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sfb123 · 2 years ago

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I Know Places (Happy Birthday Burns!)

Book: The Royal Romance

Pairing: Liam x Riley, Drake x Alyssa

All characters belong to Pixelberry, except for Alyssa Devereaux, who belongs to the birthday girl @burnsoslow

Summary: In a prequel to last year's birthday fic, Riley notices some odd behavior from Drake and is determined to find out what he is hiding.

Song: I Know Places - Taylor Swift

You are the only person on the planet who could get me to drop a Taylor Swift song anywhere. That's how much I love you.

Rating: PG (a couple of swear words)

Word Count: 2,703

A/N: Happy birthday to my wonderful friend @burnsoslow. You are so sweet, and funny, and thoughtful. When I came to Tumblr however long ago, and started obsessively reading your stories, I never, in a million years, thought that I would actually be lucky enough to call you my friend. I'm sitting here trying to put together words about how much having you in my life means to me, but I'm not sure they even exist. I just love you so so much, and hope that you spent today partying like it's 1999! 😘

A/N 2: No pre-reader, so you get what you get. If it sucks, and the grammar is terrible, that's all on me. Godspeed.

Tags: This is my first run with the new tag list, so if you're not on here but would like to be added, just let me know!

Liam and Riley sat on the couch in his office, reviewing their opening remarks for the Five Kingdoms Festival that would be happening the following day. A knock on the door pulled their attention away, Liam called for the visitor to come in.

“Well, well, well,” Riley said as Drake entered the room. “Look what the cat dragged in.”

Drake rolled his eyes and approached the pair. “Hello Brooks.” He walked over to Liam, who was now standing. “Hey, Li.”

“Drake,” Liam shook his friend’s hand. “It has been a while.”

“Yeah,” Drake rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ve been pretty busy lately.”

“Why don’t you stay for dinner?” Riley suggested, noticing that something was off with him. “Eleanor has been asking for you, she misses her Uncle Drake.”

Drake’s expression softened. He hadn’t been spending as much time with Eleanor as he usually would. She had just become a big sister, and he knew how hard it could be going from being an only child to having to share attention with a younger sibling.

“I really wish I could…” He trailed off, his eyes darting between his friends. “I promised Savannah I’d go up to Ramsford tonight. But I’ll be at the festival tomorrow. I’ll take Eleanor for some cotton candy or something.”

“Sure, she’d love that.” Riley agreed.

Drake said his goodbyes and exited the office. Once he was gone, Liam and Riley settled themselves back on the couch, Liam lifted his wife’s legs to rest across his lap.

“That was weird, right?” Riley asked.

“Not really,” Liam shrugged as he slipped off her shoes and began rubbing her feet. “Drake and his sister are close, of course he would want to have dinner with her.”

Riley sighed at her husband’s response. “You know, for someone who was trained to read people, you can be awfully thick sometimes.”

Liam’s movements stopped as his head snapped in her direction. “Excuse me?”

“Come on Liam, he was being so dodgy! He couldn’t give us a straight answer about where he’s been.”

“To be fair,” Liam began. “We never asked him for one. Besides, Drake has always been a pretty private person, if he wanted us to know, he would have told us.”

She returned her feet to the ground, retrieving her shoes and putting them on. “Ugh! You’re so bad at being nosy!” She groaned. “Let’s go, I miss our babies.”

Regina had offered to watch Eleanor, and the newest edition to the royal family, Prince David, while Liam and Riley worked on the final preparations for the festival. They left Liam’s office and met up with Regina to pick up the kids before returning to their quarters for the evening.

***

After dinner, and a few rounds of Candy Land, it was time for Eleanor to go to bed. In an effort to help her with the transition from only child to big sister, her parents decided to take turns putting her to bed each night ensuring she had some quality one-on-one time with each of them. It was Liam’s turn to tuck her in, so Eleanor said goodnight to her mother and brother and walked hand in hand with her father to her room.

Liam sat on Eleanor’s bed, his arm wrapped around her, holding a book in front of them. Eleanor was learning how to read, so as they made their way through the story, Liam would pause, pressing his finger against the words, encouraging his daughter to read along, and helping her as she went.

“... and they,” he pointed to the next word and nodded encouragingly at her.

“Lived happ… happy…”

“Almost, princess. Happil…”

“Happily!” She exclaimed, Liam chuckled at her excitement and kissed the side of her head. “Happily ever after!”

“That’s right! Good work, Eleanor!” Liam pulled her close, kissing the top of her head before closing the book and carrying it to the bookshelf. “Now, I believe we have one more item of business,” he made his way to the collection of stuffed animals that were gathered in the corner of her room. “Who would you like to keep you company tonight?”

Eleanor’s eyes traveled through the crowd, her index finger tapping against her lips as she contemplated her selection. Her movements halted, and her smile grew upon making her decision, “Hunny Bunny please.”

“Excellent choice.” Liam turned to the pile searching for the golden rabbit. He moved the other animals around, trying to locate it. “Hmm… she doesn’t seem to be here.”

“But where is she, Daddy?” Eleanor looked at her father with tired, sad eyes.

“I’m… well, I’m not sure, princess. Where do you last remember having her?” He made his way around the room, looking anywhere Hunny Bunny could possibly be hiding.

“I… I don’t know.” Eleanor replied through her sniffles. “Daddy, please find her.”

Liam looked up at his daughter, her eyes were beginning to water, and her chin was trembling. He knew between Eleanor being tired, and wanting her toy, a meltdown would be inevitable if they didn’t find this rabbit.

“Oh Eleanor, don’t cry.” He rushed to his daughter’s side. “Why don’t we ask Mommy if she has seen Hunny Bunny?” Eleanor rubbed her eyes as she nodded at her father. He kissed her on the forehead before going to the door. “Riley, love, could you come here for a moment?” He called down the hallway.

Riley entered the room to find Liam consoling a crying Eleanor. “What happened here?” She said as she approached the pair, placing a comforting hand on Eleanor’s back. “What’s wrong, sweetie?”

“We can’t find Hunny Bunny.” Eleanor cried before falling into her mother’s arms.

Riley looked up at Liam and she could see the worry in his face. “Okay, it’s all okay. Let’s just calm down here. She has to be somewhere, she didn’t get up and hop away.”

“When do you remember seeing her with it last?” Liam asked Riley as she continued to console her daughter.

She racked her brain, thinking back over the past couple of days, trying to picture everywhere they went, when it suddenly hit her. “Ramsford! She wanted to show Bartie, so she brought it when we were there for lunch the other day.” Riley put her hands on Eleanor’s shoulders and pulled her back gently. “Eleanor, I’m going to go call Uncle Max to see if Hunny is there, okay?”

Eleanor nodded as she rubbed her eyes. Riley stood from the bed and pulled her phone out of her back pocket as she stepped into the hallway.

“Hey Riley!” Maxwell greeted her on the second ring.

“Max, thank god! We have a bit of an emergency.”

“What’s wrong? Who’s coming for the throne now?”

Riley chuckled at his response, which helped ease her concern about the issue. After everything they had been through, if the worst thing to happen to them is a lost stuffed animal, then everything was going to be just fine. “It’s nothing like that. Eleanor can’t find her Hunny Bunny. I think we may have left it there.”

“Oh yeah, she’s here. I’ll bring it tomorrow when we come for the festival.”

“Actually, could you just give it to Drake? I’m sure he won’t mind dropping it off on his way home.” There was silence on the other end of the line. “Max? Are you still there?”

“I’m here, but Drake’s not.”

“But he said he was having dinner with Savannah tonight.”

“Nope, he hasn’t been by in a couple of weeks actually.”

“Man, I knew he was being shady!”

“Wait, what do you mean? What’s going on?”

“I’ll fill you in tomorrow. For now, please please bring Hunny Bunny with you tomorrow.”

“You bet, see you then!”

Riley hung up the phone and took a deep breath before returning to her daughter’s room. Without Eleanor’s stuffed animal of choice, it was going to be a long night.

***

The next day, the royal family walked through the crowd greeting people, and exploring everything the festival had to offer.

“I get what you’re saying,” Riley said to Liam. “But he’s not just not telling us stuff, he’s straight up lying to us. That’s not a Drake thing.”

Liam looked at his wife thoughtfully. “That’s true. As much as he’s kept to himself, I’ve never known him to lie to me.”

“So, we can confront him and ask him what’s going on?”

“Uncle Drake!” Eleanor’s excited shout pulled Liam and Riley’s attention. They looked ahead and saw Drake approaching them.

“Hey, kiddo.” Drake smiled as he lifted Eleanor into a hug.

As Eleanor and Drake greeted each other, Liam and Riley had a conversation with their eyes. Liam pleaded with Riley not to confront him, to which she agreed.

“So Eleanor, how would you like some cotton candy?” Drake asked.

The princess’s eyes went wide as she turned to her parents for permission. Liam and Riley chuckled at her hopeful expression. “Mommy, Daddy, please?” Eleanor begged. “I’ll bring some back for baby David.”

“That’s very sweet of you, princess,” Liam leaned in, kissing his daughter on the cheek. “But babies can’t eat cotton candy.”

“That’s right, baby girl,” Riley added. “So why don’t you just go ahead and eat extra for your brother?”

Eleanor cheered and jumped up and down in excitement. “Come on, Uncle Drake!” She grabbed his hand and rushed him toward the food vendors.

A while later, Riley was mercifully pulled away from a conversation with Hakim and Joelle Theron when David started crying from his stroller. She excused herself, and once she was out of their earshot, she thanked her son profusely for his timing.

“Riley! Riley, wait up!” Maxwell called as he rushed to catch up with his friend.

“Diaper emergency Max, no time.” She replied, just as he fell into step with her.

The pair stepped into the palace and into a small sitting area. As Riley set up a makeshift diaper station on a nearby table, Maxwell bounced on his heels behind her.

“Riley, you’re never going to guess what I saw?”

Riley recoiled back as she opened David’s soiled diaper. “Ugh, it can’t be any worse than this.”

“I think I know what’s going on with Drake.”

Riley turned to face Maxwell. “Spill right now, Beaumont.”

***

The next day, as the Royal Council meeting let out, Liam caught Drake before he could slip out, and invited him back to his office for a drink. As soon as they walked in the office, Liam’s desk chair slowly turned, revealing Riley, her arms crossed over her chest.

“Welcome, Drake.” She said as she rested her elbows on the desk, steepling her fingers in front of her.

Liam pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. When he and Riley talked about confronting Drake, they agreed that they would speak to him rationally. His wife appeared to have other plans.

“What’s up with you, weirdo?” Drake asked at Riley’s dramatic display.

Liam invited Drake to sit before stepping to the bar cart and making two drinks. He handed one to Drake before stepping around the desk and standing beside his wife. “Drake, we wanted to talk to you. To make sure you were alright.”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He responded. “Why would you ask?”

“Because you’re a big fat liar!” Riley blurted out. Liam placed a hand on her shoulder at the outburst as Drake’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“Drake,” Liam interjected. “The other night, when you told us that you were going to Ramsford, Riley spoke with Maxwell, and he told her you hadn’t been there.”

“Hold on,” Drake stood from his chair. “You guys are checking up on me?”

“Not intentionally. We lost one of Eleanor’s toys, and I called Maxwell to find it.” Riley crossed her arms over her chest. “And don’t try to turn this around on us.”

“Love, stand down.” Liam leaned down, kissing her on the cheek before turning back to Drake. “Drake, we’re just worried about you. You know we don’t mind that you keep to yourself, but it’s not like you to lie.”

Drake let out a deep breath as he fell back into his chair, finishing off the rest of his drink. “I’m sorry you guys. I didn’t mean to worry you, I just needed some time to myself for a while.”

“Well that’s another lie.” Riley scoffed, Drake arched a brow at her. “You have a girlfriend!”

Drake’s eyes went wide, and his jaw dropped. “How did you…”

“Maxwell saw you canoodling at the festival yesterday.” She responded. “What’s wrong with her? Why don’t you want to show her off? Does she have an eyepatch? Pegleg? Hook hand?”

Liam and Drake both froze and stared at Riley curiously.

“What the fuck, Brooks?” Drake finally broke the silence.

“Love, I don’t think Drake is seeing a pirate.”

“Sorry, Eleanor’s been on a real Peter Pan kick. I’ve got pirates on the brain.” She shrugged.

“Riley, can you give Drake and I a moment alone?” Liam asked.

Riley stood from the chair, and moved to leave the office, pausing before she opened the door and turning back to her husband and her friend. “I just want the chance to be there for you the way you always have for me.” Before Drake could respond, she was gone.

“I’m sorry, Drake.” Liam apologized as he sat in his chair. “I didn’t mean for this to be an attack on you.”

“It’s alright,” Drake shrugged. “And for the record, I’m sorry I lied to you guys.”

The pair sat in comfortable silence for a moment. Liam finished off his drink and stood, tilting his chin toward Drake’s glass. He nodded, affirming that he wanted a refill. Liam took the glasses and took them to the bar cart.

“So,” Liam began as he refilled their drinks, “What’s her name?”

“Alyssa, Alyssa Devereaux.” He said. Even with his back to his friend, Liam could hear the smile in his voice.

“You’re happy?” Liam asked as he handed Drake his drink.

“I am Li, she’s amazing. I never expected to fall as hard as I did.”

Liam nodded as he returned to his seat, placing his drink down in front of him. “Why wouldn’t you want to share that happiness with your friends?”

Drake shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s not that I didn’t want to tell you, it’s just,” he trailed off, trying to find the best way to explain what he was feeling. “This whole world, the court, nobles, all that, it’s a lot. I know what it can do to an outsider, I wanted to protect her from it.”

“That’s reasonable, I understand wanting to protect someone you care about, you know that.” Drake nodded in response. “But Drake, if this is something that you see as long term, it’s an inevitability that you will need to start introducing her into this whole world. As much as I know it pains you to admit it, you are a part of the court.”

“Yeah, you’re right. There are just so many things that could go wrong. I don’t want to lose her, Liam.”

Liam smiled, he had known Drake his whole life, and he had never talked about a girl like this. He had it bad, and it was painfully obvious. “Why don’t you ease her into it. She doesn’t have to dive into it all at once.”

“What do you mean?” Drake asked.

“Introduce her to people that will be at court functions ahead of time. That way, she will have allies to turn to if she gets uneasy.”

Drake arched a brow. “Allies like the king and queen?”

“If you’re going to have allies, it doesn’t hurt for them to be at the top.” Liam grinned sheepishly.

Drake let out a deep breath. “I guess I can’t keep her hidden forever.”

“Wonderful!” Liam exclaimed. “You should bring her by for dinner this weekend. Just a small, unofficial get together. We’ll do it in our quarters, Riley will cook. Completely informal, just your friends meeting your… girlfriend?” Drake nodded, confirming Alyssa’s title.

“I guess that sounds alright. I mean, if it’s just you guys, I can’t imagine what could go wrong.”

Permatag:

@3pawandme @alj4890 @busywoman @charlotteg234 @cordonia-gothqueen @cordoniaqueensworld @differenttyphoonwerewolf @emkay512 @foreverethereal123 @hopelessromanticmonie @iaminlovewithtrr @imashybish @kat-tia801 @kingliam2019 @malblk21 @mom2000aggie @neotericthemis @nestledonthaveone @queen-arabella-of-cordonia @secretaryunpaid @sincerelyella @theroyalheirshadowhunter @tessa-liam @twinkleallnight @txemrn

Liam:

@amandablink @custaroonie @jared2612

TRR:

@21-wishes @ao719 @belencha77 @burnsoslow @lovingchoices14 @the0afnan @xpandass420x

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harleybeaumont · 2 years ago

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Drake Walker Appreciation, Day 5 - Romance

Here are the pairings I've written for Drake! @drake-walker-appreciation:

The Other Nevrakis- Drake x Lilith Nevrakis (my OC) - these two start off as a snarky, cynical, whiskey drinking pair who don't believe in love. By the end, they're a snarky, less cynical, still whiskey drinking couple of smitten idiots in love 😍

Unintentional - Drake x Riley - though not the main pairing in this fic, Drake and Riley are amazing friends to Liam, who in this story, needs loyal friends more than anything! And we know Drake is devoted to his friendship with his childhood best friend!

