#watched a video from a channel I kind of like where she’s talking about her favorite books she’s read this year. out of 67.

[avvidstarion]

Need to get off booktube methinks

[pitlanepeach]

From Eden | Chapter Five (5/8)

Oscar Piastri x Francesca Gold (OFC)

Summary — Francesca Gold is an introvert with a quiet life and a Youtube channel where she talks about books, drinks too much tea, and rarely ever shows her face. She prefers it that way - tucked into her London flat with her cat, Henry, and safely hidden behind a screen.

Oscar Piastri is a Formula 1 driver. Fast-paced, high-stakes, always on the move. He hasn't read a book in years, but he's watched every single one of Francesca's videos. Just for the sound of her voice.

Following her on Instagram was a moment of weakness. He didn't think she'd notice.

She did.

Chapter Warnings — Mentions of agoraphobia + severe social anxiety + telling a partner about self harm. Some awkwardness (obviously. it's them.) Kissing!!!!!!!.

Notes — Ohmygod they’re literally insufferable. I love them so much. I wrote half of this in the middle of the night and the rest when I was supposed to be WFH. Don’t tell my boss.

It took twelve minutes — a stuttered conversation about his plane journey (“Boring. I chose the wrong job for a guy who hates travelling so much.”), him tripping over a random stack of books, and Francesca’s uncontrollable burst of laughter at his clumsiness that cracked through the initial awkward tension.

And then it was just… easy. Like they’d known each other forever.

Oscar fit. He fit into her space. Not seamlessly — his legs hung off the edge of the sofa, and he had to duck to get into the kitchen without smacking his head — but somehow, he still fit. Like there had always been a space carved out for him here, quiet and waiting. 

“You have a lot of books,” he grunted, rubbing his elbow where he’d caught it on the corner of a shelf after trying (and failing) to avoid another tumble. A faint red blotch bloomed across his cheek. 

Francesca pursed her lips in a valiant effort to hide her grin; her cheeks hurt. Had she stopped smiling since he’d arrived? Probably not. “That’s my entire livelihood you’re talking about.”

Oscar gave her a mock-serious nod, eyes twinkling. “My apologies. I guess I just have to get used to feeling like I’m in a library then.”

Francesca raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. “Correct. Insult the books and you’ll be out on the street faster than you can say ugly orange racecar.”

He grinned at that, dimples flashing. “Papaya,” he corrected, automatically.

“Osc. It’s… so orange,” she told him, gentle and sincere. “They’ve brainwashed you.” 

He rolled his eyes, a hint of a smirk tugging at his lips. “Hm. Agree to disagree.”

She huffed her annoyance, but she was smiling, still.

Oscar looked around the flat again, with more intention. Most of the walls were lined with shelves — overflowing, chaotic, personal. Not just books, but little figurines, old mugs repurposed as pen holders, framed photos, postcards, pressed flowers between glass. Her entire world, encompassed inside these four walls.

“I like it here,” he said quietly, more to himself than to her.

Francesca’s smile faltered, just a touch. She studied him, trying to figure out if he meant it — really meant it — or if he was just being kind.

But Oscar met her gaze with something solid. Unwavering.

“I’m glad you let me come,” he added, softer this time. “Really glad.”

Right. Because he really was here.

Not on a screen. Not in the background of a race broadcast. But here, in her flat, stepping over book piles and stealing glances at her like she was the only thing in the room he really wanted to be looking at.

Henry hopped up beside him on the sofa, gave him a cursory sniff, then promptly curled up next to his thigh like he, too, had accepted Oscar's presence as something entirely inevitable.

“You’ve been vetted,” Francesca said, settling in across from them with her knees pulled up.

Oscar tilted his head. “By the cat or by you?”

She smiled. “Both. Congratulations.”

He leaned back, arms stretched out across the cushions, one foot nudging hers gently. “Worth it.”

— 

Francesca didn’t mean to end up pressed right up against him on the sofa. It just sort of… happened.

One minute they were sitting side by side, knees brushing slightly whenever she shifted to grab her mug from the coffee table, and the next, she found herself curled against his side, her legs pulled up, tucked comfortably between them, a blanket pooled over both their laps.

Oscar’s arm had moved slowly, almost unsurely at first, but now it was settled around her shins, his big hand warm around her ankle, wrapping around it entirely. His thumb made small, absent-minded circles, like he hadn’t even realised he was doing it. Francesca hadn’t said anything, didn’t want to break this spell they’d found themselves in.

Henry was curled on the rug nearby, snoring faintly. Oscar had tried to bribe him with a treat earlier. The cat had blinked once, disinterested, then strolled off with his tail flicking like a snub.

“I don’t think he likes me very much,” Oscar murmured, glancing at the feline. “He’s kind of a little bastard, actually.”

Francesca smiled, eyes on the cat. “He’s discerning.”

“Is that the polite word for emotionally unavailable?”

“That,” she agreed, “and slightly spiteful. He liked you when you first got here, but now you’re stealing my attention from him, so…”

Oscar chuckled. “Can’t deny he’s cute. I can see why you love him.”

“I do,” she said simply. Then, after a pause, “He makes me feel safe.”

Oscar glanced down at her, the humour in his expression fading into something gentler. “Yeah?”

Francesca took a breath and let it out slowly. “Yeah. He’s quiet — unless he’s hungry and I’ve forgotten his breakfast. Doesn’t expect much. Doesn’t judge me. And he’s just… here, you know? He just exists near me. Always.”

Oscar didn’t speak right away. He didn’t try to fill the silence with something easy or deflecting. Instead, his thumb traced a slow, steady line along her ankle, grounding her.

“He’s taken good care of you, then,” he said, soft but certain.

She turned her head to look at him — really looked. “Yeah. Is that weird?”

“No,” he said firmly, with a tone that very much implied that he wouldn’t accept any different. 

His hand left her ankle after a moment, fingers brushing up her leg, light and patient, until they found hers, half-curled on her lap. He picked up one of her hands gently, like it might break.

And maybe it already had; in a way.

He turned it over slowly, thumb grazing the inside of her wrist, then the raw, reddened skin across her knuckles and the side of her palm, the tiny pinch bruises, the white scars. His gaze flicked to hers, suddenly cautious.

Francesca swallowed hard. God, she’d known this would come up eventually. She hadn’t expected them to be so touchy so fast, but it was far too late to pretend this was going to be anything slow-burning. They’d already burned for long enough.

“It’s not— I don’t hurt myself. Not… deliberately.” Her voice shook, but she didn’t stop. “It’s more like… when things get too much, and I don’t know how to handle it, I pick. Scratch. Sometimes I don’t even notice I’m doing it until it’s already bad.” She drew in a breath, unsteady. “It’s been worse before. But this — this is still pretty recent.”

Oscar didn’t let go.

He didn’t flinch or shift away or frown in that way that made people feel like they’d just confessed to something shameful. Instead, he laced their fingers together, slow and certain.

“My parents hated it,” she said after a silent moment. “Whenever they caught me doing anything that made them uncomfortable — biting my nails, needing to leave places early — it was like I was ruining it for them. Like I was an inconvenience on purpose, you know?”

Oscar’s jaw went tight, but he didn’t interrupt.

“I wasn’t allowed to talk about how I was feeling. They didn’t… like hearing it. I had to hide everything. After a while, I started hiding it from myself, too.” She gave his hand a tiny squeeze. “And then, one day, it started manifesting itself in other ways.”

“Like this,” Oscar said gently, brushing a thumb over her hand again.

She nodded, eyes burning. “It’s getting better. I- I hardly do it anymore. I can go months without an issue. I know it’s terrible, I do, but I promise, I can try—.”

“You don’t have to try for me,” he said, voice low as he cut her off, halting her spiral. “Don’t ever have to hide how you’re feeling, or what you’re thinking. You get that?”

Francesca bit her lip, hard. Her chest was tight — not in her usual twisted panic kind of way, but something much, much warmer. 

“I’m a bit scared,” she whispered, curling closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder and breathing him in. “That you’ll realise how messy I am and… I don’t know. Decide I’m not worth the hassle.”

“You are,” he said, without hesitation.

No pause. No doubt. Just truth.

She let out a soft, disbelieving laugh. “You don’t know that.”

“Kinda do,” Oscar murmured. “I’ve got my mess too. Plenty of it.” He paused, his voice low. “You might be the one who decides I’m not worth it. I can’t promise you a peaceful life, Francesca. I’ll try — I’ll do everything I can to give you something close — but I can’t guarantee anything.”

She shook her head before he could spiral further. “Osc, stop. I know. I already know,” she said gently.

And that was enough.

They stayed like that, wrapped around each other, fingers loosely tangled, hearts beating in tandem — not perfectly synced, but close enough. Close enough to mean something.

— 

The quiet felt different now.

Francesca sat on the edge of her sofa, staring at the dent Oscar had left in the cushion. Henry had moved to the other end, curled up into a croissant of cat contentment, but it wasn’t enough. Not tonight.

She'd tried brushing her teeth. Tidying. Scrolling on her phone. All of it only filled seconds.

It had been less than an hour since he’d left, and already the air in the flat felt too thin.

She got up and paced, arms crossed over her chest like they could hold her together.

This is ridiculous. He’s five minutes away. Maybe less. But also, you’ve known him for what? Three months? And then, he didn’t want to go either. You saw it on his face.

She reached for her phone, pulled it back, then finally opened FaceTime before she could change her mind. 

He picked up on the second ring. His hair was damp, he looked freshly showered, and the hoodie he was wearing sat slightly crooked on his shoulders.

“Hey,” he said, voice soft with surprise. “Everything alright?”

“I—um.” She pressed her lips together and huffed out a laugh. “Is it really weird if I ask you to come back?”

Oscar blinked once, then sat up straighter, the movement making the camera wobble slightly. “No. Not weird.”

“I’m not… asking for anything,” she clarified quickly, heat rising in her cheeks. “I just — I can’t really explain it. I just feel a bit off. I thought I’d be fine. I’ve lived alone for years and it’s never been a problem but now that you were here and now you’re not it just feels—”

“Wrong for me to be five minutes down the road?” he offered gently.

She nodded. “Yeah. Exactly that.”

There was a beat of silence. Then, he smiled — lopsided and warm. “I was hoping you’d say something. Didn’t want to be the one to push my luck.”

“I— Really?” She exhaled.

“I haven’t unpacked,” he admitted. “I’ve just been sitting here staring at the ceiling wondering if it was too soon to text you that I miss you.”

She laughed, the sound raw and relieved. “You’re such a dork.”

“Takes one to know one,” he said, standing up and already reaching for his shoes. “Give me ten minutes. I— should I bring my stuff?”

“Yeah.” She said, without even a second of hesitation. “I’ll leave the front door unlocked.”

Oscar hung up after one last smile in her direction. 

Francesca paced again, but this time it was different — tinged with a manic kind of anticipation, her steps light. 

When the door creaked open, she was perched on the arm of the sofa, kind of just… staring at it. Waiting. 

Oscar stepped inside, shaking his hair out from the light drizzle. “London really rolled out the welcome mat for me, huh?”

“It was wet already,” she said, and then stood there, looking at him. The comfort of his presence settled over her like a favourite hoodie. “Thank you for coming back.”

“I never really left,” he said. 

With a snort of derision, she reached for his hand, pulled him toward the couch, and they collapsed into the same dented cushions as earlier — this time, with no awkwardness, no space left between them. She practically curled up on his lap, in a move that was so very Henry of her.

It was late. Early hours of the morning. They were both tired. They didn’t talk much beyond a few whispered words here and there as they watched a random movie that was playing on Channel 4. Just sat, his arm slung around her waist, her fingers toying with the edge of his hoodie. He kissed her temple once, then rested his cheek there.

Easy. Warm. 

She wanted it forever. 

— 

Francesca moved around her kitchen on careful feet, trying not to make too much noise even though Oscar was very much awake — she was wearing one of his hoodies. They’d fallen asleep on the couch, a mess of limbs and cricked necks. When they woke up, she’d shivered, and he’d immediately grabbed his duffle, opened it, and grabbed the first hoodie to hand her. It had a McLaren logo on the front and smelled like him. 

The domesticity of it all was throwing her completely off balance.

He looked up from the mug in his hands when she set down two plates — toast, fruit. Not fancy, but easy. She didn’t say anything, and neither did he, not for a few moments. 

“You make weird tea,” he said finally, peering into his mug. It had a picture of Henry on it. When he’d chosen it out of the cupboard, she’d had to hide her smile. 

She tilted her head at him. “Huh? Weird how?”

“There’s oat milk in it,” he said, nose scrunching slightly.

“I like oat milk,” she replied, matter-of-fact. “You should’ve told me you didn’t. I think I have some powdered cow’s milk in the back of the cupboard somewhere…” She trailed off, glancing toward one of the kitchen cabinets with a furrowed brow.

Oscar coughed, hastily shaking his head. “No—God, no. I’m… yeah. Oat milk is just fine.”

Francesca stared at him for a second, a slow smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “It’s easy to forget you’re probably used to, like, fancy coffee. Flat whites with milk flown in from Australia or something.” 

She reached across the table and plucked a strawberry from his plate with deliberate mischief.

“Be nice about my milk preferences,” she added, popping it into her mouth.

“I am being nice,” he said with a small smile. “I’m drinking it, aren’t I?”

Their knees bumped under the table, lightly, accidentally-on-purpose. Francesca didn’t move hers away. Oscar didn’t either.

His phone buzzed near his elbow, but he didn’t reach for it. Francesca glanced at it, then back at him, then said, “Lando?”

He hummed. “Probably.”

She smiled around her bite of toast. “Aw. He’s your Katie.”

Oscar blinked at her. “My what?”

She laughed softly, a little embarrassed. “You know. The person you text the most. The one who you think about telling big news before anyone else.”

His expression softened, gaze dropping briefly to his plate before lifting again, meeting hers. “I think that’s you now.”

Francesca froze. Not in a bad way — just long enough to feel it settle deep in her chest, warm and a little scary. “Oh.”

Oscar’s foot nudged hers again, gentler this time. “Is that okay?”

“Yeah,” she said. “Yeah, it’s… very okay.”

They went quiet again, the air between them filled with something lighter now, but thicker, too. Oscar reached out, slowly, fingers brushing the edge of her plate to steal a slice of strawberry. She watched his hand, her gaze lingering as it retreated. And then she reached across and took it — his hand — without fully thinking.

He didn’t flinch. Just let her link their fingers and gave the tiniest squeeze in return.

“So,” he said softly, thumb brushing over her knuckles. “You studied English Lit at uni?”

Francesca nodded. Of course he’d noticed the framed certificate stuck to the fridge like a badge of honour. The most expensive fridge magnet in the world.

“Yeah. At York,” she said. “I was going to try and get into the publishing industry, originally. Or proof-editing. But… things changed. I started posting on YouTube a month after graduation, and it just… took off.” 

“Did you like studying?” he asked after a beat.

“Sometimes,” she replied, her voice thoughtful. “I liked the content. Loved the books. The theory, the discussions. Hated the actual, like, uni lifestyle though.”

He smiled, just a little. “Too much socialising for you, huh?”

She huffed out a laugh. “Too much everything. People everywhere, all the time. Constant pressure to be on. And drunk. I hated how loud it all was.”

Oscar’s fingers stilled for a second before they moved again, slow and grounding, rubbing circles on her skin. “I didn’t do uni,” he said, eyes flicking down to where their hands sat tangled between them. “Went to boarding school here, in England. Left after GCSEs to focus on racing full time.”

Francesca’s brow creased, the image of him at fifteen — maybe younger — on the other side of the world, too sharp in her mind. “Did you miss your family?” She frowned, thumb tracing a line over his wrist. “Your mum must have trusted you a lot, to let you make that decision.”

Oscar let out a breath, not quite a sigh. “Yeah,” he said. “She did. Does.” His voice dropped, a little rougher now. “It wasn’t easy. I mean, I was pretty lucky — I had lots of people around me, managers, mentors, a few teammates who looked out for me. But there were days when all I felt was homesick, you know?” 

Francesca turned her body more toward him, their knees bumping.

“I can’t imagine being so independent at that age,” she said, quietly.

“I think it taught me a lot,” he said after a moment. “But I don’t know if I’d want the same for my kids.” 

Her breath caught. 

“I- yeah.” She murmured. “I can see that.”

He looked at her then, properly, his hand moving to hold both of hers now, like he wanted to keep them steady. “When did you start reading?”

She bit the inside of her cheek. “Young. I used to go to the library after school. It felt safe there.” She confessed. “When I didn’t want to be at home.” 

“I- I really hate how you were treated by your family.” He admitted. “Did you— I mean, can you at least tell me that you had one person in your life who took care of you?” 

“Katie.” She said, after a heavy beat. “I met her at uni. She was studying business. She’s a great friend.” 

That wasn’t the answer he’d been wanting to hear, clearly, but he didn’t push. 

Francesca stared at him. There was a beat of quiet between them, soft and golden, and then she said, “You make me feel safe, Osc.”

He blinked at her. 

“I know it sounds like a lot,” she continued, “but there’s something about you that makes me feel like I can just… breathe.”

Oscar didn’t speak for a long moment. He just leaned in, her forehead resting lightly against hers.

Francesca let her eyes flutter shut, her breath catching in her throat. There was something cloying in the air between them now — expectant, tender, and so, so careful. His hand moved from hers, brushing up along her forearm, until it came to rest at the side of her face. His thumb traced a gentle line across her cheekbone, featherlight, like he was memorising every inch of her.

She opened her eyes just enough to meet his.

He was already looking at her.

Not the way other people looked at her — with pity, or hesitance, or confusion — but like he was enamoured by her. 

“Is this okay?” Oscar asked, voice barely a whisper.

Francesca gave the smallest nod, her fingers curling into the sleeve of his hoodie. “Yeah,” she breathed. “Please.”

So he kissed her.

It was slow. Intentional. No rush, no need to prove anything — just the warmth of his lips against hers, the quiet exhale from his nose, the gentle tilt of his head as he leaned in closer. He kissed her like he had all the time in the world to do it properly.

