#what if they were FRIENDS!!! i am always asking this!!!!!!

[jungwnies]

F1 GRID | being caught together

୨ৎ : featuring : lando norris, oscar piastri, kimi antonelli, ollie bearman, and yuki tsunoda (click here for part one) ୨ৎ : synopsis : being caught together after telling everyone you guys weren't even dating...

୨ৎ : genre : comedic romance ୨ৎ : tws : cursing ୨ৎ : word count : 1853

୨ৎ masterlist ୨ৎ

ᡣ𐭩 a/n : part one will always include: verstappen, hamilton, russell, sainz, and leclerc. part two will always include: lando norris, oscar piastri, kimi antonelli, ollie bearman, and yuki tsunoda! <3 (every f1 grid story is released on saturdays @ 8pm and @ 10pm est)

ʚ・lando norris

you and lando had spent months insisting that you were just friends.

no one believed it, of course. but you had managed to dodge the questions, ignore the teasing, and brush off the lingering stares.

until you ruined it.

it happened during a casual lunch with some of the grid. the conversation had been normal enough—until oscar, of all people, asked a completely harmless question.

"if you had to order for someone without asking them, do you think you'd get it right?"

carlos shrugged. "depends on the person."

charles nodded. "i’d get arthur’s order right, but no one else’s."

lando scoffed. "none of you would get mine."

and before you could think, before you could stop yourself, the words just came out.

"that’s not true," you said. "oat milk flat white, extra hot, one sugar if it’s before noon, but no sugar if it’s after."

silence.

the entire table went dead quiet.

lando blinked at you, stunned.

carlos raised an eyebrow. "…what."

you felt every molecule in your body freeze as realization hit.

you had just exposed yourself in the worst way possible.

lando, still looking at you like you had just unlocked a deeply personal secret, tilted his head. "how do you… know that?"

you scrambled for an answer. "lucky guess?"

charles let out a low whistle. "ohhh, no. that was too specific."

oscar smirked, clearly enjoying the situation. "and she didn’t even hesitate."

lando, still way too amused, leaned in slightly. "what else do you know?"

you needed to get out of this. "nothing!"

lando narrowed his eyes. "favorite post-race meal?"

you swallowed. "chicken pesto pasta."

"pet peeve?"

"when people scrape their utensils against the plate."

"favorite childhood movie?"

"shrek."

the moment the word left your mouth, you knew it was over.

carlos choked on his drink. "no way—"

charles leaned back, laughing. "you are so in love with him."

your face burned. "i am not!"

lando, looking way too smug now, crossed his arms. "well, you definitely pay attention to me."

you grabbed your drink, taking the longest sip of your life to avoid looking at him.

lando leaned closer, his voice low, teasing, just for you. "kind of cute that you know me so well, though."

and that was when you realized—you were never living this down.

ʚ・oscar piastri

you had been so careful.

for months, you and oscar had kept things lowkey. no public outings that looked too couple-y, no obvious flirting around people who would catch on, and definitely no social media slip-ups.

until, of course, you accidentally exposed yourself.

it started with something so innocent—a simple café photo for your instagram story. a well-framed shot of your latte, a book, and the warm, aesthetically pleasing lighting of a cozy melbourne café.

it was perfect.

until someone noticed the hand in the background.

at first, you didn’t think anything of it.

until your phone blew up.

@/f1updates: so uh… who’s hand is that, bestie? 👀 @/mclarenfan99: guys that’s so oscar’s watch wtf @/piastristan: wait i zoomed in that’s his hand @/lando_norris: oh. oh this is good. @/oscartheferrari: you fumbled your own soft launch 😭😭 your stomach dropped.

you clicked on your own story, staring at the very obvious, very identifiable hand resting on the table—wearing oscar’s exact watch, with oscar’s exact freckles, positioned in a way that very clearly suggested you weren’t just hanging out as friends.

and then, just when you thought it couldn’t get worse, oscar texted you.

oscar: so i guess we’re soft launching now?

you: i didn’t mean to

oscar: try telling that to the entire internet.

panicking, you deleted the story—but it was far too late.

because minutes later, lando reposted it on his own story with one simple caption:

"nice watch, mate. 😉"

you wanted to die.

by the time you saw oscar again, he was way too amused, arms crossed as he leaned against the counter. "so," he said, biting back a smirk, "want me to post a hard launch?"

you groaned, burying your face in your hands. "i am never living this down."

oscar just chuckled, reaching over to steal a sip of your drink. "well, at least now we don’t have to hide it anymore."

and that was how you learned—there is no such thing as an accidental soft launch.

ʚ・kimi antonelli

you hadn’t even noticed.

really, you hadn’t.

the group hangout had been easy, casual—everyone sprawled across couches, floor cushions, and bean bags while watching a random movie none of you were actually paying attention to.

and somehow, at some point during the night, you had ended up practically wrapped around kimi.

it wasn’t intentional. you had just been sitting next to him, and then someone shifted, and you moved a little closer, and then it was just comfortable.

your legs were tangled, his arm was resting behind you on the couch, and every so often, you felt the slightest pressure when he leaned into you.

it wasn’t a big deal. until someone pointed it out.

george, ever the observant one, was the first to notice.

"not to ruin the moment," he said, smirking, "but are you guys going to explain what’s happening over there?"

you frowned, pulling your attention away from the screen. "what?"

george raised an eyebrow. "you two are practically—" he motioned vaguely between you and kimi. "intertwined."

you glanced down—and oh.

yeah. your entire lower body was tangled with kimi’s.

one of his legs was slotted between yours, your calf was resting against his, and his hand was literally on your thigh like it was the most natural thing in the world.

you froze.

kimi, meanwhile, just blinked. "what about it?"

lando, now noticing, wheeled around to face him. "what do you mean, ‘what about it’?!"

kimi shrugged. "she’s comfortable. i’m comfortable."

george exchanged a look with oscar, who looked one second away from laughing. "but you’re literally cuddling," george pointed out.

you felt your entire body heat up. "we are not—"

kimi, completely unfazed, adjusted his position slightly, hand still resting on your leg like it belonged there. "i don’t see the problem."

you turned to look at him, betrayed. "kimi!"

"what?" he asked, eyes flickering to yours, lips twitching just slightly. "you don’t seem to mind."

lando lost it. "oh my god, they’re actually worse than charles and his denial phase."

george smirked. "i give it two weeks before they admit it."

your entire body was on fire.

kimi, still completely unbothered, leaned in slightly, voice low enough for only you to hear. "you don’t actually want me to move, do you?"

you swallowed hard. no.

but there was no way you were admitting that out loud.

so, instead, you groaned, covering your face. "i hate all of you."

kimi just chuckled, leaning back like nothing had happened. but his hand?

yeah. he never moved it.

ʚ・ollie bearman

you had been so careful.

for months, you and ollie had managed to keep whatever this was completely under wraps. no suspicious glances, no unnecessary touches in public, and definitely no getting caught leaving each other’s places at odd hours.

until, of course, you did.

it was way too early—the kind of early where the streets were still quiet, the sky barely waking up, and the world felt like it belonged to you and ollie alone.

you had slipped out of his apartment, hoodie pulled over your head, moving casually like you weren’t trying to look suspicious. it was fine, really. no one was awake to see you, and you had made it almost all the way down the hallway.

then, the worst thing imaginable happened.

the elevator doors dinged open—and standing there, fully awake and looking way too amused, was none other than george russell.

your soul left your body.

george took one look at you, at the way you were still in last night’s clothes, at the very familiar hoodie you were wearing—ollie’s hoodie—and his entire face lit up with realization.

"ah," he said, stepping out of the elevator, his smirk growing by the second. "good morning."

you froze. "uh—hi."

george raised an eyebrow, glancing over your shoulder at ollie’s door. "interesting place to be leaving so early."

you wanted to die.

"don’t say anything," you blurted out, already panicking.

george crossed his arms, absolutely thriving in this situation. "and why wouldn’t i say anything?"

before you could think of a good excuse, ollie’s door swung open behind you.

and there he was—sleepy, shirtless, hair a mess, looking far too comfortable as he leaned against the doorframe.

and then he saw george.

ollie blinked. "oh."

george’s grin tripled in size.

ollie, still half asleep, looked at you, then at george, then back at you. "well."

you buried your face in your hands. "we are so screwed."

george clapped ollie on the shoulder, barely holding in his laughter. "i’ll let the others know you’re both alive," he said, walking away. "have fun explaining this one."

ollie sighed as the elevator doors closed behind him. "well, that could’ve gone worse."

you looked at him dead in the eye. "really? how?"

ollie just smirked, reaching out to tug on the sleeve of his hoodie—the one you were still wearing. "at least now you don’t have to sneak out next time."

and, honestly?

you hated how much you liked that idea.

ʚ・yuki tsunoda

you and yuki had been so sure that no one suspected a thing.

sure, you spent a lot of time together. sure, you had an obvious soft spot for each other. sure, yuki always found some excuse to touch you—whether it was an arm around your shoulder, a hand on your waist, or an absentminded head leaning against yours when he got tired.

but that didn’t mean you were dating.

or at least, that’s what you had convinced yourselves.

until you absolutely blew it.

it started when pierre—who had been grilling you both for months—finally asked, "so, when are you two just going to admit it?"

you immediately scoffed. "admit what?"

pierre leaned back, crossing his arms. "that you’re together."

yuki, sitting beside you, snorted. "we are definitely not dating, okay?"

pierre and charles exchanged knowing looks. "right."

"we just spend a lot of time together," yuki continued, waving a hand casually. "because we’re friends."

pierre nodded, clearly holding back a grin. "friends."

"yes!" yuki huffed. "and, okay, maybe we cuddle sometimes, but that’s just, like, a comfort thing. it’s not a big deal."

you blinked, glancing at yuki. "yuki—"

he kept going. "and, sure, maybe we kiss—"

silence.

your soul left your body.

pierre choked. charles’s eyes widened.

yuki froze, realizing way too late what he had just said.

pierre grinned like the devil himself. "you… kiss?"

yuki’s face turned bright red. "i—that’s not—what i meant was—"

pierre turned to you, smug as hell. "is there anything you’d like to add?"

you groaned, covering your face. "i hate it here."

pierre leaned forward, thriving in your misery. "so when’s the wedding?"

yuki, now fully spiraling, just muttered, "i am never speaking again."

but it didn’t matter.

because the damage was done, and neither of you could deny it anymore.

2021-2025 © jungwnies | All rights reserved. Do not repost, plagiarize, or translate

[thepitlanepress]

UM WHO ARE YOU? –

↳ lando norris + fem!reader

⌗ :: masterlist

⌗ :: a/n: something lando while i work on the smau !! also black and white pics of lando>>> a warning tho the sleep deprivation kicked in at about halfway through

your friend was late.

again.

this was the seven hundredth time michael had been late this week alone. seriously, its like he did it on purpose. you had been standing in the restaurant's carpark for the last half an hour waiting on you ride home.

it's late, it's dark, you're cold and tired. boy was the asshole in for it when he showed up. how could he leave a you out here in these conditions? it was practically snowing.

eventually michael's car turns up and slows to a stop in the car park, you think its weird how he keeps rolling a bit while you try and grab the handle but its they way he is, always taking the piss out of you on a daily basis.

he stops shortly after and you yank the door open piling inside and berating him. "seriously dude? you're half an hour late and i have been dying to bed. its almost snowing outside and you just leave...me..."

thats not michael.

sitting in the drivers seat is lando norris? the world famous f1 driver? what is he doing at your restaurant? no no better question, why the hell are you in his car you dumbass?

"um, who are you?" he asks sitting there, a confused and suspicious look on his face, he probably thinks your some crazy fan, which doesn't help the situation you're in.

"oh my god, i am so sorry, i got in the wrong car, this isn't happening. i'm so sorry, i thought you were my friend, gosh im so-" you begin to say but cut yourself off when you start to ramble. instead collecting yourself and bracing for the cold when you open the door.

"wait," lando's voice stops you, your hand on the door, ready to leave. "you can stay in here until your friend arrives," he says smiling, there is still the edge in his voice, and thats understandable, but he's being kind and letting you stay in the warm at least.

"thank you," you smile and sit back in the seat relaxing and closing your eyes basking in the warmth of the car, and the smell of lando's cologne. its not your fault its the only thing that you can smell.

"so can i ask; what were you doing out there? its snowing and you have no coat on, thats not okay," he asks his voice drifting to you.

"my friend michael was supposed to pick me up, but evidently he was late," you answer, opening your tired eyes and sighing. "he's always late these days. this is like the third time this week i've had to wait for him for like an hour after work."

"you're telling me you spend half an hour to an hour waiting for this guy to come pick you up from work? and he's always late?"

you nod not bothering to defend michael right now, he's making you wait with a stranger for over an hour, the last thing he deserves is your defence.

"what a shithead."

an unexpected laugh rumbles from your throat. "that's michael for you."

"thats michael? seriously?" lando's brows furrow and he looks disgusted by even the thought of it. "he's not your friend."

"what?"

"that boy is not your friend. a real friend would be here in the carpark early warming up your seat for you, waiting with a coat. not showing up hours late to a-" he looks out his window. "closed restaurant. god it keeps getting worse."

you sigh quietly and shake your head, "i don't know what to do, i don't have a car and calling an uber is not my favourite thing at this time of night."

"give me your phone," lando says suddenly.

"what?"

"can i borrow your phone please?" he repeats.

"sure?" you say pulling it out of your pocket, unlocking it and handing it over to him.

he types something quickly and smiles before handing it over to you again. you look down and on the screen is a new contact "lando aka your new best friend"

despite the circumstances you laugh, "what's this for?"

"text me when you finish work each shift and i'll come pick you up."

"what?"

"i'll pick you up or have someone trusted pick you up at the end of your shifts," he says simply.

"why?" you ask bewildered by his kindness.

"because i'm your new best friend duh."

you smile and he grins back at you. "come on i'll drive you home," he says putting his seatbelt on and gesturing for you to do the same.

"thank you," you whisper.

the drive home lulls you to sleep. maybe it was the quiet hum of the radio, or the warmth of the car or the company. whatever it was it sent you to sleep quickly, with a smile on your face and your heart full, you made a new friend.

you never did ask lando why he was in the car park that night. and he never did tell you how he had overheard your friend shit talking and complaining about you at a random club before he ran off with some girl.

and he never did tell you about how he very nearly dropped everything to go pick up the mystery girl who was depending on the worlds biggest asshole.

he never told you,

not even when he got down on one knee or when he stood up in front of all of your friends with you in a white dress.

he never told you how he almost fell in love on the spot when you burst into his car and then profusely apologised when you realised you made a mistake.

he never told you.

but he always picked you up, no matter where or when, he was there.

2025 © thepitlanepress | please do not steal, use, translate or repost any of my works

– comments, likes and reblogs appreciated !

[mairon-goth-minion]

so I took some liberties with the prompt whoops word count: 1542

I remember the day I first met Cain like it was yesterday. It was a coincidence, as his parents took him to a ball the instant he turned eighteen despite his being sick. The same ball I attended after I’d just finished my training. He was young, I was younger and I was foolish, but foolishness is a trait shared by most seventeen years old, I believe. Nevertheless, not knowing who he was, not knowing that his station was far above mine and that he was not the son of a knight as I was but the heir to a duchy, I approached him.

Despite his feeble demeanor, he… shone. Was it his golden locks, falling as a river down to his waist? Was it his emerald eyes, brighter than any jewel I’d ever seen? Both? I do not know.

So I went towards him. At first, he looked surprised to see someone reaching out. Did he not know just how beautiful he was? His first words to me were “‘Who are you?’” ‘Hector of Redenbrough, but you can call me Hector. Or Hec. Whichever you prefer.’ I grinned. ‘Hector…’ he said, his voice but a whisper. ‘I am Cain.’

At first, I had believed that the lack of last name came from an embarrassment on his behalf, and had believed him to be born in a rather low station. I could not have been more wrong.

‘Well, Cain, will you offer me this dance?’ I could have asked anyone else, but I didn’t want to. It was all about Cain, and it always has been ever since. His cheeks flushed, he took my hand. It was plainly obvious that he’d never danced before, but I gently led him. I did not care about the amount of times he stepped on my foot. He was too light for it to hurt. It was a happy moment.

The second time we met, he was twenty five, and still terribly sick. A gaunt, pale thing. His father had passed and he had become the Duke of Sulinard, as well as my superior. I think that he recognized me, when he looked at the legions of knights standing in front of him, kneeling. Why else would he have chosen me to be his bodyguard? Was it a coincidence?

I remember the surprise that I’d felt that day, both because of learning his identity as one of the most powerful men in the Kingdom and because I was selected amongst so many others.

“‘Congrats, Hec!’” were words I heard many times, and I remember getting drunk in a tavern with friends, celebrating my new position.

It was a year later that things began growing sour. Cain’s health was rapidly declining, as were my hopes.

See, Cain and I had become friends. I don’t think that he ever had anyone to talk to before I came along and took him to the dance floor, and I didn’t mind spending my days talking with the most intelligent and beautiful person I’d ever met. He fascinated me. He was gentle and frail, but held within him an infinite curiosity for the world, and I could have spent my entire life merely watching Cain talk of things he’d read in his books. So when he was too weak to leave his bed, I became desperate.

I knew that his illness had no cure, and what could I, a mere knight, do when his rich family had tried everything? Well, there are certain things that desperate men will do when all hope seems lost that not even the vilest of humans would even consider. I made a pact with a vampire.

Following rumors and whispers, and after months of research, I found Hara in a small shepherd’s village, where she fed off of sheep. She was starving, and I offered her my blood in exchange for Cain’s life.

Hara didn’t want to, at first, having promised herself never to kill, but I was a desperate fool, and I would have done anything for Cain. So she drank, and drank, and drank, for the first time in her life. I think that she would have drank all of my blood had I not stopped her. When I brought her to Sulinard, Cain was on his deathbed. I was nearly too late. Everyone had lost hope, and he laid on the cold sheets alone with no one by his side.

I took his icy hand, pressing it to my lips, tears staining my cheeks as Hara sank her teeth into his neck. Was I a monster for doing this to him? After all, I had condemned him to an eternity of thirst for my selfish desire to remain by his side.

When she was done, Hara turned to me, grief in her eyes. ‘You know what you made me do, don’t you?’ ‘I do.’ ‘He will never forgive you.’ ‘I do not care if he hates me for ever, as long as I can see him smile one last time.’ I was compelled to honesty. ‘I do not care whether or not he lives an existence of misery, if it means that I know that he breathes still.’ ‘You condemn him to a life of shadows.’ ‘I know.’ ‘He will be hated.’ ‘I know.’ ‘He will be alone.’ ‘I know.’ Hara shook her head, furious. ‘You are the true monster here.’ ‘I know.’ She left, and I never saw her again. Perhaps she still feeds on sheep in faraway villages.

When Cain woke up, I cried of joy. My master had opened his eyes. ‘Hector? Wh- Why am I alive?’ When I told him what had happened, I saw horror in his eyes. ‘You did what?’ His voice was sharper than my sword, and I nearly flinched. ‘You are an undying, My Lord.’ ‘No,’ he said, crestfallen, looking truly afraid. The fear was soon replaced by a glorious fury I’d never seen before in his eyes. ‘WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME?’ ‘I couldn’t lose you.’ Grief flooded in his eyes as I said those words. ‘So I will be the one to lose you?’ Clenching my teeth, I nodded. ‘No,’ he whispered once more as the room became suddenly dark. ‘You will remain by my side, Hector, and you may never leave it.’ Shadows twirled all around us, lashing at my skin, leaving red bleeding wounds, but I did not scream nor feel any pain, too lost was I in his eyes, darker than the void of a starless night. ‘Magnificent…’ I murmured as the shadows tore open my chest and entered my heart. It was more pain than I’d ever felt before, shooting through my body as poisoned needles in my veins, and I screamed and screamed and screamed, crying of pain. Yet through this I laughed. I was happy that it was Cain who was hurting me. What a sick and twisted monster I am.

When I opened my eyes, I was in his bed, blood covering the sheets, and he was standing next to me, his clothes and mouth tainted red. Whose blood was it? I would have said mine had my flesh not been completely void of scars or wounds. I soon learned that it was the other members of this household whom he had killed. His mother, his sister, his servants, all of them. I did not mourn any. All that mattered was that Cain was still standing.

The shadows apparently had left a black mark on me, on the back of my neck. As long as he lived, I would too, and I was to belong to him forever. I was the happiest man alive.

For centuries, I stood by his side, as his bodyguard, as his friend, as his companion. I killed any person daring to try and harm him, and I did whatever he asked of me.

I am different than I was. At first, I remained a proud knight despite my belonging to a vampire, only slaying in duels or war. But now? I am no better than an animal. When I fight, it is no longer as a knight. I am a dog, a vicious one, a dog that’s lived for centuries by his master’s side. When I fight, it’s with my teeth and nails, in alleyways where no one can see the bodies of those whom I mutilate.

Cain still resents me, I think. He sent me to war many times. I have seen horrors. I have seen trenches of blood. I have seen the loss of faith. I have seen what Men can do when they let go of morals. Cain resents me but still he loves me, sharing with me his bed and body.

“‘Who are you?’” His words from a distant past echo in my ears, sometimes. Today, my answer would be ‘I am yours’.

You are the knight bodyguard of a vampire, but as the centuries went by it became less and less noble. Now you're mostly just a glorified servant, and when you fight it is not an honourable duel, it's shanking someone in an alleyway.

[hellokittykookies]

Pose for me - J.JK -

──── sypnosis ✮⋆˙ After years of running from the life you never wanted, you thought you had finally succeeded. erasing y/n, becoming ji-ha, and leaving your past behind. But then came him. A model you accidentally brought to a cotillion, a man effortlessly loved by the woman who had become family to you. And it just so happens He was connected to the one person you abandoned nine years ago. You were supposed to avoid him. To walk away. So why did you keep finding yourself right next to him?

──── pairings ✮⋆˙ Model! jk x Photographer! reader (y/n also ji ah)

──── genre ✮⋆˙ slow burn, fake dating, forced proximity, angst, romance, mutual pining, emotional hurt/comfort, smut, hidden identity, jealousy, high fashion industry setting

──── contents ✮⋆˙ simp!jungkook, creative director!reader, reader works at dior, model!jungkook, jealousy, secret lingering touches, soft but intense sexual tension, rich! reader, rich! jungkook, domestic moments, unresolved tension, slow trust-building, implied sex (not detailed) unprotected sex (it's not detailed. just implied), family issues, abandonment themes, identity struggles, missing person case mentions, emotional breakdowns, trust issues, georgina is inspired by georgina sparks, inspired by gossip girl and devil wears prada, brother! taehyung, assistant! georgina, calvin klein jungkook, jungkook is like the main main model or the face of calvin klein, part time photographer! reader (it's her side quest pls), petty fights, bickering, push and pull?, nepo baby! jk (mentioned), make outs, kissing, teasing, curse words.