Between Friends - Drake x Maxwell - this was a one shot I wrote where Drake explores his bisexuality with the help of his friend, Max. (Who turns out to be more than a friend by the end.) We all know Drake can be a bit serious, but sometimes it's good to have a partner to help bring you out of your shell and learn to have a little fun and relax!

Love Me The Way I Am - Drake x Liam - they are only a minor part of the story, but I see the two of them as a couple in this fic. Having to hide their love from the rest of the court, these two explore the old friends to lovers trope (which I LOVE). They are such an angsty pairing, and I adore writing and reading them.

#drake walker #drake walker appreciation week #drake walker pairings #drake x oc #drake x mc #drake x liam #drake x maxwell #trr drake

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queenmiarys · 2 years ago

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Good day people, I hope you all had a wonderful start to your New Year and it continues. I want to thank everyone who takes the time to read my work, and thanks to all who like it. Please excuse any typos or grammar mistakes

Book: TRR

Summary: Aliania returns to the Palace and she and Liam spend time together. The newcomer confesses her feelings to Drake.

Pairings: Liam x Aliania (mc), Drake x Riley (oc)-kinda

Rated:M

🍋

Word Count 3, 025

All characters belong to pixelberry, but Aliania Perez belong to me

Warning: Strong sexual content, Drinking and deception. This content is for persons over the age of 18 and older. You are advised not to read if you're under the age of 18

Song inspiration for Liam and Aliania

I would like to thank @dcbbw for pre reding and doing some editing for me and giving me some good ideas, I really appreciate it.

Song inspiration for Liam and Aliania

Song inspiration for Drake and Riley

Blinded Lines, Part 2

Liam and I were in a weird place:Two days after making love, he announced that he was looking for a wife; he ended our relationship, saying that I needed to give Drake a chance. I can hardly look at Drake without feeling super guilty. I tried to be a good girlfriend to him, but I can't when another has my heart.

It’s been almost two months since the last time I was at the Palace. Drake and I were walking down the hall, and there he was looking all good. It looked as if Liam had been working out more or something. He stood with a dark headed woman named Riley, Drake told me as we approached them, whom I avoided speaking to. It seemed as if time had stopped. I couldn't breathe.

"Please, can someone get me some water?'' She said just before passing out.

Drake went to fetch the beverage, while Liam stayed with Aliania. He asked Riley to get Bastien.

"Aliania are you okay?”

"Thanks but I got it. Enjoy your little date."

"We need to talk, meet me in our room later? Please, Aliania.” before she could answer Riley and Bastien emerged.

"Are you okay Ms. Perez?" Bastien asked

"Yes, I think I just need something to drink, although I haven't eaten anything today. Oh, there's Drake now."

"Sorry it took so long, I got you something to eat and drink. I know you, Perez; when you are stressed you don't eat.”

Liam let Drake take over, after all she was Drake's girlfriend. He got up and walked over to Riley, wrapping his arm around her. My blood was boiling, I closed my eyes so I wouldn’t see them

Drake and I made our way to his room, where I laid down for a while after I ate the food he got me; when I woke up, at 9pm, Drake was watching me sleep.

"Oh my God, Drake! I slept from 3pm until now?" Omg Liam, he probably thought I stood him up.

"I need some fresh air, I'm going for a walk. "

"After your episode today do you really think that's a great idea?"

"I'm okay."

"I can come with you." She placed her hand on his arm."

"Drake baby, while you’ve been amazing today, I just need some space please don't take it personally. "

------

I wandered down the hall, and as I reached the east hall, I took a deep breath as I got closer to the door. I opened it, and there Liam sat shirtless, I must say he looked so sexy his muscles were more tone then before.

"Hey, my love, I didn't think you'd come. We need to talk.” He was wearing my favorite Creed cologne, while smooth jazz played softy in the background .

"Are you okay? Or did you just want get me away from Riley? He smirked

"I am okay as long as I got the job done, she's not really into you.

"How do you know she's not?"

"I'm pretty sure the way she looked at Drake when he returned says it all."

"Really? So you're not just jealous over her liking Drake?"

"I'm not, because I love you and only you."

"Can you stay with me tonight?" I haven't been able to touch you in almost two months! Please stay? I need you."

"I will, I miss you so much, let me just text Drake and tell him I went home."

________________

Riley sent Liam another text but still no response

She made it down to bar to see Hana and Maxwell already there.

It was late, and Drake found himself at the bar. Not alone; Riley and Maxwell and Hana were all there. Drake smiled a greeting to the others, feeling happy he had a chance to see Riley again

"So, where's Li?”

"I'm not sure,he's not answering my calls or text.

"So no Aliania tonight?" Max asked.

"She went home."

"Are you sure?" Max asked

"Beaumont, what do you mean?"

"I saw her car outside, that's all."

Maybe she took a cab." He didn't say anything to the others. but he had a feeling that his girlfriend was lying about something.

He tapped her a quick text

_______________

"You like what you see?" Liam asked with a chuckle. "That's the third time you’ve looked at me like that."

"Well I must admit, you looking damn good." She smiled.

"Honestly, I been hitting the gym extra hard for last few weeks now." I try my best not to think of you and Drake and no matter how hard I try,all I see is him touching you and doing other things and it drives me crazy. "

"Honestly we only been together once since the last two months, I ended up stopping him right in the middle, you had announced that your looking for a wife, I had to really process this

"I love you too, but are you sure? I mean, I know you don't want to ruin my relationship with him, but I made this bed. I gave in to loving you, so I must face the consequences of losing my best friend."

"I believe he'll be mad, but there is a certain person who can pull him through, I'm telling you Riley really likes him, she likes you but it's not the same as Drake."

" It's okay, I don't have feelings for Riley meeting her in NY, I mean for most part it was to try to get over you, I didn't know Maxwell would convince her to come here."

"You really have no feelings for her?

"Aliania my love, honestly I only have eyes for you, I know what's expected of me but I don't know if I can do it if your not by my side.

"We've been here for over an hour. I'm hungry, how about you?"He asked.

"I could eat something. I want scallops, roasted potatoes, and mixed greens”. He looked up at her and smiled.” What? I didn't eat much today."

Someone brought the food up.

Riley watched from a corner of the hallway.

She remembered when Maxwell gave a tour, he said no one stayed in that wing of the Palace, but she was curious to whom was using it. Making sure no one was around, she pressed her ear to the door; she made out Liam's voice, but she barely heard the female's voice. Riley hung around the doorway for about 20 minutes until she saw a guard walking the wing’s hallway. He asked her what she was doing there.

She replied she had gotten lost, which wasn’t a total lie. When the guard led her to her room, she saw Drake was knocking on her door.

________

"There you are Brooks, don't tell me you got lost again. Well, you'll learn.”

"Yeah, I was for a minute, but Spencer showed me the way.Thank you Spencer."

"So do you want to go get some real food? I heard a new American restaurant just opened up in the Square. It’s called Wayne's Chicken and Waffles.

"Sure,I’d love to. I really haven't ate much, because a certain someone stood me up for dinner." He won't even answer my calls or texts."

"It's something you might need to get used to; I mean, if you marry him he is the king and gets very busy at times."

"Do you think he's seeing someone?"

"Why would you ask such a thing?"

"It might be my imagination, but he seems kinda distracted. I don't have his full attention."

It crossed her mind when he changed. Liam was getting to know her, but today he cut their date short as soon as Aliania came around. But that couldn’t be the reason because Aliania was with Drake.

How could she choose him over Drake? Riley thought.

She and Drake ate, then went to the beer garden where they spotted Maxwell with a female.

"Drake, can we speak?" Max asked

"What's up, Beaumont?"

"What the hell do you think you're doing with little Blossom?

"What? We’re just friends, nothing more."

"Are you sure? I believe she likes you. I caught her checking you out the other day."

Drake tried not to look excited about Riley checking him out.

"Beaumont why don’t you and your date join us, you'll see for yourself nothing is going on. "

------

After a delicious dinner, Liam and Aliania watched a movie before falling asleep. Aliania woke up around 2am. Liam had been watching her sleep for about an hour, sitting in a chair next to the bed. "Hey, why are you over there?"

"Just watching the most beautiful woman in the world sleep.I couldn't sleep with so much on my mind lately, especially you my love."

She smiled. "You've been on my mind as well. I can't stop thinking about you, no matter how hard I try. I had a dream that you married someone who wouldn't let you see any of your friends. This lady was so evil towards you. Drake woke me, saying I was cursing in my sleep. Don’t look at me like that, we didn't sleep together. He just thought I would sleep if he was there, and I did for a minute but after he woke me I couldn't go back.For weeks now this social season has been bothering me."

"I'm sorry to worry you, it's just I need to marry and have an heir; it would fulfill my duties, but what I feel for you is not just a duty, I'm actually in love with you." You consume my every thought. "Enough about that, let's focus the rest of our night on us."

Come here my love?" I miss everything about you, no other can compare."

She sat in his lap, and he wrapped his arms around her while caressing her breast. He moved his mouth, kissing her neck and nibbling her earlobes a whimper escape her, he continued to get her worked up, She felt her body relax under his touch. He scooped her up and took her to bed. Her eyes closed as he dipped between her legs.

It had been almost two long months of not touching her, seeing her; he wanted to make her never want anyone else but him. He worked his tongue before inserting his finger deep inside of her; he worked his finger making her come multiple times.

He knew what he was doing.

He smiled as she came a fourth time.

"Shit, Liam! You are an amazing lover. I want to taste you, please?"

Aliania wrapped her lips around him, stroking him up and down. She loved satisfying the man she loved. Liam looked in her eyes as she took him all in.

He was now ready.

He pulled her up and flipped her over, licking her from the back before he slipped inside. "Damn baby, you're so wet and you feel so good."

"Yes, my king! Oh yes! I missed you too.”

He had her lay on her back as he entered from the side. She loved every inch of him.

He pulled out and rolled off the condom. " I want to feel you, If that’s okay. I have another condom if you say no.”

"Yes, My king she said almostout of breath. I've been wanting to feel you.”

He slipped back in and she wrapped her legs around him. He pulled himself into standing position while holding Aliania in place,he could feel himself getting harder, he started lifting her up and down they both could feel every inch of each other, she closed her as his movement because more rapid and faster, he was definitely in the zone, she tried to protest saying she was too heavy, but he just laughed." My love, do you know I lift weights heavier than you? He said a little out of breath.

He walked the room while pumping inside her a few more times before he could feel his own release coming, Both collapsed on the bed after Liam laid her down. After all, Liam was 6'4 and she was only 5"3.

"That was incredible." Liam praised.

"Yes, my king it was."

"My love, please don't feel guilty. I can tell you that you do."

"Sorry, but I can't help it, my king. I mean, what we're doing is not right yet we can't stay away from each other.You can't stand to see me with him, and I can't stand to see you with any other woman. We need to tell him because I want to just be yours."

"I'm only yours, my love. I've tried to move forward, but as long as you're around I don't see that happening. I only see us getting married, us having children, us together forever."

—---

Riley and Drake returned about 4 am, both tipsy but not too drunk. Once they got to Riley's room, she stood for a minute.

"Thank you, Drake. My date abandoned me, and you came to my rescue. I know at first you hated me, but I hope we're good now."

"Brooks, why do you believe I hated you?”

"Well you're so mean sometimes Drake, I just assumed.”

"Look Brooks, I'm sorry if I made you feel any kind of way. I had to get to know you first. See, the world I lived in for all my life wasn't the best, so my walls are always up.”

She took Drake's hand. "Please don’t get mad at what I'm about to say?"

"What's that?"

"Ali doesn't deserve you, she's not good for you. How could she have a man as incredible as you, and not value you." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

" But you just met her, Riley. You don't know her."

"I don't need to know her.I know plenty of women like her, and she doesn't deserve you.”

Riley stood on her tiptoes and kissed Drake; he pulled back. "Brooks, you know I have a girlfriend."

She let out a sigh. "I know, but I can't help how I'm starting to feel for you. I mean I've tried to fight my attraction to you, I've tried giving Liam a real chance. But honestly, his heart is somewhere else. It seems like he forces himself to spend time with me."

"Brooks, what are you talking about?"

"Well Liam is sweet, but he only kisses me on the cheek. I went to kiss him and he pushed me away, like he’s keeping me at arm's length because he's waiting on someone better to come along. He's canceled a lot of dates he's planned with me. It's like he's sabotaging finding a wife."

"Interesting, Brooks. Li is usually a smooth operator."

Drake laughed out loud. “Look, it's almost 5; I’d better be going. Get some rest okay?”

"Okay, I will and thank you for a good time. I wish we could have gone further." She winked before disappearing into her roo.

The wheels in Drake's mind started turning: The way Perez reacted when she saw Riley with Liam; how she had been behaving the last month. She had definitely been keeping him at arm's length. Since Liam’s announcement two months ago, Perez hardly wanted to be bothered.

He found himself at Liam’s door. Drake knew Liam got up around 5am, but no answer. He was still standing in front of the door when the maid arrived to do her morning cleaning.

"Good morning Estelle?" "Is Li having a meeting this morning?”

"I'm not sure, Mr. Walker. His Majesty did not stay here last night; I came earlier and his bed was not slept in.I just went to get a few things; since His Majesty is not here, we will deep clean his quarters.”

"Oh okay, I'll let you get to it."

It didn't make sense, Liam not in his suite.

Riley was with me, that's the only woman he's showed any interest in.

Perez had disappeared.

Max said her car was still here. She said she took Liam asked someone to take her home after what happened earlier

That explanation came through in a text that she had sent Drake after he texted her about her car. He got to his room, and crashed down on the bed, for a few minutes before taking off his clothes. He fell asleep, forgetting to shower.

Iit was now 5:30.

Riley on the other hand, couldn't sleep. All she could think about was who Liam was with.She also thought how nice it would have been if the kiss she laid on Drake had been returned. She thought of how good Drake must be in bed.

He was so fine. She could see his ripped chest through his shirt he wore.

Riley got up and made her way to east hall; this time when she got to the room, she was in luck. That was most definitely Liam leaving the room. But, she wasn't prepared for what she saw next.

Stunned and in shock, Riley stood with her mouth open in disbelief.

Aliania came to the door with a very revealing nighty on; there was no mistaking that they were indeed involved with each other.

Author's note: hello everyone I would like to ask what Riley's next move should be?

Confront Liam or Aliania?

Confront both?

Go to Drake?

If you don't like any of those ideas please, tell me your opinion of what Riley should do next you can inbox me or leave a comment.

----

@bebepac @shewillreadyou @mom2000aggie @tessa-liam @ao719

#Spotify #Liam x mc #Drake x oc #TRR #blended Lines #betrayal #king of Cordonia

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choicesfrog · 1 year ago

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The Royal Romance (OC)

Name: Eloise Park

Age: 24

Pronouns: She/Her

LI: Hana

Hobbies: Dancing, Reading, Playing Piano, Painting

Eloise is the sixth child of the Park clan. Though she’s somewhat of a middle child, she definitely wasn’t lost in the shuffle. Similar in personality, temperament, as well as having similar interests to her grandparent and one of her mothers, she was doted on as much as if she were a youngest child.

Eloise is prim, proper, and loves all things pretty. As a child, she was probably a bit overdressed for school, but she loves wearing fancy dresses. She’s also a voracious reader and learned to read at age four. She started piano and dance lessons not too long after. When she was in high school, she began taking ballroom dancing lessons.

Eloise also learned a lot of proper royal etiquette from her grandparent. While not born into nobility themself, they did grow up as a member of a wealthy British family before coming to America. In a lot of ways, Eloise was more prepared to be part of the social season than her friend Elaine. In fact she ended up helping Elaine out when she could (so that job wouldn’t fall solely on Hana).

Instead, she ended up following her to Cordonia because to Eloise the whole premise of her supposedly meeting a prince and a random noble offering to sponsor her seemed super sketchy, and she wanted to make sure her friend wasn’t getting into something more dangerous.