Francesca melted into it. Her hand came up to his shoulder, then his neck, fingers sliding into the soft hair at his nape. She felt his pulse against her palm, and hers answered in kind, a steady, stumbling rhythm. 

When they eventually pulled apart, neither of them moved far. Foreheads still resting together, breaths shared in the space between them, everything soft and golden in the morning light.

“I really like you,” she confessed, cheeks rosy red, lips swollen.

Oscar grinned, lips brushing against hers as he said, “Yeah. I really like you too.”

And then she laughed, small and slightly breathless. “Good. Because that would’ve been really awkward otherwise.”

He laughed with her, arms tightening around her like he didn’t quite want to let her go. “Yeah, that would’ve been devastating for my ego.” 

—

bookishgoldie just posted!

liked by oscarpiastri, hattiepiastri, and 47,109 others

bookishgoldie: new video-essay coming to your screens on Tuesday! hint: it’s about a certain singers influence on the contemporary romance genre 🪩🫶

view all comments

user21: holy shit my two worlds are colliding and i am NOT going to be calm about this

user17: she’s a HUGE swiftie miss girl isn’t quiet about it either 😭 ive been waiting for a vid like this from her omg

user87: me on tuesday: everybody shut up my show is on

user74: ohmygod real

user6: our girl is collecting piastri’s like pokemons ohmygod. oscar AND hattie in the likes iktr

user54: so her and oscar are definitely dating then lol

user69: maybe hattie just showed oscar one of her vids and he just… follows her? it’s probably completely innocent. she’s not exactly wag material lol

user7: @user69 wish i could be as delusional as you babe

hattiepiastri: if i send u my favourite manga will you make a video about it pls?

bookishgoldie: it would be my first manga ever! but yes. i’d 100% make a video about it if u want me to do <3

user40: OH SHES PART OF THE FAMILY HUH

user61: stop she’s giving such big sister energy ‘if that’s what u me to do’ IM DYING

landonorris: my sister asked if u would follow her pls she likes your videos @flonorris

bookishgoldie: ohmygod yes of course that’s so sweet. followed her

flonorris: this is the most humiliating day of my life but I LOVE UR VIDS SO MUCH FRANCESCA ahhhhh (lando i fcking hate u)

user76: ok this is getting crazy now

user8: im getting whiplash WHAT IS HAPPENING

—

Francesca was curled up on Oscar’s lap, laptop perched on her thighs, fingers moving with idle precision as she clipped audio and trimmed footage.

He was content to just watch her work. In her element. The furrow of her brow when something didn’t sync up quite the way she’d expected it to. The occasional muttered commentary and nudge when she wanted his opinion on something. The way she mouthed along to her voiceover without even realising.

It made something calm settle in his chest. 

“I like seeing this side of things,” he said after a while.

Francesca glanced at him with a shy smile, tapping the spacebar to pause the video. “A lot of people hate this part. The editing. My management tried to hire someone to take over, but I said no. I genuinely enjoy this. I can just… lose myself in it.” 

Oscar hummed. “Hattie’s the same with her sketching. Just zones out completely. You could set off fireworks next to her and she wouldn’t notice.”

Francesca’s smile widened a little at the mention of his sister. “I like Hattie.”

“She’s annoying. But she’s also one of my favourite people,” he said simply. Then, after a second, he asked, “Do you… talk to your siblings much?”

The shift was subtle. Her smile dimmed. 

“Not really,” she said, voice quiet but even. “I mean, I have a sibling. One. Izzy. She’s older. We’ve never been close. She was like my parents; thought I was just a dramatic attention seeking kid.”

Oscar’s fingers found hers where they sat between them, soft and easy. “I’m sorry,” he said.

“It’s okay.” She gave a little shrug, tried to smile again. “I mean, it’s not. But I’ve made peace with it.”

Oscar was quiet for a second. “My family’s already excited to meet you.”

Francesca’s head snapped up, eyes wide. “Wait — what?”

He gave her a sheepish grin. “I’ve told them about you. Mum asked if I’d started seeing anyone. I didn’t really know how to explain what this is, but I tried.”

“You’ve told them about me?”

“Of course I have,” he said. “You’re kind of hard not to talk about, to be honest.”

Francesca flushed, her gaze dropping to their joined hands. She didn’t speak for a long moment, then murmured, “I want to go. One day. To Australia. I want to meet them.”

Oscar looked at her properly then — really looked. Her eyes were glassy, not from tears, but from something quieter. Nerves, maybe. Definitely fear. 

“Scary thought?” he asked.

She nodded.

“It doesn’t have to be,” he said. “They’ll come to you. They’ve already offered. I told them a little bit—not everything, just what I could. Mum gets it. She said she’s happy to meet you wherever you feel safe.”

Francesca stared at him, wide-eyed. “You… told them that?”

“Yeah,” he said, slightly hesitant. “I—I'm not ashamed of anything about you, Francesca.”

She looked away quickly. Her thumb rubbed absently over his collarbone, shaky and soft.

“Thank you,” she said quietly. “I’d like that. Them here. But that— I mean, I’d want to try. My job gives me so much freedom and I’ve never used it.” Her voice dipped, threaded with uncertainty. “I’ve always been too scared.”

She had a passport, technically. But she hadn’t travelled since she was a kid, since there’d always been a parent’s hand to hold in the chaos of airports, someone else to take charge. Adulthood had turned freedom into something sharp-edged and overwhelming.

Oscar leaned in and pressed a kiss to her temple — slow and sure. “We can do as much trying as you want, babe.”

Babe.

The word caught her off guard in the nicest way. It fizzed in her chest, soft and electric, looping like a song she didn’t know she’d needed to hear.

She tilted her head just enough to look at him. “You said that really casually,” she murmured. “So now I feel like a psycho for wanting to scream about it.”

He huffed out a quiet laugh, then looked down at her, a teasing glint sparking in his eyes. “Beautiful. Babe. Baby. Princess.” He ticked each one off like a checklist, the corners of his mouth twitching.

Francesca let out an incredulous, half-sputtered laugh as her face flamed red. “Oh my god. Stop. Now you’re just testing me.”

“Actually, I’m gauging your reactions,” he said, gaze calculating. “Seeing which one makes your brain short-circuit the most.”

“It’s definitely ‘princess’,” she muttered, hiding her face in his chest. “You cannot just say that. It’s embarrassing. I hate pet names.”

“No you don’t,” he said, entirely unapologetic, fingers drawing slow shapes on her arm. “You liked them.”

“Did not.” She said petulantly. 

They sat like that for a while. The laptop battery warning popped up and was ignored. The video paused, forgotten. Francesca leaned her head against his chest. 

“When do you have to be back?” Francesca asked, her voice soft, as if she didn’t really want the answer. “At work, I mean.”

Oscar shifted slightly beneath her. “There’s a break between races,” he said. “Just a week, and I’ve got to be in Woking on Saturday. Sim session.”

She nodded, humming in acknowledgment. Her fingers absentmindedly brushed against the hem of his sleeve. “Where do you… I mean, where do you actually live?” she asked after a beat. “I’ve never really thought about it. You’re always travelling so much — it’s hard to imagine you, like, actually settled down somewhere.”

He smiled, tilting his head like the question had caught him off guard. “Australia, mostly. I stay with my family when I’m back there. But I’ve got a few places scattered around — small apartments I use when I need them. I rent them out when I’m not going to be using them.”

“Oh.” Francesca blinked, absorbing his words.

“I want that to change, soon,” Oscar said, his voice low, honest. “It’s been fun, letting myself just… exist. Living out of suitcases, bouncing from city to city, never stopping long enough to feel anything settle. But I want somewhere to be able to call home, you know? A real home. I don’t feel like I have that at the moment.”

She nodded, quiet for a moment as she chewed on her bottom lip. “Where would that be?”

He let out a short breath through his nose, a sound laced with uncertainty. “Lando’s been pushing me to consider Monaco,” he admitted. “Says it makes sense. Warm weather, tax stuff… the usual.” He gave a small shrug, like he was a bit embarrassed by how dry and practical it sounded.

“Lando seems fun,” she said, glancing up at him with a teasing smile.

“He’s… Lando,” Oscar replied, with a fond shake of his head. That alone made her laugh. “He’s excited to meet you.”

She softened at that. “You’ve told everyone about me, huh.”

Instead of answering right away, he tucked his fingers gently under her chin, tilted her face toward his, and pressed a series of light, lingering kisses to her lips. Slow and affectionate and sure.

“Yes,” he murmured in between kisses. “Everyone. Anyone who’ll listen. Don’t expect that to change anytime soon.”

She blinked at him, dazed and glowing. “Hm. Well, I get exclusive soft launch rights,” she said, attempting something breezy but smiling too hard to quite pull it off. “If you’re telling everyone about me, I’m telling the internet about us.”

His brow quirked, and he grinned. “You want to show me off?”

There was a low, amused heat in his voice, and she bit back the stupid little sound that nearly escaped her throat.

“Yeah,” she said, gaze flitting to his mouth and back to his eyes. “Obviously.”

He gave a small smile, soft around the edges. “So… what you’re saying is that it wouldn’t be completely ridiculous if I asked you to be my girlfriend? Officially?” A slight flush crept up his neck, but his eyes stayed steady on hers. “No pressure, if it’s too soon, or weird, or—”

“Yes.” Her answer came fast, almost cutting him off, and she let out a little breathy laugh at herself. “I mean… yes, I’d like that. A lot.”

Oscar’s smile widened slowly, and something settled behind his ribs. “Okay. Cool. That’s cool.”

She leaned up to kiss him. “Yes. Very cool. Boyfriend.” 

— 

iMessage — Francesca & Katie 

Katie: 

Update pls

Francesca: 

I AM A GIRLFRIEND NOW

Katie:

Colour me shocked. 

Girl why do u seem surprised by this. 

He is literally so gone for you. 

Francesca: 

i want to eat his face off 

Katie: 

Oh good god. 

Please tell me you haven’t been this unhinged in-front of him 

Francesca: 

yolo 

he’s my bf now anyway 

no escape for him! 

Katie: 

Poor guy has no idea what he’s signed himself up for 💀

CHAPTER SIX

[heartysworld]

Mother's Day || Oscar Piastri x Reader

A/N: This is a request I got last night and the moment I saw it I knew I just HAD to write it ASAP so here it is. I hope you guys enjoy this one as much as I did! 🧡

W.C.: 2k

MASTERLIST

Oscar sat in his car, adjusting the camera mounted on the dashboard with a genuine smile.

"Good morning everyone, welcome back to the McLaren YouTube channel. It's Oscar here. So, I didn't really plan on filming this today, but according to the schedule, it's my turn to vlog and there's no way out of it. So because today is a really special day you'll be coming with me to run some errands. It's Y/N's first Mother's Day, and I want to make it memorable for her. So, I woke up super early and I'm on my way to get her some flowers and breakfast."

On the way to the places he had in mind to visit, Oscar talked about the other big part of his life. He discussed the last few races and the points he had scored with the invisible audience whom the video was intended for.

He parked the car and walked towards a quaint local flower shop, the bell above the door jingling as he entered. "Alright, so we're at Daisy's Flower Boutique. They have the best flowers in town, and I want to get something really special for Y/N."

Oscar browsed through the vibrant selection of flowers, his eyes lighting up as the woman who worked there showed him a beautiful bouquet of roses and another one of lilies. "These look perfect. I'm actually going to get both." He said. "One bouquet from me and one from our baby girl. I think my wife will love them." He added as he received an odd look from the worker. His reason for buying two bouquets actually made the woman smile, telling him how his wife and daughter are lucky to have such a husband and father.

Next, Oscar headed to a cozy bakery, ordering an assortment of pastries and a couple two lattes, all of your favorite stuff. The camera captured the delicious array of baked goods. "Y/N loves the croissants from this place, so I'm getting a bunch of her favorites. And of course, a latte to go. Funny story, this is where we had our first date six years ago. So we can say we've made it something like "our place". "

With the flowers and breakfast on the passenger seat, Oscar set off back home. "Alright, everything's set. Let's head back home and surprise my wife."

Quietly entering the house, Oscar made his way to the kitchen where Y/N was already awake, cradling their baby girl who let our a loud gurgle at the sight of her dad. "Good morning, loves," he said softly, setting the food and flowers on the counter.

Y/N looked up, a surprised smile spreading across her face. "Oscar! What's all this?"

"Happy first Mother's Day," Oscar beamed, handing her the bouquets. "This one is from me...and this one is from our little princess."

Y/N's eyes welled up with tears as she took the flowers, her smile radiant. "They're beautiful. Thank you so much," she said, leaning in to kiss Oscar and then placing a gentle kiss on their baby girl's head.

Oscar handed her a card with a delicate floral design. "There's more. Open this."

Y/N opened the card, reading the heartfelt note inside:

"To the most amazing woman and mother, Y/N, Happy first Mother's Day! Watching you with our daughter has been the greatest joy of my life. Your love, strength, and kindness inspire me every day. I’m so grateful to share this journey with you. Love always, Oscar and Tilly."

Tears streamed down Y/N's cheeks as she read the note. "Oscar, this is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me."

Oscar wrapped his arms around her, kissing her forehead gently. "You deserve it all and more."

You couldn't believe how sweet Oscar had been. This was your first Mother’s Day, and he had gone above and beyond, waking up super early during a break week, to make it special. As you sat in the kitchen, holding you baby girl, you felt an overwhelming sense of love and gratitude.

Later that week, you found out Oscar's video had blown up online. The comments were filled with people adoring him and your family. “Oscar, you’ve set the bar so high for all the partners out there!” one comment read. “Y/N is so lucky to have you, and you can see the love you all share. Happy Mother’s Day, Y/N!” another person wrote.

You decided to film a little response video for your personal instagram, thanking everyone for their kind words. Sitting in the same spot Oscar had been earlier, you turned on the camera and smiled. “Hi everyone, it’s Y/N. I just wanted to say thank you for all the lovely messages. Oscar truly made this Mother’s Day unforgettable, and I’m so grateful for him and our beautiful daughter. Seeing how much you all appreciate his effort makes it even more special. Thank you again, and happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful moms out there.”

Turning off the camera, you felt a wave of happiness. This day had been perfect, not just because of the flowers or the breakfast, but because of the love you shared as a family. Oscar's thoughtfulness had once again touched your heart, showing you how much he loves you and how lucky you are to have him.

Reblogs and feedback are greatly appreciated! 🧡

MASTERLIST

[trinityobsessesovatings]

DOMESTICITY~! {ARCANE HEADCANONS}

ARCANE CHARACTERS IN A DOMESTIC SETTING!

characters included; Caitlyn, Vi, and Mel

WARNINGS: me being a slut for domestic shit, lowercase, cursing, maybe miniscule punctuation usage, slightly suggestive (?), slight angst at some parts (?), LONG AF, and me just gushing for domesticity

hello! hello! i’ve been gone for a WHILE, i for the longest time have been wanting to write but two of my buttons on my laptop keyboard had broke 🥲 BUT i finally got my bluetooth keyboard and now i'm back!!! might be very long because i’m weak for these kinds of concepts! some might be longer than others. 

WOW WOW WOW WOW this one is a bit A LOT longer than my last one!

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!: for those who don’t know all of my writings, if a “reader” is involved they are most definitely female/have female anatomy! 💛

enjoy! 🥰

////////

caitlyn

LOVES HER LITTLE FAMILY DOWN!!

in the sheriff position

so she’s VERY BUSY but will always try and make time for her little family 🥰

DEFINITELY has twins!!

a boy and girl set to be more specific

her girl is definitely named cassandra in honor of her mother

i think her son would be named something fancy as well; callum? caspian? shit maybe even charlie! 🤷🏾‍♀️

i very much headcanon that the reproductive health care and science is VERY advanced in arcane universe

advanced hexstrap 🥴

so your kids are literally half of you and half of her

DOES NOT BELIEVE IN PUTTING YOUR CHILD IN FRONT OF A TABLET

that and it drives her crazy hearing ms. rachel repeatedly (speaking from someone who has a younger cousin who crashes tf out if ms. rachel is off) 

she tried it for a little bit after getting the suggestion from both vi and jayce

but it's a definite NO in her book

NEOW it’s not like she won’t ever let her kids use the tablet to watch kids channels and videos

she DOES they just have schedule and SHE IS AN ACTUAL PARENT WHO MONITORS ELECTRONIC TIME

her kids WILL not be exposed to shit they aren’t ready for

some of her favorite moments with her family is the days she's off work and she lets the twins help her with baking sweets

kids are covered in flour

giggles galore

you’re watching on with a fond smile

everyone helping decorate the sweet treats

just domestic bliss out the ass

now for some serious stuff…

y'all know how I said her daughter would be named cassandra…

YUH in the beginning she DEFINITELY had a problem with ✨favoritism✨ 

caspian (we gonna go ahead and name baby boy caspian) was for sure feeling left out at times a bit of a velcro baby with you because of it

you confront cait about and she genuinely didn't know she was doing it

fixed that shit real quick it took a bit of time rebuild caspian’s trust but after a little while and a lot of work everyone like this🤞🏾fr

I would say caitlyn is authoritative parent honestly

just the right amount of nurturing, responsive, and supportive but she knows where to draw the line and set them boundaries

like yeah she wants her kids to have structure… but she also wants them to have independence

VERY COMFORTABLE IN SAYING “No”

is a supporter of having kids sit at the table and write "I will ___" "I won't do ___" 100x and if she's really mad front and back TWICE

PLEASE TELL Y'ALL KNOW WHAT PUNISHMENT I'M TALKING ABOUT 😭

also very open to hearing her kids side of things

but you know… she has clear rules and expectations for her twins

vi

now would y’all hate me for saying after years of being a reasonable crash out… she would prefer to be a stay at home mom 🫣

like i can’t get out of my head how i just want this girl happy and thriving

SO FOR ME JINX AINT DEAD!!! WHYYYYY BECAUSE THIS IS MY WORK! NOW!

i feel vi would have boys for sure, triples specifically; khai (oldest), elio (middle), and ballar (youngest) ALL IDENTICAL TOO

not even gonna front with y'all… deadass would have trouble telling her boys apart at times

vi would be in the middle of lecturing who she thinks is elio but the entire time she's been lecturing poor khai who’s been minding his business the whole

elio is off to the side confused because vi keeps calling his brother…him??

khai is looking at vi like she’s insane and has lost her mine orange slice frozen in air as he was snacking on his fruit

then ballar who is so used to vi calling them the wrong names is like: “mama, that’s khai.” 😕

it was even worse when you insisted on dressing the three of them up in identical outfits for the first few months of their lives

she had to put a stop to that because really thought she was going insane

would also lowkey feel like she’s a bad parent because she couldn’t tell the difference between her boys

literally in awe with how you’re able to tell them apart

as they got older though and started developing their own personalities and styles it became a lot easier

a big believer in ms. rachel… LOVES MS. RACHEL DOWN

ms. rachel is her girl ON JANNA SHE IS

when she's behind on chores, sits her boys in the playpen in front of the tv and turns on ms. rachel to get housework done

some of her favorite moments is cooking and having dinner with her family 

isha and jinx are invited OF COURSE

i headcanon vi as a damn good cook SHE CAN’T BAKE but she can cook

teaching her kids how to chop veggies with those child friendly knife that can actually cut food but won’t injure the child

teaching her kids recipes

i have this small little headcanon that vi writes down recipes so she can hand them down to her children 🥹

now for some serious stuff…

now we know our girl vi is a retired crashout so she has a temper

NOW I'M NOT SAYING SHES LAYING HANDS ON HER KIDS❗❗

but there are moments where she hits them with classic;

“because i said so!”