──── notes ✮⋆˙ this was last year. i haven't written anything in a while. i was looking or browsing my works on wattpad and saw this fic that i completely forgot about. i posted a poll and yall voted for me to post it so here it is! your wish is my command. haha. i'm still not sure if i wanna come back to writing but this fic is making me want to. the problem? no motivations and my words aren't still wording like before. i made my friend read the whole fic and helped me fix it and edit it so here it iss! most of the fics that were posted here in my acc will be reposted in ao3 or wattpad. reading this fic was mind blowing to me honestly. i feel proud about this.... i'm sorry if it doesn't feel rght or not omg i am not an expert at these things. i searched and researched stuff about devil wears prada outfits to change her outfits cuz it was sooo bad in the draft. like... tf you mean you're THAT rich and you're wearing forever 21 skinny jeans with fucking fitted top?? omg... my friend and i was cringing sooo baaddd. the amount of times i wrote "your breath hitched" "then" "smirk" what the fuck honestly... wrote this like actually july 2024 or something. i tried my best making this better so pls bare with me. the contents are there and the notes is here. if you don't like it feel free to give feedbacks but pls make it a little nicer maybe? also this was the time i was soo obsessed with devil wears prada. me and my friend changed the names, characters and some of the character traits cuz we thought it'd be fun if we added georgina sparks inspired character here (minus the part where she always want drama or trouble ofc), again i am not an expert at these stuff. had to literally ask my mom shit about her bags and designer stuff when i was re editing this. also i looovveee calvin klein jk omg... i can NEVER get over that era. we made ocs character a little bit moree pushy and stuff like pushing jk away and more in denial lmao. don't even know if this is slow burn or not but whatever.

──── WC ✮⋆˙ 34k

tumblr won't let me post all of it all at once so i'll post each of it part by part. atleast like 5k words per chapt next week as i have a flight tommorow lolll. also fly high michelle trachtenberg:(((

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

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SIX

SEVEN

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NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

[achilles-rage]

Cookies

summary: you and buck bake cookies at 3am.

word count: 1.8k

a/n: hey... how y'all doing... i am finally making my comeback!! if you missed my post from yesterday (i answered a bunch of asks so now it's pretty far down there), i'm gonna be posting again, but probably less regularly. i've been stressing myself out i think by feeling the need to post a fic every 2/3 days, otherwise i feel like shit, so i'm trying to get away from that mindset, so i hope that less fics are okay!! i love and appreciate you guys so much!! anyway, enjoy<33

warnings: none, purely fluff, no use of y/n, fem!reader, plus size!reader, race inclusive!reader

The light from the fridge casts a light across Buck’s face, harshly contrasting the dim light coming from the television as he opens the door to grab the ingredients he needs. 

“The butter needs to be room temperature,” he tells you sadly, glancing in your direction as he places the eggs and butter on the kitchen island. Your legs are dangling off the counter as you watch his every move, the cool counter pressing against the backs of your thighs in a way that makes you shiver in your sleepy state. 

It’s late; 2:30am the last time you checked, and you and Buck had the silly idea to pull an all-nighter, since you both have a few days off of work. Just like you used to do with your friends when you were kids.

“I’m sure they’ll be just as good. And, a lot better than store bought cookie dough,” you tell him with a soft laugh, rolling your eyes. 

Honestly, you’re just glad Buck has agreed to bake cookies for you this late. While you were watching a movie, the main character was making cookies, and suddenly you needed chocolate chip cookies. Like, immediately.

"Definitely better,” he says with a smirk, giving you a wink before pulling out the rest of the ingredients from the cupboards.

He helped you onto the counter before he began his work, telling you that he wanted to make them for you, and that all he needed from you was to sit there, look pretty, and keep him company. And with a face like that, how could you say no?

You watch as he measures out his dry ingredients, then mixes everything together, but he pauses every so often to give you gentle kisses, the ends of his curly hair tickling your forehead each time. When his hands aren’t somehow all sticky from the dough – you quickly learned how messy of a baker he was when you first started dating – he’d place a hand on your thigh, taking comfort in the warmth of your skin and the fact that he could feel the goosebumps under his palm. He always knows that you’re sleepy because you get cold, and your skin erupts in goosebumps.

“What do you think you’d be doing right now if we never met?” you ask quietly after a few moments of silence. He looks up at you from his bowl with furrowed brows, tilting his head to the side. 

“Is this the beginning of a breakup conversation?” he replies in a slightly teasing tone, although you can practically see the gears turning in his head as he studies your expression, and your body language, and your eyes.

Your eyes soften, and you immediately shake your head, giving him a reassuring smile as you hold your hand out. He reaches out for it, not letting it hang in the air for longer than a second or two, and lets you pull him forward until his body is positioned right between your legs, although with his hands all doughy, he opts to place his wrist under your palm.

“Baby, I have absolutely no intention of breaking up with you anytime soon. I was just thinking. How different would our lives be if we never met?” you say as you wrap your arms around his shoulders, letting your hands dangle behind his head as his lay on the counter on either side of you, making sure not to get your pajamas dirty from the dough covering his hands.

“They’d be very different. I’d be fast asleep right now, that’s for sure,” he teases with a cheeky smile. You laugh softly, rolling your eyes. It may have been your idea to pull an all-nighter, but he happily agreed that it would be fun. You didn’t even have to try to convince him.

“I’m serious,” you say with a laugh, leaning forward slightly, “I don’t know what I’d do if I never met you.” Your voice is softer now, a hint of vulnerability creeping in. You met Buck purely by chance, and you still think it’s a miracle that he took interest in you, despite him thinking the exact same thing about you.

“I’d be looking for you,” he says after a moment, shrugging as if it’s that simple. And to him, it is. 

Your eyes soften, and your head tilts to the side as your throat suddenly gets tight with your growing emotions.

“For me?” you ask in a teasing, yet slightly disbelieving tone, and he shrugs again with a nod. There’s no hint of uncertainty in his eyes.

“I’d be looking for someone who makes me happy, and who knows what I need without me even having to think to ask, and who is so beautiful that I can’t even believe that they’re with me. So, yeah, you.” You smile, feeling your face heat up. You can practically feel the love radiating from the deepest part of him and into your chest, and while your entire body suddenly feels warm, your cheeks feel like they’re on fire. Suddenly, you’re not so tired anymore.

“I’d be looking for you, too,” you reply, feeling tears prick your eyes as you lean forward and let your forehead rest against his. Buck has to keep a sliver of his mind occupied on not putting his hands on you, no matter how much he wants to feel your soft skin under his fingers. He wishes he washed his hands before coming over to you, but he wouldn’t have dared to let your hand stay raised in the air longer than a split second, just like he wouldn’t dare to part from you right now.

“Yeah?” he whispers, breathing in the faint scent of your body wash now that he’s so close. He wants to touch you so bad, and his self-restraint is wearing thin.

“Mhm. Except maybe without the snoring. I’ve never heard anyone that sleeps so loud.” You match his tone, letting out a soft laugh as he suddenly pulls his face back with a scoff, his brow raised and a smirk growing on his lips.

“Really? Because I seem to remember getting a text a few days ago saying that someone thought it was too quiet to sleep while I was at work,” he challenges, his eyes moving down to your lips for a second before moving back up to meet your gaze, the smug smirk still plastered to his face as you fight back a smile.

“I sent that in a moment of weakness,” you argue quietly, pursing your lips to stop the grin from making its way onto your face.

“Hey, come on, don’t pretend you don’t love it,” he continues, his hands now raised off of the counter and hanging in the air. They’re dangerously close to your waist; if he could touch you, he’d be tempted to tickle your sides to see that gorgeous smile grace your face, but he holds back. Instead, they just remain frozen, almost able to feel the warmth radiating from your soft body.

“I plead the fifth,” you tell him, reaching down and grabbing his wrists. You saw them out of the corner of your eye, full of dough and dangerously close to your pajama top, and the last thing you want to do is go upstairs and change.

You hold his wrists out between your bodies, and all Buck does is chuckle, rolling his eyes and murmuring a soft “brat” before leaning in and catching your lips in an intoxicating kiss. 

In the heat of the moment, you let go of Buck’s wrists, instead grabbing onto his hoodie and pulling him closer to you while your legs wrap around his waist, and he lets his hands go up to your cheeks. Neither of you notice at first, despite the sweet smell of brown sugar filling your nostrils, and he deepens the kiss, letting his lips work in tandem with yours as he savours the feel and taste of your mouth on his. 

Your noses brush against each other as you tilt your heads, and a low hum escapes Buck’s throat as his tongue meets yours when you part your lips. All you can focus on is each other as the oven beeps behind you, signalling that it’s time to put your cookies in, and Buck’s stubble scratches your face in a way that makes your head spin. You’re pretty sure the fire alarm could go off right now, and you still wouldn’t part from him.

You finally have to pull away to catch your breath, and when you do, you finally notice that your cheeks are now sticky. You giggle softly, and you can’t bring yourself to be upset with Buck about it. Not when he just kissed you like his life depended on it.

“Finish my cookies, Buckley,” you whisper after a moment of looking into each other's eyes, and then he finally pulls away from you, immediately missing the feeling of your thick thighs wrapped around him.

“Yes ma’am,” he murmurs, then dumps the chocolate chips into the mixture before mixing, humming in approval when they’re fully combined.

You take this time to wash the dough off your skin; not bothering to go upstairs to actually wash your face, rather merely using a wet paper towel over the sink to wipe off the residue. You know you’ll regret it later, but right now, you wouldn’t dream of being that far away from Buck. Not when the soft light from the tv mixes with the overhead oven light, and the soft sound coming from the credits of the movie envelopes the main floor of Buck’s loft and makes you feel so safe and calm.

When the cookies are in the oven, Buck helps raise you back up onto your spot on the counter, then makes himself at home between your legs, wrapping his arms around your plush middle and resting his head comfortably on your shoulder. You wrap your arms around his shoulders immediately, letting him melt into you as you wait for the timer. The steady feeling of his breath on your skin makes you feel even more at ease, if at all possible.

You don’t talk for those 10 minutes; you just bask in each other's presence. It’s past 3am now, you’re sure of it, but neither of you care. All you care about is how good it feels to be in Buck’s arms, and to know that you’ve found someone to bake cookies with in the middle of the night, just because you felt like it. Someone to bake cookies for you despite being so tired. Just because he loves you so deeply.

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[sciencebecameouraddiction]

title: your heart in a note

author: sciencebecameouraddiction

fandom: arcane

rating: PG

genre: sweet fluffy romance, some angst, Salo hating

pairing: viktor x reader with wingman jayce but you have to squint

summary: never having a valentine wasn't something you considered a fault, until jayce opened his big mouth. now salo is trying to get your attention and you suddenly have a secret admirer?

Request:

I wanted to request for your Valentine’s Day fics one where Viktor is a secret admirer and starts leaving the reader little notes and gifts after reader says she never had a Valentine before. He’s just nervous to confess to her and is trying to build up the courage to. 

NOTE: its really long... like its long. just a heads up.

“You’ve never… what?” Jayce asks stunned. Your cheeks turn red as you glare at him. 

“No, I have never had a valentine, Jayce.” You respond, a tension migraine coming on as you looked at the man, knowing he meant well, but was hitting a nerve that you didn’t know existed. To most everyone you were happy with no significant other. It was a common ground that you and Viktor had found, as he too had not really had time for a serious relationship, nor really found the desire either. You had always had a small hope that maybe he would make the time for you, but that hadn’t happened yet, so it sat tabled.

“But that’s super important! Valentine’s is one of the best holidays to celebrate. It’s to show people in your life that you love them. That you care. You’ve never had a valentine?” He asks again. Your responding slow blink as your glare didn’t subside had the intended effect as he slowly backed off. 

“Not everyone needs a “valentine” to show love to others.” Viktor responded, being wholly unhelpful and completely quiet as Jayce got into one of his excitable moments. 

“Yes, but someone as lovely as they are? Someone should be your valentine. I would be but I’m Mel’s and she’s mine.” He said, very seriously. Neither you nor Jayce saw Viktor’s shoulders stiffen at that. 

“I’m going to find you someone! Mel will know someone!” Jayce said.

“What about Viktor? He doesn’t have one! Find one for him!” You protested as Jayce was already throwing his jacket on. 

“Nope he’s married to his work! I’m going to find you a special person for your valentine, don’t worry!” Jayce was out the door, with you staring, mouth agape after him. 

“Why doesn’t he choose you? You’re older than I am. You need someone first.” You grumbled as you grabbed the journal you needed from Viktor’s desk. He huffed in response and continued working as you groaned. This was going to be horrific. 

___________________

The next day Jayce brings around Salo. He shows him some of the lab and you just get a feeling that something odd is off. You realize it all too late when Jayce mentions Valentine’s Day. 

“What are you doing for Valentine’s Day, Salo?” He asked, his question seemingly innocent. 

“Oh, most likely going to the Valentine’s Day party that is being thrown this year.” Salo raises a perfectly arched eyebrow. “Why are you asking, Tails? Want an invite?” He sneers. “Oh no, no! I was seeing if you were spending it with anyone!” 

“Oh I’m flattered Talis, but I am alone and not accepting company.” Salo’s response looks positively horrified. You look at Jayce trying to get his attention to stop this, knowing where it was going but he either doesn’t see you or ignores you. 

“No, I’m spending it with Mel, but I have a friend who is looking for a date.” Jayce says, peaking Salo’s interest. 

“Who’s the friend, pray tell?” Salo inquires, as Jayce points over at you. Your eyes wide as Salo glides up to you. 

“Oh, well, now… I may need some company after all now.” He smiles, and for some reason it makes your stomach twist. “I don’t believe we’re acquainted.” He holds out his hand, and as you take it to shake it, he kisses your hand. “It’s a pleasure. You need a date for Valentine’s?” Salo asks. 

“I-um… Well…” You stutter, your brain not catching up quick enough for a quip to get him to stop touching you. Jayce looks extraordinarily happy and you for half a moment want to throw him in the forge. Viktor suddenly appears at your side, a dark look in his eyes. His hand immediately grabs your elbow, for a moment grounding you. 

“I need your help with this equation.” He said, his voice leaving no room for argument, as you withdrew your hand. You smiled hesitantly at Salo.

“I apologize, I must go.” You say to Salo. Something registers in Viktor’s eyes as he looks at you and then Salo. 

“Ah, yes, sorry to pull her away.” 

“Oh, no worries. We can continue our lovely conversation later.” Salo purred as he pulled back. Jayce’s smirk not leaving his face as he watched Viktor pull you away from everything. You looked back to see Jayce speaking to Salo and then Salo leaving as Viktor guided you over to his desk by the small of your back. You looked at him questioningly, but much more at ease. 

“Thank you.” You whispered to him as he gathered up some papers for you.

“You are welcome, but I did need you, just so happened that it was at that moment.” Viktor said, handing you the papers and directing you back over with instructions to look over the equation. You nod, but look back over at the man who was now hunched back over his desk, feeling grateful but confused. For a man seemingly so sure of himself, his presence left you completely lost sometimes.

_______________

With five days until Valentines Salo became a very annoying presence that would pop in to occasionally talk you up, flirt with you, bring you extravagant gifts… And they all made you sigh. You guess you appreciated his thoughtfulness, but even that was questionable because the man, since Jayce had opened his big mouth, had not taken any time to learn anything about you. So all the gifts that had been given were generic. 

Until today. When you walked in and surprisingly was the first one in the lab. You see your desk and a small bouquet of your favorite flowers, a few selections of chocolates, which you love and the pen that you were eyeing to buy, but wasn’t willing to spend that amount of money sitting there in the open. You picked up the pen and looked at it. You quickly realized it was customized. The color, which was your favorite was not available in the base line versions, and your name was engraved on it as well. You were inspecting it as you heard Jayce and Viktor walk in. 

“Whatcha got there?” Jayce asked coming up behind you. “Oh, did Salo leave this gift for you?” You froze, looking at everything and saw a note. Picking it up and opening the note as Viktor came to look on your left side, you read the note.

“Admiring from afar,

Your beauty is beyond compare.

My thoughts feel bizarre,

As you haunt them continuously.

-Your Secret Admirer”

“Not Salo.” You whisper, running your hands over the writing, that looked vaguely familiar but you couldn’t place it. 

“Getting popular, are you?” Viktor asked, a sly smile on his face,

“Oh, hush.” Your face heating up, as Viktor’s chuckle carried through the lab as he headed to his desk. 

You placed the flowers in a makeshift vase, and placed the chocolates next to it. Just as you were finished arranging everything, Salo walks in, looking at the flowers and chocolates.

“Oh, I see you got the delivery I sent you.” He says calmly, a proud smirk on his face. 

“What?” You gasped, looking at him.

“What!” Viktor ground out, whipping around in his chair with a speed you had never seen. 

“Yes, of course. I have to make sure my valentine receives the best.” He says. Your eyes narrow at him, not believing him completely. 

“The lab was completely locked all night and the only people who have a key is us three.” Viktor’s eyes narrow at Salo.

“I have my ways. Don’t you have papers to grade, assistant?” Salo cheerfully asked. Your eyes widened as Viktor was starting to get up. You and Jayce were quicker though. 

“Salo, that’s enough.” Jayce said, standing up and placing himself between you and Viktor. “Viktor is my partner.”

“Exactly, do not talk about Viktor like that.” You ground out. “And if this is from you, I do not want it.”

“You don’t want it?” Salo looks offended. “I do not want it.” You repeat. “You insult those closest to me, you haven’t taken any initiative to even learn anything about me… I do not accept your half hearted affections, Salo. You are a wonderful business partner, and that’s what we can stay.” 

Salo huffs, looks at the three of you and then leaves. Jayce sighs as he leaves. “I’m going to need to fix that,” He looks at both you and Viktor, “But it’s fine, he was totally out of line.” Viktor glares at Jayce.

“I’m not sure that I even want this anymore if it’s from Salo.” You sigh looking at the flowers and chocolate. “It just doesn’t make sense though. What Salo has been bringing and then this… He didn’t even mention the pen or the note.” You say, thinking out loud. 

“Then that means…” Jayce starts.

“It’s not from Salo.” You finish, your eyes lighting up. “But he took credit for it!” You look at Jayce and Viktor indigently. 

Viktor scoffs. “How does this surprise any of us?” He asks, walking over to his desk. Jayce sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose.

“It doesn’t, just causes more problems to deal with.” Jayce mutters and stalks off to his desk. You sit back down and look at your flowers, gleeful now that they weren’t tainted with the thought of Salo buying them for you. 

________________________

The next day greeted you with another gift from your new secret admirer, and no Salo in sight. Which meant it was a glorious day. 

Sweet Milk filled chocolates from the Undercity, a small trinket that you had been looking at weeks ago at one of the vendor stalls and another note. 

“Though some might try to steal my thunder, 

I’m much more subdued than lightning. 

But I must tell you that you are a wonder,

And that makes you so much more frightening.

-Your Secret Admirer”

“Frightening? Am I scary?” You turn to look at the two men across from you. “No!” Jayce starts, his hands emphasizing his point as he shakes them and his head at the same time. 

“I think what they meant, is that you are a wonder. You’re awe striking. And that is what is frightening to them, because you are so wonderful. They obviously feel some hesitancy telling you their identity. Must be some insecurity there.” Viktor says plainly. 

“You’re blushing Viktor! Oh, you must be thinking of someone that is a wonder too, huh? That’s where this sage wisdom comes from.” You laugh, as you place the small trinket next to the flowers and continue about your day, a smile on your face whenever you saw the gifts that were starting to collect near your desk. 

______________

You wondered desperately who your secret admirer was. You automatically crossed off Jayce and Viktor, both seeming to have their own interests. Part of you was sad at that thought though, you sighed as you settled on your couch for the first quiet night in your apartment in a while. 

You had wanted it to be Viktor so badly. Shocked that he had never caught your stares as he worked, or how you would get there early so you could have coffee ready, or how you’d stay late just to spend more time with him. He was kind with a sharp sense of humor. Overly fond was an understatement of how you felt about him. 

It was obvious that he didn’t feel that way about you. Not after today’s talk and how he blushed? You wondered who he was interested in, or possibly even already dating. Was it Skye? They had known each other for a while, it would make sense. 

Your body tensed before relaxing, feeling tears prick at your eyes at the idea of Viktor being with someone else. Quickly blinking them away, you got up, rubbing your eyes harshly and brought yourself to bed. This bout of emotion must be from lack of sleep. Nothing else, and a good sleep would cure it. 

You settled into bed and drifted off quickly, your dreams haunted by golden eyes.

_______________

By the time it was the day before Valentine’s Day, your secret admirer had upped the ante on what they had given you each day. On the third day, was a book about philosophy that you had mentioned in passing that you wanted, in addition to another book on theoretical physics, which you had been studying to see if the hex core could be utilized in some kind of instant transportation. On the fourth day, well, that was the first time someone delivered something to you. A man walked in with a delivery of half a dozen of your favorite pastries, coffee and lunch. Including lunch for Viktor and Jayce too. 

You all had sat around discussing who this secret admirer might be, no one coming up with anything concrete. 

“I swear I have seen their handwriting though.” You mused as you bit into your pastry again, not catching the small bit of creme that clung to your top lip. “It’s bothering me that I can’t remember where.” You pursed your lips. 

“Ah, you have something…” Viktor started, motioning to your mouth. 

“Oh my gosh!” You laughed and wiped the opposite side. “Did I get it?”

“No, no. Here.” Viktor quickly took his thumb and wiped across the top of your lip transferring the filling to his thumb which he promptly licked off. Continuing to eat his own pastry, seemingly not at all realizing what he just did, you and Jayce look at each other, bewildered. 

“Um, thank you?” Your voice unsure and confused. Viktor looked up, seeing Jayce’s questioning look and your face that turned tomato red, his eyes widened. 

“I apologize, if I overstepped.” He said, looking at you, his ears burning even brighter than before you realized. 

“It’s okay. You just took me by surprise.” You smiled, trying to reassure the man. Meanwhile your heart thumped loudly out of your chest as you finished the rest of your pastry trying to look like you were reading your notes. Missing Jayce giving a knowing look at Viktor. 

_____________________

Valentine’s came, and you were giddy. Getting dressed in the morning, you wore a cute outfit and sprayed a little bit of fragrance to commemorate the occasion. Jayce was already leaving the lab with a few dozen of roses. 

