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#i kind of waited to post this because i didn't think anyone would want to read since the fandom was kind of dead
ghostedcas · 7 months
Note
imagine like simon goes into some sort of surgery and has to be put under anesthesia, and when he gets out hes like still high asf on it 💀 and hes being a lil silly goose
okay this is such a cute idea omg, this is 100% based off that tiktok audio where it's like "my wife wouldn't like you touching me like that" "i AM your wife."
thank you so much for the request nonnie, a forehead kiss for you MWAH MWAH
simon 'ghost' riley x reader
wc: 563
warnings: none really, lots and lots of that good ol fluff, mentions of surgery, goofy simon, maybe a little ooc simon (he's high so it's fine)
a/n: i hope this is okay, i'm feeling a bit rusty with my writing but i've finally got back some motivation and energy to do so after the past two months of low energy and bad mental health. if you guys want to know a bit more about it and my mental health (i don't see why anyone would but lmao) let me know, i don't mind making a post about it if you guys want an explanation of some sort or whatever. anywho, sorry this is so short but i hope you still like it!! <3
a/n 2.0: i recently applied for a part time job at a bookstore so y'all pray for me that i get this job because i want it so bad. i am just gonna decide that i WILL get this job, because why wouldn't i?
simon had been out of surgery for just over an hour now, being a soldier you 'd think perhaps he was going under surgery for some kind of wound he had inflicted upon him on the battlefield but no, he was just getting his tonsils removed after a bad bout of tonsillitis ended up with him developing really bad tonsil stones.
so here you were, waiting by his bedside for him to wake up. the doctor and nurses reminded you just as he had gotten out that he may still be a little, well loopy, off of the meds depending on how quickly he woke up. you waited in a chair at his bedside, reading a book when you heard the blankets of the bed rustling just a little.
looking up from your book you see simon starting to wake up and you reach out to grasp his hand, only for him to rip it away from you when his eyes were fully opened.
"uh, si? you okay, hon?" you ask gently, maybe he just wasn't feeling too well after waking up, or perhaps he wasn't wanting physical touch, that happened quite often and you always respected that space he may want when he wanted it.
"don't call me that." simon said, voice hoarse and scratchy from the surgery, he sounded a little angry.
"what?" you questioned, this wasn't like simon, you couldn't understand why he wouldn't want you speaking like this to him.
"i'm taken."
"i know." you replied with a short laugh.
"you should be touching me like that then."
it hit you then, he was woozy from the meds and didn't recognize you. the realization made you laugh a little more. you decided to have a bit of fun with this high version of your boyfriend.
"sorry about that simon. wanna tell me about your partner?"
"oh, (name)? they're amazing, you know they're so pretty. and they're funny too. they always know how to make me feel better, i miss them." simon replies, ranting and raving on and on to you about his partner, about you.
"you love them a lot, don't you?" you ask him with a smile, it felt so nice to hear all these lovely things about yourself, your boyfriend clearly unfiltered by the effects of the anesthesia he was under.
sure he definitely said sweet things to your face, but something about hearing it when he was basically high as shit made your heart pound a little more.
"i love them with my whole heart." simon replies, a goofy little smile on his face.
you can't help but reach out to gently caress his face at those words, body filling up with some much adoration for the soldier in front of you.
"hey! what did i say about touching me. i have a partner!" simon scolds, trying to dodge your touch.
"simon, love... i am your partner. it's me, (name)." you reply with a laugh.
simon takes a good long look at you when you tell him this, he stares at you, looks you up and down before letting out a soft and quiet "oh."
you begin to hear the beeping of his heart rate monitor speed up, his cheeks turning slightly pink as he stares up at you.
you couldn't help but laugh a little more at this. what a sweet idiot. your sweet idiot.
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astonmartinii · 11 months
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big girls do(n't) cry | charles leclerc social media au
pairing: reader x charles leclerc
charles' gf just can't seem to catch a break
yourinstagram
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yourinstagram: weekend breaking with the girlypops
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leclercbaby: so charles is racing in miami and y/n is out spending his money with her friends?
ynandcharles: you know she has a job right? and a life outside of charles?
charlesdefender: let's not pretend her little writing gig covers all of this shit
charles_leclerc: lovely lady
yourinstagram: why thank you my dashing gentleman
ferrarigirl16: imagine dating an elite athlete and smoking? it's so gross charles needs to drop her asap
charles_leclerc
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liked by yourusername, pierregasly and 612,088 others
charles_leclerc: friday feeling in monaco 🇲🇨
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babygirlpierre NO Y/N ??? DON'T GET ME EXCITED
holacarlos55 do you people not have jobs or ?
yourusername what do they put in the water in monaco woooooof
charles_leclerc says the tall glass of water herself
justleclercthings let's not pretend that her missing his home gp isn't a HUGE deal omg
lordperceval i usually don't care about wag drama but like ... we all know y/n is the worst wag, right? she hardly comes to races, is always spending his money with her friends and is smoking as if he doesn't need to be in top condition?
likedbypierregasly you might have a point
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yourusername
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tagged: charles_leclerc, yourbff1, yourbff2, yourbff3
yourusername: you didn't think i'd forgotten about monaco, did you?
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cl16x mother back to mothering as she should
charlesstan okay well some of y'all are real quiet now
charles_leclerc wouldn't be a monaco race without you (and your stray cats)
yourbff since we're staying at your house i'll keep what i wanted to say to myself
yourbff2 meow bitch
yourusername don't pretend you don't love us
peargasly why can't she go anywhere without her friends it's so weird
pierregaslight because she obviously has no friends in the paddock any time the camera goes to the ferrari garage no one is ever with her
grussy63 she seems super annoying idk what charles sees in her
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f1wagsupdates
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tagged: yourusername
f1wagsupdates: y/n y/ln at the release party for her new book sharp objects! this is her third book and it's already a new york times best seller, so happy for her
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howdyricciardo so everyone who gets on her ass when she can't go to races but where's the same energy for charles now - we all know they have the week off cause he's on holiday with pierre.
landonowins it's such a double standard
number16 i still think she's bad for charles her actually doing her job won't change my mind
charlesbaby can't wait for the day when she won't be on this page anymore
perceval16 these comments ... they're on every post i really think charles needs to say something at this point, he's just hanging y/n out to dry
yourusername added to their story
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[caption: lonesome love. i am bored by his heroism, virtue, and honour. i think the best these men can do is not talk about themselves anymore]
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yourbff
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tagged: yourusername
yourbff: since no one else will, LISTEN UP SLUTS!!! this girl is the most talented and kind-hearted girl in the whole entire world. ANYONE would be lucky to be with her, so it honestly BAFFLES my mind that those blessed enough to be with her are so silent when his so-called fans rip a person they do not know apart on social media. i say this sincerely GET A LIFE!!! also she's the sexiest girl in the world and could have literally anyone she wants so PICK UP THE SLACK OR we'll activate operation hot girl summer - YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED !!!
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yourbff1 @charles_leclerc
yourbff2 @charles_leclerc
yourbff3 @charles_leclerc
yourusername i love you all so much - platonic soulmates for real
danielricciardo @charles_leclerc
charlieleclerc oh wow charles just got humbled
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charles_leclerc
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tagged: yourusername
charles_leclerc: i've not been the best of boyfriends in recent weeks, so it is time i say my piece. y/n is the most talented, patient and beautiful individual i have ever met and i won't stand for her being attacked on social media by my "fans". you are not a fan of mine if you attack my girlfriend. i love her and nothing an anonymous comment can say will ever change that. you attack her for not "supporting" me enough and yet none of you know anything from behind the scenes (not that you should need to), if anything i have been the unsupportive one. i love y/n so so much and i will do anything to make sure she knows it. please stay out of our business.
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yourusername
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tagged: charles_leclerc
yourusername: he's mine. cry more.
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lilacleclerc i love them so much PARENTS
danielricciardo WHOOP TELL EM'
charles_leclerc love you too baby
yourusername i love you more
landonorris mic drop
myloveleclerc finally !!!
dutchlion i'm so glad he finally said something - and also me if i were a wag CRY MORE
note: bit of a random one but alas i hope y'all enjoy
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barblaz-arts · 25 days
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Fellow Chaggie shipper, here and I wanted to ask you a question. Could you please do an analysis post on the Chaggie argument from Hello Rosie. I know this will sound weird but I can't get over the level of icy anger Charlie had towards Vaggie or how despite everything going on, Charlie is more hurt from Vaggie not being honest with her. Just angst all around.
Oh yeah sure I'd love to!
I'm not sure there's a lot I can say about that argument that isn't already super obvious, so I wanna talk about Charlie's anger because of something my brother said as we watched episode 7. He loved that episode apparently because "When they're separated, it's even more obvious that Charlie is the one who's more quick to lose her cool." Which, looking back, is actually true!(To an extent)
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Vaggie and Charlie are both quite quick to anger. Charlie is just better at hiding it because she's a chronic people pleaser. Although Charlie wouldn't immediately show her anger at a person being a jerk to her specifically, she's immediately summoning fire and brimstone over anyone who hurts/insults her friends or the cause she's fighting for.
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Love this lil bit in "You Didn't Know". How Vaggie is the one telling Charlie to calm down, as if she knows what's about to happen. She knows that if she doesn't at least try to reel in her girl Charlie would be spitting literal fire at a goddamn seraphim.
It would seem like such a surprising role reversal, but if you look at all the times Charlie would lose it whenever Vaggie's not there to tell her "babe, chill", then it makes sense.
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But then when their fallout happens, Charlie's short temper is even more apparent. She calls Alastor an asshole to his face even though she considered choosing his support over her father's. She openly glares and rolls her eyes at Rosie when she jokes that her and Alastor look like an item even though she still kept things cordial with Valentino after he licked her arm. She flips the bird at some old lady even though she didn't take visible offense at all the demons that inserted their crude and rude selves in "Happy Day in Hell." While she was cold and subdued even when upset with Vaggie, she was explosive and in ur face when she was pissed at everyone else.
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Vaggie reigned in both the girl in Charlie who dreams a little too big and the demon who's waiting to lash out in flames. It really makes me wonder if there's a difference in the kind of person Charlie used to be before Vaggie. Before she had friends to be angry on behalf of and a person to calm her down. And then, in the wake of their argument, Charlie is left with a lot of anger that is easy to ignite.
But I love love love that despite all that anger, Charlie can't bring herself to deny that she loves Vaggie with all of her hurt heart.
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This little moment is one of my favorite parts in the series. My brother mentioned that this episode and episode three were his favorites because he liked the beats the dialogues followed. So he looked back--
(the man literally paused the episode to check the opening credits of ep 7 and 3. I was a little annoyed because I just wanted my Chaggie dammit! We'd make terrible youtube reactors with all the pausing and discussing mid-episode that we do...)
--and was satisfied to see that it was written by the same person, Ariel Ladensohn. Apparently she's in a sapphic relationship too and projected her own experiences whenever she wrote Vaggie and Charlie, and it must have paid off because the moments she wrote with them felt so real.
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Charlie expressing her fear that even Vaggie's support and love could also be part of the lies she told was understandable considering the betrayal she felt. But immediately following that she goes "Oh that's a horrible to thing to think!" which I love even more. Even when she's understandably mad she thinks about how Vaggie would feel over Charlie thinking that of her. Because although Vaggie lied about who she is, Vaggie was always sincere about how she felt for Charlie. Vaggie's past may have been a lie, but the things she did for, to, and on behalf of Charlie were very real and held dear in Charlie's heart.
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I dont have anything smart to say to conclude this. Sorry, I'm not even sure where I went here. Let's all just appreciate the smile Charlie has on her face when she thinks about Vaggie even when she's under a lot of stress I guess.
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writemekpop · 26 days
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Forgive and Forget | Lee Donghyuck (Haechan)
Summary: Haechan claims that you’ve been ignoring him – but he hasn’t been the best boyfriend either.
Genre: Established relationship AU, angst, baseballplayer!Haechan,
Word count: 1k
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From the moment Haechan walked in the front door, you knew something was wrong. His footsteps were too slow, too lazy.
Haechan trudged into the living room, head hung low.
"You're home!" You shut your laptop and walked towards him.
You wrapped your arms around Haechan's firm body, but he wasn’t hugging you back. His arms hung limply by his side.
You stood up on your toes and leant towards him, but Haechan dodged your kiss, swerving his lips away at the last moment.
He pushed you off him and trudged towards the bedroom.
"What's up, baby?" You asked, following behind him. "Did you lose the game?"
Haechan scoffed. "Actually we won, not that you'd know... or care." He mumbled under his breath.
You frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Haechan's dark eyes met yours. He stared at you, as if contemplating something. Then he broke your gaze, shrugging. 
"Forget I said anything." He pulled off his top and sweatpants, and went into the en suite bathroom.
“Want me to give you a rub down?" You smirked, thinking of all the times in Haechan's career as a professional baseball player that you'd met him for a steamy post-game massage.
Placing your hands on his waist, you started to follow him into the bathroom… but the door slammed in your face. You barely had time to yank your hands away. You stood staring at the white wood, your ears still ringing from the sound.
There was a hiss of water as Haechan started the shower.
You slumped down on the bed, unable to work out why your boyfriend was in such a foul mood. It seemed like the only emotion he had left was anger.
Haechan hadn’t kissed you for weeks. At this point you were more like roommates, not girlfriend and boyfriend.
Haechan came into the bedroom. His brown torso was dripping wet, and a towel hung low on his hips. The sight of your nearly naked boyfriend sent tingles running down your entire body. But you knew better than to approach him right now.
Haechan sat on the bed beside you, still naked. He stared at the floor.
"Why do you never come to my games?"
"I do come to them," you said. "I was there just last… last…" You stopped mid-sentence.
Actually, you couldn't remember the last time you'd been to a match.
Haechan scoffed. "All the other guys' girlfriends come to every single one. Jeno's girl always brings these amazing cookies that she bakes from scratch. Why don't you ever do anything like that?"
You frowned. "I'm not your personal cheerleader, Haechan. I have a job, you know. I’m busy."
Haechan sighed. "How busy can you be? All you do is sit at home all day and write stories for kids. Anyone could do that."
Haechan’s words felt like a blow to the face.
"Would you prefer if I didn't work? Would you prefer it if I came to all your matches... like some kind of trophy girlfriend?"
The look in his eyes was enough to know that he meant ‘yes’.
You shook your head, tears pricking your eyes. "Unbelievable."
Haechan sprang off the bed. "Why do you always make our arguments about you? I'm the one who is supposed to be upset, but now you're crying." He rolled his eyes.
You swiped away the tears from your burning cheeks.
Haechan turned towards the wardrobe and put on a black T shirt and jeans. You watched him from the bed as he laced up his trainers.
"Where are you going?" you asked.
"To the after party. To hang out with people who actually care about me."
Haechan stomped into the hallway. You ran behind him.
"Wait,” you said. "Don't go."
Haechan's hand was on the front door. He paused, turning to look at you.  "Why not?"
You gripped your hair. "Because... I love you."
Haechan sighed. "I love you, too, Y/n. But that's not enough. I need a girlfriend who can spare three hours for a baseball match! You know I'd do the same for you."
"Would you?" you asked, voice quiet.
Haechan frowned. "What do you mean?"
You tugged at the hem of your shirtsleeve. You hated being this open. "When was the last time you came to one of my book signings?"
Haechan scratched his head. "I guess I've been busy..."
"Have you ever read one of my books, Haechan? They’re ten pages long."
“I’ve been… meaning to.” Haechan gulped. He let the front door go. It fell shut. He stepped towards you.
"Do you even know what my latest book is called?"
"It's called the owl and the... no wait, the little girl and the..." Haechan sank down onto the floor. "Shit."
You shrugged sadly. "Don't I deserve a cheerleader, too?"
Haechan buried his face in his hands. His shoulders were shaking. "I'm so sorry.”
You crouched down beside him and rubbed his back gently. "I'm sorry, too."
Haechan raised his head to look at you. His chocolate eyes were glassy, and the tip of his nose was red.
"I want to be there for you." He said, sniffing. "I understand if you want to break up but-"
You put your finger on his lips, shushing him.
"I don't want to break up, baby. We just need to make time for each other."
You stood up and held your hand out. Haechan took it, smiling weakly.
"What happened to us?" He asked, wrapping his hand around your waist.
You shrugged. "We're not perfect."
Haechan smiled. "I think you're perfect. I just… lost sight of that."
You bit your lip, cheeks warming. "Come here, you."
You cupped Haechan's face with your hands, stood on your tip toes and pulled his lips onto yours.
When you kissed him, it felt like you were kissing him for the first time. Every sensation was new, his touch, his lips, his body. It set you alight.
MASTERLIST
Let us know what you thought in the comments or on anon! 💋
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moonchildstyles · 8 months
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élan
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élan part one: harry is a bodyguard by trade and y/n would do anything just to be left alone
wordcount: 18.5k+
cw: her dad is really mean tbh!! pls skip parts w him if you are senstive to that kind of thing!
—————
(Y/N) fought to keep her eyes focused in the dark of her father's office. The longer she sat there, listening to the shout of his voice, the easier it was to block it out as she waited for it to be over. She stopped listening when he went off on his tangent about how terrible she was (he loved to use the word selfish and anything he could think of to diminish her intelligence). He wasn't very creative anymore, these berating sessions feeling like a necessary task as opposed to a hurtful punishment these days. 
At least the interior designer he brought in last month had moved everything around, leaving his bookshelf behind his desk. This way, she could look over his shoulder and read the titles of his books. She was almost certain he hadn't read a single volume though he most likely told everyone that followed him in, that he had paged through each book more than once. 
"Are you even listening, (Y/N)?"
Perking up at the sound of her name, she nodded on instinct. "Mhm," she hummed absently. 
"What did I just say?" He was unimpressed—disbelieving. 
(Y/N) stayed silent. 
A heavy sigh fell from her father's lips. His eyes dimmed fro the angry fire she'd spotted before, leveling to disappointed embers the longer he looked at her. 
"This is what I mean, (Y/N)," he continued, harshly spitting out her name, "You don't care. Never have you thought about the consequences to your actions. You're too selfish to think of anyone but yourself!" The blaze sparked up once more as he flicked his gaze to the glossy tabloid splayed across his desk. "Can you even comprehend what this"—he gritted out the word, tapping his finger against the photo—"means for me? My investors are going to have my ass only Monday because you don't know how to control yourself for five minutes." 
She squirmed in her spot. Her gaze stayed locked on the tabloid cover. She was pictured with bitter features, her brows twisted in anger and eyes were ablaze. Her hand was outstretched as she dumped a full glass of rosé on Damien Moore's perfect, blonde head. Several angles were posted, documenting her gaped lips as she spat out venomous words while Damien looked on with seemingly innocent, wide blue eyes. The last in the series showed her walking out with the wine dripping down his features as he looked on in shock. A bold headline said: "Whore-mones or Another Drunken Rage?" 
(Y/N) swallowed as she took the scene in. 
Perfectly manicured nails clashed in her lap, the edges of her acrylics being worn dull from the restless ministrations. 
"Do you want me to fail?" her father prodded, unsatisfied with her silence. 
"It's not what it looks like—," she floundered, unable to keep her feelings out of it after looking at those photos, "He—Damien—" 
"It does not matter what happened, (Y/N)! This is what it looks like and that is what people are going to believe and what they are going to care about!" He seethed as he looked at her, (Y/N) unsurprised. "You're going to make us lose everything if you keep this up, do you understand that? Your apartment, everything you have in Paris, your stupid shopping sprees—you'll actually have to work if you want any of that. Did you think of any of that?" 
His harsh words slipped around her, filling every breath of air she pulled into her lungs. Any fight she had, any want to defend herself or give any kind of explanation, left her in an instant. "No," she answered, resigned. 
"I didn't fucking think so. You never think, anyway." 
(Y/N) just looked over his shoulder. Her gaze didn't shift even as his voice continued on, droning with insults and degrading remarks. 
She hadn't even known she was being photographed that day. There wasn't a single flash or shutter of a camera. The restaurant had even gone out of their way to assure them that no one would be able to slip inside without a reservation or loiter along the sidewalk in wait. 
But, inside sources and photographers always found a way, she supposed. Especially since it wasn't just her, it was her and Damien Moore on something that looked like it could have been a date. Of course paparazzi were going to find a way to get a photo of them together—anything to help fuel the rumors filling gossip pages and social media. 
This particularly source even went so far as to claim they were close enough to overhear the argument that sparked the thrown wine. Supposedly, (Y/N) had been seeing someone behind Damien's back (something that was impossible given the fact she had Damien weren't even talking like that, let alone in an exclusive relationship), and when he confronted her she blew up. She was so hopped up on her "whore-mones" as the headline so eloquently put it, and the obviously unfinished glass of wine, that she just had to throw the drink in his face. 
Because of course it was (Y/N)'s fault. Never could it have anything to do with Damien. He was the sterling Yale grad that came from the perfect family, while she was the "party girl" with divorced parents and a wild past. It was always going to be her fault, because that was more interesting than checking your sources. 
At least, that's what the "journalists" and "sources" said. 
It came with the territory, her dad had told her when she was freshly sixteen and photographers started waiting outside her private school. If you wanted to make the kind of money he made and be important in this world, there was going to be consequences, that's what he'd said when he saw the first photos of her and her friends having lunch on the quad. She was a pretty girl, anyway, of course there were going to be photos taken of her. She might as well take advantage of it instead of whining. 
She became a tabloid bunny before she had even turned eighteen, with every misstep documented on the internet and whatever publication bought the photos as exclusives. Because of that, this lashing was nothing to her. She'd "poorly reflected the family image" enough time to let her dad's words roll off of her. 
Her father was going to probably send her to the home in Malibu or whatever vacation rental was farthest from New York until he could stomach seeing her again. She'd happily take whatever location; it wasn't like she wanted to see him either. 
"(Y/N), we can't keep doing this." Finally focusing her gaze, she saw her father sitting with his eyes sealed closed, his thumb and forefinger pinching the bridge of his nose. "I can't keep doing this." 
As much as she was numb to moments like these, it was when his anger melted away and she was left with a disappointed father that she felt cracks appear in her walls. The little girl inside still ached to see her daddy so upset with her; so disappointed he couldn't even look at her. 
"I'm sorry," she offered, something genuine lying beneath the deadpan tone. 
"I'm sure you are," he sighed, "But, that's not enough anymore." 
Rolling her lips between her teeth, lipgloss smearing across her pout, she stayed quiet.
"At this point, it's like you need a babysitter again. You can't be left by yourself and expected to behave." 
Not this again, she wanted to grumble. Her last "babysitter" was nothing more than an uppity handler that cared more about PR rather than her actual well being. 
Beginning to shake her head, (Y/N) tried to politely decline before he steamrolled over her. 
"I'm going to have to hire someone, whether you want it or not. A bodyguard, a handler, or something, just to follow you around and keep you out of trouble." 
Her lashes fluttered as her eyes widened at his plan. Her last handler didn't do more than text her throughout the day and meet with her once a week. He wanted someone on her back all the time?
"Don't you think that's a little extreme?" 