“i’m the adult and you’re the child!”

or plain out just yelling out of frustration and anger

she always feels EXTREMELY guilty afterwards 

but after sitting down with her and talking with her she always comes back and doing so much better with controlling her emotions

when the triples were babies she was FOR SURE had an attachment style of parenting;

the boys sleeping in cots in that same room as you guys

always having them near her

skin to skin bonding as soon as they were born

as soon as SIDs aren't an issue the boys are in the bed with you until you have to tell her “hey they need to be in their own rooms now.”

as the kids get older develops more of a positive parenting style

very caring supportive and sensitive with her kids

like instead of focusing on the negative her kids do she focuses on the positive of what her kids do

for example; y’all remember when powder lost all of their loot in the first episode and instead of being mad she went “all that matters is that you’re okay.”

yeah like that

sets boundaries with her kids that supports their interests

does all she can to avoid punishment which in turn lowkey makes you the bad guy

but if need be she will take things away, give time outs, and worst of all grounding

cries in your arms after she has to ground the triplets after they get into a fight with some other kids

she also encourages her kids to be curious, have empathy for others, and just for them to be children

mel

MEL IS A GOOD MAMA!

I SAID IT!

i also feel she would be more of a one and done

mel 100% gives birth to her little twin fr 😌🤞🏾

all the good genes from her SHOVED INTO THAT LITTLE ANGEL SHE GIVES BIRTH TO

im talking gold freckles, eye color, perfect hair and all

DID YOU 🫵🏾 EVEN TRY!!!???

chile anyway

she’s still apart of the council y’all… but trust if need be… she pulling up with caitlyn for another 2v1 😈

has a little girl that she treats and dotes on

that’s her little princess

her little aurelia (which means golden child/golden one) 

takes her to work with her sometimes

definitely has one of those cute cozy baby carriers on and her baby always with her

isn’t really fond of sitting her child in front of a tv but does vibe with gracie’s corner

but she would much prefer reading to her child or doing other activities to embrace her child’s imagination and creativity and knowledge

her little princess is always dressed in the finest fashion and wearing name brand clothes

you lowkey don’t get it because… aurelia isn’t even gonna be able to fit those clothes in couple months

she tells you respectfully mind your business and shut your mouth 😌

“yes ma’am”

happy wife, happy life 🫡

mel’s favorite thing to do with her family… FAMILY SELF CARE DAYS

i'm talking waking up early because y’all got appointments all throughout the day!

first thing y’all waking up and taking off cold sleep masks

a nice breakfast out at y’all favorite cute breakfast spot

now y’all gotta go to your early nails appointments

right after that the nice calm family spa

after that you guys gotta head to your hair appointments

then y’all end the day with a nice dinner out 

serious tings neow!!!

now y’all know how i’ve been saying mel calls aurelia ‘“her little princess”

she lets her get away with EVERYTHING and ANYTHING

i feel it would come from her not wanting to have too many high expectations on aurelia like her mother had on her

and that leads to MASSIVE spoiling sprees 😬

it also leads to her stick up for her aurelia even when she is deadass in the wrong 🤦🏾‍♀️

it would get to a point where mel would get angry with you for giving aurelia any type of punishment

dare i say most the disagreements in your marriage came from you different views when it come to discipline for aurelia

like i’m talking arguments so bad y’all were sleeping in separate rooms 

which means FOR A LONG time she was a permissive parent

lowkey… she would be a mother-in-law from hell NO KIDDING

but back on her parenting type..

which is a mix of permissive/attachment and then when you guys had a serious talk

you informed her of trying to change her ways and she starting getting into more of a positive parenting style like vi

when it comes to mel’s attachment parenting;

constant skin to skin contact right after she was born

she walked around with aurelia in the baby carrier

had aurelia sleeping in the middle of both of you

constantly had her in her arms

aurelia finally had her own room at the age of 3

now mel’s permissive parenting;

mel is a really nurturing and emotionally responsive parent

but didn’t believe in punishing aurelia or putting her foot down with her

which ultimately lead to aurelia having poor self regulation skills

when sitting down with mel to talk with her about how you both were parenting very differently and not in a good way…

that didn’t exactly go well..

it lead to another serious fight because aurelia would act one way with mel and act completely different with you and no one else because she knew she could get away with pretty much anything with mommy mel 

the fight was so bad you stayed with your parents for a few days

so that meant mel was with aurelia 25/8

that’s when she started getting a glimpse of what everyone trying to tell her

because at some point in time keeping up that little princess facade for mel… aurelia would get tired of that and true colors show

after that you and mel sat down with one another and came to an agreement and the three of y'all went to family counseling 💛 

mel is starting to understand that she can parent her daughter without plain spoiling... but she did make a habit of it so it's something that she has to work on breaking

////////

hope you enjoyed! ○( ＾皿＾)っ Hehehe…

[alonetimelover]

pairing: Harry Styles x booktuber!reader

summary: A new series on ynrecommends channel on YT called Celebrity Book Club grabbed Harry's attention. Now, they are simply joined at the hip. As friends. Right?

——————————————————————————————

yourinstagram

liked by harryupdates, yourbestfriend and 17 291 others

yourinstagram hello! i started a new series on my YouTube channel - celebrity book club! my first victim was the one and only - Harry Styles. he has an... interesting library to recommend. click the link in bio if you want to watch me gush over harry, new bookshop I found and the best coffee ive ever made!! byeee, xx

also, you harries are too good with photoshop. i was sure he was reading book lovers...

view all 2 302 comments

yourbestfriend bestie gettin' famous!!!!

⤷ yourinstagram i knew it was a bad idea to listen to you...

⤷ yourbestfriend people need to know how great of a booktuber and reader you are

harryupdates that's a great video! i immediately subscribed to your channel!

⤷ yourinstagram thank you! I hope you'll find something for yourself there, xx

user22 came here from yt! fantastic video

user39 your editing skills are amazing!!

——————————————————————————————

harryupdates

liked by hArrysbtch, yourinstagram and 34 402 others

harryupdates yn from ynrecommends on yt did a video where she read all the books that Harry has ever recommended. she is hilarious, very sweet, and absolutely clever. watch it when you have some spare time, you won't be disappointed!!

view all 5 201 comments

hArrysbtch ive been watching her videos for months!!! thank god she finally gets the spotlight she deserves

⤷ harrysmoustache does she (like most of the booktubers) sugar-coat everything or she's just blunt?

⤷ hArrysbtch oh she's super down to earth! she also does those instagram lives where she talks about the latest book(s) she's read. super funny and laid back

⤷ harrysmoustache oh, thank god! i was looking for someone like that! im diving into her channel right now!

yourinstagram thank you so much! thanks to you, you harries are flooding my socials!! (im not complaining) xx

⤷ harryupdates can't wait for another video!

harryshoee she's so beautiful, too! and loves cats!

harrysmylife "harry, if you ever watch it, let's pretend you guys, if you ever watch it, i recommend you diving into Toshikazu Kawaguchi" she has TASTE, let me tell you

——————————————————————————————

harrymylove

liked by harryupdates, hArrysbtch and 22 301 others

harrymylove I'VE MET HARRY YESTERDAY!!!! look at him and my doggy Bart. i still can't process it...

view all 3 301 comments

hArrysbtch how was it???

⤷ harrymylove it was so lovely! he was kind enough to take a photo and talk with me for a while!

⤷ hArrysbtch what did you talk about? pls spill the tea

⤷ harrymylove im an English major so i asked him about some book recommendations. he answered with "i didn't have much time to read anything new recently. but was recommended and just bought Toshikazu Kawaguchi's books, so maybe this author"

hArrysbtch Kawaguchi???? after yn recommend that to him in a video???? he watched her video??? yourinstagram

harrysmoustache I've just started reading 'before the coffee gets cold' and looooove it!!

harryupdates do we think he actually watched yn's video?

⤷ hArrysbtch i hope so!

——————————————————————————————

harryupdates

liked by hArrysbtch, harrymylove and 45 302 others

harryupdates HARRY'S official YT channel left a comment on ynrecommends latest video!!

view all 6 401 comments

hArrysbtch that bish said 'let me break the internet and use me fuckin phone'

hArrysbtch unbelievable...

harrymylove he watched the video that's why he recommended me Kawaguchi... im melting

harrysmoustache i hope that he loves it as much as i did!!!

harrysmylife 'love, h xx' let me go cry in the corner

——————————————————————————————

yourinstagram

liked by yourbestfriend, harrystyles and 67 492 others

yourinstagram hopefully, this date will be successful

view all 9 201 comments

yourbestfriend was it?

⤷ yourinstagram after a couple glasses of wine, we moved to the bedroom

⤷ yourbestfriend STOP

⤷ yourinstagram never praise a ford till you get over...

harrystyles Assuming it wasn't successful, do you have any dates free?

⤷ yourinstagram i'll need to check my calendar, although i only attend when coffee (or wine) and good books are provided

⤷ harrystyles Done.

⤷ yourinstagram i'll think about it 🫣

harryupdates oh those are so tricky!!!

hArrysbtch stop, i also had an awful blind date with a book...

⤷ yourinstagram that's the worst! i just need to read the synopsis and thena few pages to decide if I want to buy it

harrysmoustache why is nobody talking about harry being in the comment section??? ASKING HER OUT??? who is this man??? what's happening

⤷ user93 well, it's clearly not him typing or even controlling it! the managmet took it over long ago!

⤷ harrysmoustache and they say im delulu...

harrysmylife SHUT UP !!! avtivrry is my favourite harry, like??? what do you mean he can type the comment? the flirty one? the one asking a girl out? like???

——————————————————————————————

harrystyles via close friends IG stories

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harrystyles

liked by yourinstagram, harryupdates and 4 292 294 others

harrystyles 11.08.2023 📚

view all 23 292 comments

yourinstagram you did not buy them just for yourself

⤷ harrystyles Wouldn't you like to know 😎

harryupdates Well-read king that we stan

hArrysbtch I'm connecting the dots here

harrysmylife welcome back 2013 Harry, how have you been?

harrysfan83 since that girls yt video, he became obsessed with books...

⤷ harrymylove it's called getting a crush on somebody

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hArrysbtch

liked by harryupdates and 4 492 others

hArrysbtch sooo, this is a still from yn's latest video... that stack of books looks awfully familiar to the one that Harry posted a week or so ago... coincidence? i don't think so. plus!!!! she did say she didn't spend a penny on those books

view all 928 comments

harrysmoustache if they are together, i feel like the fandom would love her

⤷ hArrysbtch i would hope so!

harrysmylife relationship, friendship or whatever -ship it is, im here for itttt

user94 y'all are really reaching now...

harryupdates it's the way she was glowing in that video for me! she looked so happy

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yourinstagram

liked by hArrysbtch, harrystyles and 76 301 others

yourinstagram when they read your recommendations>>>

view all 8 492 comments

hArrysbtch now let him play patroclus in a movie, i dare you Hollywood

⤷ harrysmoustache who would you choose as Achilles??

⤷ hArrysbtch you know what? let him be Achilles and Timothee would be Patroclus

⤷ harrysmylife this adaptation with this casting would cure me, for real

harrysmoustache he's in his lover era

harrystyles I love reading your copies of books with all the 'cute' and 'slay' and 'I LOVE THEM'.

⤷ yourinstagram it's called active reading

⤷ harrystyles No, its not.

⤷ yourinstagram party pooper

yourbestfriend thanks for inviting me!!!

⤷ harrystyles Do yo want to join us?

⤷ yourbestfriend I knew I liked you for a good reason

harrysfan45 so she is the girl from those pap photos

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harryupdates

liked by harrysmoustache, stylesbabie and 87 392 others

harryupdates HARRY taking photos of YN in Italy!!

view all 7 302 comments

hArrysbtch melting

harrysmoustache what in the world...

stylesbabie i know exactly what that photo is focusing on

⤷ user42 what?

⤷ stylesbabie (•) (•)

⤷ harrysmoustache in the wise words of Steve Harrington: BOOBIES

harrysmylife so they are dating

⤷ user93 no one confirmed it

⤷ harryupdates good luck with waiting for Harry, confirming that he is/isn't in a relationship

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yourinstagram

liked by harrystyles, yourbestfriend and 291 492 others

yourinstagram the promised vlog is up on my channel! grab some good drink and a snack for a quick talk about being single, vulnerability, loving your friends more than anything and - of course - some good books I've read in Italy!!!

view all 16 302 others

harrystyles I see the similarities between pictures 3 and 4

⤷ yourinstagram well, one is a cute little creature and the other is a sweet creature

⤷ harrystyles Good one.

hArrysbtch best vlog I've ever watched!!! Good job!

harrysmoustache being single??? what do you mean? i was rooting for you...

⤷ stylesbabie ...we were all rooting for you

harryupdates great recommendations as always!!! my tbr is growing with each of your video

celebrityupdates Single? Our sources are saying quite otherwise!

⤷ user56 spill the tea!!!!

⤷ celebrityupdates Link in bio to all the things you need to know about this romance!

⤷ harrysmylife it's like a man and a woman cannot be friends

⤷ hArrysbtch here we go again...

——————————————————————————————

a/n: do we want to see more of them?

[merrybloomwrites]

He's Kind of Like the Sun

Summary: When your sister Grace starts making silly videos for her job, you have no idea the relationship this will lead to years later.

Word Count: 3.4K

AN: This story is kind of an amalgamation of an idea I had a year ago, mixed with a couple anonymous requests. My idea was that I wanted Ian x reader where reader is Grace Helbig's sister. One person asked for longtime friends Ian and reader to reveal their feeling in a Smosh video, and another person requested Ian and reader in a haunted house video together. So I just put all that together and this story was born! Hope you enjoy!

Title is taken from a quote Anthony once said about Ian

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When you were in high school, your sister started making YouTube videos. At first, people made jokes about it, judging her for the content she was posting. That all stopped once Daily Grace took off and they realized she was making a career out of posting silly videos online. 

You would help her out every now and then, excited that your big sister was including you. There’s a bit of an age gap between the two of you, meaning that instead of typical sibling bickering, you’d always looked up to her. So getting to help her with her cool job is like, the best thing ever. 

It takes a few years for youtube to really gain traction, and by that time, Grace has made quite a name for herself. There are a number of youtubers and channels that are big at this point, and they’ve even created a convention where they’re all invited to finally meet.

Grace asks you to come with her, and you immediately say yes. She lists some of the people who will be attending, and you cannot wait to be in the same room as all of them. So many of them are the people you’ve been watching online, and you hope to be able to meet some of your favorites.

Your wish comes true, and you spend those couple of days talking to as many content creators as possible, learning both about their channels and about them personally. It’s so much fun, and you love meeting everyone, but you especially love talking with Ian Hecox.

There’s just something that draws you to him. You love his fluffy hair, and his dry sense of humor. It’s also nice that he’s not trying to draw attention to himself, even though his channel is one of the most popular ones represented there. 

The two of you spend a fair amount of time together during that first Vidcon, and by the time it’s over you consider each other friends. You exchange contact information, and though you don’t talk often, you will occasionally reach out and check on one another. 

Years pass, you finish college, and move out to Los Angeles. When you tell your friends you’re moving there, they all assume you’re going to try getting into the entertainment industry, but really you just want to be closer to your sister.

You also like how mild the weather is in LA. Growing up in New Jersey, you’d experienced your fair share of brutal winters. Which is why you take advantage of how nice it is in southern California and go for a walk every single day. 

It has nothing to do with the fact that you’d bumped into Ian a couple weeks ago and learned that he lives just a few blocks away. You’re definitely not hoping that your paths will cross as he takes his dogs for a walk. But yea, it does make your day every time this does happen.

And then your sister starts dating Elliott Morgan from the Valley Folk. Who else is on that channel? Joe Bereta. And who is Joe Bereta very close with? Oh, just all of the people at Smosh, since he was a producer on the channel for years. 

Just one more way that you and Ian are connected. 

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise when Grace says, “Elliott and I are going to film a video for Smosh this week.”

And yet, the fact that your sister will be filming for Smosh totally throws you. Your brain to mouth filter disappears as you ask, “Can I come?”

“So you can see Ian?” Grace teases, knowing about your crush on the man. 

“No!” you exclaim. “It’s just my favorite Youtube channel. I’d love to see the behind the scenes there”

“Sure. That’s definitely all you want to see.”

You know that she’s caught your bluff, but honestly, you don’t care. If anyone is allowed to know the truth and tease you for it, it’s your big sister. She may joke around, but you know she just wants the best for you.

Which is why later that day she lets you know that you are welcome to join her for the shoot at Smosh the next week. You get to watch as they film Try Not to Laugh and Spelling Bee-Kini Wax. You’re very grateful not to be participating in the video, and a little weirded out to learn your sister's boyfriend doesn’t feel the pain of a bikini wax. 