“Bye! See you tomorrow!” He yelled down the hallway. You watched him leave and as you entered the lab, you saw Viktor standing there seemingly staring after Jayce looking shocked. 

“The largest bouquet I’ve ever seen.” You chuckled. Viktor smiled.

“Eh, not the largest I’ve ever seen.” 

“Viktor!” You laugh and go over to your desk to find a note as well as a small jewelry box. You open the jewelry box first, and almost jump out of your skin when Viktor’s voice sounds off right next to you. 

“I think you’re supposed to read the note first.” 

“When did you become so invested in this?” You ask, still opening the jewelry box. 

“When I wanted to figure out how they keep getting into this lab.” He mutters. 

“Ah, so Jayce is helping them?” The tone of your voice joking, as opening the box reveals a stunning purple and blue opal pendant necklace. You blink and grab the note.

“The hexcore shifts colors like a rainbow,

But you shine brighter than it could ever know.

Meet me at the docks tonight a nine.

We could have dinner and wine?

-Your Secret Admirer”

“Oh my goodness, they asked me out!” You say turning to Viktor. 

“They did? You better be careful it could be a serial killer.” He jokes. 

“Haha.” You deadpan as you take the necklace out and start to put it on. 

“Here,” Viktor stops you, motioning for the necklace. “Let me help you.” You nod and turn your back to him. He gently places the necklace down and clasps it with ease, settling it against your neck. You feel his fingers start to drag down your spine, feeling a shiver course through your body. 

“Lasko,” His voice barely a whisper. Somehow he’s close enough that you feel his breath from the word against your neck. Your body overheating at his closeness, wanting to be closer. Suddenly, the doors to the lab swing open, bursting the moment like a bubble and entering in Skye. You both almost jumping away from each other.

“I have the reports for you! It took me a while but I got them together.” She starts off on what is in the reports and you sigh, looking at Viktor being swept away, feeling possibly more confused then you did before.

_________________

With the day ending, you see Viktor still working as you were getting ready to leave, so you could go on your date. 

“Are you not getting ready to go on your date?” You ask, as you throw on your jacket. 

“My what?” Viktor’s head whips up at you, his eyes wide. 

“Your date? You obviously are dating someone. Don’t you have a date tonight?” You clarify as his shoulders physically relax. 

“Oh, no. I-um… no. No I don’t.” He looks off to the left. 

“Well, depending on how this date goes, I’ll dash and bring the left overs back. We can eat them together and I’ll steal whatever cake they have. Okay?” You say, feeling bad leaving him alone. 

“You’re too kind. Go have fun.” You smile and quickly head off to get ready. 

__________________

The hour you gave yourself two get ready went by far too quickly. You found yourself standing on the docks, listening to the gentle breeze and the water lap against the shore, in a calming, rhythmic pattern. Almost drowning out the beating of your own heart in your ears. You focused on the sound of the water missing the footsteps of someone coming up behind you. You jump a bit, being taken from your thoughts as you hear a throat clear. 

Turning you see Viktor standing there with a small bouquet of flowers, your favorites again. He looks positively uncomfortable and nervous as his grip in his cane constantly changes. 

“Viktor?” Your voice asking more than stating the very obvious answer to the question you’ve had all week. “You’ve been my secret admirer?”

“I have.” He nods, looking almost for the first time in his life that if he were to talk more he might either fling himself over the dock to be sick or to get out of this exchange. 

“Did you want to be? Because you look positively horrified to be here.” You say, stepping forward. 

“No, I did! I-Of course I did. I’m just- Eh, a little nervous I guess. On how you’re currently perceiving everything.” He shrugs, looking away. The unspoken words being him worried of how you were perceiving him.

“You really went to the trouble of getting me all of those gifts this week? Even the sweet milk filled chocolate from the Undercity, that I mentioned one time that I liked?” You asked, stepping forward again. 

“Of course I did. I remember everything you say, because everything you say is valuable to me.” Viktor’s words are so earnest you stop yourself for a second. 

“I loved everything.” You whisper, taking the final steps so that you were chest to chest. He looks down at you, those golden eyes that haunted your dreams shining in the low light. 

“I had hoped you would.” He whispered, wordlessly handing you the bouquet. You take it in your left hand, your right hand reaching up to cup his cheek. Golden eyes widening at your closeness. 

“Can I kiss you?” Your voice brushing past him, feeling the responding shudder from his body. 

“Yes.” Is the only word you heard before your lips were on his. His left hand reaching to your waist while your tried to somehow pull him closer with just the hand you had anchored on his face. The moan in the back of his throat as you deepened the kiss was felt more than it was heard, but the small whine from both of you as you parted was almost in harmony. 

“I promised you dinner.” Viktor whispered. “We’re late.” 

“And wine.” You prompted the reminder, as he smiled at you. Almost as blinding as the sun itself on a summers day. 

“And wine.” Was his agreement as he pulled back and offered you his hand. Taking it in yours as you both began to walk back up the docks, you suddenly realized.

“I had recognized the handwriting on the notes!” You exclaimed. Viktor looked at you amused. “It was your writing. It was your hand writing!” You shake your head. “I’m an idiot.” 

“Your perception skills do leave much to be desired, but it worked out in my favor. I truly thought I had ruined everything by buying that one trinket you wanted when we were at the shops a few weeks ago.” Viktor chuckled. 

“I just figured someone was watching or you told them, since it was just us there!” You explained. “That’s not a great reason is it?” Realizing that your reasoning was not sound really. Viktor just looked down at you, still walking with a slight smirk. 

“I never said I loved you for your perception ability.” He kissed the top of your head as you leaned against him, breathing in the soft scent of his cologne and the smell of grease that seemed to cling to him. 

“Wait! You love me?” Your voice loud as you pull off him and round to face him, walking somewhat backwards. Viktor’s laugh echoing through the square. This was definitely the start of many amazing Valentine’s Days.

[girlactionfigure]

Eulogy

Yarden Bibas’ eulogy for his wife Shiri, and children Ariel, and Kfir Bibas who were kidnapped by Palestinian terrorists on October 7, 2023, from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, southern Israel, and brutally murdered by Palestinian terrorists while in captivity in Gaza: 

"Mi Amor"

I remember the first time I said "mi amor" to you. It was at the very beginning of our relationship. You told me to only call you that if I was certain I loved you, not to say it carelessly. I didn't say it then because I didn't want you to think I was rushing to say "I love you." Shiri, I'll confess to you now that I already loved you back then when I said "mi amor."

Shiri, I love you and will always love you!

Shiri, you are everything to me!

You are the best wife and mother there could be.

Shiri, you are my best friend.

Mishmish, who will help me make decisions now? How am I supposed to make decisions without you?

Do you remember our last decision together?

In the safe room, I asked if we should "fight or surrender." You said fight, so I fought.

Shiri, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you all. If only I had known what would happen, I wouldn't have fired.

I think about everything we went through together—there are so many beautiful memories.

I remember Ariel and Kfir's births. I remember the days we would sit at home or in a café, just the two of us, talking for hours about everything under the sun. It was wonderful. I miss those times deeply.

Your presence is profoundly missed.

I want to tell you about everything that's happening in the world and here in Israel.

Shiri, everyone knows and loves us—you can't imagine how surreal all this madness is.

Shiri, people tell me they'll always be by my side, but they're not you. So please stay close to me and don't go far!

Shiri, this is the closest I've been to you since October 7th, and I can't kiss or hug you, and it's breaking me!

Shiri, please watch over me...

Protect me from bad decisions. Shield me from harmful things and protect me from myself. Guard me so I don't sink into darkness.

Mishmish, I love you!

Chuki, Ariel,

You made me a father. You transformed us into a family.

You taught me what truly matters in life and about responsibility.

The day you were born, I matured instantly because of you. You taught me so much about myself, and I want to thank you.

So thank you, my beloved.

Ariel, I hope you're not angry with me for failing to protect you properly and for not being there for you. I hope you know I thought about you every day, every minute.

I hope you're enjoying paradise. I'm sure you're making all the angels laugh with your silly jokes and impressions. I hope there are plenty of butterflies for you to watch, just like you did during our picnics.

Chuki, be careful when you climb down from your cloud not to step on Toni...

Teach Kfir all your impressions and make everyone laugh up there.

Ariel, I love you "the most in the world, always in the world," just as you used to tell us.

Poopik, Kfir,

I didn't think our family could be more perfect, and then you came and made it even more perfect...

I remember your birth. I remember during the delivery when the midwife suddenly stopped everything—we were frightened and thought something was wrong—but it was just to tell us we had another redhead. Mom and I laughed and rejoiced.

You brought more light and happiness to our little home. You came with your sweet, captivating laugh and smile, and I was instantly hooked!

It was impossible not to nibble on you all the time.

Kfir, I'm sorry I didn't protect you better, but I need you to know that I love you deeply and miss you terribly!

I miss nibbling on you and hearing your laughter.

I miss our morning games when mom would ask me to watch you before I went to work. I cherished those little moments so much, and I miss them now more than ever!

Kfir, I love you the most in the world, always in the world!

I have so many more things to tell you all, but I'll save them for when we're alone.

Via: The Hostages Families Forum Headquarters

[englishisaboutconfidence]

Ignorance is Blisss... until it isn't

You were fucked, well and truly fucked. You had long accepted the fact that you were in love with someone you could and would never have.

Let's take a step back. Who were you? You were nothing special truly. Just a normal 19 year old nerdy college student who after hours of class would five stack league of legends, take 2am trips to taco bell with his friends, and spend hours just being an a dumb college student.

So why were you fucked? Well that was due to one very prominent transfer student, one Jang Wonyoung. Wonyoung is one of few people who actually mattered at the college. She was perfect in the eyes of the public. She had everything: riches, talent, personality, and cultural prominence… and you were in love with her. I mean who wouldn't be. But like all things in your life, you played it safe. She was everything you weren't and you had long accepted that you would never be with her.

Out of seemingly nowhere, you friends Jungwon and Heeseung sat down at your table and shook you out our inner thoughts. Jungwon started talking to you "Y/N do you want to get boba with us after your 1:15pm class?". You thought about it for a second since you had been

eating out a lot; but of course, fuck it. "You know I'm always down for boba". Out of your peripheral vision, you can see that your friend Sunghoon was walking through the university cafeteria with the queen of the school, Wonyoung. Once he got to your table, he bade Wonyoung goodbye and sat down. Jungwon and Heeseung were stunned and were staring at Sunghoon.

Jungwon started excitedly talking to Sunghoon "Dude, how do you know Wonyoung?!" Sunghoon softly answered him "… we just have a class together and sat next to each other. We were forced to talk due to a class icebreaker and she just kept talking to me throughout the class. Then when I started to leave she asked me if I was going to the cafeteria and if I wanted to walk with her.".

You just sat there quietly listening to Sunghoon tell his story and you took it all in. Of course Wonyoung took a liking to him. He was a great guy and you were happy to call him a friend. If it wasn't going to be you, you were happy it was going to be him. What you didn't notice was that Heeseung was watching you take it all in. He was always the most observant of the bunch (though both yourself and Sunghoon liked to think that either of you were). He easily picked up on the fact that you were hiding your true feelings about the situation. But he also noticed you occasionally glancing towards the table being graced by the presence of Wonyoung and her closest friends: Yujin, Gaeul, Liz, Rei, and Leeseo aka IVE. And of course, he noticed you mentally kicking yourself when you caught yourself glancing in her direction.

Jungwon was so hyped about about Wonyoung potentially being into Sunghoon that he offered to pay for Hoonie's boba. Once you all had finished your meals, you left the cafeteria and started walking to the your favorite boba place near the university.

What your friends didn't notice was that the second you all got up to leave, Wonyoung and her friends got up as well and started subtly following you and your friends.

30 seconds after your group walked into the boba shop, so did IVE. Jungwon was the first one to notice who actually walked in and when he did, he started "quietly" nudging Sunghoon to start a conversation with Wonyoung. Leeseo being the well willing maknae told Wonyoung "Unnie, isn't that the guy you were talking with when you were walking through the cafeteria, Sunghoon right?" Gaeul nicely scolded her "Leeseo, try to be a little bit quieter next time. We are in public and he's right there." "Sorry Unnies".

Wonyoung, being the IT girl that she was, walked up to your group and introduced herself and the rest of the girls. "Sorry about Leeseo, she isn't always the most subtle when she is excited. I am Wonyoung and these are my friends Yujin, Gaeul, Liz, Rei, and again Leeseo. We are all sophmores except for Leeseo who is a freshman." Jungwon being the self appointed and reinforced through the introverted natures of yourself, Heeseung, and Sunghoon introduced your group: "It's nice to officially meet IVE, although we of course already know who you all are. I am Jungwon, this is Heeseung, Sunghoon who you already know I believe Wonyoung, and the one trying to hide himself by staring at the menu even though we all know what his order is, Y/N. We are all sophomores too." "It's nice to see you again Sunghoon and to meet you Jungwon and Heeseung."

She took a second and stared at you until you couldn't pretend that you were in your own little world anymore. He turned around and saw everyone looking at you; but naturally one person stood out to you. The one who was staring daggers at you (which none of your friends picked up on but her best friend Yujin did). "Hi, I'm Y/N it's nice to meet you all." "Are you serious!" Wonyoung annoyedly spat out. "Really?! That's is how you want to play it" "I am not playing anything, I just trying to defer to you" you replied. Wonyoung was about to give you an annoyed response when Yujin intervened "yah, can you two stop it. It has been 2 seconds and you are already reverting back to your highschool selves".

Everyone not named Wonyoung, Yujin, and yourself looked at you three with wide eyed. Jungwon was the first to snap out of his stupor and smacked you in the shoulder. "Why didn't you tell us that you went to highschool with THE Jang Wonyoung and THE Ahn Yujin?" "IDK I just didn't feel like there was much reason to tell" you told them and you saw each of one them accept it except for Wonyoung, Yujin, and Heeseung; but none of those four pushed it any further.

The 10 of you quickly started chatting while finally ordering your boba. The two groups started meshing well instantly and decided to all sit down and keep the good times going. The conversation was flowing with most of the group contributing off and on; while you were just sitting there taking it all in (while also being inwardly terrified that someone as going to remember that you, Wonyoung, and Yujin all went to highschool together. Unlucky for you, Rei remembered and asked you three "So what's the backstory between you three? Obviously, we know that Yujinie and Wony have been besties since middle school; but what about you W/N?". Yujin, your natural protector, spoke up for you "I met Y/N at the same time i met Wony. Although… our dear Wonyoung and Y/N go back further." "Daebak, really! Y/N why are you holding out on us so much!" Jungwon asked in amazement and a but also annoyance.

With all eyes on you, you took a quick glance at the source of your predicament, Wonyoung and saw the annoyance and anger bubbling under the surface if you don't answer them correctly. "Well, uh, I have known Wonyoung for a umm considerate amount of time I guess well since like kindergarten. She and her family started going to the same church as my parents when we were 5 and actually were in the same small group, so Wonyoung and I would often play together. When and I started kindergarten, she started going to an expensive, exclusive private school and I started going to a charter school. After we finished kindgergarten, her parents actually offered to pay my tuition so I could go to the same school as Wonyoung. My parents tried to refuse but they kept pushing because well they liked me and thought that it would be good for the two of us would be good to spend as much time as possible together." You quickly glanced at Wonyoung to see if you were saying anything that would piss her off more and she gave you a nod to keep going. "My parents eventually accepted and well Wonyoung and I started going to school together starting in the first grade and that continued through middle school when we met Yujin and through highschool as well. When we started to apply to colleges, I didn't really know where I wanted to go; but my parents liked it here and I know a lot of alumni at my church, so I just decided this is it. Wonyoung, she applied to like 20 schools and got into all of them. She decided to go to "XXXX" and I guess it wasn't a good fit and so she decided to transfer and now she's here. We should be caught up to the present now".

"So you were friends?" Sunghoon asked. "Yes and No" Wonyoung replied. "We were friends and are friends; but Y/N likes to act like we never knew each other or if people find out that we know each other then Y/N likes to act like we were just school mates when we and our families are way closer than he likes to make it out to seem."

Yujin knowing another fight was going to come (although no one else knew either of you or your history well enough to know that) stepped in once again "Y/N and Wony aren't like your typical friends. The friendliness part of their friendship comes and goes; but they know each other better than anyone else I know. They aren't in sync per say; but they know how the other thinks, feels, and will react and that's going to be all I say on their relationship (purposely saying relationship while glancing at both you and Wonyoung in a way that only you two picked up on it (and Heeseung as well being the most observant of the bunch)). Since it looks like we are all getting along so well, why don't we do this again? Why doesn't everyone come to my house tonight at 9pm to have a little get together?" Everyone quickly agreed.

During Yujin's little speech, you and Wonyoung met each other's eyes and you quickly understood that she wanted you to meet her before the party.

Everyone said their goodbyes and went off for their afternoon activities. After your 1:15pm class, you checked your phone and saw a text from Wony (after the whole exposure of your history, she was mentally back to Wony to you even though it was also pretty safe to say that she is, was, and will always be Wony no matter how hard you try) "The apartment, 6pm."

When you got back to your dorm you saw Heeseung laying on his bed reading a book. When you put down your bag at your desk, you saw him sit up and put down his book. "How long have you been in love with Wonyoung and when are you going to tell Sunghoon? We both know that Wonyoung has already taken a good portion of Hoonies thoughts and his heart."

Once you shook off the surprise of the his question and of it's accuracy and depth, you decided to answer his truthfully because you also know that he will see all through any bull shit answer. "Honestly, I don't know. I think maybe always, but I think I first realized it after she starting talking about her first crush our 8th grade year. She was talking to Yujin about him and I was passing by to go to lunch when she grabbed me and asked me what I knew about him. She then started to include me more often when she talked about her crush and I just started to feel bad. it took me a few weeks to understand why and then I realized it. I was jealous. Jealous that so much of her time and thoughts were about something else, someone else, another guy. It was a sobering feeling. Realizing you liked someone who you knew everything about but also someone who you would never be with because she was everything and everyone loved her and you were just you. I accepted that we would always just be us and I moved on with my life as an 8th grader. Later on, during our sophomore year, when she had her first boyfriend and was telling Yujin and I about how great he was and how happy she was. I realized that I couldn't just keep pretending that I didn't like her. Then she told us that they kissed. I quickly left with some flimsly excuse about forgetting an assignment and on my way home, I realized that I didn't just like her. I loved her. That I wanted to be apart of all her firsts and that I couldn't just keep pretending that everyone was okay and I was happy to be just friends with Wonyoung. Later that night, Yujin called me and of course knew why I left. I told her how I felt. Wonyoung would date her first boyfriend for a few weeks before breaking up with him. I have no clue why since she was so excited to be with him in the first place.

Anyways, a couple years passed and suddenly I was applying to colleges. While Wonyoung and I had stopped talking and hanging out at school, my friendship with Yujin had actually gotten closer. She and I were never going to be as close as me and Wonyoung, but the I still treasured her friendship greatly. We would talk about school, our individual friend groups, and college applications. I applied to a few schools. Some in Seoul and a few in the US. Yujin mostly the same with the exception of a few schools in Europe as well. While I didn't actively ask, Yujin knew me well enough to give the occasional update on Wonyoung (and the schools she applied to). Anyway, I decided to go to XXXX and happily Yujin decided to go as well while Wonyoung decided to go to ZZZZ in Seoul as well.

Yujin and I texted and even hung out a few times during our Freshman year; but we mostly kept our friendship private until now of course. Wonyoung, well, from what I have heard from Yujin and her parents, did fine during her Freshman year, but decided that it wasn't for her and after hearing how great XXXX was from Yujin, decided to transfer in. And that should bring us to the present."

Heeseunng looked at you with an unimpressed and unamused face.

"I might have left some more details out… while Wony and I stopped hanging out at school, our families were still very close and went to the same church, so naturally we still saw each other from time to time. Okay, well not from time to time exactly, due to church small group, and our families standing weekly dinner, we saw each other at least 3 times a week outside of school. Wony would often complain to me about her relationship woes. How guys were superficial and how unreliable they were and I would sit there, listen, and give her counsel even though it broke me each time. She would enter and exit relationships based off her whims and never was in one for longer than a month. Our parents were ecstatic to see that our friendship was thriving even more than when we were kids even, her parents especially. They were saddened to hear that Yujin and Wony were going to different colleges and even sadder when I told them that I was going to the same college as Yujin and not Wonyoung. Her parents wanted to make sure that Wonyoung and I stayed well connected even when going to seperate colleges so they actually decided to buy an apartment that we could escape to on the weekends or just in general if college ever got too much and for post grad as well. Oh and of course because it's her parents and she is Wonyoung, it is in one of the tallest and most exclusive buildings in Seoul. Some weekends I would go hangout there or if I just wanted to relax by myself our freshman year I would go there too. Wonyoung and I never really coordinated meeting there , unfortunately for her parents, but there were a quite a few times throughout the year where we saw each other at the apartment. . . I also was just 'ordered' to meet her there at 6 before the party".

Heeseung took a beat before finally replying "You need to tell her how you feel. I think it will help both of you. It also will help to alleviate any issues that fallout from Sunghoon's admiration of Wonyoung and her seeming likened interest in him."

"Yeah, I probably should; but that also means opening up myself to getting hurt. Where I am at now sucks; but doing that could also make it suck a lot more. I don't know, I should but just I don't know; but I get it."

Heeseung accepted that you would think about it and not just for yourself but also Sunghoon. 6 o'clock rolled around and you made your way to the apartment that you technically co-owned with Wonyoung thanks to her parents of course. For some reason, it felt weird to you to just enter in so you decided to ring the doorbell. Seconds later, you see the door open to an annoyed Wonyoung wearing a tank top that revealed her midriff and a pair of black leggings. "Are you serious Y/N! You know the code and you fucking own this place. Why are you ringing the doorbell? You know what, I don't want to know because I already do know 'Oh I just wanted to be considerate. I thought it might be weird to just come in' Ugh, you are so annoying". Great, you thought, I haven't even said a word and she's already freaking out. "Yes I am annoyed and Yes I know it hasn't even been 30 seconds. Just come in already" She turned around and started walking through the entrance and towards the living room. You couldn't help but stare at the her ass especially with all the extra help her leggings gave her (although you knew she didn't need it). Before you could catch yourself, she turned around and saw exactly where your eyes were looking. When you looked up, you just saw her smirking at you. You mentally cursed yourself, she's going to hold this over you for eternity. Just like every other time she has caught you checking her out. You swear it didn't happen that often; but you also knew you were lying out of your ass. You couldn't help it. Not only was she hot, you were also in love with her as a person as well. Of course you liked to think that she didn't catch you checking her out a most of the time; but you also knew that was a lie as well. It was like she had a sixth sense when it came to catching you in the worst times. It felt like she just knew you were staring at her tits or her ass or her thighs or her abs… okay maybe you checked her out a little too much and it was a lot easier to catch you than you liked to admit; but you at least were kind of sneaky about it.