He still wouldn't look at her as he spoke, "Since you keep acting like a child, that's how I'm going to have to treat you." 
A slight panic sparked in the pit of her stomach. If she couldn't have her freedom, then what was any of this for? None of this—putting up with her father, allowing him to jerk her around, take his berating—was fucking worth it, then. 
"Dad, seriously," she tried again, her hands beginning to shake, "Those pictures aren't what it looks like, I promise." 
"And the others?" he asked sharply, whipping his gaze to match hers intently, "The one with you and Francesca sneaking out of a club at three in the morning when you were nineteen? The one of you screaming at Terra at her birthday party? Or, of course, the clips of you showing off your underwear while getting out of some random man's car?" 
(Y/N) shut down at the mention of her most famous and well photographed mistakes. He never bothered to get her side of the story to those photos either, he just liked to bring them up to taunt her. He'd rather believe an "insider" over his daughter. It didn't matter that she was his family. It only mattered what his investors thought, or the men at the country club, or whoever he was trying to cozy up to for his benefit. Every attempt to clear her name was thrown out; not even when she showed him that one of these insiders had found her home address and started sending her letters. Not even when she told him she was beginning to get scared did he even pretend to care. 
"That's what I thought," her father continued after she left them in silence, "Now, I'm going to have to hire someone to ensure you don't keep causing trouble, and you are going to respect them. If you want any chance of me letting this go, you're going to respect them more than you apparently respect me." 
She stayed quiet. There wasn't anything she could add to this. 
"Is there anything you want to say?" he pressed. A faux offer of debate. 
(Y/N) only shook her head. 
"Fine," he spat out, "Then go to bed. I don't want to see you for the rest of the night."
She was up and out of her seat immediately, not wasting a single second before her Dior heels were rapidly clacking over the cherrywood floors of her father's office. Her eyes were on the ground, watching the transition between the wood to the sparkling marble throughout the rest of the flawless Upstate mansion. Everything was high-end and fine, perfect and unburdened. It was full of everything her dad wanted her to be but she could never manage to be as well behaved as a lamp or as quiet as a Persian rug. 
Trailing through the labyrinth of staircases and sealed doors, (Y/N) beelined to her childhood room. It was left exactly how it had been when she moved out at nineteen. It had way too much gold and hidden compartments her friends made to hide liquor for their slumber parties. Her bed was too big with a mattress that was too stiff and sheets too starchy from disuse. 
Her dad never bothered to clear it out or even change a single piece of furniture—not because he cared or wanted her to have a space in his life, but because he didn't think of her enough to even remember this was here. 
Shedding her Chanel sweater and dropping her skirt to puddle at her feet, (Y/N) dressed down to her undergarments before stealing an oversized shirt from a film festival she and Francesca had been invited to at seventeen. The fabric was soft and worn as it fell to the middle of her thighs, the fit slouching and stretched just like it was all those years ago. 
That was all the comfort she could find as she slipped into bed, the sheets dragging across her bare legs. With her head cushioned by an overstuffed pillow, (Y/N) shuttered her eyes as she laid of on her back. Taking in deep breaths, she did her best to keep herself from shedding any tears. 
There wasn't a single reason she should cry over her father. There was nothing there for her to be upset over; none of his words sliced the way he thought they did, that father-daughter bond having been severed when she was way too young. Her efforts were better utilized trying to figure out how to get out of this whole thing. 
Aside from the fact she didn't want a handler—or whatever this babysitter's official title would be—following her around, she needed her freedom. Having the space away from her father's world was the only thing keeping her sane, even if she was barely hanging on. 
She'd been suffocated enough of her life, she needed to find a way to get this pair of strangling hands off of her neck sooner rather than later.
—————
"He literally arranged a flight for me to meet him in Greece, but he only ever messages me after ten like I'm a booty call or something."
Francesca's babbling complaints were some of her favorite things. It was fun hearing what the biggest problems in her life were, as if it was really such a bad thing to have a billionaire entertaining a romance with you. Even if it only occurred after ten p.m.
"Isn't there a time difference between here and Greece?" (Y/N) asked, the Prada and Dior bags in the crook of her elbow brushing against each other as she raised her hand to flick a strand of hair off of her shoulder. Summer was beginning to fall over the city, that much she could tell from the humid breeze twirling around them. 
"I mean sure, but that's not the point," Fran argued, breathing out a frustrated sigh, "It's like he doesn't think I'll ghost him if he starts annoying me. He's not the only one with a yacht, you know." 
"I know, bu—" 
(Y/N) was cut off by the sound of her phone vibrating in her bag, the device rattling against her lipgloss tube. Francesca paused her story, watching as (Y/N) pulled her phone out of her bag. Clocking the name on the screen, she had to keep from rolling her eyes. There had already been a photographer taking photos of them through the windows of Prada and she wasn't sure if they'd followed, but a picture of her rolling her eyes before answering the phone would surely be spun into something sensational.
"Hold on, it's my dad," she mumbled before pressing the phone to her ear. 
Without waiting for a greeting, her father brightened through the receiver with a call of her name. "(Y/N)! Are you still out with Francesca?" She could hear his smile through the phone. The investor meeting must have gone better than he thought. 
"Yeah," she answered absently, "We just finished lunch and shopping. I think we're going to go back to my apartment before we go out tonight. Why?" 
"Would you be able to come home this afternoon, instead? There's someone I want you to meet."
The lax in her muscles evaporated at his words. Though it was posed as a question, she knew there was only one answer he would accept. It was never a good thing when he wanted her to meet someone, but it was a required thing she'd learned. More often than not, he wanted her to meet an investor's son, or some man he drank too much with at the country club. 
Cautiously, she asked, "Who is it?" 
"It's a surprise," he beamed over the phone, "Drop off your things and I'll have one of the drivers come to pick you up." 
"I mean, I think Franny actually made reservations at—" 
This time around, her father's voice had a curt edge underneath the faux sweetness he started the call with. "I think you're going to have to tell Francesca that you need to reschedule, sweetie," he said, voice too pleasant, "I need you to come home tonight." 
Swallowing around her dry throat, (Y/N) resigned herself to the change in the day's plans. "Okay, dad," she muttered. 
"See you soon, honey! Love you!" 
(Y/N) didn't bother to reciprocate his performance, instead just hanging up. He wouldn't shout at her over the dropped call if someone else was present anyway, might as well take advantage she decided.
Beside him, Francesca looked at her with a matching pout. "You have to go home, huh?" 
"Yeah," (Y/N) breathed, dropping her phone back into her purse as they crossed the busy intersection, "My dad wants me to meet one of his friends or something." 
Francesca affectionately bumped against Y/N's shoulder as the car taking them back to her apartment came into view. "Well, if you don't like this one, send me his number and I'll take him off your hands. Just make sure he also has a yacht in Greece." 
Though her features stretched into a smile with a bubbling laugh, (Y/N) wasn't too impressed with Francesca's comment. While she was the best friend (Y/N) had ever had, the only person that knew much about what happened at home and why she would do next to anything to avoid her father, Francesca didn't get it. She supported (Y/N) and didn't mind being the listening ear and the shoulder to lean on, but she never really understood why certain things bothered (Y/N). Everything was very light-hearted in Franny's eyes—there was never a reason not to be receptive if a rich man wanted to buy her a drink or a company wanted to use her likeness without permission. Everything was an opportunity, not a crossed boundary. 
"I doubt he will," (Y/N) played along, setting her shopping bags at her feet after climbing into the black car, "But I'll make sure to put in a good word for you in case he has one in Florence." 
Francesca's laugh filled the cab of the car though (Y/N) was already back home with her father, trying to navigate her way out of whatever he planned. 
—————
"Thank you, Sully," (Y/N) chirped as her driver helped her step out of the car. 
"My pleasure, Ms. (Y/N)," he offered, waiting for her to steady herself over the gravel of her father's long driveway, "Also, I wanted to say thank you again for the clothing you passed on to my daughter. She loved her prom dress and is already asking her mom if she can get it preserved so she can keep it forever. Thank you for taking the time and picking some things out for her—it made her night." 
"Of course," she bubbled, allowing Sully to escort her to the front door of the mansion, "I'm so happy she liked any of it! Let me know if she needs anything else for graduation or anything at all."
The smile on his face made it especially worth it to let go of her favorite vintage Dior gown. 
Waving goodbye to Sully, (Y/N) stepped over the threshold of the front door, already regretting not fighting harder to get out of this. Goosebumps touched her skin as the temperature dropped. She shut the warmth outside behind her, the lock ensuring nothing comforting could follow her into the lion's den.
Despite the place being her childhood home, there was nothing left for her here, she knew that. It barely even resembled the same place she used to celebrate holidays and share tense family dinners in. Her dad's favorite interior designer had the pleasure of redecorating the place every few years, erasing anything that made it not look like a catalogue. 
Her heels clicked over the floors as she made her way up to his office. She wanted to take her time, but she was sure her father already knew she was there. It was better to refrain from keeping him waiting. 
Scaling the stairs, she heard a pair of voices and distant laughter. She didn't need to see the space to know her dad had probably cracked open the decanter of whiskey he had on display on one of his shelves, crystal glasses filled for the both of them. It wasn't hard to imagine the kinds of lines her dad would offer in an attempt to schmooze with whoever was waiting for her. She'd heard it all dozens of times at this point. 
The other voice, though, took her by surprise. This one was too deep and mature to be any kind of investor's son, and too sober and untainted by years of smoking cigars to be one of the men at the country club. Her steps slowed some. Her expectations shifted as she trailed down the hallway in the direction of the office, heels muffled by the long rug under her feet. 
With the heavy door to his office in front of her, (Y/N) carefully knocked on the panel, listening as the voices inside stilled at her disruption. Typically, her father would just grunt a permission of entrance or already be raging when she stepped over the threshold, but she knew he was committed to whatever show he was putting on when he opened the door for her himself.
"(Y/N), sweetie," he greeted her, toothy smile on his lips. "Thank you for coming so quickly; I know you were busy with Francesca, but I'm happy you're here." 
If that wasn't enough, the hug he pulled her into was more than alarming. The last time he hugged her when cameras weren't present was the day her parents told her they were divorcing.  She didn't even know how to reciprocate. 
Before she had a chance to screw her head on right, he pulled away and began leading her inside his office. 
"Of course," she chirped, falling into her designated role for this scene. She kept her gaze high as she followed him in, feigning confidence in the midst of whoever it was that was awaiting her. 
"I have someone special for you to meet," he continued, pitching his voice louder as to catch the attention of the one other in the room. 
Around his shoulder, (Y/N) spotted a head of brown hair, black clothing stretched around broad shoulders and tan skin on the back of their neck. They faced forward despite the obvious way her father was trying to catch their attention. Pacing her breathing, (Y/N) fell into the loving daughter character, willing to do anything for her doting father. 
Welcome to the show. She just hoped it would be a short viewing. 
Approaching the pair of chairs positioned before the cherry-stained desk, her father held out a sweeping hand. "Harry," he said, looking to his guest, "This is my daughter, (Y/N)." 
At the sound of his name, the guest—Harry—stood from where he was sitting, moving with calculated grace as he turned to face the both of them. He stepped away from the cushioned seats, a stoic expression on his features as he looked towards her. 
He wore all black down to his shoes, standing taller than her father's height. His arms and chest were thick with muscle, tan skin and tattoos littering the space. He had beetles and mermaids, hearts and roses inked across, some sketches more faded than others. A cross had even been needed into his hand. The chain of a necklace glimmered in the lowlight though any pendant that may be attached were hidden under the neckline of his top. Moving up the column of his throat, his face was made of hard planes and sharp angles. His nose was strong and straight. Stubble shown blonde in the light across the bottom half of his face, a mole off to the side of his mouth. Everything softened as she matched his eye contact, mossy jade with sparkles of sunlight flecked through. Long curling lashes framed his gaze. 
He was gorgeous, that's for sure. Not the usual kind of person her father associated with. He must be some kind of new money millionaire, easily fooled by her father's charms. 
The man took her in as well, his gaze observant as if there was a notepad he had in his head to take down every detail of her. It didn't feel like the affectionate gaze she'd felt before tracing down her body. Especially with the way his practiced expression stayed level, a wall hidden behind his eyes. 
Nonetheless, she kept her facade up and ready, a beaming smile on her face. She reached out her delicately manicured hand, palm smelling of the Miss Dior cream she'd rubbed over her hands on the car ride over. 
"Nice to meet you, Harry," she greeted, a mild smile on her face. 
His grip was strong as he grabbed her hand, palm to palm with callouses matching the soft parts of her own. "Likewise." 
(Y/N) couldn't help but to recoil some as she retracted her hand. It wasn't a new reaction, especially some people who met her after reading too much into the tabloid stories and anonymous blogs. Half the time strangers waited for her to drunkenly blow up on them. Though it wasn't a typical reaction from those who requested to meet her. 
Her father didn't seem to pay any mind to the chilled interaction, rounding the width of his desk to take his throne on the other side, leaving (Y/N) and Harry to settle beside each other across from him. 
"Remember when we decided you wanted extra guidance, (Y/N)?" her dad asked, bleached white smile on his face, "After everything with Damien recently?" 
Ice touched her spine as she took in his sticky sweet words. She knew where this meeting was going now. 
As much as he tried to hide behind the "we" words and his fake smile, (Y/N) knew this wasn't some investor sitting beside her now. 
Harry was her new cage. 
"I remember," she offered, her own voice sounding far away. 
"Well," he continued with a flourish leaning over his desk with his elbow propped on the wood, "Harry, here, is that guidance we were looking for.  He used to work for Camila and Monroe as their head of security, but he's agreed to be your personal bodyguard until you're back on track." He looked too proud of himself as he spoke. "He's going to take good care of you, sweetie."  
Bodyguard. 
Her personal bodyguard. 
When her father pitched this whole idea and sent her to her room like a child, she honestly figured it would be another handler he would find for her. While it wasn't ideal, she knew she could deal with a handler. She could deal with an uppity woman bossing her around from a distance; she could deal with painting a facade and adhering to her father's guidelines through a handler. 
But, a bodyguard—or personal security, as he so delicately put it—was a different story. 
Harry would be tasked with following her everywhere. He'd have access to her home, access to the person she was around her friends, who she was around her father. Downtime would no longer be a thing with Harry around—recovery and privacy being thrown out. 
Francesca had a bodyguard when they were teenagers. Though it was only over the summers when they weren't away at school, those months he was present were... odd to (Y/N). He wasn't a mean man, but he was always there. Franny wasn't as bothered as she was, but (Y/N) felt like there was no privacy—no space to talk to her best friend about anything. He was always there listening, watching, and anticipating any need for protection. She felt exposed in his presence, no secrets truly secret or downtime when someone constantly had eyes on them. 
If this arrangement was anything like that, (Y/N) didn't know if her sanity was going to survive these months. 
Despite her insides beginning to churn, her glossy-lipped smile stayed intact with stiff cheeks. "Wow! That's amazing!" 
Her performance must have been subpar if the way her father flashed his gaze at her, a glance that hardened a little too much. She needed to be trying harder, was what he was telling her. She wasn't being perfect like he wanted. 
"I've already warned him about your history of outbursts," her father said, a stealthy jab at her, "and we discussed everything with Damien. I think he's up for the challenge." 
It was an interesting feeling being called a "challenge" by her own father, knowing he must have shared much more degrading comments behind her back disguised as warranted advice. It was all preparation, he probably thought. A proper warning. 
She shoved that feeling down—whatever that feeling was called—and instead focused on her role. As long as she bubbled, chirped, and smiled, she could get out of this room sooner rather than later. 
"Good," she said, a breathy laugh floating out with her voice, "I'll try not to give you any surprises, then." Looking to Harry, she leaned into her persona and played along. He didn't glance at her once, keeping his gaze forward on her father as if he were watching a movie. 
"There won't be any surprises, actually, right (Y/N)?" her father said, a tad too sharp under his act. 
"Right," she settled, calming under the weight of the room. 
Silence settled over, neither she nor her father plucking up the words while Harry stayed an observing pillar. 
This was her opening. If she acted fast, she could get out of here before either of them could stop her. 
"It was really nice to meet you, Harry," she said politely, her fingers curling around the arms of her chair, "Thank you for coming to work with us. I actually have early breakfast plans with Fran tomorrow morning back in the city, so I should probably start hea—" 
"Actually," her father cut her off sharply, his eyes hardening as they landed on her, "I was hoping you would stay for dinner tonight, sweetie. After Harry and I finish ironing out his contract, I wanted to talk to you some more before he officially started with you." 
Instinctively, she wanted to fight him on this. Spending another night here less than a month after the last time she had a breakdown here wasn't on the top of her list of wants, currently. But, knowing there was someone here already expecting the worst from her, forced her to settle. If she talked back it would only reinforce everything her father probably spouted off about her earlier. 
"Okay," she smiled, standing to her feet before inching towards he door, "I'll wait in my room then and give you guys some privacy." 
While her father offered a small dismissal to her in the form of a stuff smile and a promise to call her for dinner, Harry didn't bother to look twice at her. She didn't waste a moment before she was rushing back to her room. She didn't care if they could hear the pacing of her heels over the floors, knowing she was all but running away from that room. 
After twisting the lock on her bedroom door, (Y/N) collapsed onto her bed. Her breathing was uneven, chest rising and falling a little too fast for her head to stay clear. Pinpricks of static began to dance on her palms, fingertips beginning to go numb. A hole began to develop in the pit of her stomach. 
This might be one of the last real moments of alone time for the next couple of months, and she was spending it on the verge of a panic attack. 
(Y/N) knew her dad didn't trust her, but to have someone on his payroll whose only purpose was to follow her around stung more than she was willing to admit. She wasn't a stupid child despite how much he wanted to believe that. 
Harry wasn't there to protect her, she knew that. He was a hired hand to put her back in her place every time her father wasn't there to do it himself. He was another body to crowd her into a corner and suffocate her as long as she kept smiling. Harry was another reminder that nothing was allowed to be hers; her thoughts, her time, her space was to be shared just like the rest of herself.
Besides, Harry might be the kind of person willing to sell stories to tabloids. Who better than someone tasked with observing her every mood to be an "insider"? It wouldn't be the first time a Secrets Edition came out about her. 
With her eyes fixed to a knot swirling in the marble flooring, (Y/N) tried to unlatch the phantom hands wrapped around her neck. 
What was going to be left of her if she was constantly going to be performing? 
Shuttering her eyes, (Y/N) fisted her hands in her lap, the hem of her Dior minidress caught in the fray. She needed to calm down. 
No matter what, she was still luckier than most people in this world. She needed to keep that in mind if she was going to keep her head on straight. She was going to figure this out, and she was going to be okay even if a tiny bit cracked at the edges. 
Curling up on her dusty bed, she leveled her breathing as much as she could despite the shuddering of her lungs. Every spiraling thought had to be neatly rolled up and put away.
A breakdown was probably on the list of banned surprises her father had in mind, anyway.
—————
Poking at her dry salad, (Y/N) watched the drops of condensation river down her glass of lemon water. Across from her, her father tore at his too-scorched steak, a side of hearty potatoes and glass of whiskey to compliment the meat. 
He hadn't said a word to her since she sat down, instead opting to focus on his tailored dinner while she was left with her pre-arranged salad. It was more lady-like, he'd told her once before, to eat like a rabbit. Leave the big things to men—they needed it after running the world, she'd heard him joke though she's sure it wasn't a joke to him.
As heavy as the silence was weighing on her, she wasn't going to be the first one to speak either. He was the one that requested she spend dinner with him, he was going to have to lead the conversation. That left only the clicking of utensils against the fine china plates. 
Suddenly piping up, (Y/N) lifted her gaze to her father's as he spoke, "You're going to have to start being nice to Harry, you know. He's not going away until I say, and I could tell you were being fake today. If you're going to lie, at least try harder."
As if her father wasn't the king of phony facades and fake personality traits. He was the one that shattered that illusion the second he couldn't hide his temper with her earlier. It didn't take much to notice he didn't actually care about her. 
Those hours in her room left her exhausted, though. She'd cried off and on until she finally convinced herself everything was fine and none of it truly mattered in the grand scheme of things; that her discomfort and fear was something minuscule enough to be pushed to the side and forgotten. She didn't have it in her to debate with him. 
"Yeah," she dejectedly agreed, running her fork through the leafy greens on her plate, "Sorry about that." 
Apparently, that was the worst thing she could have uttered with the way her father dropped his fork to clatter against his plate with his grip tightening on the handle of his steak knife. His jaw tensed, lips pinched. 
"I don't care how you feel about this, (Y/N)," he gritted out, "Don't think I don't mean that. You are going to show him some respect, listen to everything he says, and behave accordingly. Otherwise, he has full permission to correct you as he sees fit. And, he will tell me every time he has to correct you, so keep in mind that any kind of punishment he gives—mine will be ten times worse." 
She didn't doubt a word he said. If this was the kind of conversation he and Harry had after she left the room, there was no telling what kind of person her new security had to be to agree to a job with terms like these. She lacked faith in just how fairly he would "correct" her if his thoughts aligned with her father's. 
"Okay," (Y/N) mumbled, all the fight in her gone for the day. 
Her father sighed, disappointed as per usual. "This is going to be good for you," he told her, condescension tainting his tone, "I know you don't understand that now, but it will be. I just want you to settle down and stop giving people something to talk about. There's no reason to act like that if you want attention. You're pretty enough, people are already looking—there's no reason to be a bitch, too." Picking up his fork, he steadied his steak as he sliced off another too-tough bite. "Your life could be so much different—Damien might even take you back if you just apologized." 
The ice cubes in her drink slid against one another, melting in her water. "Okay." 
Chewing down his bite, her father took a long pull from his whiskey. 
"He starts with you on Friday. I told him to take a look at your apartment and make sure there isn't anything or anyone that isn't supposed to be there." His pointed gaze landed on her over the rim of his glass. "I will hear about everything, please remember that." 
His thinly veiled threat swept over her with nothing more than a meaningless brush. She kept her eyes on the drip of water traveling down the side of her glass. A melting ice cube clinked against the side. 
"Okay." 
—————
Phone pressed to her ear, (Y/N) flipped through her mail while Francesca bubbled in her ear. No matter how hard she tried to condition herself to be the same, Fran was always a much better morning person than she. 
"When do you see him again? Do you know yet, or is that a mystery, too?" Francesca was a little too excited to hear how inexpressive Harry had been in her father's office. His stoic coldness translated to mysterious heat to her. 
"My dad said he was supposed to start today, but I'm not sure. I woke up early and made an extra smoothie just in case, but he still hasn't shown." 
The envelopes in front of her were nothing but junk so far, her attention waning. 
"Ooh!" Francesca sang over the phone, "I'm so excited to meet him! We're still on for brunch this Sunday, right?" 
(Y/N) faltered where she stood, hands pausing on the collection of mail. "I don't know, Fran," she muttered, shifting her weight over the tiles of her kitchen, "I just—... He'd have to come with me." 
"I know, that's the point!" she bubbled, "You said he was cute and young, I want to meet him." 