You don’t see Ian around anywhere since he’s not in those two videos, and you're somewhat disappointed by that. However, just as you’re grabbing your bag to leave and giving up hope of seeing him, you suddenly hear him say, “Hey, Y/N, long time no see.”

Quickly turning, you smile at him and jokingly reply, “There you are! Thought maybe you were avoiding me.”

“Avoid you? Never! Got stuck in a meeting though. How were the shoots? Did you have a good time watching?”

“It was so fun finally watching the behind the scenes action here,” you answer.

“You know, you should be in a video yourself one of these days,” he says. “Maybe Eat it or Yeet it?” 

“Never in a million years,” you say.

The two of you laugh at that and then he adds, “In all seriousness, you should do a TNTL. If you’re interested we can send you the dates we’ll be filming and see if one works for you?”

“Yea, that sounds fun! I’d be down for that.”

“Perfect! We’ll be in touch.”

“Awesome. I’m pretty sure Grace and Elliott are waiting for me so I should get going. But it was nice to see you!”

“Yea, you too,” he says. His arms twitch by his side, like he wants to ask for a hug but changes his mind. So you initiate it instead, leaning in for a quick embrace which he happily returns.

“See you soon!” you say and you pull back. The two of you share another smile before you turn around to walk down the hallway. You turn the corner and see Grace standing there, noticing the knowing smirk on her face. That’s when you realize she witnessed all of that.

“Don’t say anything,” you declare immediately, and she mimes zipping her mouth shut, causing you to roll your eyes at her antics.

Thankfully though she listens, and doesn’t bring up you and Ian again. You get the email about filming dates a few days later, and after a bit of back and forth settle on a day in about one month.

Seeing Ian has apparently opened the gates for the two of you to talk more, and you find that you’re texting each other nearly every day. It’s nice, and so easy to chat back and forth with him. It’s more than just surface level conversation, and more than once you actually get pretty deep. There are also a few times where you’re convinced he’s flirting with you.

Because of this, you’re both nervous and excited when it’s finally the day you’re scheduled to film. Luckily you don’t have to be there until 10, giving you time to get ready. You’re not on camera that often anymore so it’s definitely a nice change of pace, and you hope you’re able to get into your entertainer mindset. 

You enter the Smosh office and you’re greeted by Selina. You’re barely there a minute before Ian walks over and says, “There you are! Thanks for coming, we’re so happy to have you join us today.”

This time, he initiates the hug, and as you reciprocate it you reply, “Thank you for having me.”

After stepping back he asks, “How are you feeling about today?”

“A little nervous, but I’ve planned some bits so, confident as well.”

“Oh I’m sure you’ll do great! You’re a natural at comedy,” he replies.

The two of you banter back and forth for a couple more minutes, completely unaware of the audience of smosh crew and cast who are watching curiously. Sure, they’re used to Ian being friendly, but all of them can tell there’s something more happening here. 

Everyone acts natural as Ian leads you to the stage, the rest of the people involved in the shoot hanging back a moment so it doesn’t look like they’re following. 

When they do get there you start talking with Damien, and therefore miss the very pointed looks Courtney is giving Ian. He knows that Courtney is asking what’s up between the two of you, and rather than do anything to brush it off, he shrugs and smiles.

Garrett calls everyone over to begin the pre-filming improv exercises to get everyone ready and then the next thing you know, the shoot begins. You’re happy that they're just a well-practiced and well-oiled machine because it makes your job even easier. They film the intro, then Damien is in the hot seat first. You make him laugh with your joke, which boosts your confidence. While you had prepared ahead of time, it’s still nerve wracking to start, so it’s nice to be successful with your first bit.

You’re up next, and you settle on the stool while the others get ready behind the screen. You’re anticipating what jokes the others might do and filling your mouth with water when you hear a quiet conversation between Courtney and Ian.

“You good dude?” Courtney asks.

“Yea, just a little nervous,” he replies.

“You’re not normally nervous about this.”

“Well I’m not normally scared that I’m going to embarrass myself in front of the girl I’ve had a crush on for almost a decade.”

Courtney gives him a shocked look, clearly stunned that he just said that out loud with you in the same room.

He realizes his slip up a moment later and mutters, “Oh shit.” He bashfully steps around the curtain and looks at you, saying, “So much for not embarrassing myself.” 

You spit out the water as you laugh nervously. That reaction causes everyone else to laugh along and you ask, “Is this your bit?”

“No! I promise it’s not! Oh my god, this is a disaster.”

“I mean, it’s only a disaster if I don’t also have a crush on you.”

There’s a moment of tense silence before Ian asks, “Do you?”

“I do,” you say, not believing that this is all happening in front of a crowd while cameras are rolling. Your eyes meet Ian’s and both of you just smile shyly, taking a minute to enjoy this revelation.

Garrett clears his throat, snapping you back to the reality of where you are and what you’re doing. “Sorry to pop the bubble,” he says, “but we should probably finish the video.”

“Right, yes, let’s do that,” Ian says as he goes back behind the screen and you once again fill your mouth with water. 

The shoot continues, and everyone successfully makes you laugh. Finally, after everyone else has gone, it’s Ian’s turn in the hot seat. You’re the last to go, and you’ve been thinking of a new plan the whole time. Just before you go out, you have an idea. It’s bold, but with everything that’s already happened, you think it’ll go well.

You step out and walk up to Ian, saying, “So, I was thinking of testing some pickup lines on you. Okay, first one. Titanic. That’s my Icebreaker.” Before you can even finish, Ian laughs. You’re not surprised, knowing he’s a fan of disaster comedy. But you say, “Hold on, I have more! Do you like water? If so, you’ll like 60% of me.”

“Oh, I like that that one is factual,” Ian says.

“Last one. Do you like raisins? How do you feel about a date?”

“Hate raisins, but a date sounds perfect.”

“Yea?” You question.

“Yea. How’s this Friday?” Ian asks.

“Works for me!” 

“Hell yea!”

Once again everyone in the room laughs at that before you all focus and film the outro. When the shoot is officially done, you talk with the other cast members for a few minutes before they all start clearing out until it’s only you and Ian left.

He approaches you, shy once more, and says, “Y/N, I want to apologize for the way that just happened. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot like that.”

“I know,” you reply. “But it’s okay. I don’t mind. I’m just happy about the outcome.”

“You’re sure? Cause if you felt pressured in any way-”

“Ian, I believe I was the one to ask you out in front of your friends and coworkers. If anything, I pressured you. So uh, if you want to change your answer now, you can.”

“No, not at all! Do you want to cancel?”

“No,” you answer with a smile. “I definitely don’t.

“Great, because I don’t either. How about I pick you up at 7?”

“Sounds perfect.”

“Okay. Then I’ll see you Friday at 7. Here, let me walk you out.”

He reaches his arm out, as though he’s going to place a hand on your waist to lead you, but pulls away. You wouldn’t have minded, but you love that he’s not one of those men who forces physical contact in any type of way. 

There’s yet another awkward moment when you reach the door, but you move through it and share a quick hug before saying goodbye.

On the drive home you immediately call your sister to tell her the news.

“Grace,” you say the second she picks up.

“Y/N,” she replies, matching your energy.

“Something happened.”

“Something bad or something good?”

“Good. I think. I mean it was weird and awkward but like, everything ended up being good.”

“Go one,” she prompts.

“So while we were shooting, Ian accidentally let slip that he has a crush on me. Long story short, he and I have a date on Friday.”

“Holy shit. Y/N, that’s. Well that’s great! I mean, you’ve liked him for years. I’m happy you’re finally giving this a shot.”

“What if it goes wrong? What if we don’t actually work together?” you ask, clearly nervous.

Grace takes a deep breath and says, “Well then you’ve at least given it a chance and now you know. But Y/N, I’m sure it will go great, and the two of you will be very cute and happy together.”

“Thank you,” you reply, feeling better now with her support and encouragement. 

Ian picks you up Friday night, promptly at 7. He brings flowers, opens the car door for you, and pulls out your chair when you arrive at the Italian restaurant. The date is wonderful, the two of you losing track of time as you talk and laugh together. 

Back at your home, he walks you to your front door. You know that Marge, the lovely older lady in the unit next to yours will be asking you all about Ian tomorrow, but you don’t mind. 

“Thank you for dinner. I had a really great time tonight,” you say. 

“I did too,” he replies.

“Enough to do it again?”

“Oh absolutely.”

Of course it wouldn’t be an interaction between the two of you without it feeling a little awkward, but then Ian seems to gain a burst of confidence. He steps closer, his left and resting lightly on your waist as his right cups your cheek.

“Would it be okay if I kissed you?” he asks.

“Yes,” you reply breathlessly.

He leans in, and after a brief pause, his lips meet yours in a sweet and gentle kiss. 

“Good night, Y/N.”

“Good night.”

You remain close for another moment before Ian steps back. He watches you to make sure you get inside safely before he makes his way home. 

Over the next couple of weeks you continue to talk to Ian at least a little bit every day, and go on a handful more dates. He sends you the completed Try Not to Laugh Video so you can check it before it’s posted, just to confirm you’re okay with including the personal moments between you and Ian. While you’re normally a pretty private person, you love that this whole interaction will be immortalized through the video, so you give the okay for it to go live.

As expected, the fans lose their minds. They gush over the two of you, already working on a ship name, and you’re glad to have their support. 

You’re not entirely surprised to get a mention on the next episode of This Might Get Weird, the podcast your sister does with her best friend, Mamrie Hart. 

��So, your sister broke the internet,” Mamrie starts.

“She did! I’m so proud,” Grace jokes. 

“I won’t lie, I have seen the two of them at events together over the years, and this truly was a long time coming.”

“Oh for sure. It was about time they figured this out.”

“Well, Y/N and Ian, we are very happy for you and we wish you the best,” Mamrie concludes.  

Things with Ian progress well, and as the months pass you grow closer and closer. You keep your relationship mostly private, just share a little every now and then.

Which is why you’re surprised when Ian asks if you’ll be a guest for an upcoming video. You’re staying at his place, and the two of you are cuddling together on the couch when he brings it up.

“What video?” you ask.

“It’s a fun Halloween one,” he replies. 

“So like, pumpkin carving?”

“Not exactly.”

“Ian. What is the video?”

“We were thinking of doing a haunted house in the office.”

“Ah, I see. So you want me to what, go through this haunted house with you so I can protect you from the monsters?” you ask jokingly. 

“Oh, that’s exactly what I was thinking,” he replies with mock-seriousness.

“Alright, I’m in.”

“Really?”

“Yea, I like Halloween. I’ve never gone through a haunted house, but I figure I can handle one that’s being run by a bunch of comedians. But you owe me.”

“Oh yea? And what would you like in return?”

Instead of answering out loud, you shift to straddle him hips, leaning down for a kiss. “I’m sure I can think of something.”

Lucky for you, Ian is a smart man, quickly catching on and taking you to bed. 

As it turns out, a bunch of comedians do a pretty good job at making something scary. While you and Ian joked about him needing protection, it turns out you’re the jumpy one. The two of you walk through together, and at the first jumpscare, you grab onto Ian, holding him tight. 

You’re surprised he doesn’t hide behind you, and the only time he leaves your side is when one of the scares ends up being Ericka’s dog, Winnie, in an adorable devil costume. 

Lulled into a false sense of security, you continue on, only for Tommy to scare the shit out of you. Without hesitation, Ian steps forward, saving you from the evil monster. Of course you both start laughing once the slight fear wears off, but you store that moment in the back of your mind. Even though this is all silly and low stakes, it makes you happy to know that his instinct is to protect you. 

Though the haunted house is fun, you’re still relieved when you get to the end. Courtney comes up to you and Ian and says, “The fans are gonna absolutely love that. You two were perfect.”

The compliment makes you blush, and you hide against Ian once more, causing the others to laugh.

You spend the rest of the afternoon hanging around Smosh. This has become a more common occurrence recently, and it’s been great to start building friendships with the people there. They have one more video to film, a Try Not to Laugh, and you reminisce on the episode you were in, and how it brought you and Ian together.

The internet may have its downfalls, but you’re grateful everyday for its existence. Because without the internet, and without youtube, you never would have connected with this man who you now hope to spend the rest of your life with.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AN: Thank you for reading! I have another Ian story planned, but feel free to send requests!

[belli5]

⌗ . ᵎᵎ ⸝⸝ Caught in 4k (Literally) .ᐟ ೀ A.S.

Aj getting forced to watch ship edits of him and Y/n on stream

˚₊· ᥫ᭡ Aj Shabeel x fem!reader ➜ Fluff —Disclaimer: Ik I said I’m gonna post more but I got exams next month and I’m tryna pass everything + I have to write and memorise an essay for the exam and I haven’t even started writing it.. I might make other parts for this because I’m having too much fun with this 😭 Masterlist

“Guys, chill! I said drop video suggestions, not expose me!

Aj was laughing, but the panic in his voice didn’t go unnoticed by his stream chat or by the tens of thousands of people watching his Twitch live. His camera was angled perfectly, lighting soft, headphones hanging slightly crooked over his curls.

He was just vibing, playing games, until the comments turned suspiciously united.

User1: React to Y/n edits

User2: SHIP EDITS AJ. SHIP. EDITS.

User3: @AjShabeel WATCH THEM

User4: Y/N DESERVES TO KNOW YOU BLUSH WHEN SHE LAUGHS.

Aj ran a hand down his face. “Nah, you lot are moving mad today. What kind of edits?”

The chat exploded again. He already knew what they meant. The Y/n edits. The ones he accidentally watched that one time after falling down a YouTube rabbit hole. The ones with slow motion and overly emotional music and suspiciously HD clips of the two of you, laughing, talking, even one where you threw popcorn at him in a Beta Squad video and someone edited it to look like it was a “lovers quarrel”

He clicked away from the game he was playing. “Fine. You want edits? Let’s react. But if I get bullied, I’m blaming you.

The chat spammed again as Aj opened TikTok and typed “Aj Shabeel and Y/n edits”

The first edited that popped up was with the song “Casual”. You in his hoodie. You shoving him during a challenge. You whispering something that made him crack up in the middle of a skit. The caption being “was it casual when he was fine with her touch?”

Aj hovered his mouse over the first video. “Alright. This is already a violation.”

He scrolled to next edit, the song of choice was “Not you too” by Drake, the intro being of you and Sharky laughing together with the lyrics “Hurting Deeply, Inside” and the rest of the edit being you and Aj.

User5: LOOK AT HIS FACE

“Why do y’all slow-mo this like it’s a romcom?” He groaned, hiding behind his hands.

He peeked through his fingers just in time to see a quick montage of you two in various moments, arguing over who cheated in Uno, you slapping his arm when he teased you.

“I’m not even mad,” Aj mumbled. “This edit is kind of elite..”

He continued to react to other edits, but one of the videos wasn’t really an edit, it was just a clip of you from your YouTube video.

It was a clip from a Q&A you did on your channel where someone asked if you had a crush on anyone.

You giggled and said, “Maybe… but he’s kind of dense.”

The chat started spamming again.

User6: SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT YOU, BRO.

User7: SHES INTO YOU ITS INSANE

User8: AJ YOU BETTER NOT FUMBLE

“Wait, wait, pause,” Aj said, rewinding the video. He leaned toward the screen. “She said that recently. Is this real or edited?”

He pulled up your YouTube channel, clicked the Q&A video, and scrubbed through it. There it was again, you, eyes dancing with mischief, saying the exact same line.

He leaned back in his chair. “…Nah, you lot are gonna get me in trouble.”

User9: CALL HER

User10: TEXT HER RN

User11: invite her on stream

And that’s when you texted him.

Y/n: Why is my my name trending on your stream rn?

Y/n: Did you finally get exposed for watching those edits?

Aj stared at your message, blinking slowly.

Aj: They made me. I had no choice.

Y/n: Bet. Be right there.

Five minutes later, your name popped up in his Discord call. Aj looked like he was about to combust.

“Yo, yo, wait, are you actually—?”

“Hi,” You said sweetly, joining the call with your camera on. “Heard you’ve been watching fan edits of us, Aj.”

Aj looked off screen like he was searching for an escape hatch. “This is not how I imagined my Sunday.”

You laughed. “So.. did you watch a lot of them?”

He cleared his throat. “Um.. Yea, some.”

“Ouhh, okay.” You pretended to think.

He stared at you. “Have you watched them too?”

“Of course. The internet ships us harder than we do.”

There was a pause. You both heard it. Felt it.

Aj smirked. “Wait, what do you mean ‘than we do’? So you’re saying…”

“I’m saying,” you replied, eyes glinting with amusement. “You do giggle a lot when I’m around.”

“Wow. Assassination on my own stream.”

The fans were dying.

User12: someone screen record this

User13: They’re flirting

User14: Y/n said drop the act

“Alright, alright,” Aj said laughing again. “Next edit.”

You both watched the next one together, this time, it was a compilation of behind the scenes moments, you two bantering off camera, sharing snacks during shoots, you fixing his mic and him going quiet.

You didn’t say anything at first, but he noticed your smile often.

“You really keep quiet whenever I touch your mic.” You teased.

“Don’t start.”

“I’m just saying. You get all blushy.”

“You’re projecting.”

“Oh, I’ve got evidence. These editors are doing Lord’s work.”

Aj looked directly into the camera. “If this stream disappears from the internet tomorrow, no it didn’t.”

User15: You’re caught. JUST ADMIT IT

User16: AJ. Y/N. DATE. NOW.

User17: the chemistry is illegal 😪

“Okay, real talk,” you said suddenly. “Does it weird you out? The ship stuff?”

He blinked. “Not really. I mean.. it’s weird when people say we’re already married, but—”

You laughed. “The edit with our fake wedding photos is kind of fire, though.”

“I know right?” He said, then paused. “Why’d you ask, though?”

You shrugged. “Just making sure you’re not uncomfortable. I get shipped with people sometimes and it’s.. weird if we’re not actually close.”

Aj tilted his head slightly. “But we are close.”

Your smile widened. “Exactly.”