You walked around the corner into the living room and were welcomed by the sight of her ass once again. She was in the middle of downward facing dog with her ass facing you and you could swear you could see bottom of her tits under the flimsy excuse of a tank top. While you were entranced by her ass and bottoms of her tits, you hear her clear her throat. That shook you out of your stupor and when you came to your senses, you saw that below those glorious tits of hers, you saw her staring at you with the cockiest smirk you had ever seen. You thought about running and never looking back; but sadly, you knew that would never work. One call to your parents by Wonyoung and you would be chastised and would be forced back to her or would need to face the consequences of disappointing your parents. Or she would threaten to call her parents and would be even sadder to disappoint them. Or lastly, she could just use one of the various private investigators that her family employed to track you down then use one of the family's bodyguards to drag you back to her.

"Eyes up her pervert. It's been a minute and you have already stared at my ass and at my tits. What's next?" "Whatever" you angrily muttered. "Oh don't you get an attitude with my mister. First you pretend I don't exist then you pretend that we haven't been best friends since forever and then you blatantly stare at me like I am just some random whore you see on your Instagram. Oh no buddy, you are in the fucking dog house and you will need to beg to get out of it or I swear to god there will be hell to pay. Okay?" "Fine, whatever, my bad" "Nope, not good enough" Wonyoung angrily replied. "Okay, I'm sorry I tried to sweep our friendship under the rug and that I checked you out. What else do you want me to do Wony?" "First, you are going to tell our friends the truth about us. That we are best friends, that I make your life infinitely better, and that you can't imagine a world without me. Second, you are spending the weekend here pampering me. And third, you are going to my unnie's wedding as my plus one." "Okay the first 2 seem reasonable; but the third one confuses me Wony. I am already invited and going to your noona's wedding." "I know that dumbasss; but as my plus one, every whore there will know who you belong to and that not only are you taken but taken by me and that I can destroy all of their lives" You scoff at her response but you don't push it any further.

"I'm going to shower before the party, can you order us some sushi? Just use the card my parents gave you". You open your phone to start the order. When lift up your head to ask Wongyoung if she wants her usual, all you see is her naked back walking into her room. You decide just to go with your gut and get her usual. You hear her shower start so you decide to watch some youtube on the tv. You were too absorbed by the video you were watching that you didn't notice the shower turn off nor did you notice Wonyoung leave her room in her bathrobe. Suddenly, you feel two arms wrap around you from behind the couch and you feel Wonyoung's hair fall next to you. You look to your left and you are met with Wonyoung looking at your intently. "I'm sorry I freaked out earlier Y/N. I was just hurt that you could easily just sweep us under the rug." "No Wony, I'm sorry. I thought you would just want to pretend like we didn't exist; but I should've known that you aren't that kind of person. Are we good Wony?" "Yeah we're good". Wonyoung then decided to jump over the couch but she got her foot caught on the top of it and fell face first on top of you. Her robe fell undone and you saw that she was only wearing the skimpiest bra possible that barely covered her tits and a pink thong. Wonyoung wondered why you looked like deer in headlights then noticed what you were staring at. "Like what you see honey" "Sorry sorry" You hastily averted your eyes while Wonyoung decided to play with you even more and straddled you while typing her robe back together. "Dont worry, we both know all the boys love to stare. Its not your fault that I am hot". Luckily, you were saved by the bell, literally. You two both heard the delivery driver ring the doorbell and drop off your food. "Don't worry dear, I got it. Seems like you have something else you need to take care of" While she got up to get the food, you realized that you had started to get hard. You tried to mentally will your dick to soften, Wonyoung returned with the food. She started to place the food on the coffee table but you swore that she purposely was trying to get you to look at her tits while she was leaning down to place the food. While you were trying to make sure to not look at her tits, Wonyoung told you moved your legs wider and stood in front of you expectantly. You looked at her confused then you saw her turn around and planted her ass in your lap. She then squirmed around to get comfortable which didn't even help your hardon at all. You resumed your video and you both started eat your food. Wonyoung, being the pick me bitch you were in love with, not only kept moaning every time she ate a piece of her roll; but she also did a little hop of happiness right on top of your dick.

"Wony can you please stop" you begged. "Stop what Y/N" She responded with a massive smirk". "You know exactly what you're doing". "I just love sushi, it's not my fault that you're a fucking horny bastard whose cock is begging for some attention. If you need some help, you just have to ask baby". You groaned because you knew she was just fucking with you. "Wony can you please stop it. I know you love messing with me but this is too far". Wonyoung turned around and starting straddling you. "Who says I'm just fucking with you. All you have to do is ask" "Wony I'm serious." "So am I". You two stared at each other for what felt like eternity before Wonyoung, out of nowhere, slapped you and stomped into her room, slamming the door after her.

You sat there stunned for a few seconds before standing up and timidly knocking on her door. After no response, you opened her door and walked into her room. You saw her in her buried under her covers. You sat down on her bed and peeled the covers off her beautiful face. "Wony, please forgive me. I'm sorry for checking you out and objectifying you." No response "Wony, please". "You fucking asshole. you don't even understand why I'm mad. That's what pissing me off". "Then tell me please.". She sighed before finally meeting your eyes. "I want you to check me out. I want to tease you until you do something about it. I Want you to fuck me so hard I forgot my name… I want you to fill me with so much cum that it leaks out of me". You sat there like an idiot with your mouth open and your eyes looking around searching for the hidden camera to prove that this was all a prank. She sighed again and grabbed the back of your head to force you to look in her eyes. "I'm in love with you" "Huh". "Remember my 1st boyfriend" You nodded. "Well after I kissed him for the first time. I was a bit stunned but not for the right reason. I thought your first kiss was supposed to be life changing but instead I just felt nothing. I asked Yujinnie about it and she said that maybe he just wasn't the right person for me and that the right person would be obvious after the first kiss because chemistry can't be faked or hidden. During one of my rants after breaking up with my last boyfriend told me something I will never forget, I was ranting to her and she just looked at me and said 'You are in love with Y/N'. I told her she was crazy, that you were my best friend and nothing more; but after thinking about it more, I realized that every guy I dated I compared to you. That everything I wanted them to do you did for me. That even when I was on dates with them, I would always be thinking about if you would like it too. That our chemistry was undeniable. That you made me laugh, you comforted me when I was down even when you didn't know how to, and you made me feel things deeper than anyone else. That's why I didn't date anyone our last 2 years of highschool and why no one my freshman year ever caught my attention. I thought that maybe going to another college would help my feelings dissipate but if anything they made them stronger." You just kept looking at her with a dumbfounded look on your face. She then huffed with annoyance and kept going "But then I spent year and year catching you stealing glances when you thought I wasn't looking, seeing you corret yourself each time you realized that you were checking out my ass or my tits, and doing nothing fucking about it. I gave you space to sort yourself out when I transferred in but then today happened. So now, you are going to grovel. You are going to beg for my forgiveness and you are going to spend the entire weekend doing whatever I want. Okay?" You nodded. "Perfect. For your first task is to fuck me for the next 3hrs before the party. You are going to fill me with as many loads of that cum that I fucking deserve. That you have deprived me of for the past 3 years because your indecisive ass wouldn't grow some balls and tell me your feelings."

Despite that obvious order, you kept staring at her like a lost puppy. "God I hate that I love you so much" she spat at you before shoving her tongue down your throat. Finally your brain started processing and you kissed her back before shoving her down on the bed. She grabbed your hands had them tear open her robe before grabbing her ass. You two made out for 3o seconds with you constantly groping her ass before breaking for air. She stared at you with the biggest fuck me eyes you had ever seen and you watched her reach before her back and unhooking her bra letting her glorious little tits show themselves. She then reached down to take off her panties before you stopped her and slowly kissed down her body before reaching your final destination. You slowly peeled off the final barrier blocking you from the gift that was her cunt. You stared at her shaven, glistening pussy before taking a long lick. Before you could have worship it anymore, she grabbed your head and brought you back up to face her face to face. "I know you want to eat what's yours before I need your cock baby". You got off her and hastily discarded your cloths. Wonyoung stood up and forced you to sit on the edge of her bed before getting on her knees. She took a second to inspect you before grabbing your shaft and stroking you. You instantly groaned enjoying the sensation before she cruelly stopped. "Awe, do you want me to keep stroking you". "Wony" you complained. "Don't Wony me. This is mine. I can do whatever I want whenever I want. Be happy I need this as badly as you do". She retorted. She then took a long lick of her cock before slowly sliding it into her waiting mouth. She took you inch by inch before you hit the back of her throat causing her gag reflex to kick in. "Are you okay". "Yes, just give me a second." She then took you wholly into he mouth again and starting slobbering all over your cock. You grabbed her hair into a makeshift ponytail and tried to think of anything other than the feeling of your cock being shoved down Wonyoungs throat. "You're so close aren't you baby". She haughtily said before taking you into her mouth again. You felt yourself getting closer and closer to your release. You tried to take yourself out of her warm mouth but she kept you suctioned in like a vacuum. You opened your mouth to warn Wony about your release but before you could say a word, you spilled your load down her thoat. She greedily drank each spurt before cleaning your clock and straddling you. When you finally regained your composure, you saw her smirking at you. "God you are so mine" She said before taking your lips into hers. Breaking the kiss, despite her complaints. You placed your hands on your waist and met her eyes. "I love you Wony". "I know Y/N. I love you too. Now stop fucking around and fuck me."

That got you hard instantly. You picked her up and placed her gently on her bed before lining up with her entrance. You brushed her hair out her face before asking "are you sure Wony. Yes Y/N, I want you to be my first and only. I've been waiting for this for years, so again, I love you and appreciate you confirming, but please for the love of God fuck me." That was all you needed before you slowly entered her. She was so warm and tight that you had to hold yourself back from coming instantly. Once you had fully entered her, you look at her to check that she was okay before starting to move. You started to slide in and out of her. Wonyoung began to moan and it was the best thing you had ever heard in your life. "Wony, I'm close". "So am I". "Where do you want it" "Inside me, please." "Are you sure baby?" "Yes, I have never been more sure in my life". You proceeded to start fucking her fasfter and faster chasing your release. When Wonyoung felt your impending release, she wrapped her legs around you and forced you so deep inside of her that you instantly filled her wombs with your second load. You then collapsed on top of her while your cock still buried inside of her. Once you had regained your strength, you started to pull your softening dick out of her; but that only caused Wonyoung's legs to grip you harder. "Don't you fucking dare pull out. This cock is mine." You quickly accepted your fate before giving her a kiss on her forehead. "Fuck, I love you". You saw Wonyoung shyly go to cover her face which was quickly being filled with a blush. You grabbed her hands and gave her a soft kiss. You then flipped you and Wonyoung again, making sure that you two were still connected, so you were on your back with Wonyoung laying on top of you.

You two stayed there listening to the sounds of the city before Wonyoung started laughing. You looked at her with a questioning look. "Whats so funny Wony? Was I that bad?" "No No No honey. We are just such a cliche. Friends to lovers after years of pining. I mean come on.". You gave her a quick peck before saying "at least we got a happy ending". "Oh sweetie, this isn't our ending" Wonyoung replied. You looked at her with a worried look "What do you mean Wony?". "Don't worry, I just mean one night of sex isn't our ending Y/N". "Of course not. I mean we are going to date right?" you hastily replied. Wonyoung looked at you with an annoyed look on her face. "What" you asked. She sighed before responding "Of course we are going to date. But that isn't going to our ending either. You looked at her clearly confused. She sighed again and said "Y/N, our parents have been pushing us to spend time together since forever. My parents bought us an apartment to live in together…" You just kept looking at her. "Y/N are you serious… ugh god you are so lucky that I love you so much. This is it for both of us. You are mine and I am yours. You're are going to spend the rest of your life filling this cunt with your cum. We're are going to get married and you're going to be the father of my children." You looked at her like she just told you that you beat your life threatening disease. "Really!" you asked her. "God you're an idiot." she replied while laughing. You two decided to take a nap before the party.

2hrs later you woke up while still connected with Wonyoung and her laying on your chest. "Wony, we have to get up. It's 8:30. We need to get ready". "I don't wanna. I like it here" she sleepily replied. You started to pull out so you could start to get ready; but Wonyoung wrapped herself around you again so it was impossible to separate. "Wonyoung, we need to shower and get ready otherwise our friends are going to be pissed." "Fine but you are not pulling out until I say you can". You then carried her to the bathroom and started the shower. "We are only showering, okay Wony". "Nope we are fucking". "Wony please, we need to focus up". "Nope, you owe me". "Wony…" "Y/N, you are going to fucking fill me with two more loads before the party and thats it. Now stop complaining and fuck your horny girlfriend".

You quickly shoved her tits first into the glass side of the shower and started pounding the cunt of the love of your life. "Isn't this better than actually showering?" Wonyoung moaned. "Shut up you brat." you replied. "You love this. Stop lying to yourself Y/N. The faster you make fill me, the faster we get to the party. Keep fucking my cunt daddy." Hearing Wonyoung call you daddy broke any attempt of holding back your release and you instantly filled her again with your load. Feeling your release fill her caused Wonyoung to orgasm uncontrollably. 30 seconds and 4 spurts later you and Wonyoung finally recovered. "That's me" Wonyoung said while planting kisses on your lips. "Wony I don't know if I can go again". "Are you sure baby? You sure you can't muster the strength to breed this cunt again. I know you've had wet dreams of breeding me. Of filling me with so much cum that it's impossible that you don't knock me up. Or maybe you just need some motivation." That caused your cock to twitch and you knew she felt it. She then whispered in your ear "Maybe you just need some more motivation. If you can give my greedy little cunt another load, I'll let you fuck me in the ass tonight. Wouldn't you love to take all of my firsts in one day. You've already fucked my throat raw, you breeded this cunt, all you need left daddy is to fuck this tight little ass." That filthy mouth of her, the feeling of her cunt wrapped around you, and the thought of fucking her ass made it impossible for your cock to say soft and you knew you were fucked when she moaned after feeling the hardening of your cock. "There it is" she cockily said. "God I hate you" you replied and just smirked and said "I love you too baby".

After one more round in the shower and quickly getting ready (well you got ready quickly and then waited another 30 minutes for Wonyoung to get ready because in her words "Beauty takes time baby."). You and Wonyoung finally got to arrived at Yujin's house. Everyone else had already arrived so you and Wonyoung coming late and together raised some eyebrows. With everyone staring at your arrival, you quickly apologized and went to go sit down on couch with your friends Sunghoon and Heeseung; but before you could, Wonyoung grabbed the back of your shirt and pulled you back. She glared at you before saying "everyone, Y/N has an announcement to make". With everyone looking at you expectantly, you cleared your throat. "Well ummm, so the reason we were late is ummmm". You glanced at Wonyoung who as still staring daggers at you. You gulped before continuing "Well, I guess it is uhhhh." You took a deep breath before saying "Okay fuck it, Wonyoung and I are together like dating." "What? Since when" everyone yelled except for Yujin who just smirked at you two, Heeseung who looked at you with an unsurprised look, and Sunghoon who just sat there. Wonyoung then decided to speak up "As of 6pm today. Although it should've been a lot earlier right Y/N?" You groaned and replied "Yes Wony, we should've gotten together years ago; but I am a blind idiot who couldn't muster the courage to confess and I didn't realize the quite obvious signs and feelings that Wonyoung had". That caused a large laugh from Yujin "Wonyoung you can't have Y/N take all the blame. You could've confessed to." "But Unnie" "Don't Unnie me Jang Wonyoung". This little exchange caused you to smirk which Wonyoung quickly picked up on and smacked your shoulder. "God, you two dating is just going to make you two even more annoying" Yujin said with a smile on her face. "What do you mean" you and Wony asked. "What do I mean? You two both act like puppies kicked puppies whenever the other isn't with you. Most people don't notice it but trust me you do. Y/N you pretend that you are some whipped lovesick idiot with an unrequited love when in reality Wony has been in love with you honestly longer than you have been in love with her although she realized her love for you after you realized your love for her. And Wony, you pretend that you are some IT Girl who has Y/N wrapped around your fingers when in reality you are so in love with Y/N that everything you do has been influenced by how you it think it will affect Y/N." Everyone laughed at Yujins adept analysis of your and Wonyoungs relationship and dynamic while you and Wony pouted. After hours of laughter, games, and , of course plenty of drinks, everyone left Yujins and went back to their respective homes.

Wonyoung, ever the brat, decided that the uber ride home from the party was the perfect time to revisit a conversation from earlier in the day. She leaned into you and started whispering in your ear "Jagi, remember our conversation from earlier?" "Which one Wony?" "You know…" as she slide her hand onto your thigh and ever so close to your crouch "the one in the shower about a certain part of me that you love to stare at and I am sure would love even more to fuck". That got you hard instantly. "Wony" you warned as she slowly started to massage you through your pants. "What Jagi, don't tell me that just thinking of fucking my ass got you that hard. Maybe you are remembering what was happening when we had that conversation. That is was after you had filled me with your cum for the fourth time today. Or maybe its because you remembered that your cock was still sheathed inside its warm little cock sleeve." "Or maybe Wony it's because my slut of a girlfriend is groping me through my pants and is talking about how much of a whore she is while we are in the back of an Uber" you retorted back. "Oh Y/N, you know I'm only a slut for you". You began to form a response to her latest quip but she quickly shut you up with a kiss. You two started to make out before you were rudely interrupted by the driver clearing their throat "Excuse me, we're here". You and Wonyoung detached yourself and quickly excited the car; but not before hearing the driver make another remark "horny ass college students. They never know how to act in public". Normally, you would be embarrassed and would apologize profusely; but currently your mind was somewhere else or on someone else.

After stumbling into your shared apartment, you and Wonyoung started to tear each other's clothes off. Lips attched and not even being close to remotely willing to deattach, you two finally made it to her bedroom. Not without bumping into numerous pieces of furniture and a few walls, you quickly removed the final pieces of clothing keeping you from fucking the living daylight out of each other. Taking control for the first time since you don't even know when, you softly shoved Wonyoung onto her bed. Wonyoung, ever the little vixen, then made a show of slowing opening her legs and showing you the thing you never realized you needed so desperately. God, you could just stare at her pretty little pussy all day. Wonyoung, noticing how entranced you were, grabbed your hands and started having you trace her cunt with your fingers. You dropped to your knees and were about to feast on her when she suddenly shoved you ass first onto the ground. Confused and devastated that your prize was taken away from you, you stood up and were greeted by another one of your favorite sites… Wonyoung tight, naked ass. You stood there entranced until you heard Wonyoungs pitiful little pleas "Jagi, please" You raised your eyes past the ass that you have been obsessed with since highschool and up that perfect arch to meet Wonyoung's signature fuck me eyes. Slowly you slide inch by inch into the object of all your fantasies. Each inch paired with an excruciating amount of pain and pleasure for the both of you. Once you had finally bottomed out, you took a breath. Raising your right hand to meet her chin, you softly brush your lips against hers. "Are you okay Wony?" "Perfect Jagi". After confirming her comfort, you started to thrust in and out of her puckered hole. Each thrust had you giving it your all to hold back the wave of your release. Sensing your struggle, Wonyoung started to push her ass to meet your thrusts, trying to spur on your release. "Jagi, don't hold back. Just fuck me." Hearing that, you started to pound her without abandon. After a few more thrusts, you relented and gave her everything she had been begging for. Filling her ass with spurt after spurt of your cum. Feeling your release, Wonyoung quickly followed suit, covering her bed with her juices. After what felt like eternity, you finally stopped cumming. Exhausted, you collapsed on top of Wonyoung.

"Jagi" "Yes, Wony". "You're still inside me". "Sorry baby". You carefully slide your softening dick out of her ass and fell next to her. Before you could react, Wonyoung rolled onto top of you and quickly reinserted your barely erect dick into her warm cunt before laying her head on your chest. "Wony?" "Mine" was all she said before falling asleep. Making sure you were still connected, you carefully slipped under the covers of the bed with her. Feeling yourself start to fall asleep, you wrapped your arms around the woman of your dreams and gave a sigh of content, before finally letting sleep take hold of you.

[rottingkorpse]

It's the 26th which means I get to post this finally

URIAH RUBEN GARCIA - 14.

Uriah Garcia, a Mexican 14-year-old male in Colorado Springs, planned a massacre on the 24th February at Tesla High School, which he was enrolled at, and the murder of his mother and step father, which he inevitably decided against doing which caused him to be found out when his parents noticed a missing gun.

In his manifesto, Uriah explains that throughout his school life he had been ridiculed, bullied, and abused by other students and his parents. His motivation for the attack was revenge, as he wanted those who had caused him suffering to suffer in return.

I was, am, Uriah's friend. I was mentioned in the manifesto as Mono, helped him choose an outfit for the day, and he had asked me to choose whether it would be his middle school(Horace Mann) or Tesla. Uriah was a good friend, he was always super understanding and has helped me calm down after situations that stressed me out. He had anger issues, but that was never a problem as he never got mad at me or was aggressive. He could control that with his friends.

Admittedly, I knew about his plan around two weeks or a little longer before the 24th, but as my intro says I condone. My bio is literally "shooter safe space". Ever since he told me the original plan and first draft of the manifesto, I was the person who would collect pictures and accounts of his to show, as well as screenshots of some conversations we had proving I knew him.

Uriah's accounts are all still public, as far as I am aware as I'm writing this, but I don't think he currently has access to them. I have seen them go online briefly and then off again without replying to a message so I'm assuming it may be police or people of the like searching his stuff. Uriah uses the same username for most things: uriahnbk. The only accounts I'm aware are different are his Soundcloud where he uploaded three incelcore songs(Naturalselector) and his WatchPeopleDie(Uriah_3k).

Uriah has a girlfriend! Jess! So don't be weird.

Currently, I'm not sure what is happening with Uriah at all. The last messages we had were on the 24th where he told me he was caught, sent me a photo of himself in a medical gown thing, and we discussed the future about how we aren't sure if he'll go to a mental hospital first and then prison or if he'll be going to one or the other only. Not sure what else to include, so send me asks about things if ur curious<3

Some pictures and such !