Due to her grandparent’s family having a long history and being widely spread through both Europe and the states, Eloise claimed to be a part of that family, and it was enough to allow her to travel along with the rest of the nobles. Of course Elaine, Liam, Hana, Maxwell, and Drake knew the truth, but they promised not reveal her secret. She was very upfront with all of them. She was also quite upfront about not trying to win Liam’s hand. As a lesbian, she had no interest.

Eloise was not a fan of most of the other ladies at court, especially after what happened at the coronation, and though they knew of her dislike of them, she maintained a civil and polite relationship in public. In private, she avoided them. Out of everyone, she really only respected and got along with Kiara. She admires Kiara’s ambition. Eloise also knows French, and she and Kiara had a bit of fun having conversations in it when they wanted to speak in private. Eloise is wary of Olivia, and outright disgusted by Madeleine’s treatment of Hana. She was indifferent towards Penelope until she learned that she was part of the plot against Elaine.

What Eloise didn’t expect was to fall in love during her time in Cordonia. She was immediately attracted to Hana, but she wasn’t sure if Hana felt the same way. She also knew all the pressure Hana was under from her parents to win Liam’s hand, so she decided not to push things and was happy to befriend her.

Eloise also was able to quickly figure out that there was a lot more to how Hana’s parents treated her than she was letting on. The isolation, the abuse, being forced to earn their affection all reminded her of how her grandfather described his upbringing before he was disowned from his family. Eloise wanted to help Hana to get out of her bad situation, but she also knew it wasn’t easy. She just let Hana know she was there for her if she wanted to vent, cry, or just escape her problems for a while. While she was glad Elaine encouraged Hana to stand up to her parents, she also knew that could make abusive situations worse.

Spending time with Hana, she realized they had a lot in common. Both had a love of reading, flowers, and playing the piano. At Olivia’s estate after Hana played for her, Eloise played a song for Hana. The two of them spent the rest of the night laughing and playing together. They became very close during the social season and spent time swapping book recommendations, talking about music, watching shows together (there was so much Hana had never seen, and Eloise was the one who showed her some of the dance movies/competition shows she mentioned studying when she had her dance battle with Maxwell). They talked about their hopes and dreams and everything in between.

There were little romantic moments shared between the two. Some handholding, gentle reassuring touches here and there, and they even waltzed together a few times. Nothing had progressed very far until Hana was forced to leave at the end of the season. After sharing their first kiss together, and having such a heartfelt confession of their feelings, Eloise was determined she’d see Hana again. She almost flew to Shanghai, afraid that Hana’s parents wouldn’t let her come back to be one of Madeleine’s ladies in waiting.

The two continued to grow closer and spent even more time together during the engagement tour. Eloise became very protective towards Hana and kept a close eye on her, especially after Madeleine admitted to wanting to “break her” (Eloise came very close to slapping her to wipe that smirk off her face), and after Hana’s falling out with her father. She spent time with Hana trying to find a place for her to stay and helping her think about what she truly wanted from life.

Hana and Eloise both decided to move to Castelsarreillan and eventually moved in together. The two became engaged during the Unity Tour and were married about a year later. Hana and Eloise meet with Kiara often since they live nearby, and travel to the capital to see their friends there. They sometimes go to visit Eloise’s family, and sometimes her family comes to them. Hana still has a very rocky relationship with her parents, and she’s taking the time to heal. She occasionally will call or visit her father, but it’s on her terms. Hana isn’t quite sure if her relationship with her mother is something she wants to continue.

Hana and Eloise enjoy a happy and quiet life, Hana working at a library and Eloise teaching dance lessons to children. They both also teach piano on the side. They plan on having at least two children, as they each want to experience pregnancy, but they could expand their family beyond that.

A few more random facts:

Hana was Eloise’s first everything. She was really glad she didn’t have to say anything about her first kiss because she hadn’t had one yet. Though Eloise had several crushes growing up, she never acted on her feelings.

Since Eloise grew up with several other lgbtq+ family and friends and lived in a generally very accepting community, she came to terms with and became comfortable with her sexuality pretty early on. Once Hana felt more comfortable admitting she was also interested in women (I headcannon her as bisexual), Eloise was there to support her and answer any questions she might have.

The night of the coronation, Eloise painted a portrait of Hana as something to remember her by during their time apart.

Like most of her family, Eloise is a big cat person.

Eloise can speak English, Spanish, French, and also knows a little bit of Latin.

On rainy days, Eloise and Hana like to snuggle together under a blanket and read.

Eloise’s family was very worried about her with everything that happened in Cordonia, but since she’s rather stubborn, she insisted on staying to help her friends. That didn’t keep them from calling her daily to check on her.

#the royal romance #character profile #c: eloise #hana x eloise #this one got a bit out of hand because I wanted to start including all the moments I’d rewrite from trr #and the moments I’d give to hana and Eloise #instead of hana and Elaine (my mc and Liam li)#I also feel like I still left some stuff out #another one I could ramble for days about #almost tempted to have an oc for Kiara because I love her

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choicesaugustchallenge · 3 months ago

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WELCOME || RULES || PROMPTS || HOST MASTERLIST

In alphabetical order by prompt. Will add more each week.

Beach Date

Lilah Rose - CoP Art by @lilyoffandoms

Only Her (Thomas Hunt x OC) - RCD/HWU Fic by @theartoflovingthomashunt

"Being in love is like a rollercoaster and a stroll on the beach rolled into one."

A Little Jealous (Tobias Carrick x MC) - OPH Fic by @jerzwriter

Eternal Summer

Bryce x Luna - OPH Art (Bryce Lahela x OC) by @lilyoffandoms

Fireworks

When Sparks Fly - OPH Fic by @liaromancewriter

Late Night Talking Inder the Stars

Bonds of Sea and Fire Part 2 - Blades Fic (Tyril x MC) by @missameliep

Mono~poly Chapter 4: Moving On - OPH Fic (Tobias Carrick x MC) by @jerzwriter

Laying on their chest while watching the sunrise

Detention VII.V: A Brush of Magic - TE Fic (Beckett x MC) by @storyofmychoices

Outdoor Movie Night

Classic Cinephiles - OPH Moodboard by @choicesfanaf

Pool Party

Ajay x MC - HSS:CA Art by @mydemonsdrivealimo commissioned by @peonyblossom

Road Trip

Snugglin’ Inn - OPH Fic (Ethan x MC, Bryce x OC, Tobias x MC) by @jerzwriter

Skinning Dipping

Trystan Thorne - CoP Art by @lilyoffandoms

Summer Heat

Something New - WtD Fic (Eli Sipes x MC) by @jerzwriter

Summer Holiday

Summer Getaway - OPH Edit (Sienna Trinh x OC) by @liaromancewriter

Summer Romance

Jun x Emilia - TDG Art (Jun Seong x MC) by @weetlebeetle commissioned by @storyofmychoices

Summer Wedding

I Thee Wed - OPH Edit & Fic (Ethan Ramsey x MC) by @liaromancewriter

Mono~poly Chapter 5: Beautiful Days - OPH Fic (Tobias Carrick x MC)

Turning The Page Chapter 14: Make You Mine - TRR Fic (Liam Rys x MC) by @tessa-liam

Sundress

Lincoln x Vax - ILW Edit/Gif by @kilvalir

The Garden Part - OPH Edit (Tobias Carrick x MC) by @jerzwriter

Sunshine

First Day - OPH Fic & Edit by @liaromancewriter

Dr. Sienna Trinh - OPH Art by @lilyoffandoms

Swimsuit

Luna Auclair - OPH Art by @lilyoffandoms

Multiple Pairings - Multiple Books Edits by @cadybear420

Tanlines

Daenarya x Maiele - Blades Art by @lilyoffandoms

Thunderstorms

Through the Pain - TDG Fic (Jun Seong x MC) by @storyofmychoices

Too Hot To Handle

Angelina: The Girlfriend - TDG Art by @storyofmychoices

Crystal: The Skinfluencer - TDG Art by @storyofmychoices

Farah Sabri - TDG Art by @storyofmychoices

Medhani: The Doctor - TDG Art by @storyofmychoices

Ripley Reese - ID Art by @lilyoffandoms

She’s Hot (Ade) - BB Edit by @aesthetic-aag

#choices monthly challenge #choicesaugust2024 #playchoices #masterlist

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kristinamae093 · 1 month ago

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A Game of Love

Chapter Two — Sisters

Series Summary — A fated encounter turns into a series of secret rendezvous, despite knowing their tyrsts are forbidden. Walls stay intact and hearts remain hard, but then emotions get raw, the tangled web of royal expectations comes into play, and everything goes astray. They must confront their feelings and learn to trust again, or walk away from the second chance at everything they’d ever wanted that neither saw coming.

Pairing — Liam x F!OC (main)

A/N 1 — Set after the end of book 2 (with some minor changes). Please excuse any errors.

A/N 2 — This chapter is longer but there's a lot of backstory here. 😬 Sorry. And there's no spice but the next chapter makes up for it. Sorry again.

Most characters belong to Pixelberry.

Tags — @choicesficwriterscreations

Nicole Cordelia Brooks entered the world on August 23 to John and Crystal Brooks. Weighing only four pounds three ounces, she was the premature bundle of joy that brought their family to completion. Her parents and older siblings welcomed her with open arms; Jared was the oldest at twelve, followed closely behind by Riley at eight. John and Crystal longed for their last baby and after years of conception problems and miscarriages, the heavens finally granted their wish.

Nicole was always a happy child. She ranked in the highest percentiles as a toddler and spoke full sentences well before other children her age. She was ahead of her peers in school and never acted out. Even in her earliest days, she was a social butterfly, always respectful, and her presence brightened any room with her lively spirit.

Nicole held strong a relationship with both of her siblings, but she and Riley had an unbreakable bond. They were best friends and did everything together, despite Riley being significantly older. She and Jared were close, but nothing compared to the sisterhood she and Riley formed. Riley spent most of her teenage years playing with dolls and dressing up with Nicole; she didn’t feel the need to go out and party but was perfectly content with watching her baby sister grow up. When their mother announced her pregnancy, she prayed her little eight-year-old heart out for it to be a girl, and somebody, somewhere, listened.

However, everything drastically changed for their family in the blink of an eye.

Life treated Nicole and her siblings well — until it didn’t. A drunk driver wrongfully took their parents from the world on an early, rainy August morning — to be exact, on August 23rd. They were returning home from a class reunion and the driver of the opposing vehicle crossed the median. The collision was head-on, causing Crystal and John to be pronounced dead on the scene from the force of impact; the other driver walked away with only minor cuts and scrapes.

Nicole was only ten. She woke up that morning and rushed downstairs, but didn’t find her parents with her usual birthday breakfast; waffles with strawberries and powdered sugar on top, scrambled eggs, sausage links, and orange juice with no pulp — just how she liked it.

Instead, she found Riley at the table, but no mom and dad.

“Riley!” Nicole exclaimed, running to jump into her sister’s lap. “You came for my birthday!”

Riley stared into her sister’s bright olive eyes, willing her overwhelming emotions to stay at bay. “Happy birthday, Nikki…” she trailed off, dreading the impending conversion.

Nicole might’ve been young, but she sensed her sister’s sadness. “Sissy… What’s wrong?” She touched Riley’s cheek with her tiny palms and noticed the fresh tears that slipped out. “Should I get mommy? She always makes me feel better when I’m sad.”

The dagger sheathing itself into Riley’s chest suddenly twisted. “Nikki… We need to talk, okay? Sit down with me, and—” She started, but the sound of the patio door closing drew their attention there.

Jared appeared, and Nicole lunged at him with a delighted gasp. Her excitement overpowered anything else, making her unaware of his tear-stained face. “Jerry!”

Jared laughed and scooped Nicole into his arms. “Hey, squirt.”

“Where’s M–Mary?”

Jared snorted at her pronunciation of his wife’s name. “It’s Mau-ri, and she’s at home with the baby.” Nicole opened her mouth, a wail right there on the tip of her tongue, but he halted it promptly. “They wanted to come, but we have some important things to take care of today.” He exchanged a somber glance with Riley, the tension of the unaddressed weight hanging heavily between them. “Next time I’ll bring him to play — promise.”

Nicole eagerly nodded, then squeezed her arms as tightly as she could around his neck before pulling away. “Guess what today is?!”

Jared feigned confusion. “Hmmm… Is it — Christmas?”

“No!”

He tapped his finger against his chin, deep in thought. “Let me think…” He only got away with it for two seconds before Nicole tickled his armpits. “Wait! I know what it is! I surrender — I surrender!”

Jared made a show of letting Nicole take him to the floor, the sound of her infectious giggles filling the air. He rolled around and hollered, but when he stopped, he pulled his smallest sister into his lap and hugged her close. “Happy birthday, Nic.”

“Thank you!” She squealed.

“Double digits, eh?” Jared smirked.

“She’s getting old, Jer,” Riley interjected.

“Nuh-uh!” Nicole stuck out her tongue and scrunched her face.

“Whatever you say…”

Nicole bolted up from Jared’s lap and out of the room before anyone could stop her. “Mommy! Daddy!” She called. The pace of her small footsteps echoed through the house until she reappeared and came to a halt, helpless confusion painted on her innocent features.

“Where are they?” She gasped, her face morphing into the definition of excitement. “Did they leave to get cake?! I hope it’s chocolate! And ice cream! We need ice cream, too!” She shrieked. “Today is going to be the best birthday ever!”

Jared and Riley exchanged another somber look, each dreading what lay ahead. They’d spoken of how to tell Nicole, but now that they were in the moment, neither could determine how to deliver this detrimental news. Given how excited she was to celebrate her birthday, they didn’t want to shatter her world, but they couldn’t hide this from her. It would affect her the most, so she needed to know how her life was about to change.

Finally, it was Riley who broke the tense silence. She opened her arms to Nicole with misty eyes and when she ran to her, Riley cradled her close. “We need to tell you something, Nikki…” She closed her eyes and took a deep, shuddered breath, wishing she would wake from this nightmare. “There’s been an accident…”

Nicole understood what happened in vague terms, but it took years for her to comprehend the entirety of the situation. All she knew was Mommy and Daddy were not coming home, and she would live with her big sister from here on out.

Riley was great to Nicole. She worked multiple jobs to make ends meet and often ignored her dreams to provide a sustainable life. Fresh out of high school, she accepted the great responsibility that was Nicole without hesitation and never complained, nor grumbled about it. Even though losing their parents devastated her, she knew she had to push forward for Nicole’s sake. Jared assisted with whatever she needed, but he had a family of his own to care for and was knuckle-deep in law school. Nicole would go for visits, but her home base was always with Riley.

She and Jared tried to make Nicole’s birthday a day of celebration, but their attempts were futile. The damage was done, specifically within Nicole, who saw no reason to smile or laugh on that day. Riley tried to recreate her special breakfast, but it wasn’t Mom’s waffles, and Dad wasn’t there to sing; the reminder would always be there of the missing pieces taken too soon. All three children felt the loss heavily, but with time, Nicole’s sorrow only grew larger and stronger.

Riley was incredibly protective of Nicole even before their parents passed, but her paranoia increased tenfold after their deaths. She had strict rules and stuck to them, even more than their parents. Riley expected her to keep her grades up and set a curfew that she adhered to. She had chores and was held responsible for ensuring their completion, and was punished when they weren’t. Nicole couldn’t go to a friend’s house unless Riley met them first and even then, she still went with her; she wanted to ensure her sister arrived and returned in one piece.

As Nicole got older, she tested Riley’s authority. She snuck out, skipped school a handful of times, and was even picked up by the police for vandalizing an abandoned warehouse. Riley was called to the principal’s office a few times because Nicole copped an attitude with her teachers and when they asked her to stop, she took that as an invitation to make an ass out of herself. Thankfully, nothing was detrimental enough to sour her college opportunities, but Nicole undoubtedly taught Riley the definition of patience during those rebellious years.

They had multiple screaming matches over Riley’s protectiveness. Nicole ran away a handful of times but was never gone for more than a few hours. Riley never got angry enough to throw her out, despite her sister’s defiance; she realized it was a cry for help without words. She heard her out and tried to relax, but found it difficult to let her grow up outside her safe grasp.