"I know, but I wanted to talk about stuff, you know," (Y/N) pointed out. 
"And we will! You remember Barry from when we were in school, right? I promise you, your guy isn't going to care about anything going on as long as you aren't in danger," Francesca continued, referencing her security form when they were young. 
Sighing, (Y/N) wanted to correct Franny. Harry wasn't going to be eyeing out any suspects or worst case scenario moments, not if he was following her father's directions. He would be listening in and watching her for any and all infractions she could commit, including any topic of discussion that might be considered unbecoming. 
Francesca must have picked up on her lingering reluctance through the phone. "(Y/N), please," she pouted, "I know you're stressed and all about everything, but I don't want this to take you away from me. You can still live your life, you'll just have an extra shadow. That's all." 
A beat passed before she felt herself resign. "Okay, but if today is weird with him, I might be calling and cancelling." 
"Okay!" she squealed out, feeling as if this was her win no matter what, "Just keep an open mind today, and have fun!" 
"I'm sure I will," (Y/N) laughed, "Love you." 
"Love you, too! Bye!" 
With that, the call went dead leaving (Y/N)'s previous scroll through instagram lighting up her screen. Locking her phone, she took a breath to take a sip of her purple smoothie, hoping the addition of matcha and cherry juice this time would tap into some of her stress points and calm her. 
She kept up with her chosen routine for the morning, rifling through the remains of her pile of mail. Under a few more loose pieces of mail and catalogues was a navy blue envelope, stamped with silver starts and sparkling script spelling out her name. A faux wax seal laid the flap shut but gave away easily under a slight pick against the edge. Inside was an invitation to the annual 132 Gala—a benefit for the art gallery of the same name—she'd attended for the last couple of years, the dress code detailed out along with an RSVP request. Honestly, as much as she and her stylist had been anticipating the event, she almost forgot about it in the midst of all the variables entering her life. She was going to have to touch base with Dom to ensure he still had an idea in mind for her gown before she made any commitment. 
With the invitation being stowed away for later, a few more pieces of mail were thrown in the trash until she reached the final slip in the stack. She sighed when she spotted the familiar computerized script on the front. It was crumpled and creamy as opposed to a clean white. She was sure that if she had picked it up earlier in the week it would have still had that distinct woodsy scent as opposed to smelling like the inside of her mailbox. 
(Y/N) didn't need to peel open the flap to know that inside there would be a stack of glossy photos of her along with a typed letter. She knew there would be photos of her this week entering her apartment, going out with Francesca, driving to her father's, and the infamous event with Damien. Some of those photos would no doubt end up in a publication or posted along with a too-long article analyzing her outfit or body language. They always did. 
Without opening the envelope to verify her suspicions, (Y/N) bent to lay this letter with the rest in a drawer filled with junk and things she wanted to ignore. After pushing the drawer closed, she wiped every thought about her "admirer" from her thoughts. They weren't allowed to occupy her brain when there were much more pressing things to worry about. 
Flicking her gaze to the time blinking on her stove, she had to keep from rolling her eyes. While she wasn't much of a morning person, she couldn't believe her dad would allow someone to start a work day—no matter how informal—after nine a.m. With the time blinking well past ten in the morning and the sleep officially having been wiped from her eyes, she was growing unimpressed with the fact she was still waiting. 
Shuttering her eyes, (Y/N) centered herself, leaning back against the lip of the counter. She knew there was no reason to be upset with Harry, it wasn't like she had any say in his schedule nor was this lag truly disrupting anything for her. Her anxiety was beginning to manifest in ways she wasn't proud of and weren't helpful in any way. 
She thought some early morning yoga and a string of meditative poses would help settle her, work out that energy, but obviously none of that had the desired effect. Every time she tried to picture even what this Sunday's outing was going to be like, she wanted nothing more than to hide away and keep from encountering anyone or anything. It would be easier that way, she figured. That way she wouldn't have to explain who Harry was or why she needed any kind of security. 
Francesca was right, though. She knew that. Staying holed up and avoiding the world wouldn't do anything to get her father off her back. If it went on too long, eventually her father would begin picking out events for her to attend, and that was always a much worse outcome than just leaving her house on her own. 
Breathing the way her therapist from her teenage years taught her, (Y/N) centered herself as best she could with her bare feet on the cool tile of her kitchen. The chilled glass with her smoothie was slick against her palm, condensation dripping down the crystal. 
Everything was going to be fine. 
A buzz coming over the intercom knocked (Y/N) out of her head, her eyes flying open with her hand almost letting go of her smoothie. A stunted breath exhaled from her lungs as the moment she'd been waiting for laced together. 
She knew that was Harry waiting to be buzzed up to meet her for the second time. 
Forcing her head to clear, (Y/N) fell easily into her role of bubbly socialite. She had nothing to be afraid of, she told herself, it wasn't as if he was going to find anything her father would be ashamed of. She wasn't even his top priority, she reminded herself, her father and his company were Harry's clients, not (Y/N).
Pressing the small button on the stainless steel panel beside her front door, she dipped close to the microphone. "Good morning, how can I help you?" she asked as if she didn't already know what the answer would be. 
"Good morning, Ms. (Y/N)," answered the doorman from the lobby, the usual quiet settling in the background as he spoke, "I have a Mr. Harry Styles waiting down here for you. He said he's a part of your security team." 
"You can send him up, please," she replied, forcing a chirp to her voice. "Thank you, Claudio!" 
"Of course, Ms. (Y/N)," was all she heard back before the static went dead. Claudio was always a bit cold to her, but he never let any of the lurkers into the lobby so she'd take what she could get. 
The waiting game started again after the brief intermission, leaving (Y/N) in the silence of her apartment. She was suddenly too aware of the silk of her pajamas brushing her skin, the intricate threading on the hem of her shorts too heavy now. 
Lucky enough for her, it wasn't too long before she heard a knock reverberating through the door. It was firm and short, matching the man on the other side. 
A shot went through her system, a moment of static hitting her brain. She'd gone through worse bouts of anxiety and stressful situations, there was no reason to get worked up over something—someone—like this. 
With her mask on, complete with a reserved smile and detached gaze, (Y/N) opened her front door. The hinges glided like butter, welcoming Harry in where he stood in the hallway. 
Dressed in all black as she was starting to figure was his signature, he was waiting with an observant gaze being cast through the corridor. This was one of the few penthouse floors in the building leaving a bare space between where the elevator was stationed before leading to her front door. 
"Good morning," she told him pleasantly, "Come in." 
With a flourish, she stepped to the side with a space cleared for him to step into her apartment. 
"Good morning," he said, a slight smile on his features that appeared for a flash before he was back to his stoic state, "Thank you." 
Harry stepped in, acting as a dark spot with his fitted black t-shirt and trousers of the same shade against the understated hues of her home. (Y/N) locked the door behind him before turning to face him once more, a pleasant smile on her face. 
"How are you?" she asked, her voice even and warm despite how detached she felt. 
"Good, thank you," was his abrupt response, no followup about her own well being for the morning. He cast his gaze around her apartment, taking every corner and curve. She wasn't even sure he had properly looked at her at all since coming here. 
"Good," she said, trailing off awkwardly into the space around them. What kind of small talk do you make with a member of your security team? Especially one that didn't seem too keen on knowing their client. 
Leaning against her front door, she waited as he observed everything. He looked at her couch the same way he had looked at her days prior, as if he was compiling a list of all its attributes and deciding whether it not it had anything of value within. 
It was an odd feeling; she typically wasn't so blatantly compared to furniture to her face, that was usually left to the tabloids and internet trolls. 
Seeming to remember that she was still there, Harry stopped his game of finding everything in the room. He settled his eyes on her, a pointed look with a small pinch to his brows. 
Taking him in for that moment, she was reminded of just how pretty he was. He didn't look like the kind of man that would be guarding the models and gorgeous people, he should be one of the YSL or Gucci models that needed protecting from the crowds of people trying to get a closer look at him. Off-duty model, she figured would be the name of the article that Vogue would write about him, full of street style photos of him. 
With the green of his eyes meeting her own, he didn't waver where he stood. "Jus' go about your day like normal," he instructed her, arms crossed over his chest, "I want to learn your habits and your space first, but if you need to do anything out of the norm, let me know." 
"Okay," she sounded, voice quiet to her own ears. 
As much as she was sure she was meant to completely ignore him, she still felt odd crossing through her place towards her kitchen. She finished her smoothie and had left her blender and other supplies in the sink, so she could at least do the dishes maybe? At least that way her hands would be busy without plucking at her manicure.
Filling the sink with water, she did her best to treat Harry as nothing more than a shadow. To be fair, it wasn't that hard given the fact he barely made any noise as he traipsed around. It brought back memories of the way Barry used to hover around she and Franny when they were teenagers; it was easy to not pay too much attention to the extra body in the room, but her muscles never fully relaxed. 
From the corner of her eye, she saw him poking his head up the stairs to where her bedroom was, casting his gaze towards her ceiling, catching a view out her various windows as he went around. He was a perfect shadow dressed in black, but he seemed a bit too unimpressed for a neutral being. 
Harry stepped into her kitchen, the rubber soles of his shoes silent over the sparkling white granite flooring. "Do you have any kind of security system set up here? Cameras or anything like that?" he probed. 
Humming, (Y/N) picked up the rag she placed out for drying. "The building has some of those alarms installed with the codes and everything and there's the guys downstairs, but I don't have cameras set up in here or anything." 
Perpetually unimpressed, Harry only let out a, "Hm." 
She fixed her eyes onto her pink onyx countertops, tracing the swirling white lines in the faint pink of the stone. Why did he even care, she wanted to ask. What good would cameras in her home do when she was a nuisance outside of these walls? 
Watching as he headed down towards her guest rooms, she felt her tongue moving before her brain allowed it. "What are you looking for?" she poked, her question simple as he kept drying her dishes before placing them in cabinets. 
It wasn't like she was hiding any of the drugs or alcohol her dad surely warned him about, telling him to seek out and destroy before truly starting his job. If that was what he was toeing around her home for, he was going to be disappointed.
He didn't even turn to face her as he called back down the hallway to her, "Nothing in particular. Jus' noting things as I go; vantage points and the complete lack of any useful security around here."
Propping her hip against the lip of the counter, she let out a small sigh. Her hands twirled the rag she had used to dry her dishes, gaze following after her new security detail. 
"You don't have to pretend, you know," she started, saving them both some trouble by starting the conversation, "I know my dad didn't hire you to protect me or anything. He wants you protect the public, and his business from me." 
His ghosting footsteps came to a stop where stood down the hallway. He was in complete control as he turned to face her, that usual placid look molding his features. "Last I checked, you were my client. Not the public or your father's company." 
"But he's the one that's paying you," she countered, unwavering from the point she was trying to make, "I just don't want you to waste your time pretending to find something to protect me from." 
That deadpan look never changed from Harry's face. "'M not pretending, 'm doing my job." He paused only for a moment, his gaze bored and heavy on her skin. "Let me know if y'decide to go anywhere." 
That was the end of the conversation as far as (Y/N) was aware, Harry turning and leaving her as he went about doing whatever it was he considered to be his job. She didn't try to stop him again. If he wanted to waste his time, he could do just that. Not her problem, anymore.
Draining her sink, (Y/N) crept through her apartment to settle upon her plush couch. Clicking her television awake, she fumbled through streaming services until finally tuning into a rerun of a cooking show she was fond of. Though she couldn't quite sink into the cushions or yell to the T.V. as the contestants didn't see the obvious win she did, at least he wasn't right behind her. 
—————
"No, dad, I didn't give him any trouble yesterday." 
(Y/N) could practically hear the eyeball through the phone. "You know he's going to tell me, right? Lying won't change anything." 
It was her turn to give a petulant reaction, lashes fluttering as she almost got her eyes stuck in the back of her head. "I'm being serious. I'm not hiding anything, and I haven't even gone out or anything. There's been nothing to get upset over, dad." 
The trademark sigh of disappointment fluttered through the speaker. "What's the point of having a bodyguard if all you're going to do is stay home, (Y/N)?" 
"I'm going to brunch tomorrow with Fran and the girls," she countered, feeling her blood pressure rise over his argument. She was damned if she went out and was seen, damned if she stayed home and out of the public eye. She couldn't win. 
"Good," her father said, sounding all too pleased as if these plans were his doing, "I want him to see how you act in public, then we'll be able to start working on your problems." 
There was no argument she was going to give after that. She wasn't going to reward him or validate his claim that she is the problem. Because of course she was; it was never the photographers hounding her the second she turned sixteen, never the men around her that treated her like a tabloid bunny there for poking and prodding, and never him who didn't think to be a father for longer than it took for a flash of a camera to capture the moment. 
Dead air settled between them, (Y/N) pressing her phone to her ear with the help of her shoulder as she began to collect ingredients for her dinner. Her way of ignoring him came in redirection, instead focusing back on Harry, his new favorite person. 
"Harry thinks I should get a security system at my apartment," she offered, hoping the mention of his name was enough to get her father's head turning elsewhere. 
The beat that passed after her words showed she garnered the opposite reaction. "Did you tell him about those letters, (Y/N)?" he asked, voice hard as stone. 
Her lips thinned. "No." 
"Good. Don't." It didn't take much for (Y/N) to picture the way he was surely hanging his head over his dinner, perpetually disappointed in his only child. "Do not waste his time over those. Plenty of people take pictures with you, and if I find out you're having him worry about the one person that's actually a fan of you..." he trailed off as if she didn't know exactly what threat was about to leave his mouth, "I'm going to send you to stay with your mother." 
"Right. I won't." 
His worst punishment was always to push her off on others. The nannies she bonded with growing up, different boarding schools and summer programs, anyone that was willing to glance at her for longer than five seconds was in the running to take her off his hands. Her mother was always his favorite to threaten her with as if he knew where she was. 
(Y/N) didn't bother to listen to him anymore when it came to these moments. While she knew he'd never—could never—follow through with this particular threat, it was more than a little disheartening that he'd consider her calling for help as something that deserved a punishment. 
"Well," he started, speaking around his mouthful of whatever his chef had prepared for the night, "if I don't hear from Harry, I'll be calling you to see how tomorrow goes. Don't embarrass yourself, (Y/N). It's not worth it." 
"I know," she answered absently, her voice bored, "Goodnight, dad." 
"Night." 
Pulling her phone from her ear, (Y/N) focused on preparing the zucchini for the pasta primavera she'd been craving. Her thoughts turned methodical now that she had something structured to give her attention to. It was much easier to think when she wasn't firmly planted in her stubbornness and trying to ward off the kind of anxiety she hadn't felt since she was a teenager. 
Harry had gone home late into the afternoon yesterday, and didn't return today. He didn't tell her anything other than he'd see her on Sunday morning for brunch, but she had figured he'd have paid her another visit in the meantime anyway. It was an odd arrangement anyway, as far as she could tell. 
Stretching her memory back, Francesca's security was always there. Even when (Y/N) would spend the night or go away on trips with family, Barry was a constant shadow. The pool house in their backyard was his, an extra room for every rental or new vacation house taken into account so Francesca was never without her bodyguard. While she hadn't really wanted this, she figured Harry would be the same way—his services a button away in case of any kind of moment in need from her. 
He hadn't even taken her number down when he was over. 
It had only been a suspicion before, but perhaps her dad really had been honest with Harry: there was no real danger surrounding (Y/N), just her as the problem that needed fixing before interacting any with the public. There would be no reason for him to watch over her as she slept or be available to any emergency that might appear in his absence. 
Whatever, she figured, sliding the half-moons of her zucchini into a bowl. At least she cleaned out her guest room, something she'd been meaning to do.
(Y/N) was going to take her time alone as if it were gold. She had a feeling tomorrow was going to be rough enough without a bad night's sleep. 
—————
Swimming to the surface of sleep, (Y/N) was half aware of the sound of the static buzzing coming through her apartment. It was far enough away, the buzz panel situated by the door, that she could ignore it easily as she shifted between her sheets with her eyes cinched closed. Brunch wasn't for a few hours anyway, she knew that, and if any of the girls needed her they would have called prior. 
Soon enough the buzzing ceased, allowing her brain to fuzzy further and to retrace her steps back to her dreamland. Whatever that was, wasn't an emergency, then. 
Until the banging knocks started. 
These, she wasn't able to ignore. Forcing her eyes open, she reached for her phone on her night stand. No missed calls or texts filled her notifications, but the time of seven a.m. reflected at her. There was only one person who could be giving her this wakeup call, but there was no reason for him to be here already. 
With no contact to reach out to see if it was Harry waiting for her, she just had to trust that the doormen downstairs wouldn't send anyone up that they didn't recognize or who wasn't on the list to be cleared for her penthouse elevator. 
Her hair was a mess on the top of her head, tangled and falling out of the braid she had twisted for the night, eyes crusted with sleep in the corners, and limbs shaking from the abrupt pull from her sleep. The only clear thought she had was that she was goin to have to give him the access code to her apartment or a key after this; early morning wakeups like this were something she was ever going to be happy about. 
Swinging the door open for him during a pause in his banging, (Y/N) barely looked at Harry before she was trying to usher him in with a sweep of her hand. 
"Morning," she grumbled, voice sticky in her throat. 
"Morning," Harry reciprocated, "Are you ready?" 
"What?" she asked over the click of her lock going back into place. 
"I thought you had plans to go out with your friends this morning." His voice was bored as if he couldn't believe he was having to remind her of her own agenda.
"Yeah, for brunch," she added, "We don't have to leave for a while." 
"Hm," was all he had to offer in response. Unimpressed. 
(Y/N) didn't have it in her to care whether or not he liked brunch or thought she was silly for whatever reason. She was too tired, and her bed was too soft. 
"I'm going back to bed," she told him, edging towards the staircase to her bedroom, "You can do whatever you want." 
A beat passed before Harry offered an acknowledgement in the form of a hum. He was much more interested in investigating more of her home, she figured with the way his eyes traipsed through the space. 
The second her head hit the pillow in her bedroom, (Y/N) happily relaxed into the mattress. 
While there was a part of her that felt odd knowing that there was someone else in her home, settling in while she was elsewhere, there were other parts of her that didn't mind it all that much. She'd never felt lonely before, but she also never had known what it was like to have someone else around like this. 
Even if he was being paid to, it was nice to her soft, sleep-molded brain that he'd care if something happened while she slept.
That thought made it a little bit easier to fall asleep again. 
—————
Standing before her bathroom mirror, (Y/N) sharpened her features and pouted her lips at her reflection. With her hair pinned back and a silky robe draped over her body, she looked every bit the dreamy socialite she pictured herself as in her teens. Except for the wreck that was her makeup so far. 
Breaking her pose, she let out an annoyed grumble as she took a closer look at the section of eyeshadow that just wouldn't blend out. She felt like a toddler having a tantrum the way she wanted to stomp her foot on the ground and throw her makeup brush and eyeshadow palette away. 
Everything had been going perfect until she decided to daringly dip into a slightly deeper shade than she was used to on her eyes, and now she was stuck with a semi-sweet chocolate blob on the outer corner of her eye when she was hoping for a milk chocolate fade. And, she didn't have time to redo anything. 
Life could be so unfair sometimes. 
From down the hallway, she heard footsteps glancing over the flooring towards the bathroom. Moments later, Harry appeared in the mirror behind her, something a little more urgent than she was used to in his gaze but just as serious and uninviting as she remembered from this morning. 
When he didn't say anything, only tracing his eyes over her bathroom, (Y/N) piped up, "Is everything okay?" He hadn't come to see her once since she woke up. 
Catching her gaze in the glass, he said, "I heard you." 
"Sorry," she started, dropping her eyes to her palette of neutral powders, "I'm just annoyed right now. My makeup looks dumb, and I don't have time to redo it." 
Harry relaxed some where he stood, his arms dropping from across his chest as he leant against the doorjamb. The observations never stopped, even as she resumed trying to blend out her makeup. 
"I thought you had people to do that for you," he said, brows furrowing just a pinch. 
(Y/N) shrugged, fluffing a creamy shade over the deep mass in hopes of lightening the whole thing up enough to go out for a morning. "Sometimes; usually for really important things. Otherwise, I just like to do it myself." 
When the makeup cooperated, anyway. What she wouldn't give to have the hand of a makeup artist here to fix her mistake.
"Oh," Harry sounded behind her, silence settling between them. 
Expecting him to leave then, (Y/N) refocused on her eye makeup only for Harry to linger in the doorway. He stood there in his too-pretty glory, watching her as she worked. She felt as if each of her moves were being dissected, analyzed and broken down as if there was a chance he would have to step in. She guessed that technically was his job, though she could argue there might be much better things for him to do rather than watch her blend eyeshadow and bobby pin her hair to perfection. 
Once she had her face applied, extra blush and fluffy lashes added in hopes of distracting from her most disastrous shadow look to date (at least that's how she felt in the moment, but she was sure there were photos off er teen years that would love to beg to differ) and hair styled down to the single strand, she was left with her short robe on and her outfit picked out in her closet. Harry's eyes had documented each of her moves, grazing along her skin and observing every stretch. 
Finding that gaze in the mirror, she looked at him with a mild expression. "I just need to get dressed then we can go." 
Harry blinked at her. "Okay." 
That was all he had to say before she was left to head to her room. 
—————
Stepping through the lobby of her complex, (Y/N) couldn't help but to scope out the street as much as she could through the tinted glass doors of the entrance. Waiting on the curb was the all black SUV she called with pedestrians scattered along the sidewalks and recklessly stepping onto the street. All she was looking for was anyone lingering a little too close to the building with too nice of cameras to be normal. 
She'd always been a little cautious leaving her building once the address to her complex had been leaked, paparazzi having camped out for a week afterwards in hopes of catching her off guard, though now that Harry was going to be stepping out with her another layer was added. She could already imagine the headlines and blog posts that would be made when others caught wind of the fact she was seen with a member of the opposite sex. 
Some of her favorites loved to recount her "relationship timeline" as well as call into question her "body count" and how long this new "beau" will last. She was dreading reading those words again; it was bad enough when she actually liked one of those people in those photos with her, but Harry's new job required his presence around her. He couldn't even leave this narrative if he wanted to. 
Staying focused, (Y/N) gave a wave to the doormen standing behind the front desk though their stony faces didn't sway. Harry was quiet at her side, allowing her to take the lead as she took them out onto the street, a blast of air hitting them once the seal of the doors was pushed open. Outside, no one paid her any mind, her driver being the only person that acknowledged her with a grin on his face. 
"Morning!" she chirped, feeling more relaxed now that he was nearby. 
"Morning, (Y/N)," he greeted, opening the backseat door with a flourish for her. His gaze only shifted for a moment to her companion, but she knew he was much too polite to ask for details about any of her guests. 
Setting one foot inside, (Y/N) hesitated as she looked around the SUV door to Sully. "Sully, this is Harry," she started, tossing her hand in Harry's direction, "He's my new bodyguard"—her tongue felt odd around the word—"Harry, this is Sully. He's my primary driver." 