[sturniololuvz]

hey i would love a story where the triplets younger sister (15-16) always was cuddling her brothers and kissing their cheeks because it was how she was raised and when her friends came over she was cuddling matt on the couch and her friends started to make fun of her the next day at school so she distanced herself from the boys, refusing to even go near them so they talk to her about it

PLSSSSS

okayyyy

“Too Old for Hugs?”

Sturniolos x sister

Y/N had always been affectionate with her brothers. It wasn’t weird—it was just how they were raised. She hugged them when they got home, kissed their cheeks before they left, and cuddled up next to them on the couch whenever they were watching a movie. It was just normal.

Or at least, she thought it was.

The night before, her friends had come over, and she had been curled up against Matt on the couch like always, his arm lazily draped around her as they watched some random YouTube video.

She didn’t think anything of it—until the next day at school.

Her so-called friends had spent all day teasing her.

“Dude, you’re way too old to be cuddling your brothers like that.”

“Do you seriously still kiss them on the cheek? That’s so embarrassing.”

“You act like a little kid, Y/N. It’s kinda weird.”

She had laughed it off at first, pretending it didn’t bother her. But as the comments kept coming, something in her started to shift.

Maybe… they were right?

Maybe she was too old for that stuff.

So, she stopped.

At first, the boys didn’t notice.

Y/N had never been super obvious about her affection—it was just there in the little moments. But when she suddenly stopped hugging them when they got home, stopped curling up next to them during movie nights, stopped even sitting close to them—it didn’t take long for them to realize something was wrong.

Chris was the first to say something.

“Why are you sitting over there?” he asked one night, frowning when he saw Y/N sitting on the opposite side of the couch instead of next to Matt like she usually did.

Y/N shrugged. “Just wanted to sit here.”

Matt and Nick exchanged a look.

“Okay… but, like, you never sit over there,” Nick pointed out.

Y/N kept her eyes on the TV, pretending not to care. “Maybe I wanna start.”

Chris narrowed his eyes. “You mad at us or something?”

“No,” she said quickly. Too quickly.

Matt tilted his head. “Then what’s up?”

“Nothing.”

It wasn’t nothing.

And the boys knew it wasn’t nothing.

But Y/N was stubborn, and no matter how much they asked, she kept brushing it off.

It wasn’t until later that night that they finally got the truth out of her.

She had been in her room, scrolling through her phone, when there was a knock at her door.

“Y/N/N, open up,” Chris called.

She sighed. “Go away.”

“Not happening,” Matt’s voice added.

“Seriously,” Nick chimed in. “We’re coming in either way.”

Before she could protest, the door opened, and the three of them stepped inside, all looking way too serious for her liking.

Chris sat on the edge of her bed. “Alright, talk.”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” she muttered.

Matt scoffed. “Bullshit.”

Nick crossed his arms. “Y/N, come on. You’ve been acting weird all week. You won’t even look at us.”

Chris nudged her foot. “Did we do something?”

That made her look up. “No! It’s not you guys, I swear.”

Matt narrowed his eyes. “Then what is it?”

She hesitated.

Chris softened his voice. “Y/N/N, whatever it is, you can tell us.”

She chewed her lip, debating for a second, before finally sighing.

“My friends…” she started, picking at a loose thread on her blanket. “They—um—they said it was weird that I always hug you guys. And that I still kiss your cheeks and stuff. They said I act like a little kid.”

Silence.

Then—

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Chris blurted.

Matt sat up straighter. “That’s why you’ve been acting weird?”

Y/N felt heat rush to her face. “I just—maybe they’re right? Like, I am kinda old for that stuff—”

“No, you’re not,” Nick interrupted firmly.

Chris shook his head, clearly pissed. “Who cares what they think? They’re your friends, not your damn family.”

Matt nudged her knee. “Y/N, you’ve always been affectionate with us. That’s just how you are. That’s how we are. It’s not weird—it’s just us.”

Nick nodded. “Yeah. And if they don’t get that, then they don’t really know you.”

Y/N swallowed, feeling her eyes sting a little. “I just didn’t want you guys to think I was weird too.”

Chris groaned, grabbing her wrist and dragging her into his chest. “Dude, shut up and hug me right now.”

Y/N let out a wet laugh, melting into his arms.

Matt sighed dramatically and wrapped his arms around both of them. “Yeah, you’re never getting rid of us.”

Nick rolled his eyes but joined in, squishing her between them. “Seriously. You’re stuck with us, sorry.”

Y/N sniffled. “I love you guys.”

Chris kissed the top of her head. “We love you too, dummy. And don’t listen to those assholes.”

Matt nodded. “Yeah, screw them.”

Nick smirked. “But, uh, if you did wanna give us their names…”

Y/N snorted. “No fighting my friends, Nick.”

Chris grinned. “No promises.”

And just like that, everything felt right again.

[cheynovak]

Special thanks to @mysteryenchatress for the idea and @deanwinchestersgirl8734 for the request 🥰

No warnings this time

Left Behind

Castiel stood at the edge of the bunker’s library, watching as Dean laughed at something Y/N said. His laughter was easy, warm in a way Castiel hadn’t heard in a long time. It wasn’t that he begrudged Dean happiness. No, that wasn’t it at all. But it was difficult—more difficult than he had expected—to feel the space between them growing wider.

Dean had always been his anchor, the one who taught him what it meant to be human, to care, to belong. But now, Dean barely noticed when he was there, let alone when he wasn’t.

He tried not to let it affect him. He was an angel. Attachment was supposed to be beneath him. And yet, it wasn’t.

“Cas.”

Castiel blinked, realizing Sam had been speaking to him. The younger Winchester had been watching him carefully. “You okay?” Sam asked, concern lacing his voice.

“I am fine,” Castiel replied automatically.

Sam sighed, glancing toward Dean and Y/N. “You should talk to him.”

Castiel tilted his head slightly. “Dean is happy.”

“That doesn’t mean he doesn’t still need you,” Sam said. “And it doesn’t mean you don’t need him.”

Before Castiel could respond, Dean looked up and groaned. “Cas, man, I thought I finally had some alone time with her.” His tone wasn’t harsh, but it wasn’t welcoming either. Y/N nudged him in the side, giving him a pointed look.

“Dean,” Y/N said gently, “I think Cas feels a little left out.”

Dean scoffed, taking a sip of his beer. “Left out? Cas is a big boy. He doesn’t need me holding his hand every second of the day. Do you Cas?"

Castiel felt something unfamiliar stir inside him. He wasn’t sure what it was—anger, hurt, resentment? Perhaps a mix of all three. He had fought by Dean’s side, died for him, and now… now he was a nuisance.

“I see,” Castiel said, voice quiet.

Y/N frowned. “Dean, come on—”

But Castiel was already gone, vanishing with a flutter of wings.

For the first time in a long while, Dean didn’t go after him. And that was what hurt the most.

Dean watched as Sam walked away, shaking his head. “See what you did?” Sam had said.

Dean huffed, turning back to Y/N, expecting her to take his side. Instead, she just stared at him, arms crossed, disappointment written all over her face.

“What?” Dean asked, genuinely confused.

Y/N sighed. “I love being with you, Dean, but don’t you think you’ve been a little harsh on Castiel?” She sighs" I'll try calling or playing to him."

Dean rubbed a hand over his face but didn’t answer. The truth was, deep down, he knew she was right. Cas had been his best friend for years—his family. And he had been pushing him away without even realizing it.

Later that night, after crawling into bed, Dean pulled Y/N close, pressing a soft kiss to her shoulder. “Heard from Cas?" Y/N shook her head no.

"I’m sorry, baby,” he murmured. “You were right. I should apologize to him.”

Y/N turned to face him, a small smirk playing on her lips. “Of course, I’m always right.”

Dean chuckled before launching into a surprise tickle attack, making her squeal and squirm beneath him. “Dean! Stop—stop!” she gasped between laughter.

When she finally caught her breath, he leaned over her, brushing his lips against hers. “I love you,” he whispered.

“Love you too, D,” she said, eyes soft with affection.

Before the moment could settle, the familiar sound of fluttering wings filled the room, and Castiel awkwardly appeared at the foot of the bed.

“You… called?” Cas said hesitantly, clearly realizing this might not have been the best time.

Dean dropped his head with a sigh, but there was no frustration this time—just tired amusement.

Y/N peeked up from under Dean, grinning. “Yeah, I did. I… no, we love you too, Cas.”

Castiel blinked, clearly touched by the statement. His gaze flickered between them, uncertain, but the warmth in Dean’s eyes was genuine. "Thanks, I was feeling left out."

“Yeah, buddy,” Dean said, turning to face him properly. “We love you.”

Cas shifted awkwardly, clearing his throat. “A-all right,” he said, clearly flustered. Then, after a moment, he turned on his heel. “I’ll, uh… wait in the kitchen. So you… you know.”

Y/N burst into laughter. “Good night, Cas!” she called after him.

Dean shook his head with a smirk. “Damn angel has the worst timing.”

Y/N just giggled, pulling Dean back down beside her. “Maybe, but he’s family.”

Dean sighed, wrapping his arms around her. “Yeah. He is.”

--

Tagist Jensen: @jackles010378 @libby99hb @winchesterwild78 @suckitands33 @mostlymarvelgirl @deans-baby-momma @ancles @tulipsvanilla @thesilmarillionblog @jays-bonnie-on-the-side @kr804573 @kamisobsessed @hobby27 @globetrotter28 @kindollss @muhahaha303 @shadysoulangel @lyarr24 @spxideyver @impala67rollingthroughtown @panickedbitch @deansimpalababy @livya99 @yvonneeeee @ladykitana90 @stoneyggirl2 @imsiriuslyreal @panickedbitch @roseblue373 @n-o-p-e-never @ariasong11 @lmpala1967 @sherlockstrangewolf @spnaquakindgdom @writtenbyhollywood @mishkatelwarriorgoddess @healojane @star-yawnznn

*At night in the bunker*

*Dean cuddling Y/n*

Dean: I love you darling.

Y/n: I love you too De.

Dean:

Y/n:

Y/n: We both love you as well, Cas.

*Castiel standing in the corner of the room*

Cas: Thanks, I was feeling left out.

[leyavo]

| I am my father’s daughter |

💖 Dad!Price x Daughter!reader, eventual Soap x reader

PART FOUR: John Price hasn’t seen or heard from his daughter in over year, but that changes when she calls him one night asking for help. 2,565words

TW: hurt/angst/mentions of abuse/ complicated father-daughter relationship

Previous parts > [Series Masterlist]

🔈Reader’s view of John is different, he’s come and gone in her life etc so she thinks he’s not that great. So don’t send me hate

You learnt from a young age to stay silent when it came to the adults in your life. Made it easier to get the talk over with. Less words to get you in trouble, something you always tried to dodge.

Silence, your best friend. The one thing that kept you company most days. You stared at your dad, arms folded over your chest as you leant back on the stiff wooden chair. Not quite tucked in under the table, slightly angled in case you needed to make a quick exit.

The shiny new phone on the varnished surface, some sort of peace offering or something to be held over you, another thing for you to figure out.

The Captain however, he wasn’t as easy to read and that added to the weight on your chest. You weren’t sure on the limits, what he’d allow or how he’d deal with something he didn’t like.

You cleared your throat, gaze flitting to his across the table. “So, I can probably find a place in like a couple days or so, a week tops you know,” you said rambling on about a friend of a friend who lived close by.

Not a total lie, you’d slept on your mates sofa’s here and there as a teen when things went south before. You’re sure you can pick up some bar work to help you out till you find something more permanent.

The Captain shook his head. “Stay as long as you need, kiddo. Anything you need your old man’s ‘ere.”

As long as you need, another open ended thing for you to figure out. You didn’t want to overstay your welcome or get too close to him. Didn’t want to rely on your dad, knowing that he’ll come and go as he pleased. Blame it on the job, send you a message to check in and rid himself of the guilt.

“You know, it’s not just us living here,” he said, interrupting the constant thoughts rattling in your head. You know the little voice that’s always second guessing other people’s actions and trying to decipher the true meaning of their words and actions.

Oh shit, you didn’t even think of his team living in the same house. They’d given you and the captain space since you’d got here. You’re hoping you won’t be there for long, even if you have to stay at a shitty hotel until you get enough money to put down on a flat to rent.

“I’ll stay out of the way, no problem.”

Out of sight, out of mind. Least he wasn’t taking you to his house with your brother and stepmother.

“Nah kiddo, this is just as much your space now,” he said, his brows scrunching together as his eyes roamed your face. Like he was also trying to figure you too. “There are some rules though.”

“Rules?” You echoed back at him. You weren’t so good with rules, they normally came with expectations and punishments when they were broken.

Not that you’d be breaking them, willingly anyways. You didn’t want to think of the outcome if you did either.

“We’ll be in and out of the house, no set routine. All you gotta do is look after yourself kiddo, we eat mostly in the canteen as it’s convenient. So you’ll probably be having your meals alone, help yourself to whatever’s in the fridge, but add to the list on the front if you run out of stuff,” he said, sliding a notepad in front of him. The scratch of his pen jotting down numbers and words.

You nodded, “sure that’s okay.” You’d been fending for yourself for years, knew how to make the most of the basics or go without. Skipping a meal a day wasn’t a big deal for you. You could survive on just one if you needed to. You wondered if they kept track of the food or if they labelled their own food. There wasn’t any locks on the kitchen cabinets, so it looked like it wasn’t too strict.

“Now, you’re on base. So you won’t be able to walk anywhere and everywhere. There’s a map here,” he mumbled, pointing to an unfolded leaflet. He placed it in front of you and started to circle some areas, blue ink tracing the paths and road. “All the places I’ve highlighted you can go. Do not, I repeat do not go anywhere else.” His voice lowering as he got to the last sentence, gaze flicking up to yours. He jabbed the tip of the pen in your direction, brows raising as if daring you to argue about it.

The look of someone you did not want to piss off. You glanced back to the untouched areas, half of them with no labels or names.

“Uh, yes sir. I won’t go there.”

He doesn’t question the formal sir you’ve thrown his way, the line between his brows softening and eyes relaxing from their narrowed gaze.

“You got any idea what type of work you’re looking for?”

You shook your head. There wasn’t much you could do, a few different jobs here and there. You’d take anything at this rate, you weren’t picky. Money was money at the end of the day.

“Alright, I know someone hiring,” he said, raising his hand to stop you interrupting him. “Three days a week, entering data into a computer. Gotta interview kiddo, nothing comes for free.” He ripped off a piece of paper from his notepad, pushing it to you. A number and name, along with a date of the interview.

The ever prepared Captain already scheduled you an interview. Part of you wondering if he’d planned the rest of your time here.

Boring work, but you didn’t have the luxury to care. You needed to find something as fast as you could.

“It’s not working here is it?” You asked, trying not to offend him.

The Captain chuckled, “nah kiddo. A fifteen minute drive. If you get the job, I’ll sort the insurance on the truck and you can borrow it for now till you find your feet.”

It’s been years since you’ve seen him smile, the curve of his lips making him seem younger. Like the dad who used to ruffle your hair and put you over his shoulder when you were six. The years seemed to harden your parents, your mother’s snapping tone still sent a shiver down your spine. Your father’s stern face, lines in the corners of his eyes and the centre of his forehead painting him serious most of the time.

“What about rent?”

Nothing comes for free, his own words repeating in your mind. You wonder what else you’ll have to earn whilst you’re staying with him.

“Keep ya’ money,” he grumbled, his chair scraping back as he stood up. He walked over to the fridge, pinning a piece of paper under a magnet. His finger jabbing the scribbled mess. “If you need to reach me, this is my office number. Mobile first, office is last resort.”

“And mum?” You dared to ask, still expecting her to appear with each waking day. Least you'd hear her before you actually saw her.

“We’ll talk about it another day. Rest up and look after yourself. You still need to take it easy.”

You nodded, releasing a deep breath. The weight on your chest lifting, the tension loosening from your shoulders.

The Captain turned his back from you, flicking the kettle on. You rose from the chair, tucking it back under the table. He handed you a steaming cup of tea and you settled down into the sofa, placing the cup on the coffee table.

A kiss landed on the crown of your head, "gotta go back to the office, you know what to do if you need anything."

You didn't get a chance to react, the front door closed before you could catch a glimpse of your father.

Sleep had been fleeting the past week, as soon as your cheek hit the pillow on the couch you were out. You were never much of a heavy sleeper, but the rough weight on your forehead soothed the heat and sweat coating it, that you didn’t question it. The cool touch easing your faltering breaths.

You shifted, the cushion wedged behind your back brushed against the wound near your shoulder blade, a groan slipping from your lips. The hushed tones of someone shushing you and the hair sweeping behind your ear, however, sent alarm bells ringing. You shot up, head crashing into the nearest thing.

Johnny Mactavish stumbling back with a grunt. He cradled his jaw, a string of curse words falling from his lips.

"Fuckin' hell, Johnny," you snapped, clutching your forehead and scrambling to sit up. "Why are you breathing over me?" You traced the stitches above your brow, lowering a trembling finger tip expecting blood, but there was none.

Your heart drummed against your chest, the shirt you wore drenched in sweat and sticking to the dip between your breasts. Your fingers pinched the fabric, allowing the excess to swallow your figure once again.

The crick in your neck stopped you from turning your face quickly to the man in front of you.

Johnny rubbed his chin, red tinge marring his jawline. "Thought you'd passed out again, checking for your breath lass." He sat on the edge of the coffee table, wood groaning under his weight.

The distressed denim jeans hugged his thick thighs, baggy t-shirt skimming over a leather belt. Sergeant written across his firm chest. Your gaze wandered to the short sleeves and the way they curled around his biceps. A few nicks and scrapes dotted his bare arms, fading green bruise on his knuckles.

He reached out and you dodged his hand, trying to sink further into the sofa. Wanting it to swallow you up, anything to go unnoticed.

“You’re hot.”

It took you a second to register what he'd said.

“I’m what?” You stuttered, trying to pull the thin blanket over your shoulders as you slid down in your seat. God, he was so hot. Different to your ex, something untouchable about Johnny too though.

A deep chuckle shook his chest, his head cocking to side. Smile stretching his lips as if he noticed your stare. “Yeah, your head. Fever maybe?” He mumbled, leaning forward and placing the back of his hand on your forehead for a few seconds.

Of course, he wasn't looking at you like that. You don't even know why your mind went there either. Must be the fever messing with you.

You blinked, not sure of why he was checking you over again. If you’ve got a fever you’ll be taking a bath right? Or just riding it out? You weren’t quite sure. Did the Captain put him up to this?

It was the first time taking medication like this, normally you took paracetamol and hoped for the best.

Johnny’s touch is light, brief as he pulled away and clasped his hands in between his legs. “Did ya’ miss your meds?” He glanced over his shoulder, the ridiculously large clock ticking away.

“I fell asleep.” You shrugged, “I’ll just take them in a bit.” It’d been four hours since you’d settled on the sofa and three hours ago you were supposed to take two pills.

“You gotta take them at the specific times,” Johnny said, popping the pills out of their packaging and into your palm. He walked to the kitchen, returning with a large glass of water.

Sipping the water and throwing back your medication, you went to place it on the table, but he shook his head.

“Drink all of that, will help with that fever,” he said, sinking into the sofa beside you. The cushion dipped beside you and found your body leaning to his. "Might wanna, take that blanket off too." He snatched the blanket from your lap, balling it up and tossing it on the armchair beside him.

You drank half, gaze locked on his as you placed the glass on the coffee table. Wondering if he’d tell you to drink more, but he picked up the remote, flicking through the tv guide.

“Captain got you babysitting?” You checked your phone, a chain of texts from your father and an alarm notification you slept through that alerted you of the time and the meds you needed to take. forty-six missed calls and twelve voice messages, your ex's name lit up the screen as you turned it over on the table.

Johnny slouched against the back of the sofa, legs widening. Your knee brushing against the side of his denim clad thigh. His hand resting ever so close to yours on his own leg.

“Nah, watching the rugby.” He pointed to the tv with the remote, the match three minutes in already. There’s a bottle of beer in his other hand, the same one your ex liked.

The one you used to stare at in the shop, wondering if this pack would go in your favour or go against you.

Johnny seemed pretty calm though, you don’t know him well so the beer in his hand doesn’t help you feel any better. People are totally different after consuming stuff like that.

“You like the rugby?”Johnny said, his deep voice pulling you out of your head. He sucked in a breath as the players tackled each other for the ball.

You shook your head, “I hate sports.” You can't think of anything worse, a group of men shouting and hollering at a match. The spike of violence when their teams didn't win, all because of a game. You tried to keep away from all that.

The bottle doesn't touch his lips, a chuckle shaking his shoulders. "Yeah my sisters hated it whenever I watched the rugby." A smile playing on his lips, his fingers picking at the label on his beer bottle.

"You've got sisters?" It doesn't surprise you. He's respectful towards the women on base, well from what you've seen so far.

"Yeah, three of them. Don't know what's worse, three of them or that they're older."

You wonder how different your life would have been if you had siblings, someone else around your age to take the load off of you. Another person who could relate to everything, someone you could talk to without judgement.

Johnny rambled on about his siblings, telling you little bits of pieces of his childhood. The more he said, the more you felt like you'd missed out on a lot. You nodded along, lying when he'd asked you if you were close with your mum. The instinct to paint everything good still ingrained in your being.

The phone in front of you vibrated, kept doing so until you picked it up and turned it off. You don't even need to look at who it is, no matter who it is, it's not someone you want to deal with right now.

"Block 'em, don't want the Captain getting a hold him." He doesn't spare you a glance as he spoke, the tic in his jaw pulsing.

Johnny meant well, but you couldn't stop the cogs turning as you thought of what would happen if the Captain knew everything. A part of your life you'd never shared with your dad, for good reason too.

And if he'd even believe you.

✨ Thanks for reading I hope you enjoyed it :) there might be some errors/mistakes as I'm dyslexic, I do check my work a couple times, but I do miss bits and pieces - Leya

Taglist: @unclearblur @enfppuff @reiluvr @elita1 @tired-writer04 @kaoyamamegami @gallantys @leon-thot-kennedy @trulovekay @harley101399 @misshoneypaper @rpgsandstuff @tomatto1234 @lolyouresilly @madsothree @astrothedoll @grandfartvoid @delaynew @mysteriouslydeafeningwerewolf @little-mini-me-world @exitingmusic @majocookie

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[imagine-it-was-us]

where we land || Lando Norris

Inspiration: Ed Sheeran where we land

Author's note: These are getting out of hand. Started as the creative outlet and ended as sleepless nights where you can't go to bed until you let our mind bleed out on the keyboard. Ed Sheeran and his music will always have a special place in my heart. And this particular song makes me miss the relationship I never had. So enjoy, I am really proud of this one. Hopefully you will find it bearable.