When she became a legal adult, Nicole tried to stay with Riley but found even then — she was still overbearing. She loved her sister more than anything but needed to breathe and live a little. Nicole enrolled in college and moved into the dorms on campus, much to Riley’s displeasure, but she bit her tongue and showed nothing but support.

Nicole, on the other hand, couldn’t have been happier. College was the time of her life. The parties were unreal, and she finally got to let loose without a parental figure around. She was free to do as she pleased without a voice of reason to nag her, speak for her, or tell her what was best. Her studies always came first and her grades never suffered, but she strolled into class drunk from the night before more than she showed up sober.

During her college days, she met plenty of guys, but in her senior year, a man named Colton joined her business finance class. He was tall, dark, incredibly handsome, and showed interest in Nicole immediately. They started dating and things grew serious rather quickly. Their chemistry was off the charts and Nicole fell head first. He was her first proper relationship and the first where she didn’t have Riley breathing down her neck, and she threw herself into him.

They spent every spare moment together, including holiday breaks. She met his family and even brought him along with her to Riley’s, and she sang only praises. He was respectful, kind, and courteous to her sister; she undoubtedly approved of their relationship and had no complaints, even though Nicole was sure she would find something wrong with him, but to her surprise, her sister welcomed him with open arms. She hoped Colton could provide Nicole with the stability she needed, and perhaps finally tie her down.

They graduated together, Nicole at the top of the class. She used her degree to secure a job with one of the leading financial institutions in the country, and Colton joined a small architectural business, crafting homes and other structures statewide. Things were going great — the next year they spent together, strengthening themselves and their relationship alike. Nicole believed their future was secure, but the rug of happiness she had cozied up on was yanked out from underneath her without warning.

Nicole and Colton moved in together after graduation in an apartment overlooking the busy New York streets. It was a regular Friday — except — she got off work early and stopped by their favorite cafe to grab dinner on her way home as a surprise. But when she walked inside the door to their apartment, she realized she hadn’t beaten him home as she’d hoped. She registered voices not far away and the sound drew her closer, but an anvil dropped into the pit of her stomach when she heard two people.

Colton spoke to someone she instantly realized was a woman.

“I love you, baby.” Colton crooned.

“I want to believe you, but you still have that — attachment.”

Colton sighed. “I know, but I promise I’m dumping her — tonight.”

“And then?”

“It’s just us. Once her shit is gone, that closet you’ve been eyeballing is all yours. And we’ll get that second room set up ASAP.”

The woman laughed, and Nicole heard what she assumed was their lips smacking together. As she slowly crossed the threshold, she realized she was correct. Her heart shattered right there on the spot, but fury as she’d never felt ignited and coursed through her body.

Nicole cleared her throat, drawing their attention to the doorway. The woman straddled Colton’s lap stark naked, right there on the couch they selected for their home together. The harlot’s eyes widened, and she sprung away from him while covering herself, but all she did was show Nicole how incredibly foolish she was, as she zeroed in on the bump protruding from the woman’s abdomen.

She was fucking pregnant.

Colton stood with one hand raised in surrender, the other covering his exposed genitals. “Nic, I — I can explain.”

Nicole chortled, stalking toward him with a scowl. “Is it yours?”

Colton swallowed thickly, the gulp echoing in the silence. “Yes…”

What little remnants of her resolve burst into flames and she blinked back tears of equal parts fury and devastation. Even though he essentially just reached into her body, yanked her heart out, and tore it to shreds, she would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

“How long?”

“What?”

“HOW LONG have you been fucking this WHORE?!”

Colton winced at her volume. “I know you’re upset, but—”

Nicole suddenly grabbed a vase perched on the mantle and launched it toward the woman, narrowly missing her. “HOW FUCKING LONG, COLTON?!”

“Since last year…” He quietly answered.

“Last year?” Nicole mimicked in disbelief. “So you’re what — getting your dick wet while planning a future with me?! Or is it the other way around? Am I the other woman in this situation?!”

“No, that’s not it.” He reasoned. “I promise I can explain—”

“FUCK. YOU!”

And that was all Nicole remembered. She woke up later in a jail cell to see Jared and Riley, both waiting with disappointed faces. Jared was a lawyer — a damn good one — and got her off the charges Colton tried to press after she destroyed everything. She never went back for her belongings but saw pictures of the damages. She left nothing in one piece — she even launched his grandmother’s urn out the window. Her rage and hurt took over and caused her to black out — she had no recollection of it happening.

Nicole went back to Riley’s after that, begrudgingly. She didn’t particularly want to but decided perhaps her sister’s company would be better than wallowing alone in her pity. Her presence helped, but in the stillness of her solitude, her self-loathing took over.

Alcohol became her friend, her closest confidant. She spiraled into a deep pit of depression because she felt completely blindsided. She and Colton were great together, and she couldn’t understand why she wasn’t enough or where it went wrong. Nicole treated him well and always tried to be the best girlfriend she could be. Their apartment was spotless; she cooked him dinner every night, let him have his time with his friends, sucked him off regularly and their sex life wasn’t lacking whatsoever — she did everything right, and yet, she was left broken in the end.

She drowned her sorrows in the brown bottle, some days from sun up to sun down. Riley tried to intervene, but Nicole refused to talk about it. Multiple fights broke out from her persistent pushing until Riley finally got the message and stopped. She realized although her sister was hurting, she couldn’t force her to express her pain. It was hard to witness, but she couldn’t control her anymore, especially when, by all technicalities, Nicole was following her new stipulations.

The rules were simple — keep the bullshit outside. Nicole couldn’t bring people over without proper notice, and it had to be someone Riley knew beforehand. She had the freedom to drink, but Riley forbade her from getting belligerent, and she had to have a job to contribute towards food and bills. They had a strict one a.m. lock time; if Nicole wasn’t home, she found somewhere else to stay for the night. Riley often worked doubles at the bar and was not a happy camper when her sleep got disrupted.

Nicole adhered to every request and never tested her authority.

Nicole would bounce around from bar to bar but avoided the one Riley worked at. Most of her friends were mutual with Colton because she threw herself into him and lost all contact with her friends, which meant most of her ventures were lone ones. If Daniel wasn’t working he went with her, but Nicole always had a guard up around him. He was incredibly close to Riley and worked alongside her; she considered him her friend, but her trust in his discretion was minimal and she never fully let him in.

She mostly drank during her outings but picked up a fun game she started playing with herself. Men flocked to her and her assets — they wanted her. On rare occasions, she went home with them, but her enjoyment came from the cat-and-mouse game — the chase. She’d sashay around in her tight, low-cut dresses all night with a line of suitors behind, begging and pleading to take her home. They paid for her drinks and in return, she gave them an hour or two of her undivided attention. Nicole wouldn’t even let them kiss her; she’d let them get handsy for a bit during dances — sometimes under the table — but only a select few were gifted a night with her.

It was nothing but a tease — watching the spirit leave their eyes when she let them down filled a gaping hole inside her chest, even if only for the moment.

It was not always a safe game to play — sometimes Nicole ended up in dangerous situations because of her antics. Rowdy, drunken men twice her size pushed her luck a few times, but thankfully, bystanders always intervened before anything serious could happen.

With time, she slowed down a bit, but never fully stopped. Riley knew these things happened at night but during the day, she was Nikki again; smiling, laughing, and joking like she used to. But once the sun sat, the gloves came off and Nicole left to play.

When Riley’s life changed, Nicole was undoubtedly happy for her. The day Maxwell extended his offer, Riley burst through the door, more excited than Nicole had ever seen her, but her elation faded as she realized what she would leave behind.

“Nikki… I don’t have to go…” Riley softly spoke.

Despite her words, Nicole knew how eager she was. “What? Why wouldn’t you?!”

“I don’t wanna leave you here all alone…”

“Riley — I’m not alone. Jared is around and Daniel lives right down the hall.”

“You could come with me…” Riley hopefully suggested.

Nicole gave her a sad smile. “I love you, but — no. This isn’t a journey meant for me and I have a career here — I’m up for a promotion soon and I’ve worked too hard to give that up.”

“I — I know…” Riley dejectedly sighed. “But—”

“No,” Nicole stopped her. “You’ve spent all this time worrying about me and ensuring I had everything I needed. You deserve this, Riley. I want you to be happy — if this is what you want to do, then do it.” She picked up her cell phone and held it up. “Plus, these things exist now.”

Riley tearfully chuckled. She tried to contain her growing excitement, but it was to no avail. “Are you sure? I’ll stay. This is probably crazy, anyway… To run off with some guy I don’t even know…”

Nicole laughed. “You gotta live a little at some point, Riley. Otherwise, your tombstone is going to say, ‘Here lies Riley, the woman whose crotch sewed itself back up’.”

“Hey!” Riley swatted at her sister but soon fiddled with the zipper of her hoodie. “... You really think I should go?”

“Yes! And I swear — if I go over twelve hours without hearing from you, I will be on the next flight to Cornucopia with the fucking FBI and CIA and whoever else I can wrangle.”

Riley howled with laughter. “It’s Cordonia.”

“Tomato, tomato.” Nicole snickered. “Enough logistics! Let's get you packed!”

During the social season, they spoke all the time on the phone; daily, unless their schedules conflicted. However, Nicole knew from the conversing topics early on, that her sister seemed to have her eyes set on a different prize, but Riley wouldn’t admit it. The scandal reached the States and circulated for a bit, but Nicole’s preoccupation with her own games prevented her from paying much attention. She saw a few articles regarding the matter, but it drifted to the back of her mind. Riley cried to her on the phone for days on end, practically begging to come home, but Nicole convinced her to stay on more than one occasion.

The engagement tour was when Nicole really noticed Riley’s attention shift. She mentioned the king rarely; instead, her focus was on a woman named Hana. How beautiful and smart she was, her vibrant smile, even down to the way her dress flowed in her wake when she walked. Her sister was falling in love, and it elated Nicole that Riley was finding her slice of happiness. She didn’t admit her feelings until Nicole bluntly asked about it; they talked it out, and she helped Riley slowly embrace her true identity.

The court came to New York and as much as it killed them, Nicole was out of town for that visit. She was in Fort Lauderdale at a mandatory seminar and, because of the court’s tight schedule, they did not get to see each other. Riley called her the night the king proposed and Nicole talked her through her guilt over breaking his heart. Nicole reminded her that although she initially went for him, she was very much single this entire time; she encouraged her to do what felt right.

Riley became a duchess and Nicole got promoted within her company. Their schedules were busier than ever and they rarely had the chance to connect in person. Riley made a few more trips home, where Nicole got to see her and meet Hana, but she had yet to make the trip to Cordonia to witness her sister in her new element.

That changed when Riley called to tell her she was engaged. The sisters screeched into the phone together for a long while, Hana even joining in as well. Nicole patiently counted down the days, took leave, and set out on her international adventure. Jared would come right before the wedding, but Nicole wanted to be there for all the events that would happen beforehand.

Riley described the perfect playground, only with a whole new set of players.

After the excitement faded, Riley was quick to set some ground rules. Nicole had to behave while she was there, to not cause some kind of scandal. The joining of two noble women was unprecedented in itself, and Riley didn’t want anything going wrong; Nicole had to watch her step. Riley knew she could achieve the task, but it was up to Nicole to decide she wanted to.

Nicole didn’t intend on immediately messing up, but then a tall, intoxicating man walked up and said all the right words. Her body lit like a Christmas tree, an immediate reaction to his advances. The game was still afoot, but this was one occurrence where she gave in to temptation.

How was she supposed to know the king, her sister’s close, personal friend, hit the streets? When he told her he was the monarch, she almost died laughing, but at that point, he could’ve been Barney — either way, the results would’ve been the same. It wasn’t until she Googled his name that she recalled his face in those articles, and Riley mentioning his name.

She knew — she fucked up.

Riley still spoke of Liam, but mostly just a few words here and there. She didn’t mention the king was a certified freak, or that he dressed in the opposite of his social position. Nicole didn’t know how Riley would react if she found out, but she wasn’t willing to take that chance. She knew how her big sister used to be, but hoped perhaps her new home and love would calm her a bit.

Deep down, she realized that would never happen.

It was inevitable that she would come face-to-face with Liam at some point, and Nicole wasn’t sure what would happen at that moment, either. Would he play it off as if nothing happened? Pretend he’d never seen her? She didn’t know him, so she couldn’t determine how he would handle the situation.

Regardless, it would be their secret — Riley could never know.

That morning, Nicole was to set off for Valtoria. Riley and Hana were called to a last-minute meeting and were out of the country for a few days. They offered Nicole the duchy until they returned, but she turned them down, as she wanted to explore the country her sister hyped up independently. She got herself a hotel in the capital for the time they would be gone, but now wished she would’ve just gone straight to Valtoria instead.

None of this would’ve happened, and she wouldn’t be nearly bursting with anxiety; not knowing when she would have to face her extraordinarily talented lover and the secret that would then dangle over both of their heads.

Riley, Hana and their small group of peers anxiously awaited the honored guest’s arrival. As soon as they decided to get married, Riley knew there was no way she would even entertain the idea without her sister. She looked forward to the next couple of weeks and secretly hoped Nicole would fall in love with the country and want to stay.

Riley enjoyed her life in Cordonia but longed to have Nicole near. Perhaps it was her protective nature, but she felt incomplete without her and often lay awake at night worrying about her. Of course, she missed Jared as well, but she and Nicole had a much stronger bond. She wanted nothing more than to have her sister around all the time, to bring her life in Cordonia to completion.

However, that also brought great anxiety. Nicole was a sweet, genuine person, but Riley knew she made some poor decisions after Colton decimated her heart. It wasn’t so much her image she stressed about — although it was a contributing factor — but she worried about all these men being around her baby sister. She could take care of herself, but the nobility was a different ballpark; she didn’t want Nicole to get into a bad situation that could get plastered for the world to see, just as she had.

Riley gave warnings to the men in her immediate circle — Nikki was off limits. It wasn’t Maxwell she was worried about, nor Drake, but Liam specifically. He bedded anything with a pulse; Nicole would not appear on that lengthy list. She wouldn’t allow him to use her in that way, monarch or not. Drake or Maxwell could receive the chance at some point, but Liam would not. She loved him like a brother, but Nicole was blood; she would not be another notch on his bedpost.

Riley felt guilty about what happened between her and Liam for a long time, and sometimes still does. Eventually, she realized she really hadn’t led him on, but that only eased her aching conscience so much. They were never intimate, only kissed one or two times toward the beginning of the social season, and Riley never reciprocated when he said I love you; she would tell him she wasn’t ready for that.

Yet, he still proposed.

She was stunned and genuinely didn’t understand why he asked. Yes, he needed a wife to make his queen, but Riley made it clear to him early on — that wasn’t what she was interested in. The crown meant nothing, and she wasn’t willing to compromise her happiness for a job she didn’t want. She tried — time and time again — to make herself love him but at the end of the day, he wasn’t her.

She and Hana hid their relationship for quite a while; not from everyone, just Liam. In the aftermath of his heartbreak, they didn’t want to throw salt into the still-open wound. When they announced their engagement, Liam told them he supported their union and would happily be the one to marry them, but they knew he still held some kind of resentment. Everyone got along and was good friends, but sometimes the tension thickened — a constant reminder that the past would always be there.

“Is she here yet?!” Maxwell exclaimed, dragging Riley out of her daze.

Riley chuckled. “Not yet.” Maxwell bounced in place, thrumming from his enormous amount of energy. “Calm down, Max. I think you’re more excited than I am.”

“Of course! Why wouldn’t I be?! It’s another freakin’ blossom!”

Drake sighed and ran a hand down his face. “Why did you want him here for this?” He addressed Riley.

“Because I want to give her a warm welcome with all of my favorite people.”

Drake snickered. “Guess that explains why Liam isn’t here.”

“That’s not it. I invited him, but he had a meeting…” Drake stared at Riley with a knowing expression for only a moment before she pleaded, “It’s not!”

Drake snickered. “Calm down, Brooks. I get it…”

“You do?”

“Yeah.” Drake nodded. “Trust me, if Savannah wasn’t with good ol’ Bertie, I would’da put a chastity belt on her long ago — no fucking way would I let him anywhere near her.”

Riley laughed. “I’m glad someone understands, but that doesn’t mean you have permission, either — just so we’re clear.”