Sully gave her a momentary look the second he heard the word bodyguard. Out of most people in her life, he knew her almost better than Francesca, so he knew just as well as she did that a security detail wasn't something (Y/N) was in need of. Nonetheless, he kept his polite smile on his face when addressing Harry. 
"Nice to meet you, Harry," he said, offering a gentle hand out to shake. 
"Nice to meet you," Harry said with a gruff anchor to his voice. 
That was all that was shared before (Y/N) stepped into the car, Harry following behind her. Though she was sure Sully felt the same way she did about the situation, he didn't let any of it show when he took his spot in the driver's seat, his eyes meeting hers through the rearview mirror. 
"The new place still, (Y/N)?"
"Yes, please," she answered, a soft smile on her face. 
As they started the drive through the city, skyscrapers towering on either side of the street and too many people on the sidewalks, (Y/N) pulled out her phone. Though she was aware of Harry's presence on the bench seat beside her only inches away, she ignored him in favor of pulling up Francesca's text thread in her messages. 
Fran🫧
      are u bringing your bodyguard????? 
      jk ofc you are he has to come w u everywhere lol is he still cute today tho or was the other day just bc you saw him for the first time???? 
As much as she loved Franny like a sister, she didn't really want to talk about Harry at the moment. She knew much of brunch was going to be spent talking about her new security or talking around him as all of the girls were going to be varying levels of nosy about it all. (Y/N) didn't have a lot of interest in starting that trend any earlier than needed. 
Instead, she began scrolling through her Instagram explore page full of photos of nail art and cooking videos she planned on looking up the recipes for later. Ever-polite, Sully was the one to break the silence that filled the cab of his vehicle. 
"How long will you be joining us, Harry?" he asked, kind blue eyes shining in the rearview mirror. 
Uninterested as ever, Harry didn't break his gaze from where he was observing through the window. "As long as it takes for her father to be convinced that she's finally grown up." 
It was a callous remark, but one (Y/N) had heard before just in a different voice. It was an interesting thing to hear those biting words lack the familiarity of her father's tone. She'd never heard them like that before. 
Flicking her gaze up from her phone, she spotted Sully in the mirror through the fan of her lashes. He gave her one of those soft smiles he'd also seen him give his daughter before. It made it a bit easier to let that remark slide off her back when she knew he was on her side. 
"Won't be very long then," Sully continued, tipping his chin up in confidence, "It doesn't take very long to see how kind and responsible Ms. (Y/N) is, despite what all those silly magazines like to say." 
(Y/N) directed a quiet smile down at her phone. She hoped Sully knew just how much she appreciated him. 
—————
"I'll be back around noon, okay?" Sully said, offering a helping hand to (Y/N) as she stepped out of the SUV and onto the grey concrete sidewalk, "Let me know if you need me sooner or want to stay longer." 
Nodding her head, she gave him a bubbly smile with soft lips and warm cheeks. "Thank you." 
"It's my pleasure," he answered, squeezing her hand in his as she steadied herself on the concrete.
With Harry at her side, Sully was sent off with a wave from her manicured fingers. 
Though it wasn't new to feel eyes on her at time when she was out, it was different to have someone following along with her. His job was to watch her, and he made it known with the way she could feel his gaze stitched to her. He only drifted when he made a point to take in their surroundings. 
Was he even supposed to sit with them? Was he going to eat beside her? What was his job when it came to events like this? 
(Y/N) tried to think back to what Francesca's bodyguard would do, but she couldn't remember him ever joining them for a meal in public. Barry was typically meant to watch over Fran when no one else was around, leaving those group settings without him. Was Harry to do the same? Was he going to sit elsewhere or guard their table like a circling vulture? 
Her head hurt just thinking about it. Harry would do whatever he decided to do, she settled on. This wasn't his first security job, so hopefully he would do whatever he was used to with Camila and Monroe. 
Harry pushed the entrance door open for her, taking her by surprise as she stepped into the trendiest brunch spot in the city at the moment. Everything was sleek and warm, glass with golden hinges, wood pieces with uniform swirls and knots. Inauthentic authenticity. Falling into character, a bright smile landed on (Y/N)'s lips, her phone clutched in one hand with her purse hanging from the crook of her elbow. The clack of her heels was drowned out by the sound of chattering patrons and a busy kitchen. 
"Hello, how are you?" The young man stationed at the host stand greeted her, a dark denim uniform adorning his form. (Y/N) almost cringed for him; she couldn't imagine how hot it must be to work all day in a heavy outfit like that. 
"Hi, I'm good thank you," she greeted, feeling Harry just behind her as if he were breathing down her neck. How would he analyze this conversation? "I'm here to meet a few friends—there should be a reservation under—" 
Cutting her off, the boy piped up with, "Francesca, right? She and a few others just got here." 
Now that she wasn't so distracted by his outfit, she could see recognition in his gaze. He knew who she was and was definitely peeking over her shoulder to see who her companion was. 
"That's them," (Y/N) chirped, canting her head as the boy tapped away at the computer in front of him. 
"Perfect," he beamed, glancing up nonchalantly at them, "And will he be taking the sixth seat at the table?" 
A clear attempt to fish, but not one (Y/N) was going to be able to ignore. "Yes, please." 
The way the boy's eyes brightened had (Y/N) already dreading the articles that she would be tagged in across every social media platform, the headlines teasing about her new "mystery man" with all of the sources being an anonymous instagram account known for spreading gossip. Because that's journalism. 
"Follow me," he said, waving his hand as he stepped out from behind the podium.
Harry was a ghost behind her as (Y/N) made small talk with the host, answering with polite chatter about the weather while being led through the restaurant. Through the crowded tables, Francesca and the three other girls they frequently went out with came into view. Glasses of bubbling mimosas and an appetizer of cheese and crackers adorned the table, matching that of the rest of the patrons indulging in the brunch rush. 
Francesca was the first to spot them once the host dropped them off with a quiet wish for she and Harry to enjoy their food before he was off again. Fran's eyes lit up when she saw her, only for them to widen that much more when Harry came into view behind her. 
"(Y/N)," she cheered, gaining the attention of the other girls who broke their absent chatter to turn to face them. Fran no doubt had told them that (Y/N) would be bringing a guest. 
"Hi," she smiled, maneuvering around the table to the two empty seats between Emma and Rita, "Sorry I'm late. My makeup was not doing its job this morning." 
Emma piped up then, "No worries, honey! We're just happy you could make it. We already ordered a mimosa for you and some appetizers and all." 
Despite the girls seemingly talking to her, their eyes continuously drifted to her companion that ghosted behind her. Pulling out her chair, (Y/N) dropped her purse on the table before looking across from her to where Francesca was sat. Even she was pretending as if she wasn't bubbling in anticipation over Harry. 
"Thanks, guys," she said, taking her seat with Harry doing the same beside her, "Everyone, this is Harry. I bet Fran already told you a little bit, but he's going to be my personal security for the next few months or so. We're still trying to figure out how this all works for it, so thanks for letting him tag along today." 
"Of course," Kita giggled, leaning with her elbow on the table, "Fran did tell us that you were bringing someone special today." 
"Right," (Y/N) laughed, feeling slightly exposed despite the fact none of the girls were even looking at her. "I promised him we'd be on our best behavior today, so don't ruin this for me." 
The laughter that bubbled around the table was just a touch too melodious, too airy and light. Francesca even made eyes at (Y/N); she approved of him, that much was obvious. 
"I'm sure we'll still have fun with him," Toriana said, her spot right across from Harry making it easy for her to reach across and offer her hand up in greeting, "I'm Toriana, but the girls just call me Ana." 
"Nice to meet you," Harry answered, taking her hand into his in that same firm grip (Y/N) remembered. 
A domino effect started then, each of the girls taking the time to personally introduce themselves. Toriana and Kita were more than a little interested in him, asking questions right off the bat that (Y/N) wished they would keep to themselves. Franny and Emma seemed to prefer to watch, piping in at moments with their own bubbly comments or peals of laughter. Harry, reserved as ever, barely interacted. 
(Y/N) didn't know why she liked that as much as she did. Maybe it was just nice knowing she wasn't the only person he was cold with. Even if he did still end up talking to the girls more than he had all weekend with her. 
Soon enough—long enough still that (Y/N) sipped through a glass and a half of water, the cheese plate had dissipated to crumbs, and breakfast orders had been placed—the shine of Harry had finally been lost on the girls. The shorter his answers became the clearer the message that he wasn't interested in sharing became. Though Kita didn't pull too far away from him and Fran had eyes on him every few moments, there wasn't much fun in talking to a wall. 
The gossip shifted around the table, new topics being introduced as wait staff appeared to refill drained mimosa glasses. (Y/N) was seventy percent sure she saw one of the denim-clad employees pull her phone out and snap a shot of the table while clearing their small appetizer plates. No one seemed to notice the girl other than she and Harry, his eyes narrowing when he caught sight of the camera tilted in their direction. She wouldn't be surprised if the photo captured Harry's harsh gaze. 
Ignoring the snooping employee, (Y/N) tried to tune into the story Emma was sharing that had the rest of the table enraptured. As funny and kind as Emma was, she loved to gossip; she loved knowing things, even if the information had nothing to do with her. More often than not (Y/N) preferred to check out of her particularly scandalous stories, just because she knew what it was like to be the name coming off of other's lips in a spit. Francesca was the same, preferring to stay out of it all.
But, this story caught both of their attention for all the wrong reasons. 
"Then, I heard that Christal's parents are separating, because her dad also cheated with one of Christal's friends that got an internship at his company," Emma chattered, dipping her chin as if she was actually trying to keep this information a secret for only the table to hear. 
Toriana gasped, her hand coming up to cover her mouth with wide eyes. Leaning over the table, she conspired with Emma in a hushed tone that was far from being any level of quiet, "I heard they were separating because her mom was paying off her doctor to write prescriptions for, like, everything. Her dad is so over it, so he's supposed to be filing officially next week." 
The mention of prescriptions and doctors who didn't care to help anymore stung at (Y/N) behind her walls. It was bad enough speaking about Christal and her family dynamics when they barely knew her outside of nights partying in the Upper West Side, but those kinds of rumors weren't something (Y/N) could ever imagine repeating. Drug use and the breaking up of a marriage—no matter the reason—were things none of them should be discussing when they had no idea what was truly going on. 
It made (Y/N) think of her own parents and the years of swirling tabloids trying to figure out just how long her parents were on the rocks and what exactly had gone wrong. It was more than invasive. 
(Y/N)'s nails quietly tapped on the table as the attention was placed on her, her voice piping up once Emma finally paused for a breath, "We probably shouldn't be talking about this stuff, guys." 
Emma was the first to turn to her with a slighted look on her face, surprised to have anyone stopping her in the middle of her speculations. The remaining pairs of eyes turned to her, Francesca the only one that seemed to match her protesting while Kita and Toriana were just as taken aback as Emma. 
Saved by the bell, their waitress chose then to appear with trays of their food in her arms. Bowls of salads and plates of eggs were distributed amongst the girls, Harry's order being of avocado toast though she couldn't imagine him picking off more than a couple of bites with the way he was so focused on the scene around him. The women had settled while they were being waited on, beaming smiles and assurances that everything was perfect, they would love a refill, and whatever chattering small talk was started by the waitress in the meantime. 
It wasn't until everything had been cleared away, a plate of eggs Benedict with a kale apple salad off to the side in front of (Y/N), that Emma turned to face her once more. 
Now she was less shocked and more bewildered that (Y/N) had tried to end her conversation. "Don't you want to know what happened though, (Y/N)?" she asked, incredulous, "Her parents always seemed so obsessed with each other, doesn't that make you want to know even more?" 
"Sure," (Y/N) started, "But, it's a little too personal, don't you think? Especially if any of this is true, it's all probably really hard on Christal. I don't think it's fair to talk about it when we don't know anything about it, and she's not even here." 
That expression of furrowed brows and parted lips didn't leave Emma's face as (Y/N) spoke. "I mean I guess, but—" 
Before she could get much further, (Y/N) couldn't help but to step in. "Honestly, I'd rather hear about you and your fashion designer," (Y/N) started, leaning towards Emma with a conspiratorial smile on her face, "You haven't brought him up at all, even though you've posted him on your story at least five times now." 
Watching her friends' features light up told her just how effective her new topic was. There was nothing—not even hot gossip—Emma loved talking about more than herself. 
"You mean Stavros? What could you ever want to know about him?" Emma bubbled, acting coy with a lift of her shoulder and flutter of her lashes. 
"Stavros?! You never told me that was his name!" Kita chimed in, filling in where (Y/N) had left off. 
All it took was Emma starting with a Well... to get the table submitting again to conversation full of bubbling giggles and blushing cheeks, teases of Stavros's name and Emma's story telling about their time together so far. Even Francesca, after shooting (Y/N) a small smile, became invested in the chronicle of Emma's love life. 
Falling into silence, satisfied at the reroute of the conversation, (Y/N) finally tried the food in front of her. From the corner of her eye, she saw Harry observing her with calculating eyes, a pinch in his brow.
Suddenly, she felt more exposed than when dozens of cameras were posed in her direction. Was she not supposed to interfere like that? Was this new topic somehow equal to the one Emma had initially embarked on? 
Honestly, (Y/N) had almost forgotten about Harry's presence when she stepped in and redirected Emma into safer territory, but now she was wondering if she would have benefited more from keeping her mouth shut. Who knew what he would report back to her father with; how he would spin these events.
"(Y/N), don't you know his cousin? That Ferrill girl we met in Milan?" Francesca's voice chirping out her name had (Y/N) dropping back into the conversation, grateful for a distraction from what she was overthinking in her mind. 
"Oh, yeah, Ferrill! She's Stavros's cousin?..." 
—————
"You really have to go home?" 
Kita's over-pouted lips and pleading pulled a laugh out of (Y/N) as she pulled her into a hug. 
"I know, I'm sorry," she started, reciprocating her friend's hold, "You know I'd love to go with you guys if I could, but I already promised I'd call my stylist later today."
"I know," Kita whined, pulling away with her hug still around (Y/N)'s middle, "I just feel like you barely talked this morning, and I miss you."
 Despite being around them and having spent the better part of two hours with these girls, (Y/N) missed them too. Kita wasn't wrong in that she barely talked for the morning, Harry being a constant, extra fine sifter that filtered her thoughts before she even had them ready to go. It was hard to talk as freely when she knew he was analyzing every single syllable on her lips. 
"I'm sorry," (Y/N) pouted, playing along, "But, I'm sure I'll see you again soon. And, if you want, you can FaceTime me later so I can see what you got." 
Kita seemed satisfied with that answer, pulling (Y/N) in for another hug before joining the rest of the women who were beckoning to join them as they started down the sidewalk. Hugs and goodbyes had already been shared amongst the rest of them, Francesca promising to text her before she even had a chance to make it home. 
With a final wave from the three of them and calls of "Bye, Harry!", (Y/N) was left by Sully's car with an extra shadow. 
The truth was, she couldn't imagine trekking down Fifth Ave with Harry following behind her. It was uncomfortable enough to have him sit and eat with her, even more so thinking about him watching as she chattered with her friends and tried on different pieces of clothing. 
"Ready to head home?" Sully asked, hand poised on the handle of the back passenger seat for her. 
"Yes, please," she sighed, eagerly stepping in when he pulled open the door for her.
Following behind her, Harry settled in beside her in the back seat, the faux-leather soft under their weight. Sully smoothly integrated himself within the New York traffic, maneuvering around in ways that made (Y/N) that much more grateful that she wasn't the one in charge. 
Decompressing, her eyes fluttered closed with her shoulders untensing. It wasn't until now that she realized just how tightly she had been wound during the meal. No wonder she could feel the beginning band of an ache forming in her head. 
Breaking the static silence in the cab, Harry asked, "Is it always like that?" 
"Like what?" (Y/N) pressed, brows knitting together in the middle though her eyelids didn't flutter. 
She could hear the sound of him shifting against the leather. "Like, everything going on at once?" 
"A little," (Y/N) admitted, the words leaving on a breathing laugh, "This was on the tamer side. Usually, Toriana will try to debate everyone into agreeing to get a mimosa tower for the table—that's when things start happening all at once." 
A beat passed, (Y/N) assuming he was fine with the stopping point of the conversation until he spoke again. 
"Y'didn't drink today." 
Though it was less of a question and more of a statement, she still answered with, "No." 
"Why not?" 
Shrugging, her clothing shuffled against the faux-leather. "I don't really like drinking this early—it makes me too tired, so I don't usually do it." 
Despite the fact she didn't hear his voice again, (Y/N) could feel Harry's eyes on her through the remaining drive to her apartment.
—————
Laid flat on her back on her bed, (Y/N) raised her hand to look at the time on her phone once more. The closer the clock numbers to ten a.m., the more she wanted to curl up in her sheets. 
Dressed in her pastel pink workout set with her hair braided back and tennis shoes on her feet, (Y/N) was more than ready to head to her pilates class. She wanted to luxuriate in her poses and breathing, get a smoothie afterwards as her cooldown, and live her normal routine. The only problem was Harry. 
Though she loathed to admit it, she knew he was supposed to accompany her. Even if he wasn't policing her at home, she knew there were no exceptions to the rule of him going with her throughout her day should she chose to go out and about. That was the whole point of his job. 
She wanted to do as Francesca had told her—that she still needed to live her life even if it was with an extra shadow—, but, even with the fact that the Sunday brunch had gone well enough, taking Harry to her pilates class was completely different. She lacked friends in her class anyway, and this wouldn't make it any better. Most of the women already judged her enough, adding Harry into the mix wasn't going to help her case in not looking as pretentious and spoiled like they thought. 
Maybe, she could get away with only sending him a text? It wasn't as if she were going to an event or a high-profile dinner. Maybe her dad wouldn't care, leaving Harry to not care either. There wasn't much trouble she could get into while controlling her breathing and wiping sweat off the back of her neck, anyway. 
Looking at the time once more, she saw the minutes click that much closer to the start time for her usual session. Her chest rose as she pulled in a deep breath. 
If she wanted to get there on time and get a good spot, she was going to have to text Harry and move on. Sully was on the way anyway, she had to make her choice now before she had to cancel the car and instead curl up in bed just like she had been for three days since brunch. 
The sound of (Y/N)'s nails tapping at her phone screen filled her room as she made to sit up amongst the folds in her duvet.
     morning, harry! just wanted to let you know that im headed to my pilates class right now. it should end around 11 and i'll probably grab a smoothie after, so i'll be on my way back to my apartment after that. lmk if you need anything like to get into my apartment or anything like that before im home ! 
As soon as she pressed send with the blue bubble inflating against the dark background, she locked her phone. She couldn't overthink this whole thing anymore. She had plans she needed to stick to if she wanted to stay normal. 
The notification that Sully was downstairs waiting for her couldn't have come soon enough, not when she finished packing her things much too quickly. 
"No Harry?" Sully asked once she was secure in the back seat, the morning sun shining on the grimy streets of the city. 
Avoiding his gaze in the rearview mirror, (Y/N) shook her head. "Not today." 
—————
Buzz-buzz.
(Y/N) cinched her eyes closed tighter at the sound of a phone vibrating deep in someone's bag. her breathing came in even waves, chest rising and falling in even measures. 
Buzz-buzz.
One of the other students faltered on their breathing, the teacher pausing just a second too long in-between instructions as everyone heard the incessant noise.
"Now, take a breath and stretch into your high plank," the morning's instructor directed, voice calm in the middle of the studio, "Keep the height to your comfort, no reason to strain past a slight burn." 
Taking in a deep breath, (Y/N) listened with her hands planted solidly on the mat under her. Her back stretched slowly, legs keeping her steady as she fell back into the rhythm of the session.
Until another round of buzzing started, this string clearly from a phone call that was going to be ignored. 
The strength in her core faltered with her eyes cinched to a tight close at the sound.
(Y/N) knew good and well that it was her phone that was going crazy at the bottom of her bag, but there was no way she was going to make that obvious to anyone else in the class. She was sure a good chunk of them already assumed it was her anyway, but that didn't mean she had to admit to it. 
Instead, she kept up with the poses and the directions given, ignoring the device as best as she could. She was going to enjoy this class as much as she could before she would be forced to renter her reality.
She already knew what kind of notifications were waiting for her, anyway. Either Francesca and the girls randomly decided to start up another group chat, or Harry wasn't pleased with her decision to head out for the day with nothing more than a text sent his way. Either way, (Y/N) didn't want to deal with either of those things at the moment. 
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but would the owner of the phone that keeps going off, please, either silence or turn off your phone for the remainder of the class? I'm sure the class would appreciate the chance to keep their focus without any more interruptions." 
Despite her tone of voice being respectful and calm as ever, (Y/N) knew the instructor was pissed. No matter how well-paying her clients were, there was no way she could keep standing for disruptions like this. Blinking her eyes open, she saw the rest of the class on the same level as their instructor: just as annoyed but feigning calmness as if the last half hour hadn't been spent ignoring phone call after phone call with text messages in between. 
She couldn't get up now, (Y/N) thought. Not when everyone was waiting to see who the culprit was so they could shoot daggers with their gaze. She could only imagine what the post-class powwow of complaints would sound like. 
(Y/N) cringed when her phone went off once more, the device rattling against a tube of lipgloss to make it that much lounger. 
Fuck. This was worse than waking up and seeing drunken photos of her posted. At least then she didn't have a dozen other people staring at her in the process. 
When her phone went off once more in what she hoped was a reminder notification and not another set of messages coming through, (Y/N) couldn't take it anymore. She had to fix this if she wanted to at least be welcomed back. 
Just as she went to break her pose, a clatter could be heard on the other side of the door. Muffled voices broke through the curated tranquility of the studio, sounding more and more aggravated as they drew closer to the room she was in. The doorknob twisted, resistance found on the other side when a clear "Sir!" was called through. 
A beat later, that resistance was broken, Harry barreling through the door. With a furrow pinching his brow and a blaze in his eyes, he looked just as bitter and grumpy as a stereotypical bouncer and not the seasoned security detail he was. His usual uniform of all black was crumpled and creased with his hair a mess on the top of his head. 
"Sir, there is a class in session!" A voice (Y/N) recognized from the front desk of the studio burst in behind him. Harry didn't flinch back for even a second. 
The second his gaze landed on her, his jaw hardened. "(Y/N)," he gritted out her name, "Come here, now." 
Having crumbled from her pose to sit with her legs folded underneath her, (Y/N) felt stuck where she sat. She could practically spot steam coming from the top of Harry's head. Her skin heated when she felt others' eyes land on her. 
This was definitely much, much worse than if she had just answered her phone. 
"Harry," she started, unsure of what exactly she was going to say but feeling as if she needed to say something anyway. 
His nose flared. "Sully is waiting outside. Let's go." 
There was a finality in her tone that had her scrambling to collect her things as soon as possible. The room was silent as she messily rolled her mat and clumsily stepped into her shoes. 
A mumbled thank you was offered to the silent instructor as she passed, a matching apology being told to the class though she was sure both sentiments fell on deaf ears. (Y/N) was definitely going to have to switch studios again. 