Another pause. Slightly more loaded this time. Aj rubbed the back of his neck. “Okay, but like. If it wasn’t just edits..”

“Hmm?”

“Would it be.. you know. Weird. If people were right?”

Your heart did a weird little flip. But you didn’t let your voice waver. “Are you saying you want them to be right?”

He grinned. “I’m saying.. maybe I should thank the fans for giving me the push.”

Silence. The chat wasn’t silent, though.

User18: is this a confession? 😭😭

User19: STOP FLIRTING AND KISS ALREADY..

User20: I’m sobbing screaming throwing up 😭

You leaned forward. “Aj?”

“Yeah?”

“Next stream. We co-host. Watching our own edits. Deal?”

He laughed, eyes shining. “Only if we title it: ‘We watched our ship edits… and now we’re in love?’”

“I mean.. I’m down”

And just like that, the stream ended with Aj’s camera still rolling, the two of you smiling at each other like you’d just figured something out and thousands of fans losing their minds in the chat.

[frostedsugarcookiehearts]

⋆ ˚｡⋆౨ৎ˚ to live for the hope of it all !! <3

it was a nice little thing schlatt did. shouting out youtubers he liked for shits and giggles, challenging jack manifold to do the same and subsequently charlie getting challenged by jack.

of course charlie was going to mention some of his favorite youtubers! some who specialized in d&d, music production, content creators who made him think and ones he had been fans of since he could practically speak.

but there was a wildcard in there, a small youtuber named frostedsugarcookiehearts. her content wasn't exactly what people expected charlie slimecicle would watch.

frostedsugarcookiehearts was a cute little youtuber who did baking videos that leaned more towards asmr, giving comforting advice to viewers while making classic recipes. her most popular video was failing :(, a chocolate chip cookie baking tutorial that comforted the viewer and discussed failure.

and charlie? obsessed. he knew that he had to shout out the cute little baker youtuber in his video. she had comforted him throughout the highs and lows of his life (parasocially, of course) and he was practically in love with her.

"the next channel i'm shouting out is frostedsugarcookiehearts. they're a small youtube channel who bakes recipes while talking to you about life. imagine..." he pauses, looking up. "a girly version of theweeklyslap, but she's baking instead of playing COD."

a few clips of your videos flickered over the screen, and a little portion of your most recent video played. your voice was quiet and soft, the kind that put you to sleep like a lullaby. "the editing too and the production just gives it this really unique, cozy feeling that i don't really get on a lot of other channels." he chuckled, smiling at the screen.

charlie's hands vaguely wave in the air as he pauses, trying to put his thoughts into words. "it's like- it's like i'm in a dream, or at least like, everyone else in the world is... asleep. and you're just like, in this girl's workshop. she's kinda walking you through all of this stuff, but it's like her domain. it's like being in a mad wizard's lair, but a really fun, friendly mad wizard."

he let out a little chuckle, shaking his head as his voiceover echoed through clips of your videos where you're baking chocolate chip cookies and cakes while helping out your audience. "but now, i kinda just like to check in from time to time. see how she's doing- fuck, i'm parasocial. i'm parasocial. but i really like being in her kitchen and seeing her work and i really like the style! it feels, it feels really cool, it feels really cozy and feels so genuine. go check her out. just ... seems like a good person."

he looks up at the screen, smile wide as he adjusts his glasses.

[gyalwtf]

growing up with sharmarke mohamud, <3

guys please request beta squad fics!!

Details ; Sharly × fem!reader, she's a few months younger than him, and definitely way shorter. The numbers represent ages!!

Warnings ; not really a warning but i based their school years off of mine from when i was younger, so im not sure if this is accurate.

Sharmarke Mohamud — or the name everyone has known him as, Sharky, has been your friend for life. I mean, you've always known him, and you don't remember a time where you didn't know who he was, he's just kind of always been there.

07,

You and Sharky were introduced to each other at such a young age, and got used to each other's presence so fast, but as little kids, of course you also bickered a lot. “Mommy!! Sharky took my toy!” You cried to your mom, who was chatting happily to his mom. Sharky looked so panicked, he didn't want to get snitched on! You quickly ran to your mom, whining to her as you hugged her, Sharky hurriedly following. His mom laughed, along with yours as she consoled you. Sharky's mom told him to stop being mean to you and to give it back, to which he frowned at getting into trouble, he wasn't really, but he did give it back.

Muttering an apology, your mom then saying for you to accept it and forgive him, and you of course listened to her. You hugged your toy, as you hesitantly went back to playing with Sharky, still kind of mad, but in no time you forgot about your earlier tears and instead enjoyed playing with him.

13,

Both of you had ended up as classmates for this school year, and unfortunately your desks had ended up quite close to each other, eh being friends for over five years now just meant you talked to each other more. It was currently a rainy day and the school didn't want the students going out and getting wet, so they chose to confine everyone in their classrooms in break, much to the students' dismay.

You and Sharky were both talking while sitting on your desks. You were eating your lunch, but sadly, Sharky forgot his today. “Do you not have any food?” You asked, only just now noticing that he had no food.

He said no, to which you replied with, “Want some of mine?” Hearing your words, he blushed, and laid his face on his desk, kind of flustered at the offer. It was just a friendly gesture, you didn't want him to starve after all, so why was he blushing? Seems like he developed feelings before you did.

17,

Watching him yap about football was so comforting for some reason. You just loved to hear him talk so passionately about his interests, and he loved that you would listen. Looking up at him as he spoke gave your stomach butterflies, there was once a time that you were the same height, now he was much taller than you and he still had a bit to grow taller. You just got so enveloped in watching him talk, that his words went in one ear and went out the other. You got out of that daze though and upon realizing you didn't comprehend his words, you asked him, “Sorry Sharks, repeat that again please?”

and he, of course, repeated. Little did you know that he loved listening to your voice just as much, or maybe even more than you loved listening to him, both of you could talk endlessly with each other. From that moment, he was 100% sure.

20,

You smiled as Sharky brought up that he started a youtube channel, under the name ‘afcsharky’ with you promising to subscribe and to watch his first video, which was a FIFA one. As promised, you watched it fully and supported him the best you could with his videos, with him being so happy that you were his first supporter.

A few years back, you started to realize that he was more than just your best friend, and you vowed to yourself that you were to support him with everything he did, and whichever path he took. So, of course, you wanted to be with him as he started this new era in his life.

27,

Sharky was currently on stream, with you joining him. The two of you were watching his subscriber count, waiting for it to reach one million. His channel, which was now just ‘sharky’ was about to reach one million, and he wanted you to be the one with him when it happened.

You were smiling from ear to ear out of happiness when he called you, so excited to reach one million and he eagerly asked you to come on stream with him when it happened, which you, of course, accepted. He was sitting on his gaming chair while you stood up, waiting as you both watched as the subscriber count was 999,998 and then 999,999 and then one million! When that happened, he smiled, he was so proud of himself, and you were even more proud. You instantly hugged him tightly when it happened, being much more expressive of your happiness.

28,

The two of you were currently on a date, well neither of you officially called it a date, but in your head, it was. He picked you up, his mom taught him well of course, giving you countless compliments that you blushed at. The two of you were having dinner, having so much fun. Reminiscing and laughing about your silly childhood memories, and there wasn't a moment without happiness. Sadly, you both finished dinner and had to go home, with the two of you paying, and him wanting to be a gentleman, but you also wanting to pay, agreed on 60/40, which satisfied the two of you and he drove you back home.

Once you both reached there, he walked with you to the door, even if it was a short distance, he still wanted to anyway, and before you went into your house, he stopped you. He told you, “y/n? Do you mind waiting for a second, i wanna tell you something.” He says, his nervousness evident, and you also started to get nervous. You nod and he takes a deep breath and confesses, “y/n, you've been with me since we were little, and you've always been supporting me no matter what I did. I really appreciate you, and i'm so grateful for you being with me all these years, and I've wanted to say for so long, that I really really like you. You're so sweet, beautiful, gorgeous, kind and all the other compliments in the book, and I wanted to ask. Will you give me the honor of being your boyfriend?"

While he's saying his words, you could feel yourself blushing, you had no idea that he would like you back. A smile forms on your face as you happily answer, “Yes, yes! Of course, Sharky!” you exclaim as you hug him, with you continuing with a, “if you will take me to be your girlfriend,” to which he hugs you back tightly, relieved that you didn't reject him and he said of course to your question. You pull apart to look at him, he was so much taller than you, and he hesitantly asked, “Can I kiss you?” you nodded and said yes very quickly, as he pulled you into a sweet kiss.

He was so happy to finally be able to call you his, he had feelings for you ever since you were kids after all, and he prayed that he would one day be able to marry you. Being determined to do so ever since he was 17, and now he was one step closer to his goal.

You vowed to yourself all those years ago that you would be his number one supporter, following him through every path, and what just happened reassured you that he would do the same. Oh how happy you were to finally be able to officially call him your boyfriend.

�� gyalwtf 2024 - please do not repost, translate or copy any of my works on other platforms without permission.

[sturniololoco]

Could u do a Colby Brock x sturnilio triplets sister? Like shes a part of the triplets channel and goes with them to Collab with Sam and Colby

Are you Scared?

Colby Brock x Sturniolo Little Sister (SLS)

Warnings: Kissing, ghosts, random shit, etc.

Note: Kinda set from the collab but some event r out of order, might do a part two, let me know

SLS's POV

Today was the day I've been looking forward to for months:

My triplet brothers and I are going to film with Sam and Colby!

I've been "stalking" their account since we got the invite, and I must admit, their channel is pretty cool, not to mention Colby, who just so happens to be very good-looking.

I got ready, wearing a pair of black cargo pants with a cropped baby tee for the occasion. I put my hair into an elegant slicked-back bun, making sure everything was perfect.

"Hurry up SLS/N! I gotta pee!" Yelled Chris's sleepy voice from outside of our hotel bathroom.

rolling my eyes, I unlocked the bathroom door and walked out, lightly punching his arm in the process.

"Okay, cutie! I see you!" Nick said as I walked out of the bathroom and sat next to him on the bed as he put his shoes on.

I smiled at him, grabbing my airforces to slide on as we waited for Matt and Chris to get ready.

-

"Alright! Who's ready to get gohstified?"Nick asked once were driving to the haunted hotel.

I laughed at his choice of words while Chris and Matt cheered from the front seat.

Leaning over, I snapped a quick selfie with Nick, mentally reminding myself to post it to my Instagram when the collab was posted.

As we pulled up to the hotel, I could tell that people thought it was haunted. The place just screamed old, scary, and ghost-filled.

I felt nervous butterflies erupt in my stomach as we walked through the threshold of the hotel's front door.

"Hey, guys!" I heard a voice say.

I could tell it was Sam's since we've watched about 30+ hours of their channel in the past week.

We smiled as we walked over to them, my brothers dabbing him up as I gave him a polite side hug. He told us to follow him so we could go find Colby.

But when he said his name, I got butterflies again, but I don't think they were scary ones.

Weird.

-

"What's up, you guys!" Colby said as we met him in the main lobby sitting area.

And I was right, he was very good-looking, even more so in person.

My brothers performed the same actions as they did with Sam, dabbing him up casually, and talking with them about how excited they were.

But I felt my face get hot as I wrapped my arm around Colby's midsection for a side hug. And the height difference was so extreme that he had to lean down to wrap his long, muscular arm around my shoulders.

as I walked back to stand next to Nick, I looked back at him to see him looking at me, with a slight smile on his lips.

My face was officially as red as a tomato.

-

Colby's POV

I knew the triplets had a little sister, but I had no idea that they had a little sister who was hot as fuck and had a great sense of style.

She was so perfect in every way, from her slicked-back hair to the shoelaces on her airforces.

She gave me a side hug in greeting and I had to lean down to wrap my arm around her perfect shoulders.

I was kind of upset as she let go to stand with her brothers, but she looked at me on her way there, her cheeks perfectly pink with a small smile playing on her lips.

She might not of been able to see it from the outside, but on the inside I was smiling like an idiot.

-

We started with a tour from the nice lady who worked at the front desk. She did a very good job interacting with the camera, as well as flirting with Chris.

That left me enough time to stand behind the camera, which just so happened to be where SLS/N was standing.

From "stalking" the triplet's YouTube channel, I could tell she was a little camera shy, hence why she didn't appear in a whole bunch of their videos.

But all the same, she came. She's now walking behind Sam who had the camera on the tour guide and her brothers.

Halfway through, she stopped to look at a painting, letting the others walk a little ahead of her. I stopped too, and decided to take my chances.

"You like this one?" I asked her, hands behind my back while I stood next to her, admiring her as she admired the picture.

She turned her head, looking a little startled as her cheeks started to turn pink.

Fucking adorable.

"oh-I, uh... guess it just caught my eye." She said, adding a cute little giggle to the end of her excuse.

I couldn't help but smile at her, just her presence alone was enough to make my chest flutter.

we began walking side by side as we caught up with the others.

"Are you having fun so far?" I asked her, trying to make the silence less awkward.

"Oh my gosh, yes! when I heard I got so excited!" She said, turning her body slightly to look at me.

I smiled at her again, happy that she was happy to be here.

-

SLS/N's POV

I was honestly so happy that Colby stopped to talk with me. He must have noticed that I shied away from the YouTube videos and came to talk with me.

We caught up with the others as the tour guide left, right beside a picture of a little girl with faded, green skin.

sam explained that we were all going to put candy on the frame as Colby got out a bag of candy from their backpack.

Everyone grabbed one as he held the bag open, then set them on the frame.

I was last, reaching to grab a strawberry-looking candy from the bag As I pulled my hand out, I brushed his, earning another red face from me.

I looked up at him with nervous eyes, but he looked down at me, giving me a smile while whispering,

"You're okay. Go put your candy up there."

I instantly obeyed, following his orders as he put his candy next to mine.

"oh my gosh! This is a great picture for the photo dump SLS/N! Get together with Colby real quick!" Nick said, whipping out his phone.

Colby and I looked at each other stunned for a moment before wrapping our arms around each other in a side hug, leaning into each other to pose for the camera.

I could feel the muscles in his torso and back as we smiled, making my heart flutter and my face turn pink,

again.

-

Colby's POV

I felt bad putting my hand on SLS/N's bare torso for the picture, but her arm around my back caused the baby tee she was wearing to slide up, exposing a little bit of her perfect frame.

Her cheeks turned pink once again as we pulled apart, smiling at each other.

Once we were done, Sam began explaining the elevator game.

-

Once Matt and Sam began their journey up, Nick, Chris, SLS/N, and I were supposed to start our own challenge, but then SLS/N spoke.

"Is there a bathroom in this place?" She said, looking around slightly.

"yea, there's one down the hall, I'll show you if you want," I said, mentally cursing myself, knowing we had a job to do.

She gave me a small smile as she followed me down the hall and back to the main sitting area of the lobby.

"it's right in there, just walk to the right," I said, pointing to the women's side of the bathroom.

"By myself?!" She asked, fiddling with her fingers slightly.

"I laughed under my breath.

"Well, seeing as I'm a guy, I can't really go with you, now can I?" I said to her, feeling the goofy smile spread across my face.

"I uh don't really have to pee anymore actually, you can go through." She said leaning against the wall, trying to look casual.

It didn't work. She looked completely terrified of going into the bathroom alone. She was still picking at her nails and her face had gone bright red.

But now I decided to use this to my advantage.

-

SLS/N's POV

Colby walked over to me and rested his forearm on the wall above my head. I could smell his musky, warm scent as he leaned in closer.

"Are you scared?" He whispered, his hot breath fanning over my face.

A smirk was playing over his perfect lips, knowing exactly what I wanted him to do next.

I nervously shook my head yes at his question, not knowing what else to do as my face burned hotter than the sun.

At this point, he was smiling lustfully at me, only leaning in closer.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you." He said in his husky voice, finally leaning in and closing the gaps between our mouths.

The kiss was soft and sweet. Warm and protecting. Our mouths moved in sink with each other and his hands grabbed my sides, no longer hesitant to touch my bear skin.

He pulled away, leaning his forehead on mine. Just as it looked like he was about to say something, he quickly pulled away and sped down the hallway.

I stood there, shocked, but then regained my surroundings and chased after him.

Just as I was about to say something, we rounded the corner to see my brothers, Sam and Matt back from their trip, and the camera pointed at us.

the red light on,

recording.

Lemme know if you want a part two!!!???

@idkwhosnyla @babypat08 @eyelessdemon00 @christopherowensturniolo @sturnsxx @freshloveforthefit @matty443355 @sleepysturnss @emeraldgreenbeautiesstu @sunsetsturniolos @hoesturniolo @x4nd3rsukz @chr1sgirl4life @sstvrnioloo @sturns-posts @chrisstopherfilmed @kylasrealityx @zoeysturnioloooooo @comet235 @islaasblog @sturnioloblogs @defnotayonna @mattsleftnipple03 @thematthewlover @mattsaq @idkhowtosleep

[shippingmyworld]

Youtuber!Timmy and Youtuber!Jimmy AU

Follow up to my Youtuber!Danny Phantom AU from this post cus I can't stop thinking about this AU.

Timmy runs a channel named Fairly Odd Creatures where he makes full-blown mockumentaries about all kinds of mythical creatures/cryptids. Once every 2-3 months he will post a video that's about 60 minutes long and the production value that goes into them is absolutely mind-blowing. People are constantly flooding his inbox, demanding to know what his secret is. There are all-out wars in the comment section of his videos (or whatever social media platform his videos are being discussed on) debating on how in the world the footage is pulled off. Nobody can agree on if it's super-advanced cgi or the best blend of makeup and props the internet has ever seen.

Timmy's secret of course is just the fact that Cosmo and Wanda will simply poof into existence whatever creature Timmy needs for his video. Then he just has to follow it around for a few hours with his camcorder and then edit the footage together.

The funniest part of his videos (and probably the reason that they're so popular) is that nothing in them is even remotely in line with what has already been popularized. For example: "Chupacabra's? Yeah, it turns out they don't drink the blood of livestock. They eat metal. Specifically, automobile metal. Don't believe me? Well I lost this Chupacabra in downtown Dimmsdale for a few hours and it ate half of this totally random car before I found it again. Here's a clip of it taking a chomp out of the tire like it's a donut." (The car belonged to Mr. Crocker and it wasn't an accident).