Drake raised his hands in surrender. “It’s not me you gotta worry about… Or twinkle toes over there.”

“Hey!” Maxwell yelled.

“I’m just sayin’. She’s safe around us, but King Condom is a different story.”

Riley sighed. Her face fell and guilt took over as she thought about Liam’s changes. She knew she was the one who did that and regardless of what everyone tried to reassure her with, she still felt responsible.

Hana approached and lightly stroked her shoulders. “Don’t do that… We’ve been down this road a million times… You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Yeah, Brooks… You didn’t do that.” Drake agreed.

“He’s just so — different now… Like, the Liam who wanted me to love him left when he found out I didn’t love him…” Riley trailed off, staring down at her shoes.

“No, he chose to react how he did. That’s a grown-ass man who made his own decisions.”

“I know… I just—”

Maxwell cut Riley off. “My beautiful, beautiful blossom…” He grasped her shoulders as Hana’s hands fell away. “You’re such a genuine person, but I promise you, whatever is going on with Liam is not your fault. You have to stop blaming yourself!”

Riley let out a heavy breath. “I’m just hoping I can keep him and Nikki apart while she’s here. That would be toxic in every way… Two players trying to play each other.”

“I’m sure he’ll behave. He’s got plenty of — entertainment elsewhere, so I think she’s safe.” Hana agreed with a warm smile.

“A female version of this toxic masculine Liam, huh?” Drake asked, amusement written on his features. “Maybe it wouldn’t be the worst idea to let them—”

Maxwell suddenly rushed to the window, his eyes glued to the vehicle approaching. “She’s here! She’s here!”

“Goddamnit, Beaumont,” Drake grumbled. “Do you gotta be so loud?”

“Yes, I do. Otherwise, you might think something was wrong with me!”

“Wouldn’t want that, of course.” Drake rolled his eyes. “Just try to be fucking normal for two seconds, would ya?”

Maxwell put his hands on his hips and faced Drake with utter seriousness. “What’s the baseline for normal, Drake? Who are you to tell me what’s ‘not normal’?” He air quoted. “Just because I don’t walk around flipping my hair, talking about bar-b-que—”

“GUYS,” Hana interjected. She cleared her throat and smoothed out her dress with a polite smile. “Please refrain from — that.”

Before Maxwell or Drake could respond, the sounds of loud, ear-piercing screeches filled the air. At the door, Riley jumped and hugged a redhead, spinning her around in circles. They could tell she was smaller than Riley and had a lighter, more intense shade of copper hair, but couldn’t get a good look at her face.

“I’m so glad you’re here!” Riley exclaimed with tears of joy.

“Are you kidding?! Like I would miss this!” Nicole responded with glistening eyes to match.

“I can’t wait to show you everything. All my favorite places — oh!” Riley suddenly stepped away. “I found this food truck that makes the best nachos around… Very close to Ernesto’s.”

“Nobody does it like he can, but you had me at nacho.” The sisters giggled before embracing each other once again.

“Seriously, Nikki… I’m so glad you’re here.”

“I’m so happy to see you that for just this once, I’ll allow you to call me Nikki.” Nicole stepped away with a shudder.

“Oh, I’m calling you Nikki the entire time.”

Nicole rolled her eyes. “Riley, I’m not seven anymore — stop.” She glanced around at the massive estate. “You failed to mention that your house is actually a fucking castle. Does your mote have alligators in it?”

Riley snorted. “Not yet, but it’s fairly high on my to-do list.”

“A-hem.” A throat exaggeratedly cleared behind them, as Maxwell could no longer wait for his presence to be known. “Are you going to introduce us to the infamous Nikki?”

Nicole centered a death glare on her elder sister. “I’m just going to assume that everyone thinks my name is Nikki, thanks to you.”

“How about those introductions?” Riley deflected with an innocent smile, as she led Nicole to the foyer where everyone waited. “You remember Hana?”

“Of course!” Nicole exclaimed as she pulled Hana into a tight hug. “It’s good to see you again soon-to-be sister!”

“You as well! We’re elated that you’re able to be here with us. We wouldn’t dream of having it any other way.”

Nicole stepped away with an excited grin, and Riley continued down the line. “This is Maxwell. He’s—”

“The absolute best.” He finished for her. “Master dancer, Lord DJ, the Squid King, tour guide extraordinaire—”

“Dear God, if you’re listening, please take me from this madness…” Drake huffed, his head turned to the ceiling.

Before Maxwell could retort, Riley quickly finished. “And that’s Drake.”

Nicole snorted. “Makes sense.”

“Whaddya mean?” Drake inquired with an arched brow.

“Just seems like something you’d say, judging from what Riley told me.”

“Oh, yeah?” When Nicole nodded, Drake continued. “What’d she tell you?”

“Snarky, loyal to a fault.”

Drake smirked. “Damn straight.”

“She mentioned something about a marshmallow, though…”

Drake sighed. “Seriously, Brooks? People I don’t even know think I’m some — soft glob of—”

“I consider you to be a s’more.” Maxwell interrupted.

“And what does that mean?”

“What everyone else thinks, but with an added stick up your butt,” He stated, very matter-of-factly.

Nicole busted out with belly giggles. “That’s great. Do they do this all the time?” She asked Riley and Hana, as Drake and Maxwell went off into a fit of bickers.

“Yep,” Hana answered.

“Brotherly love,” Riley added with a smile.

“I can see why you keep them around… They’re certainly — entertaining…” Nicole trailed off.

Nicole took the distraction as an opportunity to check the men out with a hungry gaze. Drake immediately caught her eye, as he was more her typical ‘type’; tall, dark, and broad, with an air of mystery. She could tell underneath all that denim, he was packing. Not just in the nether regions, but she didn’t need to see him shirtless to know he was in immaculate shape — although, she wouldn’t complain about the view if the situation arose.

She zeroed in on Maxwell and, although he was a tad shorter, he was just as chiseled. He spoke with his entire body, leaving very little to the imagination. Easy on the eyes and obviously a dork; she wondered if that facade would slip away when things got heated, or if he was that much of a goof in the bedroom as well. She imagined putting that question to the test and her little five-second fantasy nearly made her thighs quiver.

Riley noticed Nicole’s lustrous gaze fixated on her friends and swiftly threaded her arm through hers. “Let’s go have a drink, shall we?”

Nicole nodded and the trio of women left Drake and Maxwell, arguing amongst themselves. Neither was aware they were now alone until Drake’s phone vibrated, momentarily halting their altercation.

Drake pulled out his device, but Maxwell immediately grew worried as he took in his surroundings. “Where is everyone? Did they leave?” He gasped and held a hand over his heart. “Was there a welcome party, and they didn’t tell me?!”

“Max, SHUSH,” Drake grumbled as he typed out a text.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong, but…”

“Drake, you know how I am with suspense. Tell me now, or — well, there is no or, just — tell me now.”

“Calm the fuck down… It’s Liam…”

“What about him?”

“He said he’s going to make it after all… He’s almost here.”

In one of the sitting rooms not far away, Riley, Hana, and Nicole enjoyed their drinks. The conversation easily flowed between them as they caught up on the time they’d spent apart. Nicole spoke of her job, Jared, Daniel, and anything else she could think of. Riley and Hana excitedly told her about their life in Valtoria, the wedding arrangements, and the governance changes they intended to make. However, Riley knew she needed to address the gigantic elephant in the room.

“Nikki…”

Nicole sighed. “That name, again.”

Riley smiled at her sister’s annoyance. “Listen, I don’t want to be overbearing, but we need to revisit the rules.”

Nicole visibly tensed, her anxiety skyrocketing. “What do you mean? I just got here. I haven’t even had the chance to do anything bad yet…” She nervously chuckled, uncomfortably shifting in her seat.

Riley gave her an unsure glance. “I know that… But seriously, Nicole, please behave. No trysts, no games, none of that. You don’t know these people like I do — this is not New York anymore.”

“I’m aware, Riley. I’m not an animal — I can control myself.” Nicole quickly retorted while ignoring her conscience, knowing what she’d already done.

“I know you aren’t, Nikki, that’s not what I’m saying, but some people here are — undeniably charming, okay? Don’t fall for it.”

Nicole swore she could feel every drop of sweat as it profusely poured down her forehead. “Is there someone in particular you’re speaking of?” She nonchalantly asked, but something told her she already knew the answer.

“No.” Riley swiftly returned. “It’s a general rule that applies to anyone you meet here — understood?”

“Yes, mother.” Nicole playfully retorted, hoping to ease some of Riley’s obvious worries. “I promise I will behave — cross my heart.”

“Good…” Riley’s eyes softened. “How are you doing?”

“I told you — I just got another promotion, Daniel is fine, Jared is—”

“No, that’s not what I’m asking. How are you, Nikki?”

“I’m fine, Riley. Things are… Okay, I guess.” She shrugged. “I just go to work and go home…”

“And…”

Nicole rolled her eyes and let out a small huff. “Don’t do this. I’m an adult and I can spend my time how I wish. I’m safe, nothing has happened—”

“Yet.”

“Do you want to have this argument now? Right when I walk in the door?”

Riley sighed. “No, I don’t… I’m sorry, I just — I worry about you.”

“I know, but don’t. I am fine.”

“Whatever you say…”

“How are you two lovebirds doing?” Nicole deflected, hoping to shift the attention off of herself.

Riley and Hana shared a flushed grin as they reached for the other’s hand. Nicole smiled to herself, undeniably happy her sister found her soulmate.

“Great,” Riley answered. “I’m so excited to get married already. Planning this wedding has been a task in itself, but it’ll be worth it in the end…” she trailed off, gazing deeply into Hana’s eyes as if she saw the entire world mirrored back.

“Awww… I would gag, but I’m just so fucking happy for you.” Nicole interrupted their moment with a laugh.

“Thank you, Nicole. Again, we’re so happy you could be here with us.” Hana spoke with a warm grin. “I consider myself blessed every day that I'll get to call your sister my wife, but my heart is overjoyed from the family I'll gain too.”

“There is something I wanted to ask you…” Riley trailed off with radiating excitement, as she practically bounced in place.

“Okay…” Nicole unsurely answered.

“I wanted to know if you would be my maid of honor… I know it’s last minute but it’s the only role left to be filled and there is no one else I want in that spot, but I wanted to ask in person—”

“Yes, yes, YES!” Nicole screeched.

Riley rose from her seat with a squeal and engulfed Nicole in a tight hug. She briefly lifted her feet off the floor as she spun her around, but dropped her and extended a hand to Hana. “Get in here!”

Hana did as told and their revelry turned into a circle, as they held hands and joyfully jumped around. After a long moment and a lot of hugs, they stepped away and sat back down, each taking a breath to calm their excitement.

Nicole finally spoke after a few minutes of content silence. “So, tell me more about the wedding. Who is coming from back home? When will Jared be here? Is Daniel—”

Maxwell suddenly burst through the door and somersaulted, landing with his hands on his hips.

“Wow.” Nicole clapped with wide eyes. “Impressive.”

“Don’t encourage it,” Drake pleaded as he entered behind Maxwell. “Uh, Brooks… Can I talk to you for a sec?” He asked while rubbing the back of his neck.

Riley shot up from her seat as she took in his nervous demeanor. They made it out of the room, and Drake closed the doors before turning around to face her. “... Have you checked your phone lately?”

“No…” Riley unsurely returned as she retrieved her device from her pocket. She unlocked the screen and saw multiple missed calls from Liam and a few texts, and her face drained of color. “Oh, no…”

“Yeah…”

“I thought he had a meeting! I extended the invitation after he told me he was busy!”

“He said it got canceled…” Riley instantly started to pace in front of Drake, her anxiety clear as day. “Brooks, calm down… I’m sure everything is going to be fine. Ya can’t keep ‘em apart forever, you know…”

“I know that,” Riley bit out. “But I don’t want them to end up hurting each other, Drake. I can barely live with myself because of what I did to Liam. If he ends up hurting Nicole because of what I did to him, then—”

“Woah woah woah — back that shit up. You already know my opinion on the Liam ordeal, but you're making a lot of conclusions here…” He trailed off with a knowing look. “Listen… Has he made some questionable decisions? Sure. But — he’s still Liam.”

“I know… I know… I’m just… Being overprotective, I guess…” She responded as she bit her nails.

“Stop doing that.” Drake gently pulled her hand away from her mouth. “Everything is going to be fine. You’re going to get married and it’ll be peaceful and beautiful and all that other frilly bullshit.”

Despite her unease, Riley chuckled. “Thank you, Drake. You’re a great friend.”

“Yeah, well, I shouldn’t be, considering even your sister thinks I’m a fucking marshmallow already. You know this means I’ll have to step up my asshole game, right? Thatta’ way she doesn’t think I’m warm and inviting.” He shuddered.

“Just don’t take it too far otherwise I’ll have to intervene, and trust me — you won’t like me when I have to go into momma-bear mode.” She innocently smiled and batted her lashes, but her expression sent a shiver down Drake’s spine. She looked sweet but those eyes told a completely different story, causing him to swallow thickly and reassess the usually gentle being before him.

Before Drake could respond, Gladys appeared in the hallway with a bow. “Your Grace, His Majesty just arrived and is being settled.”

“Thank you, Gladys…” Riley quietly answered with an audible gulp.

Drake patted her on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, Brooks. I’m sure he’s going to be on his best behavior.”

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justcallmefox89 · 6 months ago

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Cinderfella's Adventures in Cordonia - Chapter Twenty-Two

An AU of The Royal Romance with a male MC and a bisexual prince.

Masterlist

Callum and Liam battle it out and Drake chooses a side.

“Drake, I want you to consider moving to New York after Liam’s wedding. To moving in with me. To being with me. Only me,” Callum says calmly, speaking to Drake but staring directly at Liam.

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

A crimson flush creeps up Liam’s neck and he scowls at me. “You cannot possibly be -”

“Ok.”

Liam whips around to face Drake. “What?”

I can’t help the smirk that creeps across my face at Liam’s outrage.

“I think that maybe Callum is right,” Drake says, taking a deep, calming breath. “You’re going to be starting a new life with Madeline, and you’ll eventually be having kids… so maybe it’s time for me to start putting myself first. Doing what’s best for me.”

“And you think Callum is what’s best for you?” Liam demands.

Drake meets his gaze head-on. “Callum puts me first. I would have a future with him, a real one, with a family and kids and little league and not having to hide. With Callum I would finally be enough. So yeah… maybe he is what’s best for me.”

Liam’s outrage is palpable, so thick in that air that I can practically taste it. And it is fucking delicious.

He clocks my grin and scowls at me. “You’re loving this, aren’t you? Driving a wedge between me and Drake? Forcing him to choose between us?”

I rock back on my heels and snicker. “I’m harder than astrophysics right now darlin’, can’t lie.”

“You are such a bastard,” Liam hisses, slamming his palms onto the countertop.

“Ooh… let it all out Your Majesty; tell the class how you really feel.” I can feel my grin turn a little sharper and my eyes narrow. This fight has been a long time coming and I’m more than ready.

“You have always been selfish,” Liam spits out. “Never willing to compromise, never willing to give an inch because you were always convinced you knew best. All you had to do was swallow a little bit of your pride, but you clearly didn’t care about me enough to make even the most basic sacrifices - ”

I bark out an incredulous laugh. “You, you of all people, are going to try and lecture me about sacrifices? About compromise and caring enough? You spoiled little shit; when have you ever sacrificed anything in your entire life? Tell me two things you have ever sacrificed for me and Drake? Go on, I’ll wait while you think.”

Drake gaze flicks worriedly between us. “Maybe we should take a time out and get some rest before we get into all this,” he says soothingly.

“I have greater worries than mere feelings; a literal country depends on the choice of my future spouse,” Liam says, talking over him.

“Don’t try to make this about Cordonia,” I scoff. “This is about Constantine and what he wants. You would be a perfectly capable king no matter who you married.”

“Given your gene pool I understand that you probably don’t know what it feels like to have an accomplished father with high expectations - ”

“Keep talking and I’m gonna punch you in the fucking mouth,” I warn him.

Liam rolls his eyes. “Charming. I don’t know what I thought it would be like to finally be back with you again, but the more time we spend together make me think that whatever relationship we had before was a mistake.”