She wasn't surprised to see the rest of the studio having fallen in line, patrons and classes quiet and paused after the ruckus caused on her behalf. (Y/N) could only imagine the photos others snapped of her following after Harry like a puppy with her tail between her legs. She already knew what this was going to look like—the loud scene as well as following after Harry the way she was. 
Sully didn't say anything when (Y/N) quickly slipped into the backseat, Harry coming after with a loud slam of the door behind. 
The interior was almost humid with the way Harry fumed beside her, his arms a tight cross over his chest and his jaw anchored closed. From the corner of her eye, she could see the way his fingers were curled into fists under the shelter of his arms. 
(Y/N) felt silly to be sitting there with her cardigan and leggings, hands in her lap like a reprimanded child. 
The silence stretched on as Sully pulled away from the curb, routing directly back to her apartment without question. 
It wasn't until there was a stop in the traffic that any of them dared to speak a single word. Of course, it was Harry.
"I don't know what you were thinking this morning," he started, voice deceptively calm, "But, you almost cost me my job with that stunt." 
Staying quiet, she didn't know what to say. Honestly, she hadn't really thought about it like that when she left without him this morning. She had only been considering the pit in her stomach and how much she hadn't wanted to disrupt her own life. She acted just as selfish as she was sure Harry thought her to be at her core. 
From the corner of her eye, she could see the way Harry's gaze on her profile sharpened. She kept her eyes on her hands. 
"I thought we had a good understanding after this weekend, but I think I need to make a few things especially clear for you," he started, (Y/N) finally chancing a look at him. Harry's gaze steeled when she matched him. "When I was given this job, I was told to go with you everywhere, and 'm sure you were told the same thing. I don't care if you think your fathers's company, or the 'public' or whoever you think is my client, because that is not the truth. You are my client, and if you make trouble like this again, I will lose my job. Because of you." 
(Y/N) had never been reprimanded like this before, not as fat as she could remember. Her father's scoldings had never been this effective, even when she was young enough to still care what he had to say. 
Her throat was dry as she piped up, hoping to explain herself, "It was just my pilates class. I didn't think it would be a big deal." 
That seemed to be the very worst thing she could have said with the way Harry's shoulders tensed with hot air with his jaw quirked. His eye contact was unwavering as he glared at her. 
"I knew I was going to have to babysit you, but I didn't think it would be this much of a problem. Going forward, I do not care where you are going, I am going with you. I know you don't want me here, so the quicker you follow this and get over whatever princess complex you have after getting everything handed to you, the quicker we'll both be free of this contract. Please keep that in mind the next time you decide to go off with just a text." 
Harry's tone was harsh and grating, flaming hot underneath the calm facade he was just well-versed with as her own bubbly princess role. He could rival her father in just how much disdain he held for her. 
She couldn't blame his perception of her, really. With the way both her father and the media spoke of her, she could only imagine the kind of person she looked to be in his eyes. 
Nonetheless, (Y/N) could still feel that sting of hurt. 
But, he was right. Now, she knew where they stood. Now, she could try harder to get over her princess complex and show her father she didn't need a ghost and everything could go back to normal. 
If she tried hard enough, she could hopefully still make it to spend the winter in Francesca's family's Swiss cabin free of an extra shadow. That was a goal she could work towards this summer. 
"I understand," she told him, checking out of the conversation now that she had her own plan working in the background, her own terms to follow, "I'm sorry I put you in that position. I didn't mean anything by it, I just didn't think it was the kind of thing to bother you over." 
Deflating some, Harry blinked, his gaze falling down her features. "Okay," he settled, golden flecks swimming in his irises, "Now, we're both on the same page." 
(Y/N) quietly agreed with a small nod. 
The rest of the car ride was silent.
—————
Without a second thought, (Y/N) stowed the newest heavy, photo-laden envelope into her drawer of the others. She already knew what kind of pictures would be inside and the kind of story her admirer had spun in her honor. It would be the same photos that had been distributed by the same anonymous Instagram blog that always posted them along with the same story that all the tabloids picked up the next day. 
According to the internet as well as a few gullible publications, (Y/N) had shown up drunk to her class and Harry had come to collect her. Harry was also no longer her mystery man, and now her affair partner that she had cheated on Damien Moore with. Damien was also reportedly very hurt to be seeing her with Harry after everything that had gone down. Broken-hearted by the ice queen, one publication had been so bold to claim. Blurry photos accompanied the articles and tweets, with her looking to Harry with watery eyes ("alcohol-glazed") like a reprimanded child as she followed him out. 
Her admirer had no doubt clung to the claims that she was in a romantic relationship, their own version of events meandering around it all to erase the legitimacy of the claims along with photos of her back at her apartment without him to solidify their theory. While they would be right this time, that she and Harry were not linked in any way but professional, it still didn't make her feel very safe knowing they had gone to the length they did to verify as much as well as send a letter to prove it all. 
It'd been days since the incident and one day since the news hit the circuits, and (Y/N) was more than comfortable hiding out at her apartment to ensure she wouldn't have to deal with anyone, including Harry, until her nail appointment on Thursday. The whole thing was more than stupid, full of baseless claims and low-quality photos. It didn't deserve her attention. 
The only thing that had truly caught her off guard, was the lack of phone calls from her father. A full day had passed with the story being tweeted and mocked, and yet there was no scathing text message or berating call sent to her phone. This was just the type of story that would have him up in arms and fuming all throughout the mansion. The longer it didn't come, the more she felt on edge. 
Her father was built on being predictable, so when he deviated from the norm she couldn't help but to fear the worst. 
Ignoring it all for the time being, (Y/N) returned to her kitchen eager to take her mind off things in the form of trying out one of her stored up recipes. 
While she didn't usually have the chance to share it with others, cooking was one of (Y/N)'s favorite pastimes—a therapeutic hobby. She liked putting flavors together and the technique that went into making everything just the way she liked it. There was structure to it all—even the bendable rules gave her guidelines. 
Especially when she was attending her private school and spending her time in dorms and weekends alone at her parents' home, food was the one thing she could control that gave her a routine. She liked making cute meals and lunches for her friends at school and taking advantage of the illustrious pantry and fridge she had at home. It was easy to nurture her love for it when there was no other outlet open for her feelings. 
While there was nothing special she could imagine herself doing with her passion like she was sure that her father would have wanted, it didn't cheapen the love for her at all. It was the easiest way to fill herself with love even when she felt as if everything around her was hateful. 
Turning her phone to silent, (Y/N) happily turned on a rerun of her favorite cooking competition show, and started on her own meal. 
—————
élan is a French word that describes the sense of a movement coming; the grace with which time moves towards the next chapter
eeeek! thank u sm for reading! sorry for any mistakes and please lmk if theres any fun ideas or thoughts you have!
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matrixbearer2024 · 2 months
Note
Ahhhh I hope you take in smutt requests cause I got an idea 🙏
Vox eating out the reader while they are sitting on his face <3 but suddenly his screen cracks
Smutt turned funny or smth hihi
Also would be very fun if reader was afab but like with gn pronouns
Glass Breaks
Vox x gn!afab!Reader
NSFW WARNING HERE! MINORS DNI!
A/N: I've seen some posts going around talking about Vox and an S/O that had some... mishaps- during a face sitting session and I am LIVING for it. Granted I wrote this really late so I don't know if it'll be any good or if Vox is a little OOC but I hope you enjoy it anon!
Vox had a pretty rough day.
Dealing with his company, reporters, the other Vees-
He wanted nothing more than to just collapse in your arms and forget the day's stresses.
Instead, he came back to an extremely sexy surprise.
He'd taken his coat off, hanging it by the door as he strolled in and looked for you.
The dead silence was quite rare when it came to you.
Hell, he expected you to just be waiting by the door with your arms outstretched for a hug as always.
But the second he'd opened the bedroom door, Vox quickly wished he'd done so sooner.
You were laying on his bed in some lingerie, a sheer robe leaving nothing to the imagination.
Not that he was at all complaining!
Vox couldn't tear his eyes away the second he stepped in.
You knew he was entranced, the tech overlord often was when you gave him surprises.
Wholesome ones or not.
It also went without saying that you loved tempting him.
So definitely his libido shot through the roof when you teased him further, making a "come hither" motion that had your beloved's screen overheating.
Va Va VOOM BABY-
The fans in his head quickly kicked on to high gear as a blush quickly settled on his face.
Despite that, an eager smile wormed onto his face as he made his way over to you.
Not willing to let just anyone stroll in however, accident or not, Vox of course locked the door.
"Tough day~?"
"If I get to come home to this? Makes it all worth it."
You cooed as your neck was peppered with gentle kisses and nips.
It wasn't rare for Vox to be this soft with you in bed, but you garnered it was probably because he was tired.
Oftentimes if he needed to release stress he'd just fuck you silly into the mattress no matter what you were wearing.
You were kind of expecting the same today really, hearing his ranting over the phone just a few hours prior-
Even so, this wasn't too far fetched of a scenario either.
On the other hand, if he was tired?
He would just service you until you were sated.
Then you both could have a passionate round two in the morning.
You exchanged gentle kisses with Vox while he did away with your clothes.
His claws carefully grazing your skin as he groped so he wouldn't hurt you.
A shiver ran up your spine as one of his claws rubbed against your slit.
Your panties even gained a damp spot from all his ministrations.
Vox only chuckled at the revelation, pulling away from the kiss to gaze at your flustered expression.
He loved making a mess of you, it was extremely fun and exhilarating knowing that only he could do this to you and nobody else.
Leaning over to whisper in your ear, his claws gently caressed your sides.
"I wanna try something, follow my lead?"
"Of course."
And that's how you found yourself in this current situation.
Sitting on your boyfriend's screen while he voraciously ate you out.
Vox honestly couldn't even get enough of your moans.
You cried his name out so much he wouldn't dare forget it now.
His hands held down your hips while his tongue worked wonders.
He was just totally drowning in you when you sat on his face.
Why didn't he think of doing this before?
Usually he'd be above you if he was giving oral but honestly this works too.
Of course- there was a really good reason why you shouldn't be sitting on his face.
Which was further proven when you heard a small cracking sound before losing yourself in the throes of passion.
Both of you froze in shock from the sound before you slowly got off Vox and your suspicions had been proven right.
His poor screen had a crack running along the edge where you were leaning most of your weight.
Your beloved only raised a hand to feel his screen to confirm what he'd been guessing before groaning in frustration.
Vox just promptly wrapped himself up in a blanket cocoon annoyed and embarrassed.
So much for that, not to mention the mood was gone.
You couldn't help but giggle at just how random it all was.
Oh well, it just wasn't meant to be.
That didn't help Vox's grumpiness at all.
"It's not funny doll."
He tiredly muttered, you didn't think he'd be so defeated by such a small thing.
Then again, maybe it wasn't exactly a small thing for him.
You shifted closer to your TV lover and lightly tugged at the blankets until he looked at you.
His eyebrows were pressed together in what you could only describe as annoyance.
Though it quickly dissipated when you started just lightly leaving kisses all over his screen.
Being mindful of the cracks that you inadvertently caused of course.
"Wh- Wait- (Y/N) what are you- mmPHF-"
You quickly shut him up with another sweet kiss, pulling away to gently stroke the side of his head.
"It's okay hun, really. We tried, and well- now we know why you're not supposed to sit on a flatscreen TV-"
Vox half-heartedly groaned at your attempt at hilarity, flipping you both over and tickling you in retribution for such a poorly landed joke.
Your joyful laugher was more than enough to sweep away his annoyance and irritation at his hardware durability failing.
Afterwards, he held you close for cuddles until the next morning where he'd inevitably have to go and get his screen repaired.
Though that was trouble for tomorrow's him to deal with.
Bonus:
Valentino wasn't the only one who noticed the condition of his colleagues' glass screen during a meeting.
Well it's not as bad as it could possibly be, but a cracked screen was a cracked screen.
"Geez, what happened to you? Did you get into a fight with the missus yesterday?"
"Uh... something like that."
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captainjonnitkessler · 4 months
Note
I understand if you want to stay out of it but I’m curious as to you’re thoughts on this discourse
https://www.tumblr.com/dappercat123/737173649266737152/your-arguments-sum-to-in-my-perfect-world-there
Anon, I'm going to be entirely honest with you. I have been waiting for an excuse to put my thoughts about this down. Forewarning that this is going to be long and take a dim view of organized religion.
TL;DR: I think everyone in that thread is maliciously misinterpreting evilsoup's point, which is basically that they think Gene Roddenberry was right about what a post-utopian society would look like re: religion. And you can agree or disagree about whether a post-religious utopia is likely or desirable, but to say that anyone who thinks it is is actively calling for and encouraging genocide is a gross misuse of the term (especially coming from at least one person that I'm pretty sure is currently denying an actively ongoing actual fucking genocide).
@evilsoup can correct me if I'm misinterpreting their points, but as far as I see it there are two main points being made:
A) In a perfect utopia with absolutely no source of oppression, marginalization, or disparity, religion would naturally whither away with no outside pressure being applied.
B) This would be a good or at least a neutral thing.
As far as A) goes - a lot of the responses evilsoup got were basically "well *I* would never choose to be nonreligious, so therefore the only way to create that world would be by force, and therefore you are calling for literal genocide". But aside from the fact that evilsoup was very, very clear that they thought this would be a *natural* event and that trying to force people to be nonreligious would be evil - we're not talking about (general) you. You can be as religious as you want but you don't get to make that choice for your grandkids, or your great-great-great grandkids, or your great-great-great-great-great-etc. grandkids. Just because religion is an integral part of your identity doesn't mean it's something you can pass down, and if you're not comfortable with the idea that your kids might choose to leave your religion, you shouldn't have kids.
I personally don't foresee religion disappearing entirely, but it is pretty consistent that as a country becomes happier, healthier, and wealthier, it also becomes less religious. Religiosity is inversely correlated with progressive values. And the more democratic and secular a nation is, the less powerful religious authorities become - In the 1600s blasphemy and atheism were punishable by death* in Massachusetts and today I can call the Pope a cunt to his face** on Twitter with no repercussions whatsoever. Political secularism is an absolute necessity for true democracy and it necessitates removing power from religious authorities, which has and will likely continue to lead to a decline in religiosity - not just a decline in how many people identify as religious, but also a decline in how religious the remaining people are.
*Blasphemy laws and death penalties for blasphemers/apostates are still VERY much a thing in many places. It's hard to see a path where those places become more democratic but don't become more secular and repeal those laws.
**Well, to the face of whoever runs his Twitter account, but the point remains.
I also believe that many religious communities have been held together for so long via coercion - either internal coercion like blasphemy and apostasy laws, shunning, and threats of hell or other supernatural punishment, or external coercion like oppression from the majority religious group or ethnic cleansings. In a perfect utopia, neither form of coercion would exist and I don't think it's crazy to think that religiosity would drop severely and become a much less important part of people's identities, in the way I think the queer community would not exist in a world where queerphobia didn't exist.
ANYWAY, all this is actually kind of moot. It could happen, it could not, nobody is calling for it to be forced so we'll just have to wait and see. The real point of disagreement is on B).
I'm gonna be honest - I think a lot of the responders are rank hypocrites and are really hung up on the idea of cultural purity, which is something I'm wildly uncomfortable with.
First of all, the idea that a deeply-held religious belief could be diluted until it's just a cultural thing that nobody really remembers the origins of isn't some evil mastermind plot evilsoup is trying to concoct, it's just how cultures work. There's tons of stuff about American culture that are vaguely rooted in what were once deeply-held beliefs and are now entertainment. Halloween is rooted in sacred tradition and now it's a day to dress up and get candy. Christmas is one of the most sacred holidays in Christianity but nobody bats an eye if a non-Christian puts up some lights or decorates a tree just because it's fun. I have no doubt that every culture on Earth has traditions that used to be deeply sacred but are now just fun family traditions. People in Japan use Christian symbology as an "exotic, mythical" aesthetic the exact same way people in the West use Eastern symbology. And if you're okay with it happening to Christianity, why wouldn't you be okay with it happening to any other religion in the absence of oppression?
And there's the idea that if a culture fails to get passed down *exactly* as it is now, it's a terrible loss and the result of malicious outside influence. But . . . cultures change over time. No culture is the same now as it was two or five or eight hundred years ago and I don't believe that change is inherently loss. The things that are sacred to you may or may not be sacred to the people of your culture in the future. That's just the way things work, and I don't think it's inherently good or bad.
And finally, people keep accusing evilsoup of "just wanting everyone to assimilate to your culture", but it absolutely does not follow that a lack of religion means a lack of diversity. Different nonreligious cultures are every bit as capable of being diverse as different religious cultures, so it's weird to insist that evilsoup wants there to only be one culture when they never said anything to indicate that.
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droopywrites · 6 months
Note
did you ever did a part 2 to jjk dudes meeting their child who’s from the future?
⋆。Part || of JJK MEN meeting their future kids。⋆
Author's notes: I don't think I've posted it! Considering it kind of left my mind and the old draft is gone, but I did write everything I remember here. Also, it's like 3am and I wrote this crying, not proofread.
CW: Swearing, killing, cannibalism(?) like mention of eating people, children.
Pronouns used for the kids: She/her for Geto and It/its for Sukuna.
Part | (Warning, it's from 2021)
Geto
Starting off strong with Geto.
Definitely another girl. He's such a girl dad.
On a regularly scheduled day like always; it was wake up, talk with his connections, mingle with his family, check on Mimi and Nana, see whatever the hell the non-sorcerers wanted, get greeted by a little girl that wasn't supposed to be on the estate...
What the fuck.
How did she even get here? Why is she here?
Geto would stare at this child in confusion and look around, waiting for someone to claim her.
He has a soft spot for children. Sorcerers, of course. Non-sorcerers, debatable.
So, low and behold this little girl running up to him to clutch at his robes. Him trying to pry her off of him with her relieved cries of "Papa! Papa!" escaping her lips.
Papa?
Holds her by the shirt's scruff like a cat and squints, ready to scold her but pauses when he sees her face.
Because, holy shit, that's literally his twin. And suddenly every rare hookup played in his mind.
But no, she looked no older than 3. He hadn't been with anyone at that time, or ever yet. Not that far.
Drops everything for the next couple of days just to make sense of the situation, only telling his beloved family.
Mimi and Nana fawn over the idea of a little sister but are a bit restrictive if it's not a permanent thing.
The girl didn't speak much except for addressing Geto, the twins, oh and you.
You...?
You.
You.
You, who had just returned from your trip overseas to oversee some tasks involving curses.
You, who the little girl immediately ran to and called "Mama! Mama!"
You, who Geto stared wide-eyed at and surprised as you two tried to settle the fact nothing even happened between you.
Yet.
When that little girl eventually left to her own time, with everything still fresh and confusing, Geto eventually approached you.
Because, well, he wanted to see that little girl again.
After few dates, then a relationship, then marriage. Maybe.
Sukuna
Listen, he is NOT spreading those cursed genes of his pre-human/post-cursed-spirit.
Man hates love.
But, during the Heian period. When some stupid kid wandered into his life as if it always belonged there, maybe, maybe, there was something else in that space in his chest but hunger and his definition of love.
So, there it was. Whatever it was. Standing there with large eyes focused on him with a semblance of admiration and malice.
"What are you looking at, brat?"
"You."
The audacity of this thing. He killed it immediately.
And then it came back. So, he killed it again. And again. And... what the fuck.
This little shit was persistent.
His kid. He doesn't know how. But definitely his kid.
A worthy successor? Fuck no, he's not dying or leaving it as some birthright to a hindrance.
Learning of its origins was pretty interesting, to say the least.
"Not a human? I figured. A curse made from me, huh? Someone weak must hate me so much."
That meant a human parent. Or multiple human parents. Gross.
He wasn't getting into that.
The kid was though.
It often visited this village to... eat? Kill? Fight? Whatever makes it happy.
...
The hell do you mean it was visiting its human mother?
It had a mother? It had a mother that cursed him so much it resulted in a personalized cursed child?
He could see it stare longingly at that woman's village and before he could even kill her, his offspring said goodbye.
"I'll see you in the future, yeah?"
And then Sukuna was sealed.
He probably searched for his offspring in the Modern era.
Author's notes 2: Stopping with these two because it's been a while since I've posted seriously on this account, 2 years? Maybe I've gotten better, maybe not. This was the idea but with updated better minds. Maybe I'll do the others separately again, Yuji, Yuta, Megumi, Toge. Just did the adults first. Doing Choso and Higuruma definitely.
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navybrat817 · 7 months
Text
No Other Love
Pairing: Roommate!Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader
Summary: Bucky wants to surprise you with a romantic evening.
Word Count: Over 2.1k
Warnings: Fluff, established relationship, slight feels (it’s me, okay), Bucky Barnes being romantic (he’s a warning, okay?).
A/N: I received some sad news and almost didn't post, but I wanted to share something that brought happy tears to my eyes with Stud. ❤️ Not beta read and written on my phone, so any and all mistakes are my own. Moodboard by yours truly and divider by the amazing @firefly-graphics . Please follow @navybrat817-sideblog for new fics and notifications. Comments, reblogs, feedback are loved and appreciated!
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Bucky sent you to your room and wouldn’t tell you why. He had a surprise planned for you and refused to give you any sort of a hint. He only said he debated kicking you out for a few hours, but didn’t want to risk you getting back too early or late. Oh, and he asked you to put on a dress. Your boyfriend had a romantic plan in mind and you wouldn't deny his request.
You did, however, demand snacks while you waited.
“You want me to feed you just because I’m asking you not to go into the kitchen or dining area for a bit?” he smiled when you pointed to the pantry.
“If I can’t leave my room, I will need sustenance,” you replied.
Just like you didn’t argue about his surprise plans, he didn’t argue when he handed over the food.
“What is he doing out there?” you mumbled to yourself, crossing your arms. You debated pressing your ear against the door to listen, but your stealthy boyfriend managed to keep quiet. “Can I come out now?!” you called out.
“No! Don’t distract me!” he yelled back.
You huffed and flopped back against the pillow. It wasn’t that you didn’t like surprises. You just preferred knowing things. Blame it on your curious nature. It was one of the reasons you enjoyed studying. Expanding your mind and absorbing knowledge centered you. With surprises, however, the only option you had was to wait.
But it’s worth it because it’s Stud.
“‘Don’t distract me.’ Like you haven’t distracted me when I have things to do,” you muttered to yourself as you grabbed a book from your nightstand. “Menace of a boyfriend.”
“You talking about me?” he shouted as you mindlessly flipped through the pages.
How the hell…?
“No! Just reading! Get back to work or whatever it is that you’re doing!”
“You trust me, right?” He asked.
Even though he couldn't see your face, you smiled. “Completely,” you answered.
If there was anyone in the world you trusted with your entire being, it was Bucky.
“Then trust that this will be worth it.”
“You got it, Stud!” you said, assuming he went back to work since he chuckled and didn't say anything else.
You passed the time with your book before you got up to look in the mirror. Since Bucky didn’t say what kind of dress to wear, you picked something simple and blue. You loved the color before, but he made you appreciate it more. You felt peace when you looked into his eyes.
Trust, loyalty, love.