Each and every video Timmy uploads is guaranteed to hit number one on trending for a few hours, and then hover in the top 20 for a few days. This gives Timmy a bit of an ego, especially since whenever he posts a new one everyone at school is talking about it the next day. He tells himself that he can't reveal his identity because then he's have to explain how he's pulling everything off (his voice is disguised with a magical voice modulator that makes him sound like a dramatic narrator) and thus risk exposing Cosmo and Wanda. However, the second that Trixie off-handedly mentions she watches them he spills the beans. Thankfully for his fairies, nobody believes him.

Jimmy's channel is called Brain Blast in which he posts about his projects and the science behind them. While he does have a small and dedicated subscriber base, most of the comments on his videos are from months or years after he's uploaded them in the first place of people thanking him for posting such great study aids.

Part of the reason why he has a smaller subscriber base is because he doesn't edit his content. They're all done with a single take, which only is extremely impressive to anyone that notices. He writes the script, preps his slideshow and props, and then hits record. Even though he does plenty of "Fun Science" videos ("Alternative Travel Methods feat. Bubble Travel", "How to Launch Your Toaster into Orbit", "Make Your Own Rust in a Can", etc.) the low production and sound quality for everything gives off the same energy as those channels run by a middle-aged man recording stuff about their niche interest on their phones.

Sheen and Carl appear in most of his videos as his assistants (or lab rats depending on the context). They're pretty great helpers, despite the fact that Sheen always goes off script and Carl gets so camera shy that he forgets his lines. Jimmy has to cut in a lot with "That's an excellent question!" to get them back on track. Libby and even Cindy will make occasional appearances. In fact, most of his popular uploads come from videos that his friends requested: "How Real is the Science in Ultralord?", "Surprising Biology of Lamas!", and "The Science Behind Enjoying Music." are counted among his most popular uploads.

Cindy once tried to get her own channel up and running and was pretty popular for a while, but after a few months she decided that even part-time content creator wasn't something she wanted to invest her time into. Instead, she'll just muscle her way into Jimmy's videos on occasion. More than once she has basically hijacked Jimmy's script halfway through to talk about famous women related to whatever topic Jimmy is covering.

Jimmy can't really bring himself to interrupt Cindy's hijacking's, because whiles she's right about the contributions these famous women have made, they're not super relevant to the hyper-specific topic/experiment he's currently covering (he will just shoot a second video when he's alone and upload it to make sure all his points got covered). Eventually though, he'll get so annoyed with Cindy barging into his lab whenever she finds out he's planning to film (Sheen spills the beans to Libby all the time and she reports to Cindy) that Jimmy will begin to start most of his videos will a few quick facts that he thinks Cindy will like so she'll leave him alone.

When the Youtube algorithm starts recommending Jimmy some of Timmy's mockumentary's, Jimmy will start posting follow-up videos to Timmy's in order to debunk Fairly Odd Creatures. This in turn starts to push Brain Blast up in popularity due to association. Then a portion of Timmy's fanbase gets latched onto Jimmy. They start taking stills from Jimmy's videos to use as reaction images (because Jimmy gets very upset and frustrated with just how wrong everything in Timmy's videos are).

As to not expose himself on his channel, Timmy creates a second channel in which he uploads videos in exactly the same style as Jimmy's. He discredits this "Science" thing that Jimmy is apparently basing all his arguments on and jokes about how Jimmy sounds like a witch. The second channel isn't very popular until Jimmy posts a "In Response to..." video addressing Timmy's second channel directly. This inadvertently brings Timmy's second channel a flash rise in popularity and sparks a whole chain of video uploads between the two of them. There's a solid month of them uploading daily and basically yelling at each other about why people should unsubscribe from the other person.

Timmy throws himself heavily into the second channel (so much so that he almost forget to film content for Fairly Odd Creatures once), adopting a conspiracy theory persona that believes the earth is flat and that the moon is just a government projection. He invites his totally real alien friend Mark Chang onto the channel all the time to talk about Yugopotamia and help discredit Jimmy ("Like yeah man, I totally saw your radical disc-looking planet and had to fly down and check it out.").

And because people are normal on the internet, there's a whole sub-genre of fans that have started to ship Jimmy and Timmy's YouTube channels. 'Enemies-to-lovers' is the most popular trope for them, and there's even a whole subreddit dedicated to the ship that gets fanart and fanfics posted to it on a regular basis. Timmy is very aware of this group of fans and will occasionally sneak in an off-handed remark about Jimmy just to fuel them because he thinks it will piss off Jimmy even more. In fact, there's a whole slew of small channels that clip and compile 'JimTim Evidence' to fuel their theory that Jimmy and Timmy are secretly dating.

Little does Timmy know, there's actually a clip out there of him saying, "Jimmy may not be able to use his oversized head to deduce simple facts, but that least he can pick out glasses that make his eyes look pretty." Jimmy has watched that clip at least a thousand times on loop because he's low-key attracted to Timmy but refuses to admit it. It's part of the reason as to why he gets so worked up about Timmy's responses to him, because how can someone he's attracted to be just so wrong about everything???

[storkmuffin]

The Magic of San of Ateez (1/tbd)

#1: Fangirling San Is Intergenerational (a real life example)

During the unusually long Lunar New Year Holiday, 2025, I spent a lot of time, inevitably, with Family (not family, but Family, you get me?). And because I'd recently concluded that not being shit to women who like entirely harmless things with enthusiasm is actually really important feminist practice, I decided to 'come out' (sorry for appropriating the language but you'll see why I do it) about my interest in the Kpop Idol group Ateez.

I comandeered the remote, in other words. It was in a quiet moment after all the food had been cooked (by women) and eaten (by everyone) and the dishes done too (by women - not all families are like this but my Family is). Up until then what had been on the giant 8K flatscreen had been news, followed by old soccer clip compilations on some sports channel, followed by old fight compilations on another sports channel where really big barefoot men wearing only panties slip on each other's blood as they try to make the other one unconscious by punching him in the face, and back to news.

I turned on the below- Ice on My Teeth performed by Ateez for the MBC 가요대제전 2024.

Oh. My. Gosh. The. Comments.

The choicest one was this: "I suppose everyone has to do all the silly things at some point, inevitably, before they die? So if you were a good, smart teenager and you don't care at all about Idols and all that silly nonsense during that time, you do it later, when you're all grown up." (Derogatory) (Mocking)

The one I'd been expecting was this one, which also happened: "I have never understood those ridiculous 빠순이(derogatory) who follow 연예인 around and ruin their lives, and I never ever thought you'd ever be one of them!" Madam, I literally just put a video clip from youtube on, to watch, because a composer, multiple studio sound technicians, 8 singer/dancers, a choreographer, a dozen back up dancers, stage technicians, camera crew, a director and an editor put a show together for me to watch. Why are we talking about lives being ruined?

Sidebar- Etymology of 빠순이: I always thought that it was a neologism consisting of 오빠 + 순이 (kind of a common, girl next door name of a certain previous generation, like "Betty" or a "Jenny") and it is actually that. But the book by the ethnomusicoloist taught me that it had a second, sexually contempuous meaning: 바 (bar) + 순이 = barmaid + 순이 = whore + 순이. To be a fangirl stan means to be a woman who is expressing, in some way, desire, and in public, and this is shameful. By the by, 빠순이 has been appropriated again by the original set of people it was designed to harm, much like I understand queer to have been done by that community, definitely by millennials but possibly even before that.

The ethnomusicologist discussed having an 입덕부정기 (a period in which one denies that they have, in fact, joined a fandom) for her current most favorite band. She doesn't go into why as a person who studies music she had this internal block against actually liking music and performance but then again, I don't think she needs to say it. We know why.

So, just to be pissy, I put that shit on repeat, and then something really nice happened!

"This is a really fun song!" (yes it is!) And then! "Oh these boys have a really Korean way of singing!" (someone in her 70s). And I perked right up. What do you mean??? "It's just very Korean. They sound like they know our traditional music."

Cue me FREAKING OUT internally but very calmly saying, "You are probably right! Because they had a Chuseok show one time, where they were all making 전, and they just started singing 판소리 among themselves. it sounded practiced to me, too! And, a lot of the newer Kpop does this on purpose - they bring in pansori vocalizations and instrumentals and rhythms, because overseas fans really like it!" (I may have gotten less calm by the end of this.)

So, thus encouraged, I put on this: Killing Voice Ateez, where dance pop makers come out and sing acapella to prove that they can.

And immediately, San's voice popped out for someone. "He sounds like Steve Yoo 유승준!" she said, pointing. For her, this is the highest compliment anyone can give a Korean Idol singer. Such a pretty tone, such clarity, such emotional appeal!

Sidebar: Steve Yoo really did have a lovely voice. He wasn't a bad rapper either even though his stuff sounds so dated now (inevitably, perhaps, since he was active in the 1990s). And Steve Yoo has been entirely erased from all histories of Kpop. It was only after I heard his name in context of how much San sounds like him (clarity of tenor as well as the emotional resonance) that I realized this. Several of the books I read did abbreviated histories of Kpop and Korean pop music, and mentioned representative groups & individuals in successive 'generations' of Idols, some of whom I have never heard of, but Steve Yoo, who was a big huge deal, is so banished that they never mention him, even though he was such an immense star.

WELL IN THAT CASE I HAVE SOMETHING TO SHOW YOU.

His handsomness kind of went without comment beyond a nod of agreement, even though I prompted, because Idols are supposed to be handsome. But what seemed to grab attention was how 올바른 (proper) he seemed.

Responses: Well mannered, demure, well spoken, respectful.

Me: He's the son of a taekwondo 관장!* He's from 남해!

Sidebar: Getting Taekwondo to the status of an international sport and an official, long-standing part of the Olympics was a major national project leading up to the 1988 Olympics and beyond. They fortified what was already there to distill what we consider the best and most proper parts of our culture - being powerful and fit and fast, yes, but also elegant, refined, well-mannered and respectful. When you want to show a shorthand for a character going from like, being shady to a proper, upstanding member of society, you will have him get into street brawls at the start and end with him becoming a taekwondo instructor.

Responses: Ohhh!! He's a 경상도 boy?? OOOH. And he sings so well! His English pronunciation is so good!

And then, and I have no idea if this will actually translate into English, we had a good laugh about how even now, even though regional dialects, especially strong ones like Southern 경상도, are considered 'cool' because standard Seoul speech has taken over completely, people from my family's root region exhibit a 'change of voice' when they speak Seoul. You have to open up your throat to make 경상도 sounds - the volume goes up, the sound gets 'rounder' and 'bolder,' so when someone whose native speech pattern is 경상도 speaks Seoul Standard, they come off to fellow 경상도 speakers like they're being very cautious. We tend to find this both adorable and comical, in ourselves and each other. So we all cooed at him, whenever he was talking to Lee Mujin.

And see, this is the magic of San. He will do insane gyrations on stage, make the most arrogant sexy bad boy face you ever saw, but 70 something Korean grandmas will find his style of singing comfortingly familiar amidst all the imported African beats, and appreciate the purity and gentleness he's able to project. BLESS!

[pitlanepeach]

From Eden | Chapter Seven pt.2 (7/8)

Oscar Piastri x Francesca Gold (OFC)

Summary — Francesca Gold is an introvert with a quiet life and a Youtube channel where she talks about books, drinks too much tea, and rarely ever shows her face. She prefers it that way - tucked into her London flat with her cat, Henry, and safely hidden behind a screen.

Oscar Piastri is a Formula 1 driver. Fast-paced, high-stakes, always on the move. He hasn't read a book in years, but he's watched every single one of Francesca's videos. Just for the sound of her voice.

Following her on Instagram was a moment of weakness. He didn't think she'd notice.

She did.

Chapter Warnings — Agoraphobia, social anxiety, minor panic attack in public, Oscar speaking Spanish (brief, but ohmygawd), Christmas celebrations, brief sexual content.

Notes — Thanks for being patient with me for this one. I think I was lowkey procrastinating writing this because I’m going to miss them so much. Chapter 8 is also going to be a 2 parter, btw!

Oscar liked Spain.

He always had. There was something about the rhythm of the place — the slow, golden mornings, the late, laughter-filled dinners, the way the sun clung to his skin like honey, even in December. He’d spent a lot of time there over the past few years. For races, mostly. Training camps, media appearances, test days on sun-bleached tracks. It had always been somewhere he associated with purpose. With movement.

Now, though, it was different.

Now, he couldn’t walk the streets or breathe the air without feeling how it had shifted — how the fact that her parents had chosen to call this place home had altered everything.

(“They moved here after choosing early retirement,” Francesca had explained quietly, hours earlier in bed, when the sky was still indigo and the hotel was cloaked in silence. Her fingers had curled into the hem of his shirt like she was anchoring herself to him. Oscar’s hand had moved slowly through her hair, massaging her scalp the way she liked. Anything to soothe her.

“They emptied their bank accounts,” she went on. “Sold my childhood home.” Her voice cracked — not with tears, but with that quiet kind of ache that lived just under the surface. “We used to live in the countryside in Surrey, you know? I used to buy myself chickens with my pocket money.”

Oscar had smiled gently at that, picturing a younger version of her — tiny and stubborn, stomping around in bright yellow welly boots, giving all of the chickens names and backstories.

“That was five years ago, I think. I was seventeen. They sent me off to uni, helped me move into my dorm, and then a week later told me they’d sold the house. No warning. Just—‘Oh, by the way, we’re moving to Spain.’ Like it was no big deal.”

Oscar’s hand had stilled for a moment in her hair. His jaw ticked.

Seventeen.

She’d been seventeen. Still a teenager. Already struggling, freshly away from home, and they’d pulled up their roots and left the country. 

It hit him like a cold slap — not just how abrupt it had been, but how deeply, quietly cruel. How abandoned she would’ve felt, in the aftermath. 

Oscar knew what it was to leave home young. He’d gone off to boarding school when he was barely a teenager. Airports and hotels became familiar long before adulthood did. But even then — even in the loneliest, most exhausting moments — he’d still had people checking in. His parents had never disappeared. They’d driven hours to stand at cold karting tracks and sit through painful sponsor meetings. They'd never made him feel like he had to face the world without them.

Francesca, though — she'd been left to do it all on her own. She hadn’t had a team behind her or a goal pulling her forward. She’d just been a kid. 

She would’ve needed more. More reassurance. More patience. More love.

And they hadn’t given her any of it.

“My sister didn’t care,” she continued. “She was already living with whatever boyfriend she had at the time — Ian, I think his name was. But it was my home, you know? I thought I’d get to come back to it. I thought—” She stopped. Shrugged. “Anyway. Yeah. That’s how they ended up living here, and I stayed in England.”

Her voice was flat, stripped of emotion, and Oscar hated it. 

He didn’t say anything at first. Mostly because if he did, he was pretty sure it would come out too sharp, too cutting — the kind of thing he wouldn’t be able to take back. He could feel the words rising in him anyway, bitter and hot in his throat.

But she didn’t need his anger. 

Instead, his fingers slid across the sheets and found hers under the covers, cool and curled and a little tense. He squeezed gently — once, then again. It wasn’t just for comfort.

It was a promise. A quiet vow etched into the space between them.

Never again, baby.

He didn’t say it out loud. He didn’t need to.

She gave the smallest squeeze back.)

— 

He kept his hood up as he walked, hands in the pockets of his hoodie, trainers silent on the cobbled pavement. It was early still — the kind of soft morning that made everything feel gentler than it really was — but the streets were beginning to stir. The occasional bark of a dog, a child singing a Christmas carol at the top of their voice, the low murmur of Spanish slipping between couples on their balconies.

Oscar moved quietly through it all, sunglasses tugged low even though the sun hadn’t quite made it over the rooftops yet. He wasn’t trying to draw attention. He never really was. Still, it happened sometimes.

And it did, halfway down the block.

Two teenagers in matching puffer jackets, shoulders hunched and earbuds in, passed him and then doubled back a few seconds later, whispering frantically. He caught the shift in their pace, the cautious glance from one of them as she pulled out her phone and raised it subtly.

He offered a quick smile, nodding once, but didn’t stop. He didn’t really mind — he never had, it was all part of the life he’d chosen — but right now, his mind was too full of Francesca.

Of how small she’d looked yesterday. Of how quiet she’d been all night.

Of how she’d pressed her nails into her palms. How she'd barely touched her food. How her mother’s voice had hovered sharp in the air like static, and her sister’s laugh had stung like vinegar on a paper cut.

Oscar exhaled slowly as he turned the corner, the warm scent of coffee and sugar curling out into the street ahead of him.

He was trying. Trying to give her something soft in the middle of all this hardness. Trying to make up for years that aren’t his to make up for.

He stepped into the café, the bell overhead jingling softly. The woman behind the counter greeted him in rapid Spanish, and he answered with a polite smile and a “Dos cafés con leche, por favor,” his Australian accent thick, but his Spanish passable. Then, pointing to the glass case filled with pastries, he added, “Y... algo dulce. Lo mejor.” Something sweet. The best one.

Because that’s what Francesca deserved.

Something warm. Something kind. Something good. 

He balanced the tray carefully as he stepped out of the café, the door swinging shut behind him with a soft click. Two coffees, one with oat milk — hers, obviously — and a small white paper bag full of whatever pastries the woman behind the counter had insisted were the best. He hadn’t asked questions. Just smiled and handed over a few notes, trusting her judgement more than his own half-asleep cravings.

The air had warmed a little since he left the hotel, sunlight stretching long and golden across the pavement. The buildings threw soft shadows. There were more people out now, the small Spanish town waking up, but still no one paid him much mind. 

Again, his hood was up. His head was down.

And his thoughts were full of her.

He took a slow breath.

Australia.

The word itself felt too big to say out loud yet. But it had been circling his brain since the moment he got off the phone with his mum the night before. Since she’d told him, so casually, Book the flight. Bring her home. Like it was the easiest thing in the world. Like he wasn’t dealing with something so fragile, carrying her heart in his hands, trying to protect it from every sharp corner.