The barb stings, working it’s way into my heart like an insidious shard of glass. “Get out of my house,” I say quietly.

“Callum,” Liam says, taking a hesitant step towards me.

“I said get the fuck out of my house!” I scream, my eyes burning with the tears I refuse to let fall.

Not in front of him. Never again.

“Fine.” Liam stalks towards the door, stuttering to a stop when he realizes Drake isn’t behind him. “Drake?”

Drake moves next to me, taking my shaking hand in a show of solidarity and support. “I’m staying with Callum,” he says quietly.

Liam clenches his jaw, his fury evident. He turns his back on us and storms out, slamming the door behind him.

Drake winds his arms around my waist and rests his forehead against my shoulder. “I got you,” he whispers. “I got you.”

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karahalloway · 9 months ago

Text

Devil May Care

Fandom: Heaven’s Secret (Book 1: Season 1)

Pairing: Lucifer x F!OC (Devon Hart)

Series: Oh, So Devilish

Chapter summary: Devon sneaks off to track down a lead on her death... But she's not alone.

Word count: 5,100

Warnings: M (swearing, angst, suicidal thoughts, aggro, toxic behaviour, references to death, physical violence)

Chapter theme song:

A/N1: So. This is not what I was supposed to be working on. At all. Not only is this not Intentions, but it’s not even TRR… or Choices, for that matter. However, a couple of weeks ago, @angelasscribbles convinced me to take the plunge with a Romance Club choices game called Heaven’s Secret and I became instantly hooked… especially on Lucifer’s character. I have a type; can’t you tell? 😆

A/N2: This first part of what turned into a two-parter (it just got too long, so I had to split it) focuses on the events that take place at the end of HS S1E5 and the second part focuses on the start of S1E6. Because while I love the character of Lucifer, I felt like that his characterisation missed the mark a bit (especially considering that he is the literal Son of Satan) so, I decided to make… adjustments 😏

A/N3: I appreciate that this is not what most people on my tag list signed up to read, but I have tagged my Permas anyway, in case anyone wants to indulge me. However, in the (highly likely) event that I end up writing more for this fandom, moving forward, I will only tag people who specifically request to be tagged. So if you want in on Part 2, let your preferences be known, or forever hold your peace.

A/N4: By way of context for people who decide to read, but are not familiar with canon for this story, here is some background (which I have also tried to incorporate as much as possible into the fic itself): MC (default name, Vicky Walker, but for various reasons, I decided to create an OC instead) is killed in a car crash. However, instead of ‘simply’ dying, she is offered the choice to become an immortal and join the Angels & Demons Academy (located in Heaven) and train to become either an angel or a demon (your choices in the game actually affect your path — prior to choosing an eventual side, you are referred to as an ‘Unclaimed’). As part of her training, MC is sent down to Earth to complete assignments that require her to influence humans into making various choices… however, MC is also secretly trying to investigate the circumstances of her (highly suspicious) death. Also, for the purposes of this universe, Lucifer is the demon son of Satan and Lilith (not a fallen angel as per Biblical canon). Dino, Sammy and Fencio are true-born angels (don’t ask about the names), Mimi and Adi are true-born demons. Both angels and demons (and Unclaimed) are anthropomorphic and have wings; however, when they go down to Earth, they disguise themselves in human form. Hope that helps! 🤗

Devil May Care

“Ah, there you are…”

Jerking my gaze away from Dino, I spot Sammy’s human form standing a few feet away.

“Sorry,” I say, quickly wiping the remnants of the wetness from my face. “I… I just needed a minute.”

Sammy nods in understanding. “If it’s any consolation, the fact that you care is a good thing. It shows you still have your humanity. No death should be treated lightly, yet most demons… and a fair number of angels have lost sight of that. But it’s a strength. Don’t let Adi or Mimi tell you otherwise.”

“Thanks, Sammy…” I say with a sniffle, forcing myself to stand.

“Any time,” he acknowledges with a lop-sided smirk. “But we should get going.”

“Yes. It is time to return,” confirms Dino, coming to stand beside me.

As if on cue, the air begins to thicken around us, and a familiar crackle of energy raises the hairs on my arms. Glancing up, I see the very fabric of the night sky stretch and strain as an otherworldly wind whips the now-familiar bridge between the dimensions into shape.

Dino steps into the centre of the maelstrom first, lifting into the air as the vortex sucks him back to the ethereal realm.

“See you on the other side,” Sammy winks as he leaps after the other angel.

With a heavy exhale, I shove my hands into the pockets of my biker jacket, and force myself to move towards the epicentre of the storm.

Finding myself back on Earth in the wake of my death hadn’t been easy the first time, and it sure as hell hasn’t gotten any easier the second time either. Because even though everyone at the Academy keeps reminding me that my mortal life is well and truly over, and there is no going back, for whatever inexplicable reason I can’t seem to accept my new-found providence.

And coming back here — to the human realm — just feels like a massive kick in the gut each and every time… Like a kid being taunted with everything they can’t have from the other side of a toy store window. A cruel reminder of what that was wrenched away from me. My friends… My family… Even myself.

The undeniable force of the vortex tugs at my clothes, trying to lift me skywards, but I find myself fighting it.

Maybe because my death had been thrust upon me with such shocking suddenness… giving me no time to prepare, much less come to terms with it before I fell into the world of angels and demons. Maybe because the grief I saw etched into my father’s face has woven itself into the threads of my soul as well, reinforcing the harshness of the truth that we got cheated out of what could have been left of our precious, irretrievable time together. Or maybe it’s because I know that my killer is still out there, living it up despite the crime he committed against me, free from punishment, free from the scythe of justice.

The tip of my finger brushes against the folded letter buried in my pocket.

Since picking it up outside of my house a few days ago — though, to be fair, I have no idea how time converted between Earth and the angelic realm, so for all I know, it could’ve been years since my last visit – I’ve carried the piece of paper with me everywhere. In part because I don’t want anyone finding it and wondering how I managed to get my hands on it in the first place… As given that we aren’t supposed to interact with mortals outside of our given assignments, I am not particularly interested in the chewing out that is no doubt in store for me if someone decides to rat on me. But also, in part because I cannot let what happened to me go… and desperately crave answers.

Digging my heels in on the edge of the swirling whirlpool of energy, I pull the letter out…

…but as if by fate, the square of paper is ripped from my grasp by a particularly vicious gust of wind.

“No…!” I gasp, throwing myself heedlessly after my only lead.

The letter zooms around the circumference of the vortex — like a hapless butterfly riding the edge of a tornado — and begins to track upwards, ever further from my reach…

But just as it’s on the verge of vanishing into the void, it is suddenly snatched out of the air with inhuman speed and precision.

I stumble to stop, mouth agape and arm outstretched like some drunken ballerina as I lay eyes on the dark form on the other side of the vortex.

Crap…

Of all the possible ways this screw-up could’ve gone, this is — hands down — the worst.

As even in human skin… without the horned wings gathered around him like a dark halo, or the pulsing, ethereal tattoos that seem to constantly shift along the visible surface of his skin… there is no mistaking the raw power emanating from the being standing across from me.

Lucifer cocks a lazy brow in my direction as he holds the note up. “Lost something, have we?”

His eyes meets mine, and in spite of the distance separating us, I feel the full heat of the fire that burns in his demonic gaze scorch into me like the blade of a hot knife.

And despite drawing upon every ounce of my willpower to prevent it from happening, I feel an incriminating blush rise up my cheeks.

A slow smile curves at his lips. “I thought so…”

“Give it back!” I snap, my momentary embarrassment morphing instantly into anger… even though I know in the back of my mind this is exactly the reaction he is probably looking to goad me into.

Because I am angry. Angry at myself for being stupid enough to arm someone like Lucifer with such potent ammunition to use against me. Angry with him for the fact that he managed to sneak up on me like this in the first place.

But most of all, my heart is still bleeding for that little girl who died a senseless death mere minutes ago… and the knowledge that I had been complicit in it.

And I cannot keep a latch on the tidal wave of red rising over me. Nor do I really want to.

I have already cried a river on the bench with Dino — commiserating not just for the fate of the girl, but for the fucked up situation I now find myself in as well — and I have no tears left. Just raw, frothing rage at the inherent unjustness of the world, at the flippant and uncaring attitude of my fellow immortals who see humans as mere pawns on their eternal chess board, and my own powerlessness in the face of forces and rules that I don’t yet fully understand, but which I’m being steered to blindly conform to anyway.

And the arrogant demon standing in front of me is just as good a scapegoat for my ire as any.

“Or what?” he taunts, sliding his thumb slowly across the paper… taunting me shamelessly with the missive he now holds in his hand.

Something inside of me snaps and I launch myself at him with a wordless yell.

But the vortex has apparently had enough of being kept on hold by my indecision, and before I’ve made it two steps, I find myself being sucked up to go careening through time and space like a discombobulated pinball.

“Damn it!” I cuss as I’m tugged through the shimmering funnel against my will.

I had one chance to make some much-needed progress on figuring out who killed me and why, and I’ve managed to blow it.

And who knows when I’ll have the opportunity to try again? Or even if I’ll be able to try again…

As knowing Lucifer — the literal Spawn of Satan — he’ll end up throwing me under the bus the moment we get back to the Academy… just for perverse kicks.

“Asshole…” I gripe under my breath as I feel the speed of the vortex slow, indicating that my unplanned trip is about to come to an end.

But as my feet touch down once more, it is not back at the Academy where I find myself. Instead, I’m standing outside of a building that looks very much like a police station… in my hometown.

“Huh…”

Dino had mentioned previously that destinations in the vortex are set by one’s intentions.

Since I had been so focused on the letter — which my father had received from the lead detective assigned to my case — the vortex must’ve thought this is where I had wanted to go.

And I’m not about to look an unexpected gift horse in the mouth.

Knowing that I didn’t have a lot of time before my classmates — and Fencio! — notice my absence back in the angelic realm, I hurry across the street.

Taking the steps two at a time, I shove myself through the revolving door and step into the station. Luckily, I have the contents of the letter memorised, given that I no longer have it in my possession, so I’m hoping that I’ll be able to blag my way through this with some semblance of grace.

The receptionist manning the counter looks up at my arrival. “Can I help you?”

“Erm… Yes,” I confirm, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear as I step forward. “I’m looking for DC Lawton. He was heading up the Hart case…?”

I cross my fingers behind my back, hoping against hope that it’s only been mere weeks and not decades since my death, and the police are still investigating.

The receptionist takes a moment to consult her computer. “Yes. He should still be in.”

A relieved breath bursts out of me. Another break!

“Do you have an appointment?”

“Not exactly…” I admit. “But… I do have some information relating to the case that he needs to hear.”

The woman behind the desk studies me for a long moment, no doubt wondering what a petite Korean girl wearing pink pigtails and spiked leather could possibly have to contribute to a homicide investigation… given that that is the mortal skin I am currently masquerading around in.

But she nevertheless seems to take me at my word. “Down the hall, second door on the left.”

“Thank you!” I blurt, already turning away.

Speedwalking past the desk and down the corridor, I locate the correct door and push down on the handle without knocking.

The lone man occupying the room barely glances up from his stack of papers at the sound of my arrival. “Yeah?”

“DC Lawton?” I ask, stepping into the room.

“That’s what it says on the name plaque,” he grunts, indicating the front of his desk.

“Great!” I exclaim, moving up to him. “I…”

I trail off, realising that I haven’t actually planned out what I was going to say when I got here. As I can’t exactly reveal that I am the dead victim from one of his case files, come to demand answers about the circumstances of the car crash that killed her.

The detective raises his head, waiting for a response..

I take a deep breath. “I hear you’re the lead investigator on the Hart case.”

He nods. “That’s right. And you are?”

“An interested party,” I admit. It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth either.

His brows furrow, no doubt in response to the same train of thought that chugged down the tracks of the receptionist’s mind earlier. “What kind of interested party?”

Shit…

I’m not sure exactly how I had expected this conversation to go, but it definitely wasn’t like this.

But then I remember that I’m not a mere human anymore…

And I’m not willing to leave empty-handed.

Ditching any rational approach, I scrunch my face up in pretend grief as I flop dramatically into the chair at the side of the detective’s desk. “I didn’t want to say anything before because I didn’t want anyone to know… especially my parents… but I can’t keep it in anymore and I need to tell someone!”

DC Lawton startles slightly at my unexpected and borderline theatrical flip of composure. “Keep what in anymore?”

I slap an aggrieved hand onto his. “That Devon and I were in a relationship!”

The detective’s eyes widen in shock, and I use his momentary surprise to lock my gaze with his, just like we practiced back at the Academy.

The physical contact, combined with the suddenly unrestricted access to the window of his soul, allows me to breach the energetic wall encasing his body, and dive right into the hidden recesses of his mind.

Yes! It worked!

But I force myself to curtail my celebration, knowing that I need to focus all my attention on maintaining the delicate connection with the man sitting in front of me.

“You must help me, Detective,” I urge, tightening my hold on his hand.

DC Lawton looks somewhat dazed — like he’s been whacked over the back of the head — but at the sound of my voice, his pupils dilate eagerly. “How can I help?”

“The girl in the Hart case that you’re investigating… she was run off the road. Do you know by who?”

“No,” he intones, his voice slightly groggy. “The vehicle was a rental. A black minivan. I haven’t had a chance to talk to the rental company yet…”

“Which rental company?” I press.

“Global Drive,” he says. “The license plate is NYK 357.”

“Can you write that all down for me?”

He lifts his pen up with a nod to scribble onto a Post-It. “Your hand is so warm…”

“Thanks,” I say, snatching the note from him and breaking off the contact in the process.

He blinks up at me rapidly. “Any time…?”

Jumping up from the chair, I turn to dash out of the room…

…and nearly trip over my own feet when I come face to face with the glowering form leaning against the door jamb.

“What th—?”

Lucifer’s lips curl back to reveal teeth. “I should have you racked in the Pits.”

An involuntary shiver runs down my spine at his words. Not because of the sinister nature of the threat — I’ve been to Hell, and it certainly is no picnic! — but because I can see from the tight set of his jaw that he is actively considering carrying it out.

I force myself to meet his burning gaze head-on. “Well, unfortunately for you, I didn’t end up in Hell when I died. So, you don’t get to make that call.”

“No,” he growls back. “But your flagrant disregard for the rules makes you a liability, and I refuse to take the fall for you.”

“Well, maybe you should’ve thought of that before you decided to follow me,” I hit back, bumping him with my shoulder as I shove past him on my way out of the room.

His hand shoots out to latch around my arm with a vice-like grip, and suddenly I find myself nose-to-nose with him.

“I didn’t follow you,” he hisses into my face, his coal-black irises alight with the very fires of Hell. “The vortex brought me here because you can’t keep hold of your own fucking trash.”

“It’s not trash!” I spit back. “It’s—“

“Was it worth it?”

The question — and the sudden change in his tone — catches me off guard.

I blink in confusion, wondering if I maybe misheard him. But while his piercing gaze is still locked onto me with the same degree of ferociousness as a moment ago, behind the raging inferno of irritation glimmers a genuine spark of curiosity.

“Maybe,” I concede tightly, trying to get a read on him.

As demons, I’ve learnt, are inherent wildcards. Unpredictable at the best of times, and downright diabolical at the worst. Which means their whims and whiles can change at the drop of a hat, and it is dangerous to get caught in a compromising position with them.

Which — unfortunately — is exactly where I have managed to find myself with Lucifer. Trapped in a corner, with him holding all the trumps. So, I don’t want to admit any more than I strictly have to.

He rakes his hot gaze over me one more time — as if trying to catch me out in a lie — before pulling back slightly.

“Hmm… Not a complete waste of wings then…”

I wrench my arm from his grasp. “Fuck you.”

I swear I hear a snort of amusement escape him as I stomp away… But I resist the urge to sucker punch him. He is not worth it, and I have better things to do with my limited time on Earth anyway.

Glancing down at the Post-It in my hand, I can see that DC Lawton has been kind enough to scrawl down the address of the rental centre… and that it is only a few blocks away.