You just finished spritzing a bit of perfume on your neck when Bucky knocked on the door. Instead of opening it as you expected, he slid a piece of paper under it instead. As you moved closer, you realized it was shaped like a puzzle piece. Smiling, you picked it up to read the message he wrote.
In my wildest dreams, I never thought someone as amazing as you would come into my life. I hope I’m your dream come true and better than any book boyfriend you've read about.
Oh, Bucky.
With misty eyes, you read the message again and traced the letters with your finger. Bucky was the best boyfriend in the universe and you didn’t think that just because he was yours. Any girl would be lucky to have a man like him by his side. Someone loving and steadfast and true.
“Count to ten and then come out,” Bucky said through the door as you composed yourself.
After silently counting to ten as he instructed, you opened the door with a gasp. Bucky took your apartment, one you saw daily, and transformed it. Fairy lights, adjustable lamps, and candles replaced the normally brightly lit place. You could see blankets and pillows ready in the living room for cuddling and hopefully more. And the scent of freshly baked pizza filled the air.
Best meal ever.
“Bucky?” you asked when you didn’t see him. Was he hiding? You didn’t even see Alpine or Soot. Maybe he put them in his room. You almost called for Bucky again before you spotted another piece of paper on the floor a few feet in front of your door and went to pick it up.
Before I met you, I never knew what it was like to smile for no reason. And I found the reason for my smile the day I found you. Like when I think of that cute look you get on your face when you put a puzzle together.
You held the sheet close to your chest as you found another in the direction of the kitchen, smiling as you went to retrieve it. This was like a treasure hunt, a puzzle you couldn’t wait to complete. Bucky was the “X” that marked the spot.
If I write your name in the sand, it will wash away. If I write it in the clouds, it will blow away. So I wrote it in my heart where it will always stay in my care. Just like I promised your parents.
I’m going to be a blubbering mess if he keeps this up.
“Wise men say.”
You walked into the kitchen as “I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You” filled the room, where Bucky was waiting for you. The song you danced to before you became a couple, one that would forever hold a special place in your heart. And it was as if all the oxygen was sucked from the room as you took in the sight of your boyfriend. Instead of sweatpants or jeans, he wore slacks and a button up shirt. The blue matched your dress. That’s how in sync the two of you were.
He even styled his hair for me.
"Hey, Smartie," he said, his voice gentle as he smiled and nodded to the ground in front of him where another piece of paper lay waiting. “You look beautiful.”
"Thank you, Stud," you smiled, sniffling as you bent down to pick it up. "These messages are beautiful, but are you trying to make me cry? Because if so, well done and it's a good thing I didn't overdo it on the makeup. I'd be a mess."
He laughed, the sound making butterflies flutter in your stomach. "Only if they're tears of joy or pleasure. And you don't need to wear any makeup because you're beautiful," he replied, heat rushing through your body before you read the message.
Love is two people dancing in the kitchen. May I have this dance?
You lifted your gaze to find Bucky holding out his hand. “I’d love to,” you said, setting the pieces of paper on the counter before you joined him. There was no way you would refuse, easily taking his hand for him to pull you into his arms. It was almost overwhelming the way he looked at you, like you were the only person in the world who mattered. If you ever needed to know what love looked like, you only had to gaze into Bucky's eyes.
Am I worthy of such devotion?
"You really are good on your feet,” you said as he began to lead you in a dance.
"I'm even better off my feet," he winked, making you laugh before he spun you away from him, only to pull you back. "That was cheesier than the pizza waiting for us, wasn't it?"
“So cheesy. You had to ruin the moment,” you teased, giving him a coy smile. “So, what’s the special occasion for all this?”
You had a feeling why and wanted your instinct to be correct, but didn’t want to get your hopes up. Family wise, they were ready for you to take the next step. Your parents adored the hell out of Bucky. Becca welcomed you like a sister. Your friends, of course, were also supportive and ready for you to tie the knot.
“Do I need a reason to spoil my girl with an extra romantic pizza and movie night? I’m even letting you pick the movie, even though you chose last time.”
“How generous of you. And no, you don’t need a reason to spoil me,” you said. Even if he didn’t have something specific planned, he made you feel special just by calling you his girl. You knew, no matter how many years passed, the two of you would continue to find ways to make each other feel loved and cared for.
“Do you remember the day we met?” he asked, smiling as if the memory was playing in his mind. “I warned you that Alpine chased off the last person who came over to look at the place. I was worried for a second she'd try the same thing with you.”
“You did warn me,” you giggled. “And I just crouched down and stuck my hand out toward her.”
“She loved you from the start,” he said, pulling you closer as he brushed his mouth against your ear, the gentle tickle of his scruff making your eyes slip shut. “I think I loved you, too.”
Bucky and his perfect voice and perfect words and I'm about to cry all over again.
“You think you loved me from the moment you met me?” You asked, sniffling as he pulled back and nodded. “Because I think I loved you, too. Which sounds crazy, but we're both a little crazy in the best ways.”
We're a couple of dorks who found a way to fit together.
“We are a little crazy. And who would Stud be without his Smartie?" He asked, handing you a sheet that he seemed to pull out of thin air. “One more piece.”
My love for you is like a circle: It has no beginning and no end. And it would be an honor for you to wear my family ring.
Bucky dropped down to one knee and grasped your left hand as he took a box from his pocket. You couldn’t slow the beating of your heart as he looked up at you with loving eyes. “When I tried to think of the perfect proposal, I wanted it to be the kind you deserved. And I couldn’t get our apartment out of my head. This is where we met. The place where you became my roommate. And we made it a home together. You even fell in love with me. I don’t know how I got so lucky, but I’m thankful every single day that you allowed me to love you, too.”
Your breath hitched when he opened the box. Even expecting it, your soul was ready to leave your body. “Bucky,” you whispered, a sob bursting from your throat when he tenderly smiled.
“My mom told me to give this to the person who stole my heart. You gave me the world when you gave me yours. And I promised your dad I'd always take care of you and love you the way you deserve. We’re made for each other and I don’t want to live a single day without you by my side.”
You could only cry when he removed the ring from the box. For him to think you were worthy of wearing something so significant and special to his family was a precious gift. One you would never let him question or regret. “I don’t want to either.”
“You're my missing piece. My forever. My Smartie,” he said, clearing his throat when his voice cracked. “Will you marry me?”
“Yes,” you cried, your hand shaking a little as he slipped the ring on your finger. It fit perfectly, like it was made for you. Like you and Bucky were made for each other.
My missing piece. My forever. My Stud.
Bucky stood and leaned in, his breath ghosting over your lips. You eliminated any distance between you by pressing your mouth to his. You clung to him, your mouth soft against his as he brought a thumb up to wipe away your tears. You drew back, your heart fluttering in your chest as he brought his lips to your damp cheek.
“I love you so much,” he breathed against your skin.
“I love you, too, Bucky,” you whispered, bringing your mouth back to his. “I love you, too.”
You never could’ve imagined someone like Bucky in your wildest dreams. He was the reason you smiled, sometimes for no reason at all. You’d write his name on your heart and forever keep it there. You would dance with him in the kitchen or wherever he asked you to. Your love for him, like his love for you, was an unbreakable circle.
And you couldn’t wait to be his wife.
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Yay! He proposed! Love and thanks for reading! ❤️
Masterlist ⚓ Bucky Barnes Masterlist ⚓ Ko-Fi
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fullsunstrawberry · 5 months
Text
PREVIEW
Love Beyond Labels
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synopsis: the misunderstood "rich girl," reveals her academic struggles to a loner with his own challenges. In an unexpected twist, they form a unique friendship—she gets study help, and he gains a true companion.
genre: slice of life, humor, fluff, angst, smut
warnings**: swearing, bullying, joke of “social suicide”, smut (more to be added)
word count: estimated 10k (preview 1k)
release date: December 10th
a/n: thank you guys so much for 2k followers AHHHH so i decided to post my first ever written fanfic…this took forever to write btw lol
taglist open! (18+)
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School is easy, all you have to do is sit there and look pretty. Well, that's what all your classmates thought. They didn't know how difficult school was for you. You never got what was happening in class. Anytime you got an answer wrong, no one batted an eye because who expects the rich pretty girl to get an answer right? But little did they know you would cry in the janitor's room after each time. You just hated feeling so dumb.
"Ugh, I'm not ready for today's test," Jaemin huffed, plopping down beside you.
"Wait, there's a test?" you sighed, already predicting the outcome.
Mr. Moon whispered a half-hearted "good luck" as he handed you the test, before moving on and finishing handing out everyone else’s tests. He already knew how it was going to go. You hated how even the teachers knew you were stupid.
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After the test, you already knew you failed it. You were the last one to turn your test in, when Jaemin asked if you wanted to meet up with him, Jeno, Mark, and Chenle for lunch. You nodded telling him you had to stop at the office real quick.
Instead of walking towards the office, you sped walked to the janitor's closet, already feeling the tears threaten to escape. You knew you failed that test. Even though you acted like you didn’t know you had a test, you lied. You’ve been studying for it for a long time. Even canceling plans. But you would never admit it to anyone. You studied your ass off but still failed, that’s even more pathetic than forgetting about it.
You quickly took out the keys and opened the door quickly so no other student would see it. You thank the janitor for being so forgetful that you could easily steal one of his keys. He has a bunch of copies, one missing wouldn’t hurt. Right as you locked the door you sat in the corner, not even bothering to turn the lights on.
you were always an ugly crier, but it was okay cause you bought the most expensive waterproof makeup for these occasions. Only a quick bathroom stop is needed before meeting your friends for lunch.
As you were drying your tears you heard the door jiggle and then open. you quickly hid your face just in case it was someone you knew.
"Y/N?" a voice you didn't recognize spoke, interrupting your quiet moment in the janitor's closet.
Confused, you wiped your face and looked up at the mystery voice. You kind of recognized the thick black glasses boy in front of you. You knew he was in some of your classes but you couldn’t think of his name.
Fearing the worst you cleared your throat before asking “What do you want?”
“Uh, I don't want anything!" the boy replied, swiftly stepping into the room and closing the door. You noticed he had his lunch tray with him. "This might sound pathetic, but I like to eat my lunch here."
confused, you asked him “Why would you do that?”
“Well I don’t really have friends and I don't want to get picked on” he explained sitting down next to you, not having much of a choice because there wasn’t that much room.
"Oh, I'm sorry for bothering you. I'll just go," you said, preparing to stand up. But before you could, he quickly called out your name, making you look down at him.
"You're not bothering me! You can stay and talk about what's going on. I know we don't talk, but I can listen to you." His hopeful eyes convinced you to sit back down. You quickly wiped away your tears before confiding in him.
“You can’t tell anyone this!“ You put your pinky finger up and put it near him. “promise?
“I don’t have many people to tell” he let out a small laugh while putting his hands up defensively. “promise!” he took your pinky finger in his
“okay” you nodded “I failed my psychology test today”
you looked at his face and he looked confused “What?” you questioned
“Oh it's just, you always fail your tests. Everyone knows that”
As he said that you felt the tears start to come back. Of course, he wouldn’t get it. Why did you ever think he would get it?
“I didn’t mean it like that, I’m so sorry” he panicked “I shouldn’t have said that!”
you turn away, quickly wiping away your tears again. “no I get it, I’m the dumb girl”
"No, no, no, that's not what I meant. Hey, want to hear something embarrassing about me? I'm only here because of a scholarship. That's why no one wants to be friends with me!" he confessed.
you start to giggle “That’s not embarrassing!”
“It made you laugh! But here is something actually embarrassing, my teacher forgot my name today. Even though I've had her for the whole year.”
Your eyes widen, feeling bad that you forgot his name.
“ahh you don’t know my name either”
you smile “If you tell me your name, I’ll forgive you”
“haechan”
“That's a nice name, haechan” You smiled at the way it rolled off your tongue.
“thank you, I have a proposition or a proposal”
“I know what proposition means” you teased
he giggled, “I’ll help you study”
your eyes lit up, “really? What can I do for you?”
he avoided your eyes and cleared his throat “Be my friend”
your eyes softened “That’s not hard, I was going to be your friend after this conversation anyways” You pushed his shoulder.
He finally met your eyes and smiled at you. “then you don’t have to do anything, friends help friends”
As the bell faintly rang, you pulled out your phone. "Here, give me your number so we can talk."
he paused for a second before taking your phone
standing up and thanking him before you quickly left to go touch up your makeup in the bathroom. Reminding yourself you would have to tell Jaemin you were sorry for ditching him and the guys.
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findafight · 1 year
Text
Wait. Wait. Kinda part 2 to this post. For the angst of it all. Cw: implied and assumed homophobia
Because sure, after that dinner Joyce relents in not being, y'know, openly confused or frustrated with Steve being around. El obviously adores him and Jim is always glad when he comes around. Joyce can put up with Steve for them. But she's a stubborn woman, and somewhere in her mind, Steve is a Bad Egg. So she's still not 100% on board.
All this rears its head one night after a lot of their world saving group has had a movie night and ended up in a puddle on the floor. Steve is squished between Robin and Eddie, snuggled up all cozy. Joyce sees this when she quietly pads out of her bedroom to just. Check on the kids.
Eddie and Steve are sat up, Robin's face pressed against his hip. They're whispering something, heads leaned close. And they lean in further, silhouetted by the moonlight filtering in, and kiss. It's pretty chaste, though not a peck.
Joyce's blood boils. Steve has a girlfriend, he should not be going around kissing his friends like that, stringing them all along. She feels strangely vindicated, that her assumptions about Steve were right, that he wasn't actually a good guy or had changed at all. She almost yells at him then and there, but holds off. No need to wake everyone up. She can lecture him in the morning.
Once everyone is fed and lounging in the late morning, she pulls Steve out onto the porch.
"I saw you kiss Eddie last night" she says, without preamble. "And I cannot believe you would think behaviour like that is acceptable in my house."
Steve blinks, clenches his jaw. "Jo--Mrs Byers. I--"
"I don't want any of your excuses! It's despicable what you're doing, and I won't have it. For whatever reason, those kids look up to you. What kind of example are you setting for them? For El?" Steve's eyes widen, and if Joyce hadn't been so caught up with her anger she probably would have seen that instead of being ashamed or embarrassed, Steve is scared. "She looks up to you so much, though I can't imagine why. You need to clean yourself up, Steve. For real this time. You can't go around doing whatever you want. It's disgusting and disrespectful. Did you even consider the people you'd hurt? How doing shit like that would affect the lives of people who care about you? They deserve better than that." She shakes her head. Arms crossed. Steve is tense in front of her, but he doesn't say anything. To her, that's as good as confession. "Everyone talks about how you've worked hard to improve yourself, become a better person. But after last night? I just don't believe it. No one who's really changed, really a good person, would do what you did." She sighs. "You should probably leave now."
Steve nods stiffly. "Right. I'll. Uh, I leave. Can you...please, don't tell anyone, ma'am. I'll Grab my bag and I'll get outta your hair, but don't tell. I'm so sorry. Please." She purses her lips. His girlfriend deserves to know, but Joyce has no clue who that is (it might be the Robin girl attached to his hip, but she has no way of knowing). She nods once. Steve's shoulders slump.
Stepping back into the house, Steve quickly and jerkily snags his backpack from the corner it was shoved into before leaning over to whisper something in Robin's ear. The girl nods, looking worried.
He doesn't look at Eddie.
For a while, her house is Steve-free. Joyce breathes easy, hoping their talk was a wake-up call for steve. He is painfully polite when they bump into each other, Robin usually by his side with a strained customer service smile. Small talk is non-existent.
But then Will starts getting quieter. Maybe avoiding her. Certainly does his best to be small and doesn't look in her eyes. She has no idea what's going on, and she's worried.
What if the Upside Down came back? What if there's something wrong with her boy? What if everything they've fought for and sacrificed didn't mean anything and it's never actually over?
She tries to talk to him, but he shrugs her off, says he's fine and not to worry about it. Assures her it is definitely not the Upside Down.
Finally, after two weeks of Will looking absolutely miserable when he talks to her, she gets Jonathan to try. Tension around the house is high, Steve is barely around and always skitters away when he sees her, and in combination with will, it's out everyone on edge.
She doesn't mean to eavesdrop. But she doesn't not mean to either. It's just that they're on the porch, and she was in the kitchen and heard something, and when she went to see, she heard them talking.
"it's not--i want to tell you but it's not my secret to tell."
Jonathan sighs. "Will. I can't help if I don't know what's wrong. Please. Talk to me. I'll love you no matter what, you know that."
Will heaves a breath. "I had a talk with Steve --" and oh, the rage in Joyce's chest when she hears that. What did he say to her boy?? "And...uhg. fuck. Okay, you have to swear, swear! You're not going to tell anyone what I'm going to tell you. If you figure it out, because I don't. It's not mine to tell."
"okay. I swear. I won't go spilling Steve's secrets."
"you have to mean it, Jonathan. It's dangerous!"
There's ruffling fabric. Jonathan's voice is softer. "I promise."
"Steve said he was telling me because he thought we might be...similar. In some ways. And he talked about who he's dating. And that Hopper and El and Robin and Eddie know. And that they're all safe. Y'know? Like you are."
"okay..."
"and I said you were, and he said that was really good, and then emphasized that if I ever wanted like, and actual grown up to talk to, not just another teenager, Hopper was safe. But. The way he said it made it seem like...I don't know, but something was off? And I asked him." There's a pause. "I asked him if Mom knew. And he said yes. But he hadn't... Before that, he hadn't said she was safe. Jonathan..."
Something...wasn't adding up. Joyce was trying to puzzle what she wouldn't be safe to talk to about. She'd been in the tunnels and Upside Down and through it all. Her children, and by extension the children that had helped save them, were always safe in her house. To come to her if they felt unsafe. Why Steve would tell her own son she wasn't --
Will continued. "Steve said that it'd probably be different because I'm her kid, y'know? She--she did all this stuff to get me back and to keep me safe and loves me. So she could. So she'd maybe change her mind. For me."
"Will..." Jonathan's voice sounds pained.
"but what if she's not? What if that's where it ends? Shell save me from a demogorgon but not love me for this. Steve's saved my friends half a dozen times, Jonathan! He got--he got tortured" that is not something Joyce knew. When the hell did that happen? "with Robin to protect Dustin and Erica, Billy beat him half to death when he stepped in to protect Lucas and Max! He's good! I'm not as close to him as the others but he still told me. He trusted me enough with a secret that I can't even say outloud about myself yet! And Mom still-" will hiccups, and Joyce wishes she knew what he was talking about. Wishes he was saying these things to her, so she could comfort him.
Heaving a breath, Will is quieter. "Steve's the reason no one's died. He's El's first brother. And she still called him disgusting for-- for kissing someone he loves."
Ice fills Joyce's veins, a heavy pit balls in her stomach. Because that's not--she didn't--it wasn't like that.
But Steve had begged her not to tell anyone. Had stood still and not tried to justify anything and called her ma'am when he asked her not to tell. Held himself still when she was around and bolted at the first possible opportunity, leaving disappointed people in his wake. Oh, shit. Oh, she's fucked up so badly. Hurt some kid because she was suspicious of him from over three years ago and assumed the worst. Instead of realizing that maybe the reason he and his girlfriend were keeping it quiet was because he didn't have a girlfriend at all, and that the boy he kissed that night was his boyfriend, she had just assumed he was cheating. And then she'd told him he was disappointing and disgusting and a bad influence on the kids. Even after, he still made sure Will knew there were safe people around, that he'd have someone to talk to. And all she'd done was make him scared of her.
"oh, buddy."
Will's voice is muffled, and Jonathan has probably pulled him into a hug. It cracks when he speaks. "how can she say that about Steve but still love me? When so much of this shit's been my fault?"
"none of this is your fault. Don't believe that, will. No one blames you or El for any of it. You know that, right?"
"okay..."
"it's true. And as for mom...I don't know." Jonathan huffs "I'm not sure. I'm sorry, buddy."
Joyce turns then, feeling sick. She shouldn't have eavesdropped on her children, but now she had she was going to make things right. Hopefully.
Ensure everyone, including Steve, knew she was safe.
Part 3
2K notes · View notes
entername322 · 5 months
Text
Obsession
Irene (Red Velvet) x Male Reader
Length: 12860 words
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Cool, calm, and collected, that's the three main thing Irene always remind herself to keep.
Navigating through the idol life she has to keep herself from losing hold of her emotions.
Keep a facade, use a mask, make sure nobody sees what she feel or think. These are the main thing she always try to do when it comes to interacting with other people off camera.
She hates men, it's not because they've done something to her. It's just that she find all the men that have tried to flirt or make a move on her has been thoroughly pathetic and frankly, disgusting.
After years of navigating through the idol's life she's been very adept at hiding her feelings.
The nickname ice queen doesn't particularly mind her by any means. However she would also be lying if she said that the nickname doesn't hurt her sometimes.
She does have feelings, she just finds that showing it off would be a bad idea.
That being said, the name has done nothing but skyrocket her popularity, and help her build an image for herself.
Her cold expression and attitude has help her deter some people from coming on to her.
Although that just means the people that do came on to her is the stupidest or the most arrogant of the bunch.
"Unnie come on, Yun is a great guy"  
That didn't stop her own friends and member to try and hook her up with someone though.
"Seung-ah, I'm thankful, I really do, but I'm really not looking for anyone right now"
Her own member, Wendy has tried to hook her up with some people recently. Irene hates this, she despise people who try to do that for her.
Wendy however, is her own member, so her motherly and loving side for her and the hatred for such actions leave Irene in turmoil on how to escapes this situation.
"Come on, one dinner, if things goes bad then I'll swear I'll never pester you about this ever again"
Irene's mind raced quickly, on one hand she's afraid accepting it would enables her other member to do the same. On the other an unpleasant night for a life time, well, a few months or year of peace isn't so bad.
"Fine"
She concluded that if others try to do the same she'll just bring up this incident. After all, if Wendy, one of the best at judging characters and the most sociable of them all, can't find someone who could match her taste, who else would?
Despite the consent she has gave her, on the night of the dinner, she felt a little regret.
This is gonna be a bad dinner
Of course, she tried to keep an open mind. She wouldn't want to ruin her own friends effort with prejudice.
She did her research, looking at the man online. His social media, his occupation, okay maybe it's a little to creepy, but she can't help herself.
On paper, everything is fine, he's an accountant to a big law firm. Late 20s, been in a few relationships. He keeps his exes photo on his Instagram, and seeing his recent post he seems to still hangout with them.
Most of the pictures is group photo so it most probably means that he still hangout with the circle of friends without any issue.
Looks wise, he's average. Irene doesn't have a high standard by any means, she just hangout with some of the most beautiful idols around her work. Compared to them, he's average, which means he's pretty good looking for the general public.
So what's the red flag? Irene doesn't know herself, it's just, she doesn't have any interest in him.
Most of the thing she find about him just leave an 'oh' in her mind. Not bad 'oh' or a good 'oh' just 'oh'.
Nevertheless, she went to the dinner, a reservation at the 2 Michelin star restaurant. She enjoys this kinds of food, not that she's materialistic, she just have a taste for expensive things. Okay she might be a little materialistic, a bit more than what she would admit.