But maybe it was the right thing. Maybe it would be good for her. Sunshine. Real family. Space to breathe. Not her parents’ house, but his. His world. The people who already loved her without even really knowing her yet.

Oscar reached the corner and paused, waiting for the light to change. He shifted the tray to one hand, his fingers curling tight around the edge.

He didn’t want to push. That was the biggest thing. Francesca had spent so long being tugged around by people who didn’t listen; didn’t care. He never wanted to be another person adding pressure to her shoulders.

But God, he wanted her there. Wanted her to see what family could feel like. Wanted to fall asleep next to her with the windows open to the summer air and sand still on their legs. Wanted to show her his world — not the racing one, not the public one, but the real one.

He crossed the street, hotel coming into view ahead. They had the rest of the day ahead of them. No more family obligations. Just each other.

Maybe he’d ask her after breakfast.

Or maybe he’d crawl back into bed beside her, tuck the duvet around her shoulders, kiss her temple, and then ask.

Yeah. That sounded good. 

— 

iMessage — Hattie & Francesca 

Hattie

has he asked you yet???? 👀

Francesca 

asked me what???

good morning to you too btw

wait what time is it there 

oh just checked lol. good afternoon 

Hattie 

okay so here’s a rly fun idea!!!!!

let’s pretend none of this happened ok

actually i think i have the wrong number! 

Francesca 

hattie. piastri. 

Hattie 

NO DON’T BIG SISTER ME OMG

oscar is going to kill me. 

— 

Francesca was staring at her phone, an amused little frown pulling at her brows, when Oscar came back into the room. He was balancing two coffees and a small paper bag that smelled like sugar and something warm and buttery. Her stomach made an embarrassing sound and she felt her cheeks flush when he smirked at her, clearly having heard it.

“I wasn’t too long?” he asked, then gave her phone a glance. “Everything okay? Is it Katie?”

She shook her head with a soft laugh, her face still a little pink from the noise her stomach had made. “No, not Katie. Your sister, actually. Wanna tell me what’s going on?” She tried to sound casual, but there was a small edge of stress in her voice that made her question if she’d pulled it off.

He frowned, brow furrowing as he took in her words. “What do you mean?”

Francesca held up her phone, her finger pointed at the messages from Hattie. “She’s acting weird. Like, really weird,” she said, her voice laced with curiosity and a bit of concern, watching his expression closely as she waited for his response.

"Right," he muttered under his breath, his voice carrying the weight of frustration and quiet tenderness. He handed her the coffee labeled ‘oat, vanilla’ and placed the small paper bag of pastries down on the bed, his eyes never leaving her. Francesca held the coffee up to her face, breathing in deeply, and Oscar caught the small hum of appreciation that escaped her lips. It made his heart feel a little lighter, as though the world was right, even just for a moment.

But he had to get this out. 

“I spoke to my mum last night, once you were asleep,” he said, taking a step back, trying to give her the space to absorb it. He leaned against the edge of the bed, making sure to keep his posture open, inviting her into the conversation but giving her full control. “She wants us to go to Australia.”

Francesca’s fingers curled around the warmth of her coffee cup, her brow furrowing in confusion. Her eyes met his with a quiet surprise, and her lips parted as she tried to process his words. “Wait, what?” Her voice was soft, vulnerable, almost a whisper. “When?”

“Now,” Oscar replied, his voice steady but gentle. “Tomorrow, ideally. Before Christmas, really.” He knew how much the timing mattered. It was already the 18th. 

The plan had been to stay in Spain, to spend the holidays with her family. But now… now, things were different.

“I know we were going to stay here with your family,” he continued, shifting slightly as his gaze softened. “But I also know that after… well, after last night…” He let out a small, involuntary breath at the memory. (A hitched breath, her skin pressed against his, her lips against his neck as she said “I don’t want them in my life anymore. I’m done with them, Osc. For good.”) He exhaled slowly, trying to ground himself, his thoughts clear but filled with an ache for her. “I just wanted you to know that it’s an option, yeah?” 

Francesca blinked, clearly caught off guard, her eyes flickering downward as she processed his words. The silence stretched just enough for Oscar to notice the subtle shift in her—her shoulders sagged slightly, her brows knitting together as she turned the idea over in her mind. He could almost hear the quiet clamour of her thoughts, a whirlwind of everything she’d been holding inside for so long.

“You don’t have to decide right now,” he told her gently, his voice dropping to a soft, soothing tone. He didn’t want to pressure her, not when it came to something so big. “We could go to Australia. We could spend Christmas there, if that’s what you want. Or we could fly back to London, steal Henry back from Katie, and have Christmas at the flat, just the three of us. We could even stay here. Have a hotel Christmas. Order room service turkey sandwiches, get cozy in bed, and binge every single Home Alone movie.” His lips quirked into a small smile at the thought. “Anything, baby.” 

"Does your bedroom still look like it did when you were a kid?" she asked softly, breaking the quiet space between them. The question came almost aimlessly. 

Oscar made a face. "Yeah. Posters and all. Still got a few of my old racing suits tucked away in the wardrobe, too." His voice was warm, but there was something vulnerable in it too, a hint of nostalgia — the kind of nostalgia that only came from places you’d outgrown, yet could never fully leave behind.

Francesca set her coffee down on the side table. Then, without thinking, she crawled over to him on the bed, her body fluid and natural in the way that only happened when she was with him. Kneeling up close to him, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer with a quiet, almost imperceptible sigh.

"I miss Henry," she confessed quietly, her voice muffled against the side of his neck. It was a small admission, but it carried the weight of everything she hadn’t fully said yet. The empty space where Henry usually curled up on the couch, the quiet moments where her hands itched to brush his fur.

"Me too," Oscar admitted, his voice low, his arms instinctively wrapping around her, pulling her just a little tighter.

She let out a soft breath, resting her cheek against his chest for a beat, before sitting back slightly to look at him. Her eyes were softer now, but the flicker of uncertainty was still there, dancing behind them. "But I do want to see Hattie again. And I want to eat barbecue food on Christmas Day and sunbathe on Boxing Day." Her lips curved up a little at the thought, and for a moment, the heaviness of the conversation seemed to lighten. Still, she stared at him, her gaze more serious now. “It’s a lot, Osc. I prepared myself for Spain. I don’t… I don’t have anything with me. I—” She paused, taking in a shallow breath, like she could already feel the weight of the change pressing down on her. “I can already feel myself starting to get worked up about this.”

He let her speak, his hand coming up to gently brush her hair back from her face, his fingers lingering at the curve of her jaw, grounding her.

“I know,” he murmured softly, his voice full of understanding. “It’s a big thing, and I didn’t want to spring it on you like this, especially after everything with your family. But I just need you to know it’s an option, yeah?”

She nodded, her gaze softening as she took in his words. Then, without warning, she leaned up and kissed him gently, a quiet affirmation that spoke louder than any words could.

“Can we eat now?” She asked quietly, almost shyly, as if the simplicity of the request could bring some semblance of normalcy back.

He let out a small laugh, the tension melting from his shoulders as he cupped her face in his hands. “Of course we can, baby,” he said, his voice low and tender.

She smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she pulled away and reached for the paper bag of pastries.

— 

TWO DAYS LATER

iMessage — Katie & Francesca 

Francesca 

send me photos of my son pls 

Katie

*5 photos of Henry sleeping, belly-up, on Katie’s silk bedsheets*

Aren’t you literally on an international flight right now?

Francesca 

osc bought me wifi hehe 

so i could reply to the comments on my new vid 

he’s the best. 

Katie 

Millionaire bf buys you airline wifi and you’re impressed….?

Francesca 

I’m like 90% sure the only thing ive spent my money on since meeting this man is rent. and he tried to talk me into putting that in his name last week. 

Katie 

… 

I think I’m turned on  

Francesca 

keep that to urself pls

just send me more pictures of my son

oscar wants to see the baby 

Katie

*4 photos of Henry, staring at the camera, unimpressed*

— 

The hot evening air kissed Francesca’s skin as she walked barefoot along the shoreline, the soft sand slipping between her toes with each step. The rhythm of the waves crashing against the beach was a calming constant, yet her heart beat erratically in her chest, a mix of adrenaline and something else she couldn’t quite place. 

The hum of the airport still lingered in her mind, the whirlwind of the past few days — the multiple flights, the onslaught of newness, the heavy discomfort that had settled in her bones. 

She stopped, her feet sinking a little deeper into the sand, and let out a quiet breath, her fingers threading through the loose strands of her hair. “It’s all so... different,” she said quietly, her voice almost lost in the roar of the waves. 

Oscar turned to face her, his expression soft but alert. “Different good or different... not so good?” 

Francesca smiled faintly, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. She looked back out at the dark horizon, the blackness of the sea melding with the sky, the sound of the waves rolling over her thoughts. “I don’t know. I think it’s just... I can’t believe I did this, Osc.”

Oscar hummed softly, the sound rich with understanding, a quiet vibration through his chest as he held her. His hand, warm and steady, reached out, gently guiding her down, not onto the sand but onto his lap, letting her find a place there, nestled against him. She let him guide her without protest, her body naturally folding as she settled, curling into him like she always had, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Her head fell to rest on his shoulder, her nose brushing the crook of his neck, where the faint scent of him — wood, salt, and something undeniably him — soothed her in ways she hadn’t realised she needed. The warm night air danced around them, but it didn’t reach the warmth of his skin.

Oscar’s fingers stroked through her hair, not with urgency, but with a calm rhythm. She could feel the subtle tension of his muscles beneath her cheek, his heartbeat steady and solid against her ear.

Francesca’s eyes fluttered shut, her chest rising and falling as she let herself relax into him, allowing the quiet weight of the night to press down on her, to settle the storm that had been brewing ever since she’d turned to him and said, “Okay, let’s go to Australia. I want to spend Christmas with your family.”

Tiny bruises marred the smooth skin of his neck, visible only when she looked up close — tiny marks, fang marks. They weren’t anything particularly dramatic, but to Francesca, they were something else entirely. They were her mark on him. 

She liked seeing them there. They made him more real, more hers in a way that the world couldn’t take from her. A part of him that she had a claim to — just like he had a claim to her entire soul. 

Her breath evened out, the warmth of his body wrapping around her like a protective shield.

“I can’t believe I actually did it,” she murmured again, her voice barely audible, but the words were a confession she hadn’t known she needed to say aloud. “I— I’m really happy. Overwhelmed. Scared. I wish I had a machine that would send me back to my flat right now, but…” She paused, taking a breath, letting the weight of the moment sink in. “I’m so happy.”

His hand trailed slowly down her back, the motion lazy and comforting, until it rested over her hip, pressing her closer into him. “Love you. Proud of you.” He mumbled. 

She kissed his neck. Then she bit him. 

Just because she could. 

—

Christmas Day was a blur of laughter, food, sunshine, and Oscar. The air was warm, the sun shining down in that way only Australia could, and everything felt like a slow, peaceful escape from reality. 

Nicole was already in her Pilates clothes, singing Christmas carols as she cooked breakfast, her voice bright and full of joy. "It's a tradition," she explained, when Francesca raised an eyebrow, confused. "My class does a special Christmas Day session. I can't miss it!”

Hattie had woken them up with a loud, cheery “Santa’s been!” that made Francesca laugh despite herself. She buried herself deeper into the warmth of Oscar’s chest, the weight of him comforting in the best way. They were still tucked up in his childhood bedroom, surrounded by old medals, trophies, and photographs from every year of his racing career. Being there felt intimate in such a specific, beautiful way.

The presents were piled under the tree when they made their way downstairs. Nicole handed out glasses of iced mochas instead of hot chocolate — her own twist on Christmas tradition — and the air was filled with the laughter of Hattie teasing her parents about her presents and Oscar rolling his eyes at her brattiness, but smiling all the while. By midday, they’d all made their way out into the garden, basking in the warmth of the sun. 

Chris had, of course, taken charge of the barbecue, declaring himself the “master of meat,” and making it clear that Hattie wasn’t allowed anywhere near the grill. “She’s got a bit of a hairspray addiction. Think it’s just a phase,” Nicole had whispered to Francesca, her tone conspiratorial.

Despite the whirlwind of it all, Francesca quickly found her place in the chaos. It was nothing like the Christmases she’d known—those were quieter, more subdued. This one was louder, brighter, warmer. Every moment felt larger than life.

As for Oscar… she had given him his present at midnight, when they were tucked in bed, the world outside quiet and still. She’d felt a wave of anxiety when she handed him it over, wrapped in cat-print paper. She watched his hands as he unwrapped it. 

“Is this what I think it is?” he asked, his voice low, quiet, and warm. 

She nodded, biting her bottom lip, her heart thumping in her chest. She reached over, took the book from him with hands that were slightly unsteady, and flipped to a few pages in — the dedication. All for him.

For you, Osc. Thank you for giving me the kind of love that people write novels about — it made this book possible.

He stared at the words for a long, breathless moment. He held the book carefully, like it was something sacred. Then, slowly, as if in reverence, he placed the proof copy of her debut novel on his bedside table, out of harm’s way.

Without a word, he reached for her, pulling her against him with a force that sent her breath rushing out. And then, with the kind of desperation that only comes when two hearts know exactly what they mean to each other, he kissed her — deep and messy and raw. 

— 

Now, sitting beside him in the warmth of the sun, a gentle breeze teasing her hair, Francesca found herself thinking that maybe all of the fear had been worth it, just to be here with him.

Her gaze drifted down to her finger, where her new promise ring rested. It fit her perfectly, a delicate band of silver that caught the light and shimmered softly under the sunlight. Nothing flashy or extravagant — just simple, understated beauty. 

A quiet, constant reminder of the fact that she was his, and he was hers. 

He’d given it to her in the kitchen, the morning still quiet, the rest of the family occupied elsewhere. He’d lifted her up, setting her gently on the counter, and stepped between her legs. Then, from the pocket of his sweatpants, he pulled out the small, velvet box, his fingers brushing hers as he handed it to her.

She’d held the box like it was fragile, as if it might shatter in her hands, until he chuckled softly and said, “It’s not that. Not yet, baby. This is just something to keep your finger warm in the meantime, yeah?”

Her eyes brimmed with emotion as she slowly cracked the box open, her breath catching in her throat. Inside, nestled on a soft velvet bed, was a silver band. When she examined it closer, she saw that it resembled a delicate piece of string, tied in a knot, dipped in silver. The design was youthful, understated — perfect in its simplicity. It was everything and more. 

Oscar reached over and took her hand, his thumb brushing lightly over her knuckles, grounding her back in the moment.

She turned to look at him, eyes soft, the sunlight catching the gold flecks in her irises.

“Okay?” he asked, his voice gentle, careful.

She nodded, a smile tugging at her lips. “Yeah. Okay.”

Without a word, he brought her hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss to the promise ring. Slow, intentional — like he was sealing a vow.

Francesca could feel Nicole watching them from across the garden. She didn’t need to look to know—there was a certain warmth in the air, a gentle kind of attention that made her skin prickle in the nicest way. Nicole was probably smiling. She did that often—soft and full of quiet pride, overjoyed in that tender, maternal way only a mother could be when watching her son so clearly in love.

(“Thank you for making him so happy,” she’d said to Francesca a few nights ago, her voice thick with emotion.

Francesca had smiled, heart swelling, and replied just as softly, “Thank you for making him so perfect.”)

—

liked by oscarpiastri, landonorris, and 76,043 others

bookishgoldie my first christmas in australia 🇦🇺

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user1 soft launch soft launch soft launch

user21 HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO BE CALM ABOUT THIS?????

user88 you actually went to australia? oh my god. im so proud of you. ♥ by bookishgoldie

user6 i know we’ve been seeing sm progress from her but this is crazy! GO FRANCESCA 📣

user76 yeah call me crazy for being able to tell from one picture, but that’s oscar piastri’s hand and i know that for a fact 🤡

user61 right like i recognise that vein

user76 GIRL RIGHT!!!!! 😭😭😭

user39 IS THAT A RING???????

bookishgoldie a promise ring 🫶

user76 OH IM FUCKINF JDJDJDNFJ

user39 ohmygodhdhdjf

user50 that is the cutest thing ever. so happy for u francesca ♥ by bookishgoldie

oscarpiastri 🎄🎁☀️

user81 what the fuck does that mean

user95 CAN SOMEONE SMARTER THAN ME DECODE THIS PLEASE

user72 first time he ever actually comments on one of her posts and it’s this??? OSCAR WTF

bookishgoldie 📚🎄🧘‍♀️

user81 oh ffs she’s just as bad as he is

user74 they’re so fucking annoying 😃

—

iMessage — Katie & Francesca 

Francesca 

*picture of hand wearing ring*

he got me a promise ring

its perfect. i love it so much

Katie 

Oh holy shit

I knew he was perfect for you but he keeps proving it 

The ring is beautiful, babe. SO perfect for you. 

Francesca 

merry christmas, i love you and im so glad that ur my best friend

Katie 

Merry Christmas, Fran. I love you so much <3333333

—

She had a panic attack in Melbourne airport. 

It hit her just past customs. The flicker of fluorescent lights, the overwhelming movement of people weaving in every direction — it all closed in at once. Her chest tightened. The ground beneath her feet felt like it might disappear. Her knees felt weak.

She stopped walking. Her breath hitched. She felt acid rise in her throat, burning and painful and foul. 

“Hey, hey,” Oscar murmured, already at her side, already shifting his body to shield her from everyone and everything around them. “You with me, baby?”

She shook her head, eyes wide, blinking fast. Her fingers trembled. She couldn’t breathe — at least, not the way her body was demanding. They came fast and gasping, her lungs burning with the effort. 

Oscar’s hands found hers, warm and steady, his grasp on her tight. “Alright. It’s okay. You’re okay,” he said gently, like they had all the time in the world. “Let’s do Dr. Kapoor’s thing, yeah? Just you and me. Nothing else matters right now.”

People were watching. They were staring at her. She could feel them. Hear them talking about her. She whimpered, shaking, trembling, and Oscar cursed under his breath and just… dropped his backpack on the ground between them and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her flush against his chest and resting his chin on her forehead, holding her tight, tight tight. 

