit to his strong handshake and those piercing blue eyes.  It had been a long time since a man had made this sort of first impression on you and it had been a while since you had the chance to take part in some harmless flirtation.  This could be fun, especially knowing that you would only be here for a few days.  By lunchtime you had cleared the backlog of paperwork and headed into M’s office.

“I’m going to grab some lunch, can I pick you up something?”

M looked up from this work with almost a surprised look on his face,

“Do you not usually eat or did you not expect me to ask?”

“I suppose not, but thank you I’ll have whatever you have, thank you”

By the time you came back into the office with two trays of sushi, M had shed his jacket and his shirt sleeves were rolled up over his forearms.  You smiled to yourself and dropped the food on table in his office as he looked over at you.

“Please stay and join me or I won’t stop to eat”

“Of course, I’m caught up out there”

“So how big was the favour you owed Bond to end up here”

“The lifesaving sort of favour, but you still must be important to him for him to call in a favour from me”

“Don’t think it is really about me, but you know what Bond is like once he has an idea in his head”

“Yes I do, always thinks he is right and is going to do it his way no matter what”

“You really do know him well”

“I also know that if my back is up against the wall I want him on my side over anyone else”

“I’ll agree with you on that”

Before you could say anything else the phone on M’s desk rang, you could see the looked on his face darken as the conversation progressed.  Taking your cue, you started to clear up the empty food containers, as you turned to head for the door you heard M drop the handset and sigh.

“Something wrong?”

“The alarms have been triggered back at my flat, probably nothing but they want me to meet the police there to check it out”

“I’m going to tag along with you, as you said probably nothing, but I am not having Bond say I told you so if anything happens to you”

“He would be insufferable”

“Yes he would”

You grabbed your coat and holstered your primary weapon at your waist and your second in your ankle holster, old habits die hard.