Which is a blessing, given that I don’t have any money on me with which to hail a cab or jump on a bus, and our lessons at the Academy have yet to cover how to magically hotwire a car.

So, walking it is. At least the physical exertion will give me a chance to blow off some steam.

Shoving the note into my pocket, I push through the revolving doors of the station, and back out onto the street. Pausing for a second to get my bearings – it’s been a while since I last frequented this part of town, having spent the preceding four years of my mortal life off at college – I quickly rake through my mental map of the neighbourhood before setting off to the right.

Except, I don’t even make it to the end of the block before I feel a tell-tale prick in the back of my neck. Glancing over my shoulder, my stomach drops as I catch sight of Lucifer a few yards behind me.

Gritting my teeth, I pick up my pace, hoping that it’s merely an unfortunate coincidence that he happens to be going in the same direction as me.

But it seems that I am in no such luck, as he’s still tailing me two blocks later, like an annoying black fly that I cannot seem to shake, no matter how hard I try.

With the result that by the time I get to the next crosswalk, my cool has evaporated completely, and instead of crossing the road in front of me, I end up rounding on him like a rabid pitbull.

“You’re such a fucking hypocrite!”

My outburst seems to catch him off-guard. But whatever jump I may have managed to get on him is fleeting at best, and in the next instant, he’s up in my face again, teeth bared and hackles raised. “Watch your tongue, Unclaimed. Before I rip it out of your mouth.”

“Oh, the truth hurts, does it?” I snip up at him.

“You don’t know the meaning of pain,” he grits, his hand snapping around the base of my throat.

My eyes narrow. “I know more than you think.”

“No. You don’t.” The flames in his eyes lick over me contemptuously. “And your arrogance will get you killed. Permanently.”

“Bet you’d love to be the one to do it, too,” I goad with a humourless smile.

I know I’m playing with hellfire. But I don’t care. I didn’t ask for this life, and I’m still not convinced I want it. So, if Lucifer is willing to put me out of my misery, then so be it. Being who he is, I’m sure he has the means… and I’ve just handed him the opportunity on a silver platter.

The Prince of Darkness stares at me for what feels like an age, his hand wrapped around my throat, face a mere breath from mine, his gaze simmering as if trying to read my very soul.

“Unlike you, angel, I’m not that stupid,” he murmurs, his voice barely a whisper. His hand drops from my neck as he steps abruptly past me.

“Then why are you still here?” I demand, whirling around after him.

He stops a few feet away, shoulders tense. But when he looks back at me, rather than anger or annoyance, it’s that devilish grin playing at his lips again. “Maybe I’m just enjoying the show.”

“Eugh!” I grit, throwing my hands up in the air as I plow past him.

Conceited, egotistical, patronising bastard! Why can’t he fall back into the Seventh Circle of Hell, where he fucking—

I’m so incessed that I end up storming right by the rental centre… and have to retrace my steps from the other end of the block to correct my mistake.

So, by the time I arrive back at the correct entranceway, my mood is even more foul than when I left the police station.

“Save it,” I spit as I reach the still-smirking form of Lucifer, leaning against the metal fence post of the lot.

His brow arches. “Did you hear me—?”

I flip him off in no uncertain terms as I stride past without a backwards glance.

He wants to stick around? Fine. But that doesn’t mean I need to be nice to him. Hell will have to freeze over first.

Arriving at the first row of parked cars, I pull the Post-It out from my pocket and begin scanning the plates, looking for the black van.

“Good afternoon, miss. Can I help you find anything in particular?”

Looking up, I see a suited man with a combover and a name tag looking at me expectantly. The rental rep, by the looks of him.

“Yes, actually,” I affirm. “I’m looking for a black minivan.”

“You have come to the right place,” he tells me with an eager smile as he starts to lead me to the other side of the lot. “Global Drive stocks the largest selection of rental vans available for hire in the area, and we’re happy to accommodate both long- and short-term requirements. Are you moving, by any chance?”

“Huh?” I’d been too busy trying to match the van plates to the number on the Post-It that I totally missed the question.

The rep’s smile falters slightly. “Since your interest is in a minivan, am I correct to assume that y—?”

“No.”

Both mine and the rep’s gaze snap around to land on the hulking presence of Lucifer, who has managed to slither up behind us without either of us noticing.

“We’re not planning on renting it,” he adds, with what I can only deduce is his interpretation of an angelic smile.

My stomach drops. Oh, no…

The rep frowns. “Then why—?”

“Because this lovely young lady is of the belief that she may have left a rather intimate item in one of your vans following a recent excursion of ours. And she’s desperate to retrieve it.”

“Oh, well of course!" agrees the rep. “We pride ourselves on—"

“It’s lacy… And expensive…” Lucifer clarifies with a sly look. “And probably lodged between the—”

“The point is!” I interject loudly, my cheeks burning with mortification despite the fact that the entire story is a shameless lie. “We would like to take a look in the van. The plate number was NYK 357.”

The demeanour of the rep suddenly shifts. “Umm… Are you certain?”

“Yes,” I say, laying a hand on his arm to try and sway him like I did the detective. “Very—”

The rep snatches his arm away. “I’m going to need to see some ID. I cannot allow access to the vehicles without verifying that—”

I reach towards him again. “Surely that’s not necessary… We just want to take a quick peek, and—”

“He’s going to bolt…” breathes Lucifer in my ear.

I flick my head away irately. “Shut—”

But the rep has already turned tail and fled.

“Damn it!” I grit.

“Told you,” Lucifer smirks down at me.

I give him an annoyed shove. “He only did that because of you! If you hadn’t stuck your nose in it, I would’ve—”

“I did nothing,” he counters tersely, the coals of his eyes flaring in warning. “Your attempt to influence him was doomed from the start. But you were too obstinate to notice.”

“Obstinate!” I cry. “You were breathing in my ear!”

“And did you like it?” he purrs, suddenly all up in my space again as he flips the tables on me with diabolical speed.

“No,” I snort, turning pointedly away.

Asshole…

He deliberately sabotaged my attempt to establish a connection with the rental rep. Whether for his own perverse enjoyment — like the Devil temping Eve in the Garden — or whether for some more sinister reason, it doesn’t matter. The end result is the same. And I have no clue how I’m going to be able to salvage this rapidly snowballing clusterfuck, given that I am already working on borrowed time.

But I know I have to try. I’ve somehow managed to make it this far, in spite of the successive obstacles Lucifer’s thrown in my way, and I refuse to give that bastard the satisfaction of believing that I’m going to let him win whatever one-sided game he’s playing.

“He is gay.”

I stumble to a stop. “Say what?”

Lucifer is standing in front of me, blocking the way to the door of the rental centre. “The rental rep. He is gay. That is why your feeble attempts to influence him didn’t work.”

“Yeah… Right…” I snap, trying to push past him. I’m not falling for whatever kind of trick this is supposed to be.

He grabs my arm. “Check that attitude before I check it for you, Unclaimed. Because you’re not going to like my methods…”

“Is that supposed to be a threat?” I hit back. “Because based on what I’ve seen of your ‘methods’, they are mediocre at best.”

His eyes flash in fury. “You’ve seen nothing, angel…”

“I’m not an angel,” I deride, wrenching my arm from his grasp.

He scoffs. “Well, you’re certainly no demon. The way you’re floundering around like—”

I catch sight of something through the window. “Oh, no…”

Lucifer jerks his gaze over his shoulder…

…and before I can blink, he’s vanished into the rental centre, the glass door flapping wildly in his wake.

Catching the handle on the out-swing, I dash after him as fast as my stiletto boots can carry me… and an involuntary gasp escapes me as I lay eyes on the scene in front of me.

The rental rep is pressed up against the wall, his feet dangling a good foot off the ground as Lucifer holds him suspended with the hand locked around his neck. The phone that I’d spotted the rep frantically trying to dial a moment ago lies shattered on the floor.

“Please…” begs the man, clawing desperately at the fingers that are squashing his trachea. “I—“

“Shut up,” growls Lucifer, shoving the rep higher. “You have exactly two seconds to tell us everything we need to know before I rip your throat out. And if you even think about lying… Well, you don’t even want to go there…”

The rep blanches visibly. “Anything! I’ll… I’ll tell you anything! Please, just—“

“Ask him,” Lucifer barks without even a glance in my direction.

I take a shaky step forward. “We… We’re looking for the driver who rented the black van. License plate—”

“I… I know…” croaks the rep, his face starting to redden from the lack of oxygen. “I worked the shift and… and remember him. He never bought the van back…”

My throat tightens painfully. Because he rammed me off the road…

“Who was he?” demands Lucifer.

“Not… local,” the man rasps, struggling for breath. “Gave a hotel as an address… Hotel… Hotel Aphrodite. And his name… His name sounded strange… almost French. But he didn’t speak—”

“To Hell with all that,” comes the short-tempered command. “Give us the fucking name.”

“Am-Amidi Laurent!”

Lucifer drops the rep like a sack of trash. “You got that?”

“Yeah…” I confirm tightly, watching the man wheeze on the floor.

“Good,” he grits. “Let’s go.”

Without giving me a say in the matter, he grabs my wrist to haul me out the door.

I stumble after him like a witless marionette, trying to process what I just witnessed.

Lucifer… Willing to kill… For me…?

The concept simply does not compute.

“Happy now?”

The sound of Lucifer’s voice wrenches me from the whirlpool of my thoughts…

…and looking up, I find that we’re back out on the street, just around the corner from the rental centre.

“I…” I glance back in the direction of Global Drive with a lump in my throat. “Why did you do that?”

“To save time,” he replies dispassionately. “And get the truth out of him.”

“Yeah… But…” A shiver courses through me at the ease with which he’d immobilised the rep… The ease with which he’d threatened him. “Why?”

Lucifer lets out an exasperated exhale. “Hell’s bells, you Unclaimed are dense sometimes… Because that’s what you wanted.”

I gape at him, stupefied. This must be some kind of fever dream…

“Don’t I get a thank you?”

The simplicity of his question knocks me off kilter completely.

My eyes lift to his almost on their own volition, and I find him gazing down at me silently, intently… like a cat waiting to see in which direction the mouse will jump.

Except there is no malice or mockery in his gaze. Just plain old curiosity once again.

And because my tongue has become stuck in my throat, and after everything that’s just happened, my mind is a non-functioning mess, I do the stupidest thing imaginable…

…and reach up to kiss him on the cheek.

He stiffens — probably just as shocked by what’s happening as I would be if I could think coherently right now. But for whatever reason, he doesn’t laugh or pull away. He simply stands, still as a statue, hardly even drawing breath.

I have no idea how long we stay there, frozen in time with my lips pressed against his jaw — the heat of his skin burning me even through the dampener of his mortal guise — before we finally break apart.

I turn quickly away, face flushed and heart hammering, not being able to bring myself to look him in the eye for fear of what I might find there.

Oh, Christ… What the hell did I just do?

The story continues in Devil You Know

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#heavens secret #lucifer #devon hart #lucifer x oc #Spotify

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choicesjanuary2024 · 10 months ago

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Listed in alphabetical order by artist name. If I missed adding one on this list, or missed reblogging, please let me know.

@aallotarenunelma

Chronicles of a Crimson Summer 11 (ID Fic & Edit, Cas x MC)

Songs that describe my pairings (ID & It Lives Songs)

@dutifullynuttywitch

Starlit night (WtD Fic, Troy x MC)

@inlocusmads

chosen family (CoP Fic, Trystan)

hello, goodbye ~ jimmy rose (CoP Fic, Jimmy)

laplace’s angel (CoP Fic, Trystan x MC)

meeting at a crosswalk (CoP Fic, Trystan x MC)

slam poetry (MAH Fic, Stevie x MC)

@jerzwriter

A Different Fate - Final Chapter (OPH Fic, Ethan x MC)

A Little Mess (OPH Edit, Tobias x MC)

A New Perspective (OPH Fic, Tobias x MC)

A Tipsy Winter Tale (CoP Fic, Trystan x MC)

Clucking Amazing (OPH Edit, Ethan x MC)

Different Destinations (OPH Fic, Tobias x MC)

If the hat fits… (CoP Fic & Art Commission, Trystan x MC)

It Always Starts Somewhere…. (CoP Fic, Trystan x MC)

Pen-sive (OPH Fic, Ethan x MC)

Pietro & Azul (OPH Fic, Tobias x MC)

Stress Reduction (OPH Fic, Tobias x MC)

The Morning (WtD Fic, Eli x MC)

Trystan’s 2023 Holiday Recap (CoP Edit, Trystan x MC)

Twenty-Five (WTD Fic, Troy & MC)

@ladylamrian

A Prince for the Holidays (Blades Fic, Aerin x MC)

His Barbie, Her Ken (Nightbound Fic, Nik x MC)

Loyal to be Royal (Nightbound Fic, Nik x MC, Garrus x MC)

@liaromancewriter

Daddy’s Girl (OPH Fic, Ethan x MC)

Making It Work (OPH Edit, Ethan x MC)

Miami Nights: Before and After (OPH Edit, Ethan x MC)

New Year Wishes (OPH Fic, Ethan x MC)

Whatever It Takes (OPH Edit, Ethan x MC)

@lilyoffandoms

Alex as the Winter Princess (Nightbound Art, MC)

Aerin x Raine (Blades Art, Aerin x MC)

Ash Clark (ILITW Art, OC)

Captain Pandrosion Elara (AtV Art, Sol, Meridian, Kepler, MC)

Casey MacTavish (OPH Art, MC)

Coffee Date(s) (CoP Art, Trystan x MC)

Detective Lilah Rose (CoP Art, MC)

Ethan (OPH Art)

Gabriel Rose (CoP Art)

Imtura Tal Kaelen (Blades)

Inspired by Mal x Daenarya (Blades Art, Mal x OC)

Kajsiab (Alpha Art, MC)

Kieran (TCH Art)

Lancelot x Guinevere Silhouette (Guinevere Art, Lancelot x MC)

Leaf, King of Birds (TCH Art)

Lilah Rose (CoP Art, MC)

Luca O'Rinn (ID MC)

Mal Volari (Blades Art)

Marianna Howard (Desire and Decorum Fanart, OC)

Nia Ellarious (Blades Art)

Nora Rose (CoP Art, MC)

Sabastyan Thorne Case File (CoP Art)

Saini Rusanen (ID Art, MC)

Tatum x Aubrey (FA Art, Tatum x MC)

Together We Win (Blades Art, MC)

Trystan (CoP Art)

Tyril Starfury (Blades Art)

Wallace (Blades Art)

@lovealexhunt

Happy New Year (RCD Fic & Art Commission, Thomas x MC)

Helios - Emma’s Arylu (TE Art, Familiar)

#plantlove (OPH Fic, Bryce x OC)

Post Christmas Bliss (RCD Art Commission, Thomas x MC)

Spread Joy #841 (Blades Edit, Mal)

Tuneless Wonders (TE, Fic & Art Commission)

Valax (Blades Art)

@peonyblossom

Hades of House Nightbloom (Blades Art Commission, MC)

I Wasn’t Built For Iceland (AME Fic, Carson x MC)

We’ll Figure It Out (Untamable Fic, Kit x MC)

@stars-are-within-me

In Her Arms (CoP Fic, Vasili, Juliana)

The Skies (Blades Fic, Imtura, Ventra)

@tess-liam

Turning the Page (TRR Fic, Liam x OC)

@thosehallowedhalls

A 2AM Christmas Tree Farm [1/2] (CoP Fic, Trystan x MC)

Babysitting the Demonic Duo (CoP Fic, Trystan x MC)

Home without - Part One (CoP Fic, Trystan x MC)

Progression (CoP Fic, Trystan x MC)

Tabloids, or a story in 5 headlines (CoP Fic, Trystan x Emma)

#playchoices #choicesjanuary #choicesjanuary2024 #choices monthly challenge #masterlist

31 notes · View notes

peonierose · 1 year ago

Text

Masterlist

Open Heart

Set after OH ended

Pink Lemonade - Part 1 - ☁️ | - Luna Auclair (F!OC) x Bryce Lahela (M!MC)

Summary: A surprise waits for Luna. What has Bryce in store?