Pairing: Lando Norris x Reader

Warnings: none, just angst.

Summary: do I love you? do I hate you? || I can't make up my mind || so let's free fall (and part ways for the year I guess??) and see where we land.

Word count: 6.8k+

“Lando, this isn’t working”, she sighed. It was obvious that this short sentence took every last bit of energy she had. After this, there was nothing left – no emotions, no desire to fight, just nothing. A blank expression followed.

He looked up from his computer, unphased. 

“What’s not working?” 

“Us.” 

The mood slightly shifted, yet nothing too shocking. It felt like this conversation was overdone way too many times. They have been here before. That's why he didn’t even take a second to think about what sparked this conversation. It felt like it was a casual chat between an old married couple. 

“Yeah,” Lando muttered, exhaling sharply. “Let’s take a break. We’ll make up anyway.”

That was it. No argument, no hesitation. Like it was routine. Like she had just told him she was stepping out for a moment, and he expected her to come back.

When you think about it, it was devastating. The level of indifference was what hurt the most.

They had known each other their whole lives – friends by proximity before choice. Their families lived in the same neighborhood, close enough that their bond felt inevitable. Even as kids, they were opposites. He was the reckless daredevil, climbing trees and riding his bike at full speed down the steepest roads, while she was the quiet dreamer, lying on the grass for hours, lost in her thoughts. But somehow, they worked. They always had.

As they grew up, their lives took different directions, but they never drifted too far. When Lando got into karting, and later, into the high-stakes world of racing, she wasn’t his biggest supporter in the traditional sense. She didn’t attend every event or cheer the loudest. But she cared. She always asked how he was feeling, if he was okay. She avoided getting too involved, not because she didn’t believe in him or was not interested, but because she couldn’t shake the fear of what could happen. The crashes, the risks, the reality of what came with high-speed racing. Maybe that fear had even shaped her, pushed her toward a career where she could save the ones who weren’t as lucky. And yet, no matter how different their paths became, they had always made time for each other.

Then came that one Christmas. The night everything changed. He was on the brink of signing with McLaren, and she had just over a year of school left, set on studying medicine, becoming a paramedic. They spent the whole evening talking – about dreams, about the future, about everything. And the one constant in all their scenarios? Each other. They didn’t officially get together until months later, when the butterflies finally settled in. What started as something gentle and fragile grew into something more. Something that should have been unbreakable.

But it wasn’t.

Between her relentless studying and his deep dive into the world of Formula 1, the distance between them grew. The small sacrifices they used to make for each other became harder. At first, they convinced themselves it was just a rough patch. They had fallen in love as teenagers, blindly, without knowing what love truly required. Clashes were inevitable, but they always told themselves it was just temporary. That love would always outweigh the tension.

Until it didn’t.

The fights became more than just stress-fueled bickering. Trust started to crack. The rumors, the online hate she received for simply existing in his world, the missed races, the missed plans, the days of unanswered calls. The moments of doubt that neither of them wanted to admit were growing stronger.

They had tried. God, they had tried.

The guilt would always swing between them like a pendulum – one of them messing up, the other one forgiving too easily, hoping that this time would be different. And when it wasn’t, they’d take a step back, hoping the distance would fix what being together couldn’t. Then, like clockwork, one of them would cave. One apology, one touch, one whispered „I miss you“ would pull them back in.

The boat had been rocking for years. But at least before, there had still been waves. Now, sitting in their Monaco home, she wasn’t sure if they had finally reached the calm, or if they had simply drifted so far apart that the water didn’t even touch them anymore.

And that was worse than all the fights combined.

“That’s it?”

He lifted a shoulder in an infuriating half-shrug. “What do you want me to say? We take a break, we come back. It’s what we do.”

“That’s exactly the problem, Lando. I don’t want to pause on this empty shell we still call the relationship. I just don’t think I can.” 

Deep down, words coming out of her hurt her. Yet she was just so tired of this game, then at the end there was no happy ending.

Lando exhaled, closing his laptop and putting it away, jaw clenched. Maybe he thought she was being dramatic. Maybe he was just waiting for the inevitable moment when she’d take it back.

But she wouldn’t, not this time. She just stood up from her end of the couch and exhaled. 

“It will take me a couple of days to gather everything I own from this apartment. I will do it once you leave for Las Vegas, so I won’t disturb your calm before the GP. I will just grab my essentials for now,” she said like she was reciting a groceries list. 

Lando didn’t respond right away. He just sat there, eyes fixed on the coffee table like it held all the answers he couldn’t find in her face. Maybe he was searching for something to say – some magic combination of words that would break the cycle, that would make this easier. But there was nothing left to say.

Finally, he nodded. “Okay.”

She felt her stomach twist. Part of her had wanted him to fight – really fight – for this, for them. But wasn’t that the whole point? They were tired. Exhausted. Running on empty, pretending they had more to give when they didn’t.

She swallowed, shifting on her feet. “I think we should do it properly this time.”

His eyes flicked up to hers, guarded. “What do you mean?”

“No breaks. No texts, no calls, no checking in. Not even a happy birthday or Merry Christmas.” The words came out steady, even though her heart was hammering against her ribs. “We give it at least a year. If we’re happier – truly happier – then we’ll know. We’ll let it go for good.”

Lando stood up, facing her. “And if we’re not?”

She exhaled, forcing a small, tired smile. “Then we’ll see where we land.”

He let out a breath, running a hand down his face. For a moment, he just studied her, like he was trying to commit every detail to memory. Like maybe, deep down, some part of him was realizing that this was the last time he’d get to see her like this. Here. His.

Finally, he gave a slow nod. “Alright,” he murmured. “One year.”

One year to figure out if this was really love, or just a bad habit neither of them knew how to break. One year to see if they could be whole without each other. Or if, after everything, they still made sense together.

She was about to turn toward the bedroom, ready to start packing, but he moved first. His arms wound around her, and she didn’t hesitate before wrapping hers around him just as tightly.

And that was what made it hurt the most. Because after six years give or take, after all the fights and make-ups and everything in between, this was still the safest place each of them had ever known. His heartbeat against her ear. Her scent wrapping around him like home. The way neither of them wanted to be the first to let go.

But they had to. So, after one long, lingering moment, she forced herself to step back.

Lando’s arms fell away slowly, reluctantly, like he was holding onto the very last seconds of whatever this was.

And just like that, they let go. Not with a bang, not with a fight. Just a quiet understanding that, for the first time in years, it was time to stop holding on.

______

Remember the “No Merry Christmas” part? Well, that was their first slip up. 

At first, no one questioned it. 

When they said their goodbyes, when she packed up the last of her things, when they let go without a fight – no one questioned it. Not their friends. Not their families. Not the people who had known them as a unit for years.

Because this was just how they were. Messy. Cyclical. A little dramatic but never final. Everyone assumed that, in a few weeks, they’d find their way back – like they always did.

Yet red flags were being waved when she showed up on your parents doorstep and asked them to let you crash at theirs for the time being. 

And when the world around you was lighting up, getting ready for the most wonderful time of the year, she was really feeling dead inside. That was when the questions started.

As she had to find a new job outside Monaco, she landed in the local hospital, in her parents' area. Her new coworkers, who knew her family, would try the small talk, asking how he was doing as the season went to the end. Sometimes even her patients would recognize her and ask her about F1 and her used-to-be boyfriend. A friend, who you haven’t talked to for weeks, would bring an article and ask for you to comment on it. It was even from her own aunt – the one she only ever saw at Christmas– who asked, completely oblivious, “What size are Lando’s feet again? I want to knit him those socks I promised last year.”

And just like that, he was everywhere. Like an echo of a life she wasn’t living anymore. Like a mistake she wasn’t sure she had actually made.

Because wasn’t that what everyone kept implying? That they had been stupid for doing this? That this break – this “proper” break, this one-year promise – was just a long, drawn-out way of making them both miserable?

And if so—was Lando feeling it, too?

Was he being ambushed with casual mentions of her in conversations that had nothing to do with her? Did he hear her name in places he wasn’t expecting it? Did it catch him off guard, did it sting, did it make him wonder if they had just ruined something they were always meant to fix?

She stopped herself from wondering. After all, she could dwell in these thoughts forever and never move forward. She knew she had to. This break was not only about figuring them out. It was also about figuring who you are outside the relationship you grew up in. 

So for now, she did the thing she knew the best – threw herself into work. That’s why when Christmas Eve rolled around, she had her life line to escape hushed voices and petty looks, asking about her life. Also, Norris' family would always eventually roll around for a quick cup of tea – it was a tradition started by their parents even before the both of them were around so she for sure believed that them being on break would not stop their parents from interacting. Never did on any other break. 

She did what she always did when the walls started closing in. She grabbed her coat, threw a scarf over her scrubs, and braced herself for the short, freezing walk to her car. A twelve-hour shift awaited her, filled with last-minute holiday accidents and bad luck, and she was oddly grateful for it. A perfect excuse to be anywhere but here.

She said her goodbyes, wished everyone a Merry Christmas, and stepped outside.

And nearly crashed straight into Adam Norris. Her hand shot out to steady herself, boots skidding slightly against the icy porch. “Oh – I’m so sorry,” she blurted, barely catching her breath before –

Her stomach dropped.

Because it wasn’t just Adam. It was all of them.

His entire family stood there, wrapped in warm coats and holiday cheer. And Lando – of course, Lando – was in the middle of it all, hands stuffed into his pockets, gaze locked onto her like he hadn’t been expecting this either.

She barely let her eyes flick to his before looking away, heart hammering.

“You’re always in such a rush, aren’t you?” Cisca asked, her voice as warm as ever.

“Yes, I’m working tonight, unfortunately,” she added, making them hear what she wanted rather than expressing her feelings. 

“Oh, your mother told me about the shifts you’re taking and they still make you work during the day like this? That’s so sad,” she said, empathetically. His mother was always the angel and they had a great connection before this break. 

She gave a light shrug, desperate to keep the conversation surface-level. “What can I say? Gotta work if I ever want to give my parents a break.”

It was the lie she’d been telling everyone. That she was saving for a down payment. That the extra shifts were a means to an end. A practical excuse for why she spent more time at the hospital than at home, drowning herself in work instead of drowning in the what-ifs of a relationship that no longer existed.

But it didn’t matter. Not when she could feel Lando’s eyes on her. Not when it took every ounce of strength to keep her own from slipping back to his.

“Well,” Cisca sighed, stepping aside to give her space to pass. “Stay safe, darling.”

She hesitated. A half-second, barely noticeable. And then, before she could stop herself, the words slipped out.

“Merry Christmas, fam.”

The moment she said it, she regretted it. The slip. The weakness. The betrayal of her own rules.

And then there was Lando.

For the first time since she stepped outside, she met his gaze. A brief, fleeting glance. A quiet acknowledgment of everything that still lingered between them.

She barely made a sound when she whispered, “Merry Christmas, Lando.”

Then, before she could give herself time to second-guess it, she turned on her heel and walked away, pulling her coat tighter around herself.

She didn’t wait for an answer. She couldn’t. Because she knew if she did – if she heard his voice, his words – her carefully built defenses would crumble.

But as she made it to her car, something soft, something broken, floated through the cold December air.

“Merry Christmas, love.”

And somehow this moment stung Lando more than anything else ever had.

______

Spring was warming up the air, shaking winter from the trees and stretching daylight just a little longer each evening. She had always hated this time of year – hated the way it pressed against her chest, thick with stress and expectations. First, it was the exams, the all-nighters, the anxious flipping of textbooks. Then, later, it became Lando’s schedule. The season kicking off, his world spinning faster while she tried to hold onto the edges.

This year, though, spring was something different. Unusually dull. Unnaturally calm. But it was for her to figure out if it was the kind of calm that comes before or after the storm.

By all accounts, she was doing well. She was thriving at work, getting used to the rhythm of long shifts and fast decisions. She had found herself a new apartment – small, but cozy, a space that was hers and hers alone. She even picked up jogging and pilates, things she used to roll her eyes at but now clung to as some kind of personal victory.

Some days were perfect. She would wake up, stretch in the morning light, sip her coffee in silence, and almost – almost – forget why her life looked the way it did now.

Emphasis on ‘almost.’

Because when you spend six years wrapped around someone else’s life, untangling yourself doesn’t happen overnight. Their friend groups overlapped too much, their histories bled into too many places, and avoiding him completely was impossible.

They had been careful, though. Calculated. She planned around GP weekends, making sure to show up to gatherings when he was halfway across the world, and skipping the ones when she knew he’d be visiting the home town. It worked. Until, inevitably, it didn’t.

That night, she hadn’t planned to see him. It was supposed to be a quiet evening. Just a handful of friends, drinks, some music humming in the background. Nothing major. Nothing painful. But then, sometime between her second glass of wine and the last lazy notes of an old song drifting through the air, she felt it.

That awareness. The way her skin prickled before she even turned her head. He was there.

Just across the room, laughing at something, his head thrown back, the sound of it familiar enough to sink straight into her bones. He looked... good. Relaxed in a way she hadn’t seen in a long time. And for a second she let herself wonder if she looked that way too. If he saw her and thought, ‘She’s okay. She’s moved on. She doesn’t miss me the way I miss her’.

It was unbearable. The way it made her stomach twist, the way it pulled something raw inside of her. It wasn’t just the sight of him, it wasn't just the proof that he still existed outside of her world – it was the realization that she still felt it. That she still felt everything.

So she left. Quietly. Without goodbyes. Without looking back.

By the time she got home, she was already peeling off her jacket, kicking off her shoes, slipping beneath the covers in the dark. Sleep would fix it. Sleep would dull the sharp edges, smooth over the crack in her chest.

Morning light bled through the thin curtains, painting soft streaks across the room. She stretched, rubbing at her puffy eyes, the lingering ache of last night still pressing heavy against her ribs.

It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that he got to be fine. That he got to laugh and exist so easily in a world without her while she sat here, caught in the ghost of something that refused to fade.

Yet there was a surprise waiting for her when she picked up the phone.

A missed call at 3:48 am. And a voice note from him on her Instagram DMs followed.

Then, for just a second, something fluttered in her chest. A spark of something she didn’t want to name. Because maybe he had seen her last night. Maybe he had felt it too.

But reality was quick to sink its claws in, dragging her back down. No. This wasn’t that. This was probably drunk Lando. This was ‘bad decisions wrapped in nostalgia and gin’ Lando.

She should ignore it. But her thumb was already moving before her brain could stop her.

Click. Play.

“Heeeeeeeyyyy pretty girl.”

She sucked in a sharp breath.

He was drunk. The kind of drunk where words ran together, loose and careless.

“I’m so sorry for the call, I realized that you are probably working or worse – asleep – and just canceled it. Like I know that you would stab anyone who would dare to wake you up if it’s not important, and since I guess I no longer am, I—”

A hiccup. A pause.

Her stomach twisted. She should stop listening. But she didn’t.

“I just don’t know… Whenever I see you, you seem so fine, so moved on… And then there’s me, stuck between fake and being down. And you know what I do when I feel down? I go to the bar, the club. You name it. I scan a crowd looking for you. I never find you, because duh, why should I? You only went to these places for me.”

Her chest tightened. She had hated clubs with all her heart. The noise, the people, the way she never really fit into that world. She only went because he loved it. Because Lando loved the music, the energy, the thrill of it. And yet… after all this time, he was still looking for her in places she never truly belonged.

“So, I get the random girl and imagine it is you. I imagine you still care, laugh at my pick-up lines, take me home with you. I even moaned your name one time and the lady was pissed off, I got smacked, lol. Could you imagine…”

A sharp exhale left her lips.

God, he was an idiot. Saying things he had no business saying. Telling her things she shouldn’t know. She wanted to be mad. To roll her eyes, to call him out for being reckless, for dragging her back into the mess they were supposed to be untangling.

But she wasn’t mad. She was something else entirely. Because there, tangled between the words and the drunken confessions, was something she wasn’t ready to face. Regret. And worse – feelings that she thought was lost during all this. The kind that made the edges of her world blur for a moment, tilting just enough to make her wonder…

What if?

And then – 

“I should have fought for you, you know? When you asked for this break. I was an idiot for letting you walk out the door so easily. Screw the ‘let’s see where we land’ thing. I already know where I’m landing. Now the ball is in your corner or whatever. So yeah, good chat. See you around.”

Silence.

Her heart was pounding.

She stared at the screen, her mind racing.

This wasn’t just some drunk butt dial. This wasn’t some half-hearted message he would brush off in the morning.

This was a line drawn in the sand. This was him saying, ‘I know what I want. Do you?’

She swallowed, her hands shaking as she locked her phone and pressed it to her chest.

She needed to breathe. She needed to think.

But later that day, when she opened the chat to replay the message and dissect every word it was gone.

Not even a trace of it ever existing.

And just like that, she was left with nothing but the weight of what could have been.

__________

She didn’t want to be here.

That much had been clear from the second she stepped onto Silverstone’s pavement, a familiar hum in the air, the smell of petrol and rubber hitting her in a way that made her stomach twist.

It wasn’t just the track – it was everything it represented. The years spent here, the routines, the nerves. The way she used to pace behind the pit wall, hands shoved into the pockets of a McLaren hoodie that wasn’t even hers, chewing on her bottom lip as she watched Lando push the car to its limits.

It was muscle memory to be here, and yet, it had never felt more foreign.

She had almost backed out, too, with the kind of last-minute excuse that wouldn’t fool her mother but might have been enough to let her go on with her weekend and avoid the inevitable. But the tickets had been a Christmas gift – from the Norris family, as per usual – and her parents had been so excited.

“It’s been too long since we all did something like this together. You used to go with him all the time while we were watching from the sidelines. Now we can switch places, you will be fine” her dad had said. “Come on, it’ll be fun.”

Fun. Right.

So she had caved. And when it was time to leave for Sunday GP, she still wanted to blend in the crowd. She knew there would be plenty of McLaren fans, so if you can’t beat them – join them. She took out a random t-shirt that was probably used way too many times. It was only after pulling it over her head that she realized which one it was.

His.

One he had left in her drawer ages ago, one she had slept in more nights than she could count.

It smelled like fabric softener instead of him now. That should have been a relief. It wasn’t. For a split second, she had almost taken it off. Almost buried it back in the drawer like it was some kind of cursed relic. But then she exhaled. It’s just a shirt. No one will even notice.

And at first she was perfectly flying over the radar. Her parents visited the paddock, while she stayed behind, blending in the crowds. She had perfected the art of blending in – cheering when appropriate, clapping at the right moments, never once letting her gaze wander too long in the direction of the papaya garage. And it was working wonders. 

But then she ran into Emma. The fellow paramedic, who she had known both from the medical, and sports field, as she was a couple years older and worked with Papaya for a few years. One second, she was keeping her head down, avoiding anything orange, and the next, she was being pulled into McLaren hospitality because “It’s dead quiet before the race, and you have a paddock pass, so why not?”

She should have said no. Instead, she sat with Emma, catching up over bad coffee, pretending she wasn’t hyperaware of exactly where she was. Yet every time footsteps neared, her body tensed, anticipation coiling in her stomach like a reflex she hadn’t quite unlearned. It wasn’t that she couldn’t see him – it had happened before, and they had managed to be civil, distant in a way that felt almost rehearsed. But being here, surrounded by everything that made Lando Lando, made her feel too exposed.

Don’t get it wrong – she would always be a fan. Even if life took them further apart, even if one day they became nothing more than a distant memory, she would still admire him. The raw talent, the skill, the way he could take a car and make it his – that would never change. 

But it had been eight months, and for the first time, she was starting to find a rhythm outside of them. A clarity she hadn’t thought possible. And yet. Eight months, and still, his drunken voice note rattled in her head like an echo trapped between her ribs. Eight months, and the thought of seeing him in his element – seeing him – made her stomach twist in ways she couldn’t quite decipher. Would it set her back? Or would it confirm that she was finally past it?

Five minutes into chatting, laughing like she wasn’t standing in the center of everything she had left behind, Oscar Piastri appeared, cradling his arm like it was more of an annoyance than an injury. It was impossible for her not to know or like Oscar – they would always lightly catch up and laugh whenever she visited a paddock. And she sure as hell knew that he was aware what was the reason behind her being absent recently. 

“Hey, do me a favor,” he said, surprised to see her in the paddock, but not making a big deal out of it. “Tell me I’m being dramatic.”

She raised a brow. “You’re being dramatic.”

Oscar grinned. “That’s what I needed.”

They fell into easy conversation – nothing deep, just lighthearted jabs about how McLaren clearly needed her back on call, and how she had ditched them for something far less entertaining.

And then, as she was mid-sentence, Oscar’s eyes flicked to her shirt.

Her stomach dropped. She glanced down, realizing how obvious it was now, when she dropped her jacket off. The faded Lando Norris on the back. The small details only a real fan – or someone owning a similar t-shirt – would notice, proved this shirt wasn’t just merch, but his.

“That is not just any McLaren shirt.”

Her face went hot. “Oscar –”

“You’re both so full of shit,” he cut in, laughing.

Before she could protest, before she could even think, he was pulling out his phone.

“Oscar,” she warned.

“Relax,” he said, snapping the picture. “I’ll make it tasteful.”

So when later that day, after the GP was done and gone, her phone buzzed, she wasn’t surprised to see that Oscar had tagged her in a story, meant for a close friend's circle. At least he had decency not to post it publicly, sparing her from the speculation of people online.

A casual shot – Oscar grinning, arm still wrapped in tape, her beside him, mid-laugh. The caption?

“I’m here catching up with a friend, being all nice and all, and she’s still in his corner.”

She rolled her eyes and locked her phone, pretending she saw nothing. Lando rarely if ever checked other driver’s stories, so she thought that maybe she was safe. 

What she didn’t know, that Lando was also tagged in it. 

It was late by the time the high of his first home win finally started to wear off. It should have lasted longer. It should have been everything. And for a while, it was. The roar of the British crowd, the Union Jack wrapped around his shoulders, the feeling of standing on the top step at Silverstone – his Silverstone. It was a dream he’d had since he was a kid, a moment that was meant to feel like an ending and a beginning all at once.

But the thing about dreams is that you never picture them alone. And she wasn’t there. Not where she should have been, anyway.

He’d looked for her. Not consciously, not obviously, but when he turned toward the grandstands where his family sat – where she used to sit – his eyes found nothing but an empty space. And it was stupid to expect anything different. They weren’t that anymore. They weren’t anything, really.

But for the first time since she walked out, he let himself admit it. It still felt wrong doing this without her.