“Five in,” he said softly, against the top of her ear. “We’re just breathing now. That’s all. Ready? In... one, two, three, four, five.”

She inhaled shakily, trying to match him.

“Hold it for four. That’s it. Just like she showed us. And now — out for seven. Long and slow. You’re doing so good,” Oscar whispered. “You’ve got this, baby. You’ve done this before. You know that it works”

She nodded against his chest, barely, and her breathing eventually began to steady. Her shoulders loosened, and she let herself sink against him rather than standing stiff against him. His grip on her loosened, but he didn’t let her go.

“Almost home,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to her temple. “And you know who’s gonna be waiting for us?”

She managed a weak smile up at him. “Henry.”

“Exactly. Grumpy little man’s is going to be so excited to see us.”

She giggled wetly. “Yeah?” 

Oscar hummed, a smile tilting his lips. “Of course he is. So we’ll take him home and we’ll order Thai, put on some terrible movie, and he’ll sit between us and get so much love. You’ll be in your comfies, I’ll make you as much tea as you want. Sound good?”

She looked up at him, eyes still glassy but grounded now. “Yeah,” she whispered. “That sounds really good. Perfect.”

“Alright then,” he smiled, brushing a piece of hair out of her face. He stepped back, graved her hand, pulled it to his lips, and brushed his lips against her ring. “Let’s go home.”

— 

iMessage — Nicole & Oscar

Nicole 

I love you both so much. Thank you for giving me the best Christmas in years. All of my babies under my roof, happy and healthy. It meant the world, Oscar. 

Oscar 

Love you mum. Text you when we land x

— 

Curled up in her chair on the plane, noise cancelling headphones on, she turned and slid them off of her head when Oscar tapped her wrist with the back of his knuckles.

“Got you WiFi again,” he said, holding up his phone with a small grin. “You can edit your vlog, if you want. Or just scroll TikTok. Whatever you want.”

Francesca laughed quietly, touched in that quiet, full way she always was when he did things like this — small, thoughtful, kind, always without having to be asked. “You didn’t have to. I have, like, six new books to read.”

“I know,” he said, shrugging, “but you get that little crease between your brows when you’re stressed about not having a video ready to post, and it’s cute for about five seconds, and then it starts to stress me out.”

She rolled her eyes, but she was already pulling her laptop from her backpack and handing it to him with a flutter of her eyelashes and a ‘log me in, please?’

As she edited, he shifted beside her, reading through some sim feedback on his iPad but glancing over occasionally, watching the little preview box as clips of Christmas lunch, fairy lights, and soft-focus shots of the Christmas lights they’d driven out of town to see.

About halfway through the flight, with the video mostly stitched together, Francesca hesitated. Her fingers hovered over her trackpad.

Then, before she could lose her nerve, she clicked open a new tab, pulled up Pinterest, and navigated to a board. She stared at it for a second.

“Osc,” she said, her voice just above a whisper, “can I show you something?”

He looked over instantly, setting his iPad down. “Course.”

She turned the screen toward him. Dozens of carefully saved pins filled the board — sun-washed balconies, neutral-toned kitchens, mismatched bookshelves, tiny espresso cups on marble counters, linen curtains blowing in from open windows. All nestled under the board title: Monaco Apartment.

For a beat, he didn’t say anything. Just looked.

“This is beautiful,” he said softly. “Is this…?”

She nodded, cheeks warming. “Just something I’ve been playing with. I don’t know if— I mean… I wanted you to see it. I think… If I can do this.” She gestured around them vaguely. “Then I— I think I can do that. Move. Be with you. By the water.”

Oscar smiled slowly, fully. “‘Cesca,” he murmured, “It’ll happen for us if that’s what you want. I’ll make it happen for us.”

She didn’t say anything at first — just looked at him, eyes a little glassy, the corners of her mouth curved into something soft and full of hope.

“Okay,” she whispered.

He reached over and tapped one of the pins — a small, sunlit reading nook tucked between two windows. “That one’s got your name all over it. We’ll put Henry’s bed right there.”

—

Back in London, the city muffled by rain and fog outside their window, they were tangled beneath the duvet, warm and quiet and exactly where they wanted to be. Henry was curled between their feet under the sheets, a content little loaf of fur radiating sleepy heat. Francesca's head rested on Oscar’s chest, fingers tracing slow, absentminded shapes over the fabric of his T-shirt.

“It’s only been eight months,” she said quietly, her voice somewhere between awe and disbelief. “Since we started talking. Eight months.”

Oscar shifted slightly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Best eight months of my life,” he murmured, then paused. “I was gonna message you sooner, you know?”

She looked up at him, brow lifting in surprise. “Really?”

He gave a sheepish little smile, one shoulder twitching against the pillow. “Yeah. Ages ago, actually. You posted something about baking cupcakes and always wearing mismatched socks and I thought, yep, I’m in trouble. But I didn’t know what to say. Didn’t want to come off weird.” 

“You? Weird?” she teased, her voice soft and fond.

“I know,” he said, grinning. “Wild, right?”

They lapsed into comfortable silence again, the kind that didn’t need filling. Just the hum of the city beyond the window, the soft rise and fall of breath, Henry sighing in his sleep.

She pushed closer to him, nudging her head into his neck. “I want to go to the FIA Gala with you.” She whispered against his skin. 

Oscar stilled. It was subtle — just a fraction of a second — but she felt it. The faint pause in his breathing. The slight shift of his hand on her hip. It wasn’t disapproval. It wasn’t doubt in her. It was… fear, maybe. Concern. The protective kind.

But he didn’t verbalise it. 

He would never be the one to tell her what she could or couldn’t handle. Never be the one to limit her.

Instead, he reached for his phone on the bedside table, still half buried under the covers, and turned the screen on with a lazy swipe.

“I’ll let Zac know I’ll be bringing a plus one,” he said, then leaned down to kiss her forehead, his lips lingering like he wanted the words to sink straight into her skin. “I love you. You’re incredible, ‘Cesca.”

She smiled against his chest, letting the weight of him, of those words, settle around her. Her heart beat steady and sure, tethered to the sound of his.

“Love you too,” she whispered.

And even with Henry purring softly at their feet, even with the grey London sky pressing against the windows, her mind was already slipping forward — imagining the bright flash of cameras, the hum of a crowd, his hand wrapped tightly around hers. The noise. The nerves. The rush of it all. 

She wouldn’t be standing on the outside looking in.

She’d be there — with him. His partner. His biggest fan. 

His Francesca. 

—

The flat was warm, filled with the soft clatter of pots and pans and the distant sound of premature fireworks echoing somewhere nearby. From the living room, the low hum of the TV drifted into the kitchen, a comforting sort of background noise.

Oscar stood at the stove, sleeves pushed up, utterly focused. They were having lasagna and garlic bread — the fancy kind he’d ordered from a private chef instead of just grabbing it from Tesco like they normally would. Francesca sat cross-legged on the kitchen counter in a McLaren hoodie and black leggings, sipping wine and watching him with quiet affection.

No doubt he’d try to sneak a pile of green leaves onto her plate. She’d roll her eyes and grumble, but she’d eat them anyway — just to get him to shut up about it.

Henry sat nearby in his ridiculous little New Year’s bow tie, looking more dressed up than both of them combined. Oscar said he looked like a distinguished gentleman. Francesca said he looked bloody stupid — and painfully cute.

By the time the countdown started on the TV, they were full of carbs and tangled together on the couch, buried beneath a heap of blankets. Henry, having fought a long and noble battle with his bow tie, had finally torn it off and was now snoring in the crook of Francesca’s knees.

As the final seconds ticked down, Oscar reached for her hand, lacing their fingers together.

“This time last year, I didn’t know you,” he said.

She turned to him, eyes soft and shiny. “Osc…” she whispered.

“Now I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”

And when the clock hit midnight, he kissed her — slow and deep, with so much love behind it she felt it pulse through her like a second heartbeat.

Later, he pulled her into bed, and they welcomed the first hour of 2024 in a haze of pleasure. Soft moans. Back arches. Fingers gripping skin. His voice against her neck, low and growled; “Fuck, ‘Cesca.”

Afterward, she lay sprawled across his chest, their skin damp, her fingertips drawing idle lines back and forth across him.

“I think this is going to be a good year for us, Osc,” she murmured.

He tightened his arms around her, pressed a kiss to her hair, and said softly, “Let’s just start with a bath.”

She giggled — tired, happy, a little breathless. Then she let him scoop her up without protest, her arms winding around his neck as he carried her toward the bathroom, their bodies still warm and uncoiled. 

For now, the rest could wait. The year could wait. All that mattered was this — soft light, shared warmth, and the quiet, reverent promise of forever.

liked by oscarpiastri, mclaren, and 98,413 others

bookishgoldie so much to look forward to in 2024 🎊

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oscarpiastri happy new year🥰 ♥ by bookishgoldie

user87 happy new year!!!! 🥳

user71 HAPPY NEW YEAR

user76 omg the mclaren lego AND the mclaren like ????? AND OSCAR BEING THE FIRST COMMENT LMAO

user14 their hardlaunch is going to be sooooo slay

user30 like we all know they’re together we’re just waiting for them to confirm it atp😭😭

user72 miss girl spent xmas in australia. they’re together together

katiebird happy new year, my lovely best friend!!!! so much excitement for us in 2024 ❤️

bookishgoldie so glad to have you in my life

user65 nobody talking about francesca literally posting (almost) a full face pic🥹🥹🥹 feel like a proud big sister rn

CHAPTER EIGHT

[daswithoucri]

This is in response to @theinvisibledavis talking about (misogynistic) people attacking Kat, because they don't like Earth (as well as other female characters), and how they think that "the writing of the shows are bad"

Let me start with this: Before TSAMS and LAES, I haven't watched anything in a long time. Because personally, I am not a big fan of TV series, nor do I watch a lot of movies. But these shows and their characters have captured me. I have watched every single sams video this year, during a time span of about half a year (And let me tell you, my mental health was down the drain earlier this year. A day, where I could watch 12 videos in a row, felt just amazing to me. I am now in a much better and stable state. And TSBS has always been there along the way, as a means of comfort.) .

Now I am doing the same with LAES, and I am not any less interested in it. Their videos make me laugh my guts out, make me bawl my eyes out, or simply just let me relax and calm down after a long day at work. And it's all for free! With practically an unlimited amount of content! I, for a fact, know that I am not gonna run out of new videos to watch anytime soon. They upload daily after all! I am 100% sure, that I have still about 2 years worth left to watch. And with the continues uploads, it's probably more like 4 or even 5 years. And it's all just at the grasp of our hands! All of it!

I can't imagine how much blood, sweat and tears the actors must have put into their channels. This takes so much dedication, we can't even imagine the stress they must and have been going through, to make these shows and this fandom a reality! So we all must be grateful for their hard work. What is a few minutes of entertainment for us, is hours of work for them. We need to be thankful and show our support. It's the least that we can do.

So thank you Kat, Davis, Reed, Matt and all the other VAs of other shows that I haven't gotten to know yet. Thank you for your dedication to my and many other people's favourite shows. ❤

And @queenkatluv, if you ever read this: I hope you are okay and that your mental health hasn't taken too much of a blow from all the unnecessary hate, or that you will quickly recover from it. It must be difficult, but try to not take their mean words to heart. I don't have to listen to what they say, nor will I ever, because I know from the beginning on, that what they say is simply not fact. I don't really interact with the fandom, but they gotta be just the vocal minority. I'm sure the majority loves you and Earth.

You are amazing! Your acting is amazing! Your characters are amazing! Your writing is amazing! You deserve to rest well and take it easy. Eat your favorite meal as much as you wish. Have a nice bubble bath, or take a walk in nature if you prefer. Or both! Spend time with those that do you good. You deserve it all times infinity, because you are simply just amazing.

Earth is always so kind, helpful and empathetic towards others. What would she say to you? I'm sure you'll know, because you know her the best.

(Oh an by the way, the quality of The Vampire's Bride is chef's kiss to me. It's like a TV show, but the good kind.)

[thathalguy]

Yall I'm going kinda theory-insane over here.

I was watchin some EPIC: the Musical reaction/analysis content cause I found a couple guys I enjoyed and went on a little binge watch, as you do. (Mortius and CF Reacts if you wanna check em out)

They're watching the livestreamed animatic of Thunder Bringer and during the part where Odysseus hears Penelope singing to him Mortius pauses and says something about the vision of Penelope that catches my interest. He says Jorge has posted some info about this moment in his Patreon-exclusive channel on the Discord about what this Penelope illusion actually is, but because it's something only shared for Jorge's Patreon supporters he won't say it outright. In another video they're reacting to Neal Illustrator's Thunder Bringer animatic and again in this scene he mentions this Patreon-exclusive knowledge "The yellow. Is this Zeus to him? I know that's not canon." which just sends my little theory brain spiralling.

So I've been mulling it over for a few days and I've thrown some ideas at my wife, sharing my thoughts which I'm gonna share with yall now.

Upon first watching the livestream I thought the illusion of Penelope was made by Zeus to make Odysseus more torn between his choices. Y'know, toying with the mortal kind of thing. But if it's not Zeus, then who's making Odysseus see Penelope in the sky? Let's look at how she appears in the animatic.

A gap in the storm, illuminated in yellow light. She looks like the sun breaking through the clouds. And who in the canon animatics is tied to yellow besides Zeus? Apollo. Who wears a sun-shaped earring because he's the SUN god.

"But the sun god is Helios!" you might be saying, and you're right. Depending on the storyteller, Helios OR Apollo is the sun god. And when they're on the sun god's island, they never actually name WHICH sun god it is. Eurylochus says "this statue, the god of the sun, don't know where its from" implying that the statue could be either one. And the story of Helios's cows being killed by Odysseus's crew is also attributed to Apollo's cows.

"Another story is in Homer's Odyssey where Odysseus and his men, despite Zeus' warning, devour Apollo's herd."

Now, why would Apollo be showing Odysseus his wife in this moment? That's where my theorizing comes in, and full disclaimer: I'm notoriously bad at getting my theories right, so who knows if I'm even close. But this is what I've come up with as Apollo's reasoning.

Apollo would have known the crew was on his island talking about killing his cows. He's literally the sun, he sees a lot from up there, and Odysseus is tied to his statue, which could also be used as a way to listen in and keep watch over the herd. He would have heard Odysseus begging the crew not to kill the cows, to not anger the gods, and when Eurylochus kills it anyway, of course there's going to be consequences. But Apollo knows it's not Odysseus's fault, he was wounded, tied up, and at the mercy of a mutiny, he couldn't do anything to stop it beyond his words. Wouldn't you have a little sympathy for the man trying to keep your cows safe and unharmed?

And let's also touch on the fact that Apollo's argument in God Games seems pretty weak and unimportant. He's upset some sirens are dead, and he gives in pretty easily, hardly any reluctance or hesitation. As the sun god surely he'd be much angrier about his cattle being slaughtered, right? But Odysseus was the only one who was trying NOT to kill the cow. He's the first challenge, Level One, and by presenting such a shallow (ha) issue, he's allowing Athena an easy victory toward her goal. Also he calls him Ody, not Odysseus.

By showing Odysseus his wife, Apollo swayed his decision to have Zeus kill the crew, the ones who actually did wrong.

[elkian]

I keep forgetting to make this post. Anyways reading liveblogs and rereading myself, I realized something interesting: we almost never see Vriska win a fight.

I'm not saying we never see her win, we see her win and succeed (and later eat shit) quite often. But we almost never see her win a physical altercation, on screen.

Homestuck has this trick of cutting away from a lot of fights, I think I've compared it to LotR a bit (and there are deliberate LotR references in Homestuck! Just look at the finale). It's really interesting, especially in a story that is in many ways about stories.

[S] Duodecim Rex Angelus is an extremely good video made by dozens of fans, and it's worth a watch if you haven't seen it yet (and if you have)! But thinking about it, it doesn't show us anything new. This isn't a criticism, just helped me grasp it: Hussie cuts away from the Trolls' Black King Fight. In fact, all of Alterniabound is kind of a recap - it's lampshaded in Karkat's introduction where he refuses to rehash some running jokes, and you see it in the narrative like when the text box talks about the hole in the wall and immediately explains why it's there, etc.

And once you start noticing it, it crops up a lot more. We see Bro and Sovereign Slayer/Jackspers Noirlecrow fight, but as soon as Bec is prototyped, we cut away until the reveal of Bro's corpse. The fight is over at that point.

Back to Vriska - who is again and again given the limelight, who is textually one of the strongest normal Players in the story in some respect, etc.

When we see Vriska win, it's a recap of her mind-controlling hapless FLARP players, or manipul8ing Sollux into killing Aradia. It's a single line from Karkat about the BK fight while he's focusing on someone else. It's a brief glimpse of her channeling Mindfang in an alternate timeline before drawing back.

That Vriska wins and wins often is not disputed. But in the entirety of the main comic, how often do we see her fight someone physically, and win?

The only time that comes to mind is when she kills Tavros. And that fight was never in the air - we're shown it, not because the outcome is uncertain, but because it's the culmination of their arc that we've been watching since their introductions.

When Aradia appears before her in [S] Make Her Pay, Vriska is obliterated. She has the absolute shit kicked out of her almost immediately! We do see her rough up some underlings before Aradia pops in, and again, I'm not disputing that Vriska is strong - that's text. She is textually strong.

But it's very interesting to me that every time we see her get in an actual fight on screen, except for stabbing Tavros, she pretty much gets wasted. Aradia beats her to a slow death. Kanaya clocks her off her feet. Terezi takes her out in one smooth, efficient stab.

I think it's a mix of Hussie's general aversions to fight scenes with clear outcome (there's some fun with the Black King fight in this respect, since obscuring it means Hussie can pull off the Bard of Rage reveal in Murderstuck and really throw the audience for a loop), and what looks like Hussie's aversion, deliberate or otherwise, of powerscaling. (And as an artist, I can relate to that, because it tends to become very rigid and directs attention away from the important parts of the story.)

Anyways, it's fascinating that the nearly-Strongest Important Character is almost never shown winning a fight on camera.