"Love me Tender" ☁️ | - Luna Auclair (F!OC) x Bryce Lahela (M!MC)

Summary: Bryce and Luna are newly minted parents and weren't prepared of struggling to put their twins to bed. Will they succeed?

Las hijas de Luna ☁️ | - Luna Auclair (F!OC) x Bryce Lahela (M!MC)

Summary: It’s time for Luna and Bryce to welcome their twins into the world. Will there be any complications? Or will the birth go without a hitch?

Don‘t call me Angel ☁️ | - Characters involved: Luna Auclair (F!OC - OH), Bryce Lahela (M!MC - OH), Tobias Carrick (M!MC - OH, Maxwell Beaumont (M!MC - TRR) and Bertrand Beaumont (M!MC - TRR)

Summary: Luna helps Tobias to polish his image. Will she be successful?

Losing Game (4/4) 📚 🎭 | - Luna Auclair (F!OC) x Bryce Lahela (M!MC)

Summary: Bryce and Luna have worked things out. But there is still one visit to make before Bryce and Luna find closure.

Losing Game (3/4) 📚 🎭 | - Luna Auclair (F!OC) x Bryce Lahela (M!MC)

Summary: Bryce visited his dad in prison and now he and Luna are oceans apart, but after a scare during his surgery he can only think of one person to call.

Losing Game (2/4) 📚 🎭 | - Luna Auclair (F!OC) x Bryce Lahela (M!MC)

Summary: Bryce comes back from visiting his father in prison. Though he didn’t tell Luna. Will things work out between them? Or will they drift further apart?

Losing Game (1/4) 📚 🎭 | - Luna Auclair (F!OC) x Bryce Lahela (M!MC)

Summary: Bryce visits his dad in prison. How will that go? Will they reunite or will they stay apart forever?

Summer‘s Kiss ☁️ | - Luna Auclair (F!OC) x Bryce Lahela (M!MC)

Summary: Luna and Bryce enjoy a bit of alone time together by Manoa Falls.

I‘m a Sucker for You ☁️ | - Luna Auclair (F!OC) x Bryce Lahela

Summary: Bryce and Luna spend some time on Valentine‘s Day (even though they’re not the biggest Valentine’s Day fans). With one or two presents in between.

Rosé all Day ☁️ | - Luna Auclair (F!OC), Keiki Lahela (F!MC), Evie Auclair (F!OC), Soraya Auclair (F!OC), Meilani Leahi (F!OC) and Bryce Lahela (M!MC)

Summary: It’s Maxines birthday on February 14th, but Luna knows that Maxine doesn’t like Valentine‘s day. So she and the girls spend some quality time together. Drinking eating, and playing some games.

Looks like Pizza to me ☁️ | - Luna Auclair (F!OC), Bryce Lahela (M!MC), Soraya Auclair (F!OC), Evie Auclair (FOC), Skyler Auclair (M!OC)

Summary: Luna, her cousins Soraya, Evie and Sky make pizza and debate if pineapple belong on pizza or not. Who will win the debate?

Cake by the Ocean ☁️ | - Luna Auclair (F!OC) x Bryce Lahela (M!MC)

Summary: Before Bryce and Luna get a special surprise before their cake testing. Are they ready for this next step in their relationship?

A Pinch of Pink and Blue...This one's for you ☁️🎭 | - Luna Auclair (F!OC) x Bryce Lahela (M!MC)

Summary: Bryce and Luna have the talk about trying for kids. Are they ready for that yet?

Go Blonder ☁️ | - Luna Auclair (F!OC) x Bryce Lahela (M!MC)

Summary: Bryce makes a bet with Jackie. What happens if he loses?

I Do ☁️ | - Luna Auclair (F!OC), Bryce Lahela (M!MC), Hayley. Valentine-Ramsey (F!MC)

Summary: Bryce, Luna and their friends and family were invited to attend Ethan and Hayley‘s wedding.

My Love won't let you down ☁️ | - Luna Auclair (F!OC), Soraya Auclair (F!OC), Bryce Lahela (M!MC), Skyler Auclair (M!OC) and Evie Auclair (F!OC)

Summary: Soraya is heartbroken. Luna, Bryce and Luna's cousin Sky and Evie help her go through it.

Paint Wars ☁️ | - Luna Auclair (F!OC) x Bryce Lahela (M!MC)

Summary: Bryce and Luna turn painting into an afternoon of fun.

A new Chapter ☁️ 🎭 📱 | - Bryce Lahela (M!MC), Keiki Lahela (F!MC), Luna Auclair (F!OC) and Dylan Yu (M!OC)

Summary: It’s prom night for Keiki, but it’s not exactly how she pictured it would go.

'How were we ever strangers...' ☁️ 🎭 | - Luna Auclair (F!OC) x Bryce Lahela (M!MC)

Summary: Luna wants to ask Bryce to marry her, not knowing Bryce wants to ask her too. Will they get a chance to ask each other?

By a Landslide ☁️ 🎭 | - Luna Auclair (F!OC) x Bryce Lahela (M!MC)

Summary: Bryce and Luna take a trip to Hawaii, though they have a tough decision to make.

Just Temporary ☁️ 🎭 | - Luna Auclair (F!OC) x Bryce Lahela (M!MC)

Summary: Bryce heard some nurses talk badly about Luna and there was no way he wouldn't defend her.

'I'll love you through the Madness, babe' ☁️ 🎭 | - Luna Auclair (F!OC) x Bryce Lahela (M!MC)

Summary: It’s Henry's anniversary, Bryce's best friend. Someone at work made some nasty comments and Bryce got into a fight. Luna tries to cheer him up a bit.

Go with the Flow ☁️ | - Luna Auclair (F!OC) x Bryce Lahela (M!MC)

Summary: Bryce gets Luna to try out surfing. It doesn't go as planned.

Always & Forever ☁️ | - Luna Auclair (F!OC) x Bryce Lahela (M!MC)

Summary: Luna decides to get a tattoo. But she's scared to get one alone so Bryce goes with her.

"Wild Blue" ☁️ | - Luna Auclair (F!OC) x Bryce Lahela (M!MC)

Summary: Luna has a photoshoot for a good cause with Bryce's help she's not scared to do the photoshoot.

Only Love ☁️ | - Luna Auclair (F!OC) x Bryce Lahela (M!MC)

Summary: Bryce shows Luna how to french braid, since she can't do it.

Cinnamon Sugar ☁️ | - Maxine Moore (F!OC) x Adam Sinclair (M!OC)

Summary: Maxine go out on their first date. How will it go? Will sparks fly or will it be a flop?

Bittersweet Symphony ☁️ | - Maxine Moore (F!OC) x Adam Sinclair (M!OC)

Summary: Maxine’s & Adams relationship goes a step further. Will they become official? Or will it take them more time?

Kintsugi ☁️ 🎭 Ⓜ️ | - Maxine Moore (F!OC) x Adam Sinclair (M!OC)

Summary: Maxine has trouble with anxiety and depression. Adam shows up to help her through it. As well as her best friend Luna.

Dates and Other Catastrophes - Part 1 -

Wildflower ☁️ | - Keiki Lahela (F!MC) x Koa Haulani (M!OC)

Summary: Keiki who still struggles with trusting guys and entering a new relationship after Dylan broke her heart. That's when she meets Koa. Will she give him a chance or will she let her fear of getting hurt win and therefore miss out on a great connection with Koa?

Blue Lagoon: ☁️ 📱 | - Luna Auclair (F!OC) x Bryce Lahela (M!MC)

Summary: It‘s Bryce’s bachelor party. Let’s see what he and his friends were up to.

Nightmare before Christmas ☁️ 📱 | - Luna Auclair (F!OC) x Bryce Lahela (M!MC)

Summary: Bryce and Luna have a debate if Nightmare before Christmas is a Halloween or Christmas movie.

Hau’oli la Heleui ☁️ 📱- Luna Auclair (F!OC), Bryce Lahela (M!MC), Keiki Lahela (F!MC) and more

Summary: Luna, Bryce and their friends and family celebrate Halloween.

Viva Las Vegas ☁️ 📱 🌈 | - Soraya Auclair (F!OC) x Meilani Leihi (F!OC)

Summary: Two beautiful people are getting married and start a new chapter in their lives.

Pumpkin Spice ☁️ 📱 | - Bryce Lahela (M!MC), Luna Auclair (F!OC) and more

Summary: It’s fall time meaning Luna and Bryce celebrate Halloween with their friends and family.

Pink Champagne - Part 2 ☁️ 📱 | - Luna Auclair (F!OC), Bryce Lahela (M!MC) and more

Pink Champagne - Part 1 ☁️ 📱 | - Luna Auclair (F!OC), Bryce Lahela (M!MC) and more

Summary: Luna and her friends celebrate her birthday and her bachelorette party. Going away on a trip to Greece.

Best asked question ☁️ 📱 | - Bryce Lahela (M!MC), Keiki Lahela (F!MC), Luna Auclair (F!OC), Maxine Moore (F!OC), Evie Auclair (F!OC), Soraya Auclair (F!OC)

Summary: Bryce and Luna have very important questions to ask.

My number One ☁️ 📱 | - Luna Auclair (F!OC), Bryce Lahela (M!MC), Keiki Lahela (F!MC)

Summary: If Luna and Bryce were a Disney couple which one would they be?

Sunshine ☀️ - ☁️ 📱 | - Luna Auclair, Bryce Lahela, Keiki Lahela, Maxine Moore, Grace Auclair, Skylar Auclair, Soraya Auclair, Evie Auclair

Summary: Luna, Bryce, their family and friends celebrate Brian, Luna's dad's birthday.

Mother's Day - 📱| - Luna Auclair, Bryce Lahela, Keiki Lahela, Maxine Moore, Grace Auclair, Skylar Auclair, Soraya Auclair, Evie Auclair and more

Summary: Just a few picta edits for Mother‘s Day 💐 Enjoy 😊

Bittersweet - 📱 | - Luna Auclair, Bryce Lahela, Keiki Lahela and more

Summary: Bryce and Luna spend their last couple of days in Boston with their close friends.

Homecoming Part 2 📱 | - Luna Auclair, Bryce Lahela, Keiki Lahela and more

Summary: It’s Bryce’s Birthday. Meaning celebrating and opening presents.

Homecoming Part 1 - ☁️ 📱 | - Luna Auclair, Bryce Lahela, Keiki Lahela and more

Summary: It’s not only Bryce and Luna moving back to Hawaii…it’s also Bryce’s Birthday on April, 16th (Yes, I took my own birthday and used it for Bryce’s as well)

Shamrock Kisses - ☁️ 📱 | - Bryce Lahela (M!MC), Luna Auclair (F!OC), Maxine Moore (F!OC), Keiki Lahela (F!MC) and Hayley Valentine (F!MC)

It's a wrap 📱 | - Bryce Lahela (M!MC), Luna Auclair

Summary: It’s Saint Patrick’s Day and the group‘s celebrating 🥳

L-O-V-E - ☁️ 📱 | - Luna Auclair (F!OC), Bryce Lahela (M!MC), Keiki Lahela (F!MC)

Summary: Bryce, Luna, Keiki and their friends celebrate valentines day.

Let them eat...healthy? 📱 | - Characters involved: Bryce Lahela, Luna Auclair, Keiki Lahela, Maxine, Dylan Yu.

Summary: Bryce tries to motivate everyone to eat more healthy.

❗️On Hiatus ❗️

Nightbound vs. Hänsel & Gretel

Introduction Ⓜ️ | -Gretel van Andresen (F!OC) and Hänsel van Andresen (M!OC)

Chapter 1: Wake up Little Susie Ⓜ️ | - Gretel van Andresen (F!OC) and Hänsel van Andresen (M!OC)

Summary: Hänsel and Gretel two amazing supernatural hunters are working on a new case that leads them to New Orleans and to old friends. So let the good times roll.

Chapter 2: Strange Encounters Ⓜ️ | - Gretel van Andresen (F!OC), Hänsel van Andresen (M!OC), Nik (M!MC), Katherine (F!MC) and Garros (M!MC)

Summary: Hänsel and Gretel arrive in New Orleans and meet some old friends. Will they be able to help them with the case?

Chapter 3: Unexpected Ⓜ️ | - Gretel van Andresen (F!OC), Hänsel van Andresen (M!OC), Grey (M!OC), Vi (F!OC) and Vine (

Summary: Hänsel and Gretel are now in New Orleans. Looking for clues. They’ll encounter someone new. Friend or Foe?

That's Amore 📱 | - Sam Dalton (M!MC), Addison Dalton (F!MC), Sofia Russo (F!MC), Robin Flores (M!MC), Jenny (F!MC), Addison Dalton (F!MC)

Summary: Emma organizes a trip to Italy for her husband Sam, their kids, her best friend Jenny, Robin, Sofia and Addison.

Once TNA & OH Crossover (AU)

Sam Dalton (M!MC), Addison Dalton (F!MC), Ethan Ramsey (M!MC) and Robin Flores (M!MC)

Summary: Addison has stage four ovarian cancer. So Sam and Addi seek a consultation with Dr. Ethan Ramsey at Edenbrook. Will they make it in time?

Part (1/5) Ⓜ️ 🎭 | - Sam Dalton (M!MC) x Addison Dalton (F!MC)

Part (2/5) Ⓜ️ 🎭 | - Sam Dalton (M!MC) x Addison Dalton (F!MC)

Part (3/5) Ⓜ️ 🎭 | - Sam Dalton (M!MC), Addison Dalton (F!MC) and Ethan Ramsey (M!MC)

Part (4/5) Ⓜ️ 🎭 | - Sam Dalton (M!MC), Robin Flores (M!MC), Ethan Ramsey (M!MC)

Part (5/5) Ⓜ️ 🎭 | - Sam Dalton (M!MC), and Addison Dalton (F!MC)

Girls Night

Sam Dalton (M!MC), Emma Anderson (F!MC) and more

Summary: The girls have a fun night together, but things don’t go as planned.

Chapter 1 - What's the Secret password - Ⓜ️ | - Emma Anderson (F!MC), Addison Dalton (F!MC) and more

Part 2 - Party like you mean it - Ⓜ️ | - Emma Anderson (F!MC), Addison Dalton (F!MC) and more

Part 3 - Streaking past your neighbors house Ⓜ️ | - Emma Anderson (F!MC), Addison Dalton (F!MC) and more

Part 4 - Epilogue - You & I Ⓜ️ | - Addison Dalton (F!MC) x Robin Flores (M!MC)

The Tell-All

Robin Flores (M!MC)

Summary: Robins Tell-All interview with Serena Knight. Told from his point of view.

Part 1 - Ⓜ️

Part 2 - Ⓜ️

Thankful

Summary: Robin spends thanksgiving with Sam, Emma, Jenny and Addison.

Bite Me - Gabriel Adalhard and Cas Harlow

Moja Ruža - ☁️ | Rose De Luca (F!MC) x Trystan Thorne (M!MC)

Summary:

Peppermint Kisses | Rose De Luca (F!MC) x Trystan Thorne (M!MC)

Summary: It’s Christmas time and Rose and Trystan spend some time with their family and friends, when their quality time gets interrupted by a pickpocket. Can Rose and Trystan solve the case?

Week 1: All Smiles and Giggles - Luna Auclair (F!OC - Open Heart)

Week 2: Picture this - Hänsel & Gretel (OC‘s - Nightbound)

Week 3: Kala Kala - Luna Auclair (F!OC - Open Heart)

Under Construction 🚧

Other Fics

Both are good 🌈 | - Bryce Lahela (M!MC) x Raleigh Carrera (M!MC)

Colab with @aallotarenunelma

Aallotar's A/N: This project started exactly a month ago, as my great friend Peonie and I were complaining about the lack of fictions about friendship. We discussed and chose a great pair of friends across the Choices universe. Since then, everything has fallen into place, so this fiction is an entry for the Let's Hear it for the Boys event by @choicesficwriterscreations , as well as for the Bi Awareness Week hosted by @choicespride ! This is a labour of love and a lot of fun. Hopefully you'll enjoy it! 💛

Peonie's A/N: I’ve worked on this project with one of my favorite friends, they’ve become one of my closest friends and this is our project. Hope you’ll enjoy this story as much fun as we had writing it 😍💚😚