"Hello, I'm David, it's nice to meet you"
The man was waiting for her at the reserved table already.
Quite and secluded place at the corner of the room, away from the windows that the paparazzi could use.
This is a two Michelin star restaurant, even the worst seat is better than the one in most places.
"Hello, Seung talk alot about you"
Give a little smile, shake his hand, sit at your seat. Don't try to be hostile or too friendly. Observe him.
"I must say, I'm a big fan of your work, it's very surprising that Wendy would offer me this opportunity"
A genuine smile, no signs of nervousness. Irene, doesn't have any strong feeling about that confidence, but it does leave some impression for her to note.
"Well, Seung is, very social, she likes introducing her friends to each other"
Perhaps that trait of her have left Irene in some awkward and uncomfortable situation. Of course Irene would never say this out loud.
"So, should we order?"
Chatty, this man is chatty. It does bring a little relive for Irene. She prefers someone who would take over the conversation and alleviate some burden from her.
It also means he might slip up and say more than what he meant, which is perfect for her since she's observing him.
"..... And it was pretty funny actually. How about you? Did Wendy ever brought you to an awkward situation like that?"
He was talking about how Seung once tried to hook him up with a distant cousins of him.
"Not really, although I'm not really good at meeting new people"
"Well, I used to as well, but being dragged into a lot of social gatherings I've been.... Forced to adapt. There's this one time...."
The dinner was fine, things has been going well, Irene was surprised herself that he was pretty charming.
"Sorry if I talk alot, I tend to do it if I was nervous"
"It's fine, sorry if I didn't talk much either"
"Of course, it's my pleasure to, you know, have a chance to sit here with you-"
His phone buzzed.
"Sorry, just a moment"
Picking it up, he opened his newly received text. It was a nude picture of a woman.
Irene saw it and raised her eyebrow, how does she saw it? Well, the little painting behind him gave a little reflection.
Not a noticeable one, but her eyes is one of a hawk, never missing any small detail.
He answered the text, something Irene can't see, before looking back at her.
"Sorry, work stuff"
Hmmm, off putting, but since she doesn't see his response she wouldn't mind putting the benefit of the doubt, slightly.
"It's fine, you were talking about your first year at the law firm you're currently working on?"
The conversation continues smoothly, almost like the little hiccup from before never happened.
In fact, Irene was throughly surprised that things went well.
"So, that was a nice dinner"
"Yes, it was"
"It's been nice talking with you Irene"
"Me too"
The two gather up their thing and ready to leave. As they walk out, David did the sinful and unforgivable act in Irene's book. He put his hand on her shoulder, almost leading her.
"How about we continue our talk at my place, it was fun, and the night is still young"
Confident, so much so he thinks that he could bring me to his place after the first date? On a blind date on top of that?
"Sorry, I have an early schedule"
Irene smiled again, unlike the others one she gave ro him during the dinner, this one is an annoyed smile. Not that he would notice it.
"Oh come on, you're a senior already, just break the rule a little bit"
"I'm, really sorry, it's an important meeting"
"Come on, not even a kiss?"
Men.
The next day Irene came to work in a bad mood.
"So, how does it go?"
Wendy said the moment she saw her leader.
"Morning Seung"
"Come on, spill, I told you he's great"
"He was, until he tried to talk me into spending time in his place"
"He did?"
"Things are fine until the end of the dinner"
"Oh shit, sorry unnie, he's not Korean, things are, different in the-"
"Seung, I don't, I don't like the vibe he gave me at the end"
Wendy frowned, from disappointment, although she's not sure it was directed to Irene or David.
"I'll.... Okay, I understand"
"Sorry Seung, he seems like a great guy, but he's too aggressive for me"
"Yeah, I get it"
"Anyway, what's the plan for today?"
"Well, beside the photoshoot at noon me and Seulgi-unnie is going to meet some of the trainee that we have. There's some promising people our produce said"
Checking in on the trainee is something a lot of the idols do in SM. Even Irene has done it a few time before.
"Can I come with you?"
"Sure, come on"
The two of them went to meet up with Seulgi at their designated dressing room.
"Unnie is coming too?"
Irene nodded.
"Well let's go, I'm gonna be the dance instructor for today"
The group of three went to the trainee practice room.
As soon as they got in the rowdy buch of kids got quiet. Entranced by the three women.
"Morning everyone, I'm Seulgi from Red Velvet, today I'll be your dance instructor"
Seulgi's word cause a wave of panic between the trainees face.
"Don't be nervous, I'll try my best to help you all. As you may have know these are my members, Irene and Wendy, they will be watching us today. Don't panic, they are simply watching us"
Irene's eyes scanned the room,watching and observing the expression. None seems to stand out for her, until she saw you.
You, were not by any means an outstanding person. Not the most handsome, not the prettiest or the cutest. You do standout a little due too your absurd height, not that it shown when you sit down.
Was she looking at me? No, come on now man, don't get your hopes up, that's Irene.
But she did in fact, looking at you. Long enough for her to get into a trace, short enough to where nobody's watching pick on it.
Irene was, stunned, she wasn't sure why. Her eyes was just locked in place as she saw you.
Thankfully Wendy nudges her, waking her up from her daze. Wendy pulled her to the side, a nice place so they can watch the trainees.
"Okay, come on, stand up, let's start"
Irene's eyes is locked to you, watching your every movement.
Tall
That's the first thing she thinks about the first time she saw you stood up.
Her heart was racing, what are you doing to her? You didn't say anything, you didn't even acknowledge her more than you should.
Yet, somehow, you caught her attention.
She was too entranced to hear the instructions Seulgi is giving.
She did realised it when you started dancing along the others. Your movement was stiff, not unsalvageable. Your expression is one of full focus, something that does nothing but daze her even more.
"That's great, now, let's do individual test"
While others are panicking you were looking straight at Seulgi with contemplative gaze.
You looked away for a second, to gaze on Irene. Just a second, but it's enough to cause Irene's heart to skip a beat.
"Now, let's go, who want to start first?"
One particular trainee seems excited and enthusiastic, he raised his hand.
The others moved back, now facing Irene and Wendy, watching one by one getting called out to do a dance routine.
Wendy was cheering and giving words of encouragement every now and then to each participant. Seulgi gave a polite yet stern comments.
Irene was, well, she's busy watching you.
Enough for you to feel a little uncomfortable.
"What's up blue?"
"I don't know, I'm just nervous, that's Irene bro"
"Fuck I knew, I'm gonna embarrass myself in front of my favourite idol"
"What about me man, I was in the zone before and I still look like a dancing stickman"
"You'll do fine man, just, be confident"
"Yeah, you too bro. Do you, do you feel like Irene is watching at us?"
Your friend took a quick glance to Irene, however she was watching the trainee that's dancing right now.
"Nah man, but I know what you mean, she's definitely watching all of us"
That's, not what you mean at all. You look back at Irene, seemingly busy watching the one being tested right now.
Was it just your imagination?
It wasn't, Irene read your lips, realising you might caught up with her intense stare she looked away to make sure you didn't get suspicious.
She still watch you from the corner of your eyes. Not until you look away did she turned to continue watching her.
Suddenly, this becomes a cat and mouse game where both of you tried to look at each other without being noticed by the other.
You, failing miserably, there's like 6 times in 5 minutes where you were looking at her only to find her gaze at you back before you could look away.
Irene was cool, calm and collected, even in the event of stalking someone. Not a single time you realise that Irene was watching you. Even though she has watch you more than you watch her.
When your time is up, anxiety and fear take over you. Nervously you walked to the front.
"Let's go blue"
Your bro have your back thankfully.
"Don't be nervous"
Seulgi smiled to calm you down, doesn't help.
The music kicks in, and you start your dance.
While you were haphazardly dance, Irene was having a little joy in her heart. She now can watch you throughly without having to avert her gaze every now and then.
Your movement wasn't terrible, just bad. That doesn't seems to bother her the slightest. In fact, she find it cute.
Wait, hold on, cute?
Really?
Irene ws confused, how those those words come up at her mind. During her confusion you managed to finish your dance.
"Well, that was a good effort, but I can see you're still a little awkward at dancing. Is it perhaps due too your height that you are less flexible?"
Irene decided to put it at the back of her mind so that she can focus back on you.
"Y-y-yeah, it was, a bit hard for me to do those delicate move"
Your stuttering seems to sent a rush of alien feelings in Irene.
"It's okay, you memorize the dance already and you seems to know when you messed up yet you still have the clear mind to continue on with your moves. Do a little more flexibility training and you will fix it"
Seulgi's word of encouragement put a smile on your face. A smile Irene is not enjoying.
"Yeah, you did good, keep up the hard work"
Having two encouragement from your future possible senior put you in a good mood.
"Thank you for the instructions and the encouragement"
You bowed, again giving smile to Seulgi who returned it beautifully. Irene does not like your smile. You then glanced at Wendy and her. Irene loves that smile.
As you sat back, stunned by the newfound motivation. Irene is stunned, having your smile imprinted in her brain and memory.
"Hell yeah blue"
Your bro gave you a fistbump before getting ready for his turn.
You glanced back to Irene, this time she wasn't hiding her gaze.
Your eyes meet, at that moment, time seems to stop. Both for you and Irene.
Your mind raced at a few million miles an hour, your heart stopped alongside the time. Irene, is looking at you, with a..... Best described as longing look.
Holy fuck she's dangerous, how did I managed to stay focus during the dance? Gosh she's pretty, is she prettier then when you saw her on screen? I should look away now
.
.
.
Why am I not looking away?
Irene was having the similar thoughts. Enthralled by your gaze, your eyes seemingly to be a bottomless abyss that drawns her. Her breathing got heavy, her heart thumping faster than she ever felt before.
What are you doing to me?
Then, just like it never happens, you two both look away.
You stare blankly to the wall, trying to keep your brain from coming up with impossible imagination.
Irene was staring at the floor, trying to keep her heart from going wild and burst.
In your stuppor, your friend managed to finish his dance and got a compliment by Seulgi and sat back with you.
"Fuck I thought I was gonna faint"
Yeah, you too, you stood up and went to the exit. You need to wash your face.
Irene was in a panic as she saw you leave. A weird unknown panic.
She stood up, following you soon after.
While you were washing your face and try to clear your face, Irene was waiting outside the practice room.
Your steps and heavy and loud, it's given due to he fact of how tall you are. Despite your lean stature your body still weights enough to make some loud foot steps.
The moment Irene hears your footsteps she slowly walked to the bathroom. Trying to make it look like she's going to the bathroom as well.
You were stunned again the moment you walk out, seeing Irene walking to the bathroom from a distance away.
Awkwardly you walk back to your room, once you were close enough Irene took away her eyes from her phone and look at you.
With a nervous smile you bowed to her. However as you wanted to continue walking Irene stop, next to you, looking at you.
Subconsciously, you stopped as well, again, meeting your gaze with her.
Irene wasn't sure herself why she stopped. She even put her hand behind her, hiding her phone and her nervous finger that keep jolting around.
"Blue? Is that your name?"
Her mouth moves before her brain can think.
"Ehmmm, y-y-yes, that's what everyone call me"
Your attempt to smile only made you look like a grimacing in pain.
"Don't be so nervous"
Irene however find this cute, your nervousness is amusing to her.
"I'm sorry, it's just that....."
"That?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, it's just that, I was a big fan of you and Red Velvet, so seeing you here feels..... Surreal"
The smile on Irene's face seems to grow even larger.
"Really? A big fan huh? So who's your bias then?"
Is she crazy? How could I say anyone else but her at this moment?
"Ehm, it's you"
Oh god, your nervousness, your shy smile, your blush, your words. It dragged Irene, deep into a dark place that she doesn't know she have in her heart.
"Really?"
Her voice raise a few octaves, not that you realized, you're busy trying not to faint out of embarrassment.
"Yes"
She loves it, she loves your demeanour.
Irene has met countless idols and fans that stammered and stunned the moment they see her. She have grown accustomed to it. Yet you, above thousands of encounters that she has, managed to leave such an impression to her mind, forever.
"That's good to hear, don't be so nervous, I'm not gonna bite"
She wants to, she really, really, really wants to do it, but it's not like she has lose control of herself.... yet.
"Oh sorry, I'm just, not good at handling my nervousness"
You reached to the back your neck. There was, a small, feeling, barely noticeable. A voice saying this nervousness is not just a simple nervousness.
You didn't realise it, it was barely noticeable in the first place. With the ice queen herself standing in front of you there could be a fire happening and you wouldn't even react to it.
Irene, was watching you, as you bring up your hand, the long sleeve of your sweater falls down.
Your exposed forearm made her eyes locked to it. Of course working out a little you have a decent body, but looking at your, somewhat impressive forearm, Irene was enamored.
"I'm sorry, thank you for spending your time to check in on us, it really means a lot"
You smiled again, and for Irene, it broke her heart to a million pieces before it brought itself back together and got inflated so big that it burst.
"It's fine, I'm sorry I didn't put in any comments. I.... Have a lot in my mind"
You, you were in her mind.
Irene tighten her grip on her phone, thankfully her slender and delicate fingers is not strong enough to break it.
"Oh, no, not at all, don't be sorry, it was more than enough to have you, spend some time to watch us. It was an honour for us"
You raised both your hand in front of you waving it to make sure it's okay. This cause Irene to watch both of your forearm. Remember that thing about self control? Yeah, it's slipping away slowly.
"Really? You mean it?"
Irene stepped forward causing you subconsciously stepped back.
"Y-y-yeah"
Irene felt her heart thumping so loud it might cause her to be deaf.
"Then, do you mind if I watch you again so I can help guide you?"
Just like a black hole you keep pulling Irene to come closer. Unlike a black hole you stepped back again. This time your feet meets the wall.
"O-o-of course, if it w-w-won't bother you"
Not wanting to look like a weirdo you try to stand straight.
"Oh, really? Are you sure?"
Irene coming even closer doesn't help though.
"Yeah"
While you were trying to keep your wits, Irene is trying to keep her self control.
Getting closer she smells the slight body odour you gave off from doing those dances. Your body heat seems to radiate to her, giving off warmth that she never felt before.
"Then let's exchange number, so I can give you a time and place for tutoring"
Your brain short circuit for a little. Along with your heart, and your lungs, and your, well, your whole organ.
This is Irene, of course you're having a full organ failure when she ask for your number.
"Sorry?"
You managed to squeak out.
"Your number, for tutoring"
Irene pulled out her phone from behind her before quickly opening her contact.
She then leaned forward while offering her phone to you.
Despite being a head taller, you felt like a little mouse in front of her.
You glanced at the phone, ready to take it, then something else caught your eyes.
She was wearing a loose sweater today, her little forward lean is enough for her to expose her clevage.
You, might stare longer than you should. It is mind boggling that she didn't say anything.
Irene didn't say anything, becuse she likes it.
That's right, Irene, one of the idol, maybe the number one idol who hate being sexualised, is enjoying your eyes.
He's checking me out? Oh yeah, the sweater is loose. Is he watching my clevage? Don't react Irene, don't let him realise that you realized his gaze.
"Of course"
Quickly you take her phone and put in your number. Double, no, triple, no, quad checking the number you put in is the right one before giving it back to her.
"Thank you"
Irene smiled happily, one for your number, two for your eyes that's showing your lustful desires.
"Y-y-yeah, thanks sunbaenim"
No, that's not quite right, she doesn't like that name you have for her.
"Don't be formal, call me Joohyun-noona"
Call me that, now.
"I, okay, thank you Noona"
Hmmmmm, Irene's heart has stopped yet again.
"Well go on, you should go back"
She doesn't have to tell you twice. You quickly scurry of the the practice door.
Irene watches your back, even from the back she can't help but be enticed by you.
I want you.
You can't believe it, you simply can't believe you just gave Irene your number. In fact, you can barely believe Irene is here watching you.
Take a deep breath. Calm down. Focus on the lesson.
"You seems happy unnie"
Nothing can escape Wendy, as soon as Irene walked back in, the little smile she had on her face has not escape Wendy.
"Oh? It's nothing"
Irene glances back at you, who is busy watching your fellow trainee performance.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I just found something interesting"
"Someone?"
"You could say that"
Irene would love to stay here watching you the whole day. Unfortunately she has a schedule that she need to follow.
With a heavy heart, she followed her friends to say goodbye before leaving the place.
She has send you a text so that you would keep her number. She also knows that you can't use your phone until lunch.
That doesn't stop her from checking her phone every few seconds, hoping for you to answer her text.
When lunch come around Irene can't focus on her food. She keeps wondering what you were doing, and why you're not answering her.
Of course the answer is simple, you forgot.
Only until around the sun down when you finished your training for today did you saw she has sent you a message.
With a little hesitation you answered it.
Surprisingly for you, she read it instantly. Of course, Irene has been locked to her phone every since she sent you the text.
Despite all the anger that she have for you, there's still a glimmer of happiness seeing you answer.
She asked you what took you so long to answer.
You panicked, hurriedly saying sorry and told her it's been a long day and you were busy working out.
"Working out? Does he use the companies gym?"
"Companies gym? That's off limit for trainees, if only I can use it, I don't have to spend money for gym membership"
"I want to see him workout, I can give him an allowance to use it"
"She's giving allowance? But why?
"Why? What should I say here? Oh right, I just want to help him build up his flexibility"
"My flexibility? Is it so bad that she has to oversee me herself? Is she overseeing me?"
"Yes, of course I'm overseeing him, who else?"
"Whoa, that's, I don't know what to say"
Stunned by the message you took a minute to digest what she is offering you.
Unfortunately for Irene that minute is one minute too long.
"Why isn't he responding"
"Oh shit, what do I say? Thank you for the offer? I don't deserve it?"
"Why did he say that? Stop saying that, just take the offer and workout with me"
"Oh shit, did I piss her off? Sorry, I'll take it if she insist then"
"Good, I want to see him again, I need to ask his schedule"
"My schedule? I guess I can send her the screenshot for it"
"That's too restricting, ahhhh, I don't think I can just ask them to change it"
"What do you mean it's too restricting? Doesn't she went through this"
"I did, but I don't like it. Can he workout in the morning?"
"Morning? Like 5 AM? She wants to workout that early?"
"5 AM is too late, he starts at 8 AM. Can he starts at 4 AM?
"4 AM? Bruh that's like my unemployment schedule when I can just workout before sun rise and chill for the rest of the day"
"Too early? How do I convince him? Oh right, it's for his stamina"
"Ahhhh, she really want me to start at 4 AM? Fuck it, I don't get any more chances to do this"
"Good, I'll see him tomorrow morning, I wonder what I should wear tomorrow"
While Irene is filled with enthusiasm and struggle to find the best outfit for tomorrow you went to prepare 5 alarm to wake up early tomorrow.
The next day, you went to the company building, the security seems to have been informed for your arrival and send you up to the gym.
In the gym, there's nobody, except for Irene. Sitting there waiting for you.
Her ethereal beauty made you hold your breath, her gaze that's locked on to you made you feel uncomfortable, as if she's dissecting your whole body with her eyes.
Irene was struggling to keep herself from running to you. She held her breath, dug her nails into her palm, doing everything that she can to stop herself.
"Come here, don't be shy"
Too caught up in her beauty, you didn't realise her voice crack.
"Good morning Noona"
Irene love it when you call her that, the name, the tone, the deep raspy voice you have.
As you get close Irene felt the warmth that rejuvenate her yesterday, the warmth she never realised how much she enjoyed your presence.
"Good morning, so, let's start with a little briefing, how do you usually workout?"
You started of with some stuttering, but you did managed to smooth out your words and eloquently tell her the details for your workout.
Irene is happy, you didn't use much weight lifting at your workout, she prefer a lean body type in a person.
"Well, let's go, do a warmup, I'll follow you for now"
Do you feel nervous working out with Irene around? Yes, definitely yes.
"Come on now, go all the way"
It was when you do some stretching, opening your leg out in a split while trying to lower your body to reach forward as far as you can did Irene see an opening.
She went and put her hand on your shoulder. The touch cause a sudden thrill for both of you.
"Relax your back, take a deep breath"
Irene managed to keep her composure as you were panicking. You did managed to calm down and follow her instructions as she pushed you further.
Unfortunately for Irene, the move doesn't last forever and she reluctantly take off her hand off your shoulder. Feeling somewhat contempt for feeling up your back.
"Now, go start your workout routine"
She doesn't like your routine as much as before. That is simply because she doesn't find any more opportunities to touch you.
She craves it, she craves you. It's slowly driving her mad, the sight of you has become a full feast for her desires. The touch that she felt still lingers in her hand. Your warmth, it's comforting, so much so she can't help but get close to you during the whole workout, never letting herself further than one meter away from you.
As the workout progress your body start sweating up, your body odour is something you've been self conscious about. A source of insecurity that forces you to wash yourself multiple time a day.
For Irene, the smell is addicting, it was something she want to turn into a candle and light it up all around her house.
Needless to say she got more and more restless, she wants to touch you.
She wants to run her hand through your sweat stained t-shirt, she wants to dig her face to your neck and inhale your scent so it will imprint itself in her mind.
"That's enough, now we need to work on your flexibility"
She snapped, she can't hold it any longer.
"Go down on the mat"
As you sit down she walked behind you, putting both hand on your shoulder.
You felt, scared, intimidated. You wrote it off as a normal feeling, one of a junior when their senior is watching them very closely. If you were in the right mind you would've notice it was much more than that, it was the feeling when a prey felt when they have been caught in the hand of their predator.
"Now, let's start with the basic"
You have fail the basic, much to your dismay. Feeling the shame and embarassment rise in you, you grit your teeth and look up to her.
Only to find her faint smile while her eyes is filled with imagination and, hunger.
Irene is happy, you're terrible at this, so much so that she can spend alot of time teaching you for it.
"It's okay, we can still improve"
Her words of encouragement felt like pity for you.
"Now, it's my turn to workout, help me for a second"
Once again, anxiety fill you up.
"Come on, hold my leg"
She find a few manuvers where she could force you to held her close.
She felt fulfilled after feeling up all your body from before. Now she wants something else, she wants you to touch her.
Your big rough hand can be felt clearly through her tight thin outfits. She ejoy the gentleness you put on your touch.
She ejoy your meek expression as you held her.
She enjoys your shyness and attempt to look away from her only to fail and check her out every now and then.
Once she's satisfied she ended the training.
"That's was good, it is a productive first day. It's still 7 AM, why don't you get a shower so we can enjoy breakfast together"
Of course, that doesn't mean she's done with you.
You slipped off to the shower, taking a bath and clean up every inch your body.
Irene sneaked into the locker, she heard the shower noises so she ran to your gym bag. Taking out your t-shirt.
It's wet from your sweat, although it's not drenched like before since you had time to cool down as you help her stretch.
As she took out you t-shirt, the smell attacked her nose. Without thinking she stuffed it to her face, taking a deep breath, inhaling the scents.
"Oh god~~"
Moans escaped her lips as her pants is slowly developing wet spots. She doesn't wear panties, hoping that you would be brazen enough to get a feel of her ass.