Later, exhausted but unwilling to sleep, he opened his phone, torn between drowning in nostalgia or holding onto the adrenaline of the win. He chose the latter. Scrolled through the tags, looking for a story to share. When he saw the notification from Oscar, he barely thought twice. Probably some congratulatory post, maybe something teasing him for taking so long to win here.

But when he clicked it, the world narrowed to a pinpoint.

Because there she was.

Not in the stands. Not in his family's section. But she had been there. And she was wearing his shirt. An old one, something he barely even remembered giving her, but she still had it. Still wore it.

His stomach tightened. She hadn’t wanted to see him. Hadn’t let him see her. But maybe he wasn’t the only one still looking for pieces of the past.

And maybe she wasn’t quite ready to let them go either.

______

There were still three days left until their one-year mark. Not that she was counting. 

362 days had passed. 362 days of learning how to be her own person again. And, honestly? She wasn’t half bad at it. 

She had figured out how to be alone without feeling lonely. She’d chased things she never made time for before, threw herself into work, into new routines, into a version of herself that wasn’t just an extension of him. And she liked who she was becoming – someone stronger, more driven, more sure of herself.

But did she still feel a pit in her stomach every time she thought about the fact that he wasn’t there to see it? Absolutely.

And maybe that was why she had convinced herself she just had to make it to a year. A clean number. One final milestone to tell her that they had really done it – walked away, stayed away and allowed them both to breath.

But then came the invitation. Max, persistently begging her to come. It’s his birthday, he’d want you there. And also, it was hard to lie to herself that three days would make her change her mind. 

Before she knew it, she was standing in the middle of the chaos, clutching a drink she didn’t want, in a room that felt too damn small. The music was loud, the air thick with laughter and voices overlapping in that familiar, comfortable way. She had spent years in rooms like this, at parties just like this, orbiting the same people, the same circles. But tonight, she felt like a stranger.

And then she saw him. Across the room, back turned, laughing at something Max had said. Easy. Effortless. Like nothing had changed.

The last time she saw him, Lando was leaving Silverstone with his name echoing through the crowd. A winner. A hero. And she had watched from the screen of her phone, watching him have everything he ever wanted. 

That realization made her stop in her tracks.

Because here he was, months later, standing in the center of a world that kept spinning without her. With only three GPs left, he was still a contender for the whole damn championship. He had managed to dodge all major drama, kept his head down, thrived. And now, surrounded by friends, by people who cared for him, cherished him, celebrated him – he looked free.

Happy.

And just like that, the thought hit her like a punch to the ribs. Maybe this should be it. Maybe this night should be her closure. Because if this past year had proven anything, it was that he didn’t need her. And as much as it twisted something deep inside her, maybe she was okay with that.

Maybe she could give up the what if in exchange for the freedom she had convinced herself he deserved. Even if her heart didn’t waver. Even if she was still his in ways she wished she wasn’t.

She turned on her heel, ready to leave this place. She knew that he was aware that she was here. So the checkmark ticked for their friends – she was here, she had cheered for him. Now it was time to leave all this behind them. Just as she was about to put the empty glass on the table by the door, she heard a familiar voice:

“Leaving so soon?”

His voice cut through the noise like a blade. She could barely hear it, but somehow, it still sent a shiver down her spine.

She didn’t turn back, not right away. She let out a breath, eyes shutting for half a second, before finally facing him.

“I was just –” She cleared her throat, finding it suddenly dry. “I was just stepping out.”

Something flickered in his eyes. He didn’t call her bullshit. Didn’t need to. Instead, he simply gestured toward the door.

“Me too.”

As they stepped outside, the air outside was crisp, a quiet relief from the overwhelming heat of the party. She crossed her arms over her chest, less for warmth, more for something to do. Lando stuffed his hands into his pockets, rocking back on his heels as he exhaled, long and slow.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

And then–

“I didn’t think you’d come.”

She let out something between a laugh and a scoff. “I wasn’t going to.”

His lips twitched. “Max?”

“Max.”

Silence again. But this one wasn’t uncomfortable. It wasn’t unfamiliar. It was them. The kind of quiet that only came after knowing someone for years. The kind that held more weight than words.

Lando rocked back on his heels. “You didn’t have to come.”

She let out a breath, steadying herself. “I know.”

“Then why did you?”

She shifted on her feet, gaze flickering toward the door, toward the party she could easily slip back into. Away from this. But she didn’t move.

Instead, she sighed, voice softer now. “Because it’s your birthday.”

Lando exhaled through his nose, looking away for a moment. “I thought maybe you were done.”

“I thought so too,” she admitted. “I was trying to be.”

His gaze snapped back to her, something sharp behind his eyes. “Trying?”

Her stomach twisted. This was exactly what she had been afraid of – this conversation, the one she wasn’t sure she was ready to have. The one where she had to admit that all the time, all the space, all the growing hadn’t undone a damn thing.

“I didn’t want us to slip back,” she confessed. “Back into something that wasn’t healthy. Back into us, but wrong.”

Lando nodded, slow. “And do you think we would?”

She looked at him. At the way he was standing now, steadier, stronger, more him. At the way his face, older in ways that had nothing to do with time, still softened at the sight of her. At the way she still felt it. That pull. That certainty.

She swallowed hard. “No.”

He stepped forward. Not much. Just enough. And this time, he was the one to break the silence.

“You know what I realized?” His voice was quiet, careful. “That I could have the best day of my life, and it still wouldn’t be quite right.”

She stiffened.

“Because it’s not about someone seeing it,” he continued. “It’s about someone being there. It’s about looking over and knowing –” he broke off, shaking his head, then tried again. “I didn’t need you to see me win at Silverstone. Hell I didn't need you to witness any of this. I just –” his voice dropped even lower – “needed you. And then I saw you in that damn picture with my t-shirt on. It took everything in me not to drive to Bristol, looking for you.”

Her throat tightened. “Lando.”

“I know we did the right thing,” he said, brushing it off. “I know we needed time. I know we needed to fix things.” A pause. Then he looked dead into her eyes. “But tell me. Right now. That if we part ways now that you will be the happiest version of yourself.”

Now, she was standing in front of the person who had been both her greatest love and her hardest lesson. Now, she was staring at him, the weight of their history pressing in from all sides, and she still couldn’t imagine a life where she didn’t look for him in every crowd. Now, she was tired of pretending.

“I don’t regret what we did,” she whispered. Something flickered in his eyes, but he didn’t pull back. “I think we needed it,” she admitted. “I think we needed the space. The time. I think we needed to figure out who we were without each other.”

She swallowed hard, forcing herself to continue. “And I did. I figured it out.”

Lando didn’t move. Didn’t breathe. “And?”

She hesitated, because saying it out loud made it real. Made it true. But after all the turmoil she owed him that much.

“I had good days,” she admitted, voice barely above a whisper. “Really good days. Days where I laughed so hard my ribs ached. Where I felt strong. Where I was proud of who I was becoming.”

Lando’s jaw tensed. She inhaled sharply. 

“And then there were the other days. The ones where something amazingly good or amazingly bad happened, something I wanted to share, but I’d reach for my phone and realize – ” Her voice cracked. “Realize you weren’t there.”

Lando shut his eyes for a second, like he needed a moment to steady himself. “Yeah.”

Her chest tightened. “And you?”

His lips parted, but for the first time all night, words didn’t come so easily. So he exhaled, rubbed a hand over his jaw, and met her gaze with the kind of raw honesty that left no room for doubt.

“I had the best day of my life, and it still felt wrong because you weren’t there to see it.”

She blinked, chest tightening, but he wasn’t done.

“I had the worst day of my life too. And every instinct told me to go to you. And I couldn’t.”

Her throat burned.

“I used to think what we had was everything,” he murmured. “And then we broke apart, and I thought – maybe I was wrong. Maybe we were just young and caught up in something that was never meant to last.”

She held her breath.

“But then I lived without you. I learned how to be on my own. I grew. And I still came to the same conclusion.”

His fingers twitched at his sides, as if he was holding himself back.

“You are the only thing in my life that I’ve ever been sure of.”

Tears burned at the back of her eyes, but she forced a watery laugh. “That’s funny,” she whispered. “Because I was just about to say the same thing.”

Lando’s shoulders fell, something breaking apart and putting itself back together all at once. And then he stepped forward. And so did she.

And when he kissed her, it wasn’t about picking up where they left off.

It was about choosing each other again. And they landed exactly where they needed to.

[silverynight]

Oblivious heart

Izuku is too focused on checking his email to see the crystal door on time; he realizes he's going to collide a little bit too late. It's not that bad, it won't kill him or injure him, but it'll probably hurt a little bit.

However, his face doesn't bump into it; Katsuki takes him by the waist and moves him out of the way like he weighs nothing while pushing the door open effortlessly.

"Thank you, Kacchan!" Izuku beams immediately; he forgets how strong Katsuki has gotten in the past few years.

"Be more careful, nerd," the pro hero grumbles, narrowing his eyes at him with more concern than irritation. "Besides, it's the weekend. I fucking know you're checking your email, you should be not thinking about work."

The young teacher blushes, basically confirming what Katsuki just said.

"Some of my students already sent their homework."

"You can check it on Monday."

Izuku puts his phone back in his pocket, mostly to appease the pro hero. Katsuki smirks triumphantly before putting an arm around his shoulders. The teacher is aware that people are watching them.

They decide to have breakfast in a cafeteria and talk about their respective jobs a bit. Sometimes, a couple of people approach them to ask them both for an autograph. It's been a while since the war, and Izuku knows young people know more Katsuki than they know him, so sometimes he thinks they ask him for his autograph not to make him feel bad. Or maybe because if they don't ask for his, pro hero Dynamight gets all grumpy and refuses to talk to them.

But sometimes, Katsuki also gets irritated when people approach him and talk too much to him, especially if they're the same age as he is or a bit older.

It confuses Izuku sometimes.

"You're amazing!" The young man says after a while; listing all the things he likes about Izuku the most, his courage, his determination and his selflessness until he makes the teacher blush to the tip of his ears. "Can I get you something? A coffee? Something to eat? Maybe we can go somewhere else–"

Katsuki, who just got back with their food, places Izuku's latte and the croissant in front of him, as well as his own breakfast on the table. He sits quite aggressively next to the teacher and puts an arm around his shoulders.

"Who the fuck are you?" He hisses, clearly irritated at the fan still standing next to their table.

"Kacchan, be nice!"

"Pro hero Dynamight!" The young man pales, looking from one to another, deflating immediately. "I didn't know you were hero Deku's–"

"I am. Fuck off."

Izuku scolds him then and tries to apologize, but the man is gone in the blink of an eye.

Katsuki pulls him even closer and looks around at the people watching, like he's daring them to approach their table. None of them do, obviously.

"This is why you're constantly dropping ranks. Kacchan, you have to work on your charisma a bit if you want to be number one!"

"I don't care."

That also confuses Izuku; Katsuki used to be so competitive when they were in high-school.

"Stop pouting because of me. I'll be fine, nerd."

Katsuki urges him to drink his latte before it gets cold, and that's the end of it.

***

Things change considerably after Katsuki gives him the hero suit. Izuku can't quite believe that he planned it from the moment they graduated from school. His friends helped too, and he's very thankful for it, but he knows Katsuki was the one in charge of the project.

Now that Izuku has been working as a pro hero for a year now, Katsuki seems more eager to become the number one.

It's fun to have someone always at his side, challenging and competing with him.

They're a hero duo now, just like they always wanted to be.

Even though they're together most of the time, Izuku is surprised Katsuki doesn't seem to get tired of him. Whenever they have free time, the other pro hero makes sure to hang out with him.

It's good that they both have their respective apartments though, no matter how much he misses Katsuki when he's not there because Izuku doesn't want to risk it.

Part of him thinks Katsuki will eventually get tired of him.

However, Katsuki doesn't think the same, for the past weeks, he's been trying to convince Izuku that it'd be more convenient for them both if they move in together.

They have just finished their patrol when Katsuki brings the topic up again. He does it after Izuku softly declines his invitation to dinner because he's honestly too exhausted to move. He just wants to lie down on his bed or maybe even the couch for a while.

"You should move in with me."

It's always tempting; Izuku likes his best friend, more than he should actually, but that's one of the reasons he refuses. Besides, Katsuki's apartment is amazing; the pro hero worked hard for it, especially because it has a great view of All Might's statue.

Fortunately, a reporter interrupts their conversation to make them a few questions. Katsuki grimaces at the sight of her, while Izuku makes an effort to focus on what she's saying, even though he's clearly exhausted.

When Izuku thinks she's done, a couple of other reporters approach them. He doesn't think he has the energy to answer their questions. But he can try.

At some point, Katsuki gets so irritated that he stops answering the questions directed at him and places himself in between Izuku and the reporters.

"Enough. Can't you see he's exhausted? Have some fucking consideration!"

Before Izuku can apologize on his behalf, Katsuki takes him in his arms and carries him away. The pro hero with green hair is so tired indeed he doesn't even tell him to put him back on his feet.

He had no idea his eyes were closed until he opens them again and finds himself in the passenger seat in Katsuki's expensive car.

"Are you hungry? I can make you katsudon if you want."

Izuku hesitates, he loves Katsuki's cooking, but at the same time, the thought of having to go back to his own apartment after dinner is so tiring already.

"You can stay with me tonight."

Part of him thinks he shouldn't; it'll probably make it more difficult to decline Katsuki's offer to move in together, but at the same time he really wants to have a sleepover with his best friend.

"Sure, Kacchan."

Katsuki looks way too happy about it. It's kinda endearing.

***

Only a month later, Katsuki manages to persuade Izuku into moving in with him. His apartment is huge so it's more than enough for two people.

They argue and fight as usual, but they manage to fix it every single time, and despite Izuku's fear, they don't seem to get tired of one another.

But of course, that's when the rumors get even stronger; their fans already talked about them being more than friends (which is not true) but now they seem convinced Katsuki and Izuku are in a relationship.

They claim that, since they both make enough money, there's no need for any of them to be roommates and just moved together because they're taking the next step into their relationship.

It doesn't help that every time Katsuki gets asked about that, he refuses to say a word or changes the topic like he's hiding something.

Izuku does deny it, but for some reason his answers are not that convincing for anyone.

"Just one last question, please!" The female reporter begs, looking very tempted to grab Izuku's arm to prevent him from leaving. "Are you dating pro hero Dynamight?"

Maybe it's the fact that Izuku always blushes when he gets asked that particular question or the fact that Katsuki approaches him whenever he hears his hero name and sometimes places his arm around his shoulders or waist.

"N-No! We're just friends!" Izuku stammers, hearing Katsuki's chuckle next to him as he pulls him even closer.

"Sure," the reporter mumbles, looking at them both with disbelief. "Thank you for your time, Deku-san!"

She's finally gone, but Izuku is sure there'll be lots of posts with the interview and screenshots of Katsuki with his arm around his waist to "prove" the exact opposite of what Izuku just told the reporter.

Even their friends have grown really curious about their relationship.

It doesn't help that whenever they finally have the time to hang out with some of them, Katsuki is always touching Izuku somehow. Izuku has convinced himself it's because his friend is more physically affectionate now, at least around him.

But he can tell Uraraka is getting tired of the both of them.

"I know you," she says the moment Kirishima and Kaminari manage to drag Katsuki away from them. "You cannot be purposely cruel, so the only reason you haven't finally kissed that poor man and ended his misery must be because you don't know he's in love with you. But honestly, that says a lot about you, Midoriya. I thought you were smart."

"Uraraka!" Izuku immediately blushes to the tip of his ears; he's not sure what got him so flustered, his friend saying that Katsuki loves him or the image of them kissing on the lips.

It's probably both.

"Don't 'Uraraka' me!" She rolls her eyes, clearly getting irritated. "I haven't seen anyone so devoted as him in my entire life! I thought you were going to realize it after finding out about the hero suit!"

"I know that he was in charge of it, but you also–"

"He dedicated eight years of his life to make it happen," she cuts him off. "Maybe he has never told you this, but he worked his ass off and made sure everything was perfect for you to have your dream back."

Having her saying it like that gets Izuku emotional again, and he immediately starts tearing up. Uraraka sighs but pulls him into a hug.

"I'm sorry he had to–"

"My point is not trying to make you feel guilty," Uraraka interrupts him again. "I just want you to realize how much he loves you because even though you two are clearly more happy now, I can tell you both want more."

"But what if... it's just too good to be true," Izuku finally blurts out. "I don't want to ruin our friendship."

"You won't, trust me."

"Izuku, are you crying?"

Katsuki's voice startles him, especially because he's suddenly next to him. Uraraka lets Izuku go as the other pro hero kneels in front of him and takes his hands in his.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Izuku can see the concern in those red eyes and the devotion, the clear adoration that he can't hide anymore.

"I'm fine, Kacchan," he mumbles, tearing up again, prompting the blond pro hero to start wiping the tears off with his thumbs.

"Did he drink too much?" He asks Uraraka then.

"He's just emotional."

"I'm alright, Kacchan!" He assures him, grabbing him by the sleeve to get his attention back. "Let's go home."

Katsuki nods immediately; there's no hesitation in his eyes, and after thinking about the last few years, it occurs to Izuku that he could ask anything and the other pro hero would give it to him. But that particular thought makes him blush to the tip of his ears and tries to shake it off immediately.

Even though Izuku assures him he's alright, Katsuki takes him in his arms and carries him out.

"You'll thank me later, Bakugo!" Uraraka says out loud, prompting Katsuki to narrow his eyes in confusion and Izuku to blush even more.

"What the fuck is she talking about?"

"I-I don't know!"

***

It's only after they're back in the apartment and Izuku has a cup of tea in his hands (that Katsuki made for him) that he decides to finally have a serious conversation with him.

Or at least say how he feels and hope for the best.

"Kacchan."

"Yes?"

"I love you."

Katsuki drops his own cup of coffee, and although he manages to catch it before it hits the ground, the liquid inside falls all over his shirt. It's a good thing it wasn't that hot anymore.

Although he doesn't seem to give a fuck about any of those things.

"Kacchan, are you–"

"What did you just say?" Katsuki rushes to his side, cradling Izuku's face in his hands softly.

To prevent another accident, Izuku leaves his tea on the small table in front of the couch.

"Uhh..."

"Can you say it again, please?"

He can tell Katsuki is desperate to hear it again and Izuku is not going to deny him something like that at this point.

"I love you, Kacchan."

Cheeks turning slightly pink, the blond pro hero smiles almost in disbelief.

"Am I dreaming again?"

Izuku would like to know how many times Katsuki has dreamed about something like this, but maybe that's a conversation for another day.

Instead of answering, Izuku gives him a quick kiss on the lips.

Katsuki's hands move; he uses one of them to grab his waist and the other slides to the back of Izuku's neck. He uses both of them to pull him closer before kissing him.

But Katsuki's kiss is not quick or light; he kisses Izuku like he's been waiting for that moment for years, and Izuku kisses back with as much enthusiasm.

They both end up lying on the couch, wrapped around each other, pulling apart to breathe for a second before pressing their lips together again.

"I love you so much, you oblivious nerd," Katsuki whispers, voice turning deep as he starts kissing Izuku's neck and chin.

"I know. I know now, Kacchan."

"It took you a fucking long time, Izuku."

Izuku chuckles before kissing his boyfriend on the lips, making a mental note to tell Katsuki it was actually Uraraka the one who made him realize it.

They'll have to thank her later.

***

Patreon

[mendessi]

things i say when you sleep | chapter nine

multi chapter bodhi durran x fem!oc

word count: 5k

chapter summary: Without Bodhi, Ania navigates her new signet with the help of Xaden. It's Reunification Day. What could go wrong?

tags: slow burn, friends to enemies to lovers, canon typical violence, mentions of death, she falls first he falls harder, majority canon compliant, some canon deviance, eventual smut, angst with a happy ending, additional tags to be added

AO3 masterlist

seven | eight | nine | ten | eleven

He says it like a bad thing. 

The sour taste that's in my mouth is hard to swallow as I slowly crawl off of him. 

However the second he says it, things become clear to me. 

"You say it like it's a bad thing," I repeat the words, out loud this time. I'm not sure I can hide the hurt in my voice. My heart feels like it's in my stomach when he won't look at me.

"It's a death sentence. You can't tell anyone," He whispers. 

Xaden told me to find him if it manifested. He was the reason it manifested and now he was pulling away. 

"I didn't know I was until just now," I wrap my arms around myself feeling small, "You can't even be sure I am."

An inntinnsic. Out of all the second signets in the world, the one I manifested is a fucking death sentence. 

He stands up from the bed, and I cannot help but grab his arm. Please don't pull away.

"Where are you going?" My voice cracks and the sadness filling my chest is enough to rattle the furniture in my room. 

"I can't be around you right now," He says and I sit up on my knees. 

"Wait, please," I plead, "I-I didn't mean to. I'm sorry, Bodhi. Please, I won't do it again." 

It was an accident. I didn't mean to do it. I would never push my feelings onto him. Especially not something like desire. I didn't know it was something I could do. 

"I have to go," He pulls himself from my grip and I can't stop the tears that spill from my eyes. 

The lights in my room burn brighter and I don't flinch when they eventually burst. There are too many emotions swimming in my head but I know that they're all mine. 

An empath is what he called me. I've never heard of it before but I'm not stupid enough not to realize that it's a form of inntinnsic. 

Guilt sinks in and I regret kissing him. These were my emotions. 

This is what I get for letting him in. For allowing myself to think that I could find a semblance of happiness here. Months of back and forth, shutting him and Xaden out, and the second I'm fully ready to trust this is what happens. 

He's afraid to be around me now. Afraid that I'll push my feelings onto him again. Maybe I am better off dead with Carr snapping my neck. There's a reason signets like this are a capital offense. 

I ignore my better judgment when I crawl from my bed and leave my room. I can't stand the idea of being alone right now, but I also don't know who to go to. I feel like this is a girl issue but Violet hates me right now for a reason I'm unaware of and Rhiannon is on Violet's side always. I'm not chasing after Bodhi and I refuse to bother Xaden right now.

It takes me several moments to knock on the door when I finally stop outside of it and when I do a few more for who it belongs to to open it. 

"Ania," Ridoc says, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "You okay?"

The tears have yet to cease and I'm sure I look like a disaster, "Can I please stay here tonight?" 

He looks me over once, the look in his eyes softening when he sees that I'm crying, "Of course." 

He crawls back into bed and lifts the covers for me and I slide in next to him. Respectfully, he leaves space between us.  

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asks softly. 

I contemplate how I could even tell him why I'm crying without revealing something that'll get me killed if he decides to tell anyone else.

"Does it have to do with Bodhi? I saw you leave the flight field with him," He continues. "Do I have to kill him?"

He manages to get a small laugh out of me and I sigh softly when he reaches out the brush the tears from my cheeks. 

"I trusted him and I shouldn't have," I whisper. 

"Did he hurt you?" He asks and moves to sit up, but I put my hand on his shoulder to make him lay back down.

"Not like that," I shake my head. 

"Because we can get the whole squad together and take him out," Ridoc says and I laugh again. "I'm serious." 

"I know you are," I say, pulling the blanket up to my chin. "Thank you."

"You're not gonna try to kiss me again are you?" He asks and I punch his shoulder. 

"Don't act like you didn't like it," I laugh. 

"You hit too hard to be playful," He groans and I can see him holding his shoulder in the moonlight that illuminates his room.

"I wasn't being playful," I smile, wiping the last of my tears. "Can we go to bed now?"

Without another word, he rolls over and is snoring within minutes. 

After a night of fighting Ridoc to share the blanket, he's the one who gently slaps me awake. 

"I don't want to go," I groan. Despite not sleeping much last night, it did give me time to think about the revelation of my new signet.

Knowing that there's a chance I'll see Bodhi in formation hurts and I don't want the reminder of how he pulled away from my touch last night. 

"We can pretend to be sick," Ridoc offers as he pulls his tunic over his head. "Come on, you need to get dressed."

"We have maneuvers later and I will not have you rot in bed at the fault of a man," Gleigeal says and I know he's right. I can't hide in my room all day.

Flying will make me feel so much better, regardless of whether I see Bodhi or not. I'm appreciative that Gleigeal gave me the space I needed last night to process everything, but now I have questions. 

"Am I inntinnsic?" I ask. 

"That's to be determined," He replies and I glare at the wall I'm staring at. 

"That's not an answer," I roll my eyes. 

"You will have the answers you desire soon, Ania," Gleigeal says. "Until then, I'm closing the channel."

Ridoc sits on my bed while I get dressed and I half expect Bodhi to come knocking on the door. Violet, Sawyer, and Rhi are standing outside of her door, whispering amongst each other when they see Ridoc and I exit my room. I can't be bothered by what they're thinking at this point. 

After Battle Brief, we're headed to the flight field when Xaden appears.

"Wingleader," Dain says and I know he's fighting the urge to clench his fists, "What can I help you with."

"I'm pulling Cadet Alistair from maneuvers today," Xaden says and I immediately glance at Violet, who tightens her jaw. 

Great.

"Right," Dain says and nods turning to face me, "Cadet Alistair, you're released."

I try to ignore the way my squad looks at me as I fall in line with Xaden's step. He leads me to his room and I know that we're about to have a conversation about last night. Good to know that Bodhi immediately ran to his cousin after leaving me alone. 

"Did he tell you?" I ask as I sit on his bed. I know we'll be in here for a while. 

"He told me what he thinks happened. The accusation alone is enough to get you killed," He says, "I want to hear it from your perspective." 

"I thought about it last night," I say and he pulls up a chair to sit in front of me. "If he's right, then it manifested when the light did. Or maybe even before. I initially thought I was the one projecting my feelings, but I don't think that's true." 

"Walk me through it," He leans back in the chair, one leg propped up on the other. 

"Trust the wingleader," Gleigeal says. "He wouldn't let anyone lay a finger on you for what you are." 

"So I am one then?" I say down the bond. 

"I didn't say that," My dragon has a sense of humor that I'm not particularly fond of. 

"When I manifested the light, I could feel his fear. I had my own of course, but he felt different. It kind of," I look for the words, raising my hand to my chest, "Seeped into my chest. Became one with mine." 

"You felt it molding into one?" He asks, his brows furrowed in concentration as he listens intently. 

"Yes and again last night. I wanted what was happening. But I could feel that he did too." I say. "At the moment, it was hard to dictate what was mine, but after thinking about it, the strands are different before they entangle." 

"You absorbed his emotions and made them your own," He says and I nod.

"At one point, I think I subconsciously knew what was happening, because I pushed a thought outward and his anxiety disappeared for a moment," I explain, trying to recall every single moment. 

"Interesting," He nods. 

"He realized before I did and when he said it, it kind of made sense," I shrug my shoulders, fiddling with my shoelace now. I try to halt the rejection building in my chest, "He left like he was afraid of me."  

Xaden clears his throat and leans forward, "He wasn't afraid of you. He was afraid of what'll happen to you if anyone finds out." 

They'll kill me, I know. I don't want to say it out loud. 

"I'm gonna help you control it, Ania. I won't let this be your downfall," He says and I nod. 

Xaden and I spend the day in his room and Gleigeal cracks the channel open a tiny bit to practice sorting emotions. 

"The biggest concern is that you take in too many emotions at once and combust, but you've gotten this far without having that issue, so I think we're in the clear there," Xaden says.

My eyes are closed and I'm sitting in the Riorson House library, watching the tendrils of Gleigeal's crimson power filter in through the window. 

"Choose a color for your emotions so you know that they're yours. Everyone else's can be a different color," His voice sounds distant when I'm here. "What do you feel right now?"

"I feel mellow, I guess?" The mage lights in the library shift to a deep green color. 

"I'm going to think on something and I want you to try and pick up on it," He says and I can hear his footsteps pacing back and forth slowly. 

The library around me stays the same and I wait patiently to feel something. The sparks of Gleigeal's pattern brighten and I can feel him opening the channel further. 

"Are you doing-"

My chest warms and I have to force myself to breathe after an overwhelming feeling settles over me. My fingers tingle and my heart rate picks up. The subtle feeling of fear laces with the warmth and my brows furrow. It's strong and I look around the library to try and find where it's coming from. 

On one of the tables in the center of the library, under the evergreen lights, sits a book open to a page. As I approach the table, the feeling grows stronger. Small golden fibrils sprout from the pages, swirling around one another until they meet the green light from the mage lights. 

I reach my finger out slowly, touching the golden strings and the feeling is immense.

It feels like home and finding your person after what feels like an eternity of searching. It's the hesitation before the first kiss. It's the unimaginable terror of losing everything in the process. The weight of responsibility you feel to ensure nothing will ever happen to those you love. It's unimaginably beautiful and equally terrifying. 

"Cut it off," Xaden says and I do just that. I slowly close the book watching as the fibrils crawl back down into the page. 

"What were you thinking about?" I ask once I open my eyes, but I think I know the answer. 

He takes a beat and then sits back in the chair. 

"Violet," I say softly. 

His silence is the confirmation I need and I nod my head. 

"That feeling," I pause and purse my lips, "I feel it too." 

He nods his head and we sit in a comfortable silence for a moment. 

"I trust that he'd take care of you," Xaden says finally, "Which is why I'm not bashing his head through a wall." 

A breathy laugh falls off my lips and I look out the window, "Still protective as ever."

"It's the only way I can ensure everyone I care about is safe," Xaden says and I lock eyes with him. He cares about me.

"It aches sometimes, you know?" I shift the subject back to the original conversation. It's hard for him to talk about these things, I don't want to push it.  

"Oh, I know," He sighs. "It'll sort itself out, little Alistair. Just give it time." 

I'm not ready to fully admit it to myself, so I don't. But Xaden has caught on. 

I don't ask him how he knows how to handle my signet, but I think I know. Something tells me that we might have it in common. I don't think he's exactly like me, but I think we'd both be killed if anyone found out.

"We'll meet as often as we can before I leave to try and get it a hundred percent under control," Xaden says when we stop in front of my door. 

"Thank you for today," I say, looking up at him. 

"Anytime, Ania," The tiniest smile etches on his lips, and then he's off.  

When he's out of my line of sight, I see Violet and Rhiannon coming down the hall. They're whispering to each other, I'm sure about Xaden once again outside my room. And pulling me from maneuvers. He's pulled her plenty of times, but I know it's an issue when it comes to me. Because today, I got a glimpse into Xaden's head. She'll talk to me when she's ready, but I consider going to her first. I don't have it in my today, drained from training with Xaden so I seclude myself in my room. 

Xaden's been helping me twice a week when he can, even if that means occasionally pulling me from class. I can now clearly decipher which emotions belong to me and which are foreign. I've even worked on pushing my own emotions onto him, which is much harder and takes a world of concentration, but he's confident with more practice I'll be able to perfect it. 

He's leaving in ten days and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't going to miss him. He's like Beckett in so many ways and I wish he were still here to see it. If he hadn't been here to help me train my signet, I don't know what I would've done. 

Today of all days is brutal for me every single year. It's been six years since my entire world went to shit.

Six years of no Aretia. No Riorson House. No Mom and Dad. No Beckett. 

The book is open in the Riorson House library as I walk through the corridors toward Battle Brief. 

As I pass several marked ones, I'm met with a plethora of feelings. Anger, sadness, and grief are among those most prevalent. I allow it to melt into my chest, merging into one with my own grief. This day is so different to us that have relics on our arms. I can feel the change in tone when I finally take my seat in the Battle Brief room. 

I look around and Xaden catches my eye. He gives a small nod and I return it. I feel his also joining everyone else's settling in my chest. As I turn back to the front of the room, my eyes land on Bodhi.

We haven't spoken since that night the empathy manifested and I don't know if that's on my accord or his. 

"Why is it you're choosing to torture yourself with the anguish of others," Gleigeal asks. 

"It's not just theirs. It's mine too," I reply, tearing my gaze from Bodhi's. 

"Do not make me close the channel," He threatens. "And stop with the longing looks at the one who betrayed you."

"Betrayed is an extremely strong word," I fire back. "Also, 'longing looks'?" 

Gleigeal chuffs, "I do not take it lightly that he stranded you that night." 

Yeah, me either. I also don't take it lightly that we're not speaking at the moment. I'm not really speaking to anyone at the moment. I see my squadmates in class and for maneuvers, but unless I'm honing my signet with Xaden, I'm locked away in my room. Ridoc stops in every couple of nights to check in on me, but other than that, I've distanced myself from them again. 

The strand that I know is Xaden's shifts to a slightly different color, and I look around the room. Violet, who's sitting next to me seems to be lost in thought. I let her strand join the others and immediately release it when I feel the frustration. Are they arguing right now? She glances at me and I fix my sight back on Devera, though I'm not paying attention. My suspicion is confirmed when Xaden says her name loud and clear. 

It's wrong of me, I know. I shouldn't be in their business, but I was just curious. It will not happen again, I can assure you. 

Ridoc and Liam are sitting in my room- handsome as ever, later that night while I get ready for the Reunification Day celebration hosted by the King. I didn't think before I agreed to attend, but Liam somehow convinced me. Xaden insisted that I didn't have to go, but I'd feel bad leaving Liam as the only marked one there.

I had tried to let Ridoc braid my hair but all I got instead was a big knot that hurt to brush out. Liam took over, saying he learned how to on his little sister, Sloane, who'd be coming into the quadrant next year. Like Xaden, Bodhi, and I, he was separated from her. 

The dress I'm wearing is floor-length, with a slit running up my right leg, that stops just below my hip bone. It hugs my body nicely and I actually take a moment to admire my curves in the mirror. 

"You look hot," Ridoc says, earning a glare from me, "If I don't score with the healers, my door will be open tonight."

"In your dreams," I scoff, earning a laugh from him and Liam.

"Don't be fooled, Liam. Did Ania ever tell you about the time she ki-"

"Ridoc!" I scold him using my lesser magic to swing the door open. "Out!"

"I'm gonna go get a head start on making way with the healers," Ridoc winked before he exited my room, leaving a snickering Liam and I.

"I don't see you much anymore," Liam said after a few minutes of silence, "Everything okay?"

I shrug my shoulders as I look at my reflection in the mirror, "It's fine." 

"If you want, we could meet up to train like we used to. Xaden kind of took over Violet duty so I have a little more time," He says with a small smile. 

"Yeah, that would be nice," I force a smile, but I feel the tendrils of his sadness merging into my own. "It's really kind of you to join Violet tonight."

He shrugs his shoulders this time, "It's better than being sad and alone in my room." 

"I think that's why I'm going too," I say as I stand up. 

"You look beautiful, Ania," Liam says as he pulls my sash over my head and adjusts it.

"Not too bad yourself, Liam," I smile and link my arm with his when he offers it. 

We exit my room and jog to catch up to the rest of our squad. 

"You two clean up nice," I tease as we approach Violet and Rhiannon. 

"Look at the two of you," Rhi teases, "If looks could kill."

"Violet," I give her a small smile. She looks stunning with her hair in an intricate arrangement and her dress fits her beautifully. I want to compliment her, but I don't know if it would fall flat.

"Hey, Ania." She nods in my direction and I awkwardly pull myself from Liam's arm with a sigh. 

As we approach the courtyard, the music grows louder and louder. It's easy to forget other quadrants exist outside of the riders, but seeing the cream, light blue, and navy swimming amongst each other reminds me quickly. I'm walking behind Ridoc, Violet, and Rhiannon when it feels like a weight is thrown into the center of my chest. It knocks the air from my lungs and I have to hold the wall to steady myself. I reach for Liam's arm and he turns quickly to support me. 

"I- I don't want to be here," I say just above my breath. I'm confused as to where this feeling came from. I had been excited to have a night with my squad, but now I want nothing more than to sit under a cold shower and catch my breath.

"Do you want me to go with you?" He asks and I shake my head rapidly. 

"Stay with Violet," I say, pulling away from him.

"I need you," I call out. 

"Meet me in the field," He replies. 

My hands shake as I walk away from the party and back toward the Riders Quadrant. 

As I'm passing through the courtyard, I can feel the fibrils from the book sprouting more and more out of control. It's too much. I took on too much for the day and I shouldn't have. Someone grabs my arm and I turn around pulling away quickly. 

"What's wrong?" It's Garrick. I feel a pang of guilt for the way I'm about to ignore him.

"I'm going somewhere," I say as I back away from him. Xaden's strand shines a little brighter and I glance toward the opening of the Parapet where Garrick seems to be standing guard. 

"Ania, wait," He calls out as I continue my path toward the field. He doesn't try to come after me and I'm thankful for it.

"I told you not to smother yourself with the misery of those around you," Gleigeal scolds and I finally cry out as I see him landing in the center of the field. 

He lays his body completely flat and rests his head on the ground as I fall to my knees next to him. 

"Ground yourself, Ania," He says with a gust of steam that blows my hair back.

I dig my nails into the grass, as a sob racks my chest. I let myself lean against his leg and close my eyes as I put myself in the Riorson House library. 

The fibrils growing out of the book are out of control, a rainbow that shakes and rattles, each color dancing with the other. I reach for it, trying to slam it shut. It takes every ounce of my mental strength to slam it closed as a scream rips through my throat. 

My chest hurts as I try to catch my breath. I let myself fully collapse against my dragon. My cheek is flush with the grass and Gleigeal nudges my back with his nose. 

"Breathe," He urges. 

I do as he says, taking a deep breath as I focus on how the soft grass feels between my fingers. My fingertips and palms glow against the blades of greenery and I close my eyes again.

"I understand you miss your family, especially today," He starts, "But if you risk your life again to take on the grief of your peers again, I will not be as kind about it."

My head bobs in understanding and I let my eyes close. 

"I wonder if Beckett were here, would he be yours instead," I say out loud. 

"Regardless of whether he was here or not, I knew that you were destined to be my rider long before you came into the quadrant," He says. 

"You would like Beckett," I say softly. "He wanted to do what was right. It's what got him killed." 

"To my understanding, I think I would have not minded his presence," He says and I laugh lightly. That's the closest I'll get to his agreement on this subject. 

Gleigeal sits with me for I don't know how long. He lets me talk his ear off, occasionally responding to me. I tell him about Aretia and my parents. I speak of Beckett more than anything. And of our childhood spent at Riorson House. Most of all, I'm grateful that he's here for me. 

A grumble resonates in his chest and he swivels his head towards the top of the flight field.

"Someone approaches," He says lowly. "The one who betrayed you." 

"He didn't betray me," I roll my eyes, not even bothering to stand up.

"Ani," He slows his jog and looks down at me, "Garrick told me he saw you come out here, but he didn't want to bother you-"

"Because he could probably tell I didn't want to be bothered," I cross my arms over my chest. 

"Let's go inside," He offers me his hand. 

I glance up at him with a scowl, "Are you sure you want to do that?" 

"Please," He says softly. 

"This will be the only time I agree with him. It is past my bedtime and sleep beckons me," Gleigeal says standing up. He barely gives me any time before he launches upward into the sky. 

"I'll remember this later," I mumble down our bond. 

Bodhi and I walk side by side, but I keep a distance between us. The memory of him pulling away from my touch sticks with me and I don't wish to relive it. I follow him mindlessly, focused on several different couples wandering around with each other, likely heading back to their rooms. A sigh leaves my lips and a part of me wishes I had stayed at the party. Maybe I would've found someone to bring back to my room or maybe I would've ended up in Ridoc's bed again.

"Can we talk? Please?" He asks as we stand in the courtyard. Either I say yes and go with him, or we part ways and I go back to my room. Xaden says that once he's gone, I'll be able to start helping Bodhi with the drops, which means a lot more time spent with him. Talking to him is probably the right thing to do if I want to avoid future awkwardness.

I do miss him. We were right on track to being okay again and then I went and fucked it all up. And ever since it happened, I can't stop thinking about how his lips felt against mine. 

"Sure," I finally say. 

He leads me back to his room and opens the door. He holds his hand out and I glance between his hand and face.

"Xaden warded my room. I have to pull you through." He says. 

I hesitate before I place my hand in his and allow him to pull me through. 

He gestures to his bed and I take a seat. I look around his room and it reminds me of Xaden's, just smaller. Maybe Bodhi will be a wingleader and get moved to a larger room. 

He stands against the door, biting the inside of his cheeks. He's thinking about what to say and I wonder if I should be the first to talk. I've put my shields up so that I don't accidentally read him, or let him think I've read him or whatever it was that went wrong the night of the start of War Games. 

"I'm sorry-"

"I just wanted to say-"

We both start and I bite back a laugh. 

"I'm sorry that I left you that night," He finishes. 

Shaking my head, I look down at my hands as I cross one leg over the other, "I should be the one apologizing."

"No," He says, "I left you. That is ridiculously unacceptable on my part. Regardless of how I felt, I thought I was helping by leaving." 

Finding the right words is hard. I want to explain to him that I would never intentionally put my emotions onto him. I would never intentionally read him without his permission. There is so much to say but the words just won't come out. 

"Please say something, Ani," his words are so quiet, if I were any further away I wouldn't have heard them. 

"I understand why you left," I tell him, "I didn't mean to do what I did. Or whatever you think I did." 

"What are you talking about?" He asks, stepping forward. 

I rise to my feet, "I didn't push my emotions onto you. I wouldn't do that, Bodhi. But I understand that you left because-"

"No, no. Ani, what you felt were my emotions. That's why I left." He holds my gaze and I shake my head. "I didn't want you acting on what I wanted."

"Bodhi, you're not listening," I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose, "That's not what happened."

"If you want me to beg for forgiveness, I will." He's on his knees in front of me within a second and my heart nearly stops. "But please don't shut me out again."

"Bodhi," It comes out as a whisper, "You don't understand." 

"If you want me to grovel, I will. I will ask for it every day until I graduate." His voice matches mine, his hands ghosting over my thighs like he's stopping himself from touching me. 

"What happened that night was both of us. Feeding off of each other," I say to him quietly, "I didn't push onto you, nor did you push onto me,"

I trail my finger against his jawline and then brush the curls off his forehead. The way his eyes scan my face nearly sends me into a spiral. 

"Ani-" I shake my head and brush my thumb against his bottom lip. His lips part and he breathes out and I'm at a loss for words at the sight before me.

Bodhi Durran is on his knees in front of me. 

"My shields are up. I'm not using my signet." I cup his jaw in my hand and lean down letting our noses touch. "Yet, I still want you all the same." 

He swallows and allows himself to finally touch my thighs. His fingers trail up the slit in my dress and he tilts his head up to brush his lips against mine, but I pull away slightly. 

"This fucking dress," He groans and he lets his lips brush against my upper thigh, right where the slit ends and my breath hitches. 

"Look at me," I choke back a whine when he presses a trail of kisses from my knee back to my upper thigh. 

"Ani this dress," He whispers against my skin and I have to pull his chin to look up at me. "I will never get over this dress."

"Then take it off." 

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[kaxserlvr]

You knew this day would come eventually. You had spent years by Sae’s side—first as his best friend, then as his manager, always supporting him through every match, every exhausting training session, and every grueling press conference. But somewhere along the way, you realized you had forgotten how to live for yourself.

Sae Itoshi was already a star, a prodigy who didn’t need anyone to hold his hand. He was strong, talented, and destined for greatness. And you? You were just… there. Maybe even holding him back.

So, you planned to leave. You didn’t tell him—you weren’t sure how. You figured he’d be fine without you. But Sae found out anyway.

It was another worker who spilled the news, the one who had been flirting with you lately. He had casually mentioned to Sae that he was planning to ask you out once you quit. The moment the words left his mouth, something in Sae snapped.

Sae wasn’t the type to panic. He wasn’t the type to beg. But the idea of you leaving? That was unacceptable.

So now, here he was, standing in front of you, his sharp eyes narrowed in something you had never seen before—desperation.

“You’re quitting?” His voice was cold, but there was something beneath it, something unsteady.

You swallowed, forcing yourself to meet his gaze. “I just… I want to enjoy my life more, Sae. You don’t really need me anymore.” You start fidgeting with your hands

A muscle in his jaw twitched. “That’s bullshit.”

“Sae—”

His hands gripped your wrist, not rough, but firm enough that you couldn’t pull away. “You think I don’t need you? You think you don’t matter to me?”

Your breath hitched. His face was closer now, his usually calm expression darkened with something raw, something you weren’t sure you could handle.

“Sae, you’ll be fine without me,” you tried again, but your voice wavered.

His grip tightened slightly, and before you could react, his lips crashed against yours.

It wasn’t soft. It wasn’t hesitant. It was a declaration.

Sae was never good with words, but this—this was everything he wanted to say.That you were his strength. That no matter how much he achieved, no matter how far he went, you were the one thing he couldn’t bear to lose.

When he pulled away, his forehead rested against yours, his breath warm against your lips. “You’re not holding me back,” he murmured. “You’re the only one keeping me together.”

Your heart pounded, your thoughts spiraling. You had thought he didn’t need you. That he’d let you go without a second thought. But the way he was looking at you now, like you were his greatest weakness and his only salvation, made your resolve crumble.

“…What am I supposed to do with you, Sae?” you whispered.

His lips brushed against yours again, softer this time, a plea disguised as a kiss. “Stay.”

And that you did.