Of course, you were to scared for your life to do so.
Then the shower stopped, Irene was woken up form her daze, she ran to the exit before escaping to her locker room.
She pull out a plastic bag from her gym bag, carefully putting your t-shirt in it before zipping it close. Your t-shirt will be out to good use for the next week or so.
You waited for her at the gym, she has make it clear that she wants to eat breakfast with you.
Not long Irene walks out, looking fresh and proper. She wore a white shirt along with a black pencil skirt. Awakening the teacher links you have in you.
"Come on, let's go"
Her smile is blinding you.
She took you to her office, seemingly already ordered a breakfast for two from the two take out box on her table.
"So, this was fun"
Irene is never been the one who started a conversation, however, it's been established that you, are different for her.
"Y-y-yeah, thanks for today noona"
You nervously look at her curious gaze.
"Of course, I have a question, why did your friends called you blue?"
"Well, it was during the audition, there was a little written test. Well not a test, there was just a few questions about me and my dreams and they want us to write it on paper. They gave me a pen, but then, it broke, somehow. Spraying blue ink all over myself and my hand. So, I finished the whole audition with a blue staint on my hand, face and shirt. The interviewer doesn't really think much of it, it was an error for their part. I don't mind it much either since they said it won't be a problem. The confidence u show even though I looked silly with the ink made them accept me. Some of the trainee was there as well, they called me blue man. I find it funny and just roll with the nickname"
Irene frowned for a second, noting to get to the bottom of this. Finding the person responsible to humiliate you like that.
"Where do you audition in?"
"Japan, Tokyo, I had a few Korean friends and have been, well somewhat talented in singing. So I just took the audition and got accepted"
Irene's warm smile and friendly demeanour distract you from finding out it was an interview by her.
Needless to say, you pass with flying colours. In her eyes, you went from an object of desires and lust to a perfect icon for her ideal type of men.
"Well, thank you again for today Noona, I'm not sure how to repay you"
You've grown accustomed to her presence, which is something Irene noticed and took joy in.
"It's okay, go work hard today okay? I'll see you tomorrow"
"Tomorrow? We're doing this again?"
"Hehehe, of course, we'll be doing this until you pass my standard"
"O-o-o-okay then, see you tomorrow?"
She smiled and nodded. As you walk out of the room, Irene is staring at your back.
Slowly she cursed you, making her feel this way. She's Irene, the queen of kpop, the one who have rejected many men, all of which is much more accomplished than you.
Yet now, somehow, she's in love with you.
That's right, she can no longer deny it, she loves you, and she wants you. Whatever she wants, she get it.
Irene doesn't hate men, she knows that now, she's helplessly in love with you.
This new routine has drained you slowly.
After the first week you felt like you want to die. You're probably dead actually, you just didn't realise it.
Every morning you will find Irene waiting for you in the gym. You could've sworn she keep picking the most revealing outfits she have.
Everyday, Irene is getting bolder and bolder. She would start to caress your back as you were doing your early stretching.
When she made you stretch your leg on the floor she would openly feel up your chest, disguising it as a way for her to keep her balance.
When you help her with her stretches she will keep suggesting for you to touch her even more, much to your dismay.
You kept your respectful, touch though, much to her dismay.
At day 4 or 5, you realized she's not wearing any panties. Her white tight yoga pants has show her perfect ass to you when she was facing away from you.
This doesn't go unnoticed by Irene, which excite her even more.
Unfortunately for her, you never do anything more than staring when you think she wasn't watching. She's always watching.
You did realised your shirt occasionally went missing, only to find it the next day.
Organized is not what you are, so you just wrote it off as your clumsiness or lack of attention to details, which is ironic.
The things you hate the most, is Irene keep buying you breakfast. Everytime you always insisted for her to let do that.
Everytime she will win the argument, a gentle smile, a little caress on your hand, and then you'll be a blushing mess, to shy to say anything else.
The new routine is perfect for Irene, she loves it, but slowly, she realised it's not enough.
Every night she would suffocate herself using your used gym outfits while masturbating.
The first time she did it was heavenly, the best orgasm she ever had.
Irene is not a pure girl, she has her own sexual needs. She knows how to keep it down though, never realising that her drive, is way too high for normal people.
All those years of controlling herself is out of the window now, because of you.
She have your pictures, she took photo of you time to time during the workout.
She has videos of you, masking it as a way to explain your form to you.
Every time she got the chance she would open this pictures and videos. Revering your body, your movement, all of you, is something she can't get enough for.
She wants more.
She needs more.
She needs you.
"Hey blue, you want to get some ramen"
Your friend invited you for a lunch.
"No bro, I'm poor"
The life of an unemployed, well, technically a college student.
"Come on, I'll pay"
You felt yourself cringe for a second before quickly hiding it.
"No, I can eat at the cafeteria, they have nice chicken"
Nobody like the cafeteria food, they felt, bland. Not that you care, they tasted better than the trash food that you used to eat.
"Ahhh, fine, we'll buy you something nice"
They quickly scurry off leaving you alone in the practice room. For a few moments you were contemplating should you go out and eat or should you continue practicing.
However, the choice was made for you, by a beautiful pale beauty walking in the empty practice room.
"Oh Noona, good afternoon"
You hurriedly stand up and bowed to her.
"I was looking for you, why didn't you go out to eat?"
She managed to hide her aggravation with the tone of curiousity.
"Oh, I was thinking to practicing a bit more. Beside I'm not hungry"
Irene looked at you, with the cold, angry eyes. Silently she started walking to you.
"Noona?"
Her aura seems to grow so much so you felt your whole body shivering.
She didn't say anything until she got in front of you.
"You, are, eating, lunch"
She crossed her arm and the coldness in her eyes is gone, leaving nothing but anger.
"I, I'm really fine Noona, I don't nee-"
Your argument is sound and flawless, unfortunately she shut you up by grabbing your shirt and pulling you out.
"Okay, Noona, can you let me go now?"
Seeing no way out of this, you sighed and compromise with the current situation.
She stare at you for a second before letting go of your shirt. You sighed with relief but then she grabbed your hand. Interlocking her fingers with yours before she continue walking.
"Noona? I don't need to be held-"
Yet again, your argument was indisputable, but do you really want to finish it? Especially when Irene turned around, giving you a glare that could pierce your heart and slice it to a perfect 1 cm³ cube.
You shut your mouth, wisely. Irene continue walking in front of you, hiding her bright smile from your gaze.
Without caring she pulled you to the elevator and clicked the basement floor.
You felt nervous, what if someone sees you? Subconsciously your hand start to press on Irene's and your finger start caressing her hands.
Irene loves it, your grip was hard, so much so she felt bone being squeezed together. Your rough fingers also sends tickling sensation to her heart everytime they grind themselves again the back of he palm.
Then suddenly the door opened, and an employee walked in.
Your anxiety went through the roof, in an instant you squeezed Irene's hand even harder. The pain was intoxicating for Irene, she had to bite her inner cheek to remind herself not to squeal right there and then.
The employee looked at your intertwined fingers, then they looked at your nervous face, then to the glaring Irene.
They slowly stepped backward as the elevator door closes again. Much to Irene's joy her little paradise is kept pure.
The basement was empty, Irene immediately dragged you to her car, putting you on the passenger seat.
"Where are we going Noona?"
"Some place nice"
"I, I don't have much money Noona"
"It's okay, I'm paying"
You grimaced feeling uneasiness well up in your body.
"You, really don't have too Noona, you already payed for all our breakfast earlier. I can eat at the cafeteria, I promise I'm gonna eat"
Irene saw your face contorted for a second, something she will throughly research later in the day.
"No, I insist"
She turned on her car and start driving. You swallowed your uneasiness and tried to focus on something else.
Her perfume is nice.
Okay, not that one please.
The car is cool.
You, don't like cars.
Her fingers seems so hot.
Okay this not working at all.
Irene on the other hand, has embraced your presence. She is struggling to drive while her body keep screaming to throw herself on to you.
She wants to hold your hand, she wants to run her fingers through your fluffy hairs, she wants to taste your lips.
The 15 minute drive felt like an hour for both of you.
"Come here"
Irene once again held your hand to lead you to the reserved seat.
"You like French food?"
If I say no I feel like she still wouldn't let me go eat in the cafeteria.
"I never tried it"
"Good, this is the perfect place to start"
Lady, I can barely afford to buy water from this place, don't make my food palate become higher than my own financial capabilities.
"Why do you not like being treated?"
"You mean getting people to feed me out of pity?"
"Is that what you think I'm having? Pity?"
"I mean, no offense, I don't think I have much selling point to make you feel anything otherwise"
"That's not true, I like you"
"I.... thanks Noona, that's very kind of you"
"You don't get it"
"Yes?"
"I like you, romantically"
So, remember that little organ called heart? Well it's a very important organ to help your body functions, and keep you alive. Well, you lost it, unfortunate.
"Yes?"
You managed to squeak out after god knows how long.
"I like you"
"Yes?"
"I want to go out with you"
"Yes?"
"This is our first date"
"...... Yes?"
"Good, from now on we're going out"
"Uhmmmm...... Yes?"
Your timidness has grown Irene's interest in you, thankfully you kept quiet after this or else she would pounce you and start kissing you all over.
Everything else felt like a blur for you, things just went pass you, without even thinking you start eating the food.
The confusion you had overpowered the taste the food has given you.
"Be my boyfriend"
You stare at her in a catatonic state.
"Good, we're official from now on"
Do you even speak Korean? That language seems alien for your since you can't understand a single word coming out of Irene's mouth.
Irene left you to your demise, as she was enjoying the sight of a lost bunny right in front of her.
Even as you finished your lunch you didn't say anything. Not when Irene grabbed your hand and wrapped her arm around it. Not when Irene put her head on your shoulder as you got in the car. Not when Irene got to your company building and pulled you to her embrace and start playing with your hair.
"Baby, do you want to stay with me for the whole day?"
Her whispers in your ears woke you up. Her tone is so cute yet also, lustful. Her breath tickling your ear making sure you know how close she is to you right now.
"I-i-i-i need to go"
You stuttered trying to get off her hug.
"Ssssshhhhh, let's leave you a memory, for today's date"
She yanked your collar down, exposing your chest.
As you were frozen she leaned in, giving your peck a kiss, long enough to left her lipstick imprint on your chest.
"Aghhh, Noona don't do that"
Irene pulled herself back, leaving a thin trail of saliva between her lips and your chest.
You glanced down to see the red imprint on your chest was contrasting to your pale white skin.
As you tried to wipe it Irene grabbed your hand while glaring at you.
"Leave it"
"What? Noona, I can't just-"
"Leave it"
Her eyes is stern and firery, her grip is weak, but since her nail is sinking to your flesh you can only winced in pain.
"Okay"
You can only sighed in defeat, Irene nodded happily before pulling your hand. She watch the faint mark of her nails on your hand before gently caressing it.
"You're my boyfriend now, so I have to make sure you don't get preyed upon by others. Just do as I say okay baby? Then I won't hurt you"
Everything suddenly flood back to you, all those feelings in the back of your head all banded back together telling you it's too late.
You can't run.
"Okay Noona"
She smiled again before grabbing your chin.
"I've wanted to do this the moment I met you"
She leaned forward, your head screams to run, but your instincts screamed back that it would only lead to your death.
You leaned forward as well, taking her lips with yours.
The kiss was, pleasant for you, she seems to be more driven by lust making it one of the most aggressive kiss you've been in.
For Irene, the kiss was heavenly, she wants more, she wants your lips, your spit, it all taste like the sweetest nectar made for the gods.
Her whole body tensed up as she tried her best to stop herself from devouring you, yet your godly taste was just too enticing for her.
However, she's not a god, she got reminded of that by her own lungs screaming for air.
"Haaaa, Haaaa, I love you"
Between her panting she gaze into your eyes, her iris is dilated, in a shape of -it's impossible but you swear you see it- a heart.
Her lips is twisted to make the widest smile she has ever had in her life.
Her tongue slitehered out, licking her lips trying to take more of your taste.
She's drunk out of you.
"I, love you too"
If you can hear her organs you will go deaf from the squeak they just let out. Irene can't let go of you, unfortunately for her, she have to.
"I'm picking you up after your practice okay baby?"
Her gaze leave a chill in your spine, yet it also arroused you.
"Okay, babe"
This time, she let out a happy squeal while her hand is shaking.
"I love you"
She leaned in again to give you a peck on your lips.
Just a peck, she still have some self control so she knows if it's any longer than a peck then both of you won't be able to leave this car with your clothes on.
She escort you back to your training room, this time there's other people in the elevator.
You're happy you are off the hook from the hungry wolves that's holding you by the arm right now.
They gave you a weird and surprised look, but Irene doesn't mind, why would she? She have her eyes to one man, and one man only.
She escorted you to the front of your room.
"I want you to call me once you're done, and I want you to wait here until I pick you up"
Is she my mom or my girlfriend? Why the fuck am I asking this question about the Irene of Red Velvet.
"Okay.... Babe?"
She squealed again before kissing your cheek.
"Keep up your hard work"
You can't, how could you? You're having a relationship with Irene. God damnit you just made out with her in her own car 5 minutes ago.
Thankfully for you, nobody notices the red lipstick mark on your chest.
"Blue you're zoning out a lot"
"Oh yeah, sorry, I, don't feel so good"
"Is it the kimchi again? That's it dude, you're not eating in the cafeteria again"
"No, I'm fine, I...... Got a text from an old friend....... He took me out for lunch today"
"Oh? Your friend take you out on a lunch is okay but we're not"
"Come on man, I haven't seen him in so long, and I payed for my lunch"
"That's the thing dude, we don't want you to, we know your situation so just let us help you okay?"
"I, listen I am grateful for your help, but, I don't like owning someone something"
"Just, take it as a debt, you can pay it back once you debuted"
"I, thanks, but, I think I have a way to get lunch from now on"
"Fine then, but if I see you in the cafeteria again I'm dragging you to the McDonalds"
You almost die. By that it means you almost forgot to call your..... Girlfriend....?
Your call didn't get picked up, because you saw Irene waiting for you by the elevator.
Stern pose, angry glare, crossed arm, she's furious.
"Come here"
She pulled you the elevator, her aura is enough to deter any of your fellow trainee to jump in with you.
"I, sorry Noona, I was just about to call you"
"Oh is that so? Do you want to wait until you walk home to call me?"
"No, I was just tired from today's practice. I'm still adjusting to the new sleep schedule remember? I feel tired"
"You can't be tired, we need to do our second date today"
"T-t-t-today?"
"Yes, do you have a problem with that"
Irene is furious, she is holding herself from jumping you right now and you know it.
"I, just think we should rest for now"
"No, I'm having a second date with my boyfriend right now"
Her roar could probably be heard from outside of the elevator.
"Then, what if, we have a date, in my place"
Immediately you see her whole body relaxed. Her furious expression turned to one of happiness and relief.
"Okay, then, good"
More than good, I can go to his place. I was trying to take it slow and go there tomorrow but he jumped in to offered it for me himself. He really does love me. We are meant to be babe, we will be the greatest couple to ever live.
She can't contain herself and gave you a kiss again.
"I love you"
Her whispers is almost as deafening as her roar from earlier.
"I, love you too Noona"
Irene can't decide if she loves Noona or babe more, but again as long as it's from you she will love it either way.
She dragged you to the car, practically sprinting to it before she drive to your place. How does she know where you live?
"Come on, move"
She even knows your apartment number.
Fear is enveloping you as you slowly unlocked the door to your apartment.
She hops in the moment the door is opened, you walked behind her before locking the door behind you.
Suddenly as you turn Irene slam you to the door, she grabbed your collar and pulled you to make out with her.
His fragrant is so addicting, his taste is heavenly, what's a 3 Michelin star food compared to this. Even his little moan- Haaaa, he's moaning, oh my god, I'm getting wet. He's so perfect, and even more than perfect now, he's my boyfriend.
She practically dry humping your leg that's between hers right now.
"Noona"
You pulled away, making her frown deeply.
"We should, move to the bedroom"
Her eyes lights up again, she dragged you inside, holding you by your collar.
The destination is the bedroom, the pit stop is everywhere.
She pushed you to the wall and made out again.
She pushed you to your couch and dry hump your crotch while sucking on your tongue.
She draged you to the door only to jump up and kiss you again, as you held her by the thighs.
Finally she got to your bedroom, pushing you down before taking off your shirt.
"Noona, you're so.... Hot"
Fuck your mind, how can you say no to Irene. Fuck the logic, fuck the instinct, fuck survival, you want her.
You craved her, as much as she craves you. Within just a few minutes you've fallen with her, deep into the abyss.
She dives to her favourite meal, your mouth. Her hand is practically feeling up every inch of your torso and arms.
You let go of your primal instinct and grabbed her ass.
"Ahhhh, squeeze it babe"
That's your intent, giving some firm squeeze making her let out a moan. Raising your hand, you then drop a slap on her ass cheek.
"Aghhhh, again"
She stopped kissing you and held you by the back of the neck. Her head is digging deep into your neck while bitting it.
"You're. Such. A. Succubus"
With every word you deliver a hard slap to her cheeks.
"Baby, I'm cumming, I'm cumming"
She moans as her teeth is holding on to the skin on your neck.
"A slut"
You slapped both of her ass and grabbed it, hard.
"Babbyyyyyy"
Her screams was loud and the pitch was enough to make a dog deaf. You didn't care, you bite into her neck.
Her body that's squirming is going in to a full on seizure as she reached her climax.
"I love you, my slutty, beautiful Noona"
You whispered in her ears as she was fighting for her life in your embrace.
After what seems like hours she stopped spasming, her breath got heavy as she seems to lose her energy.
"Tired already?"
"Never"
She sat on your lap before taking off her own outfits.
Her pink bra seems so cute enveloping her breast. Almost like an invitation for you to drown yourself in it.
An invitation, that you take.
Sitting up you used both of your hand to take it off and started bitting her already erect nipple.
"Baby"
Her moans and squeal sounds so defenseless, the polar opposite of the image she always gives off.
She put both hand around your head, hugging it and pushing you to dig deeper to her.
Her leg is locked to your stomach, hugging you like a baby koala hanging for it's life.
"Baby, I'm cumming"
Your hand grabbed her body, pushing her on to you. Your mouth is sucking on to her nipples greedily.
Her hand and leg tightened themselves on you as her climax came again.
This time, it's much shorter, but not less intense than before.
"Tired?"
You can't help but to tease her.
"Never"
She got off your lap before taking off your pants.
Your already erect member was mesmerising to her.
Your tip was leaking precum, using her hand Irene wipe it before licking it.
"You taste so good"
Her body shake before she took your member into her mouth.
Jesus her lips is so attractive. The way it wrap itself around your dick, the red, plump lips was a vacuum to your dick.
She can't take it all in, but that doesn't matter, because even with half inside you still feel her magic is working.
Then she took it our of her mouth before jerking it with both hands. Her mouth then travel down to kiss your balls and suck on it as well.
"Are you coming baby?"
Her high pitched whine push you even harder. She kissed your balls, and the bottom of your cock.
Your cock and balls was ridden with red lipstick smudge all over, something that arouse you even more.
She put your dick back to her mouth, this time, by the power of sheer will she managed to take all your member in her mouth and throat.
As her lips reaches the base she turned it in to leave another fine red imprint on it. She read your mind, she knows how to push you over.
"Noona I'm coming"
Hearing your moans she stopped giving you a deep throat, leaving only your tip in her mouth.
With the help of her saliva she used both of her hands to jerk you off.
Your cum sprayed into her mouth, undoubtedly turning all of it's inside to a white mess.
Her eyes rolled behind her eyes as she took a deep breath with her nose.
Then, as your climax ended she took the tip off her mouth.
She look at you with pride, then she opened her mouth and sticks out her tongue, showing your cum pooling inside her mouth.
Her lips is smudged all over, her mascara is runined with her tears, her mouth is practically over filled by your sperm.
A sight even the gods can only dream off, is right in front of you right now.
She closed her mouth back and then gulp it down. You can hear the sickening yet arrousing swallowing sound from her mouth. She opened her mouth back and sticks out her tongue to show nothing remains in her mouth.
Her eyes is filled with pride and happiness, almost, pure, a pure happiness of her own accomplishment.
You grab her by the thighs before picking her up and put her in the bed.
"Take it off baby, I can't wait for you anymore"
Pulling down her skirt you see her panties is practically drenched and even dripping some of her juices.
You pulled it down as well, giving you sights for the main course.
"Put it in baby, I want to feel you inside, make me yours, fill me up, pleaseeee"
She's whining and begging you like a spolied kid.
Any other time you would slow down and teased this ice queen, but not now, now, there's only one thing you wanted to do.
"OH MY GOD~~~~"
She screamed as her body convulsed yet again as you put the whole length of your member in.
You waited as she was orgasming. Wanting to remember this view for the rest of your life.
As it ended you realise there's a red stain coming out of her vagina.
"You're a virgin Noona?"
She nodded, without any shame.
"I'm waiting for you"
God she's a psycho, I love it. Wait, what?
You started thrusting, slow and hard, making her breat jiggle everytime you sink your dick deeper into her.
Moans and moans keep escaping her lips.
"Baby, I love you, I love you so much, baby faster"
She let out a high pitched whine as you continue thrusting into her.
"Oh god you're breaking me baby"
"Aghhhh, so deep, you're so deep inside me"
"Faster baby, break me apart, tear me into two GODDDDD........"
"I can't hold it anymore, please, faster"
"Baby, I'm cumming"
"You can't cum yet"
"Baby pleaseeee"
Oh god, the sight of Irene whining and begging in front of you is to hard for you to resist.
"I'm coming too"
You grunted and lay forward to be on top of her.
"Inside baby, fill me up, fill me up with your seeds"
She whisper before she kissed you again.
Your thrust is getting faster, her walls is getting tighter. Then, you felt your dick squirmed, she must've felt it too since her leg went to lock you in place.
"I'm cumming"
She screamed into your mouth as her body was sent into another seizure.
You're drained, your breath was heavy and slow. As you finished depositing sperm in her untouched womb you got off her and lay next to her.
"I, love you"
Tears starts to pour down her eyes, a joyful tears.
"I love you too, my ice cold Noona"
You kissed her again, and as you do, there's only one thing in her mind.
I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.
You're fucked mate.
"Baby, hug me"
Irene whined as she envelopes her limbs around you.
"Okay, babe, let's, get in the right position to sleep first okay"
She grunted as you drag her so she can lay on the bed with you. Irene nuzzled up close to you, her nude body is pressing up against you, making you feel every inch of her perfect skin that has become sticky from her sweat.
"I love you, I love you so much baby"
Irene's small whimper is the devil's whisper that keep pulling you deeper and deeper into her.
"Okay, Noona"
Why would you say that?
"Say it back"
She spat as she pinched your neck.
"Awww, I love you to Noona, I told you earlier"
She doesn't seems satisfied.
"I want to hear it from you every moment in my day for the rest of my life"
Fuck, what do I do now? Why the fuck did I succumb to my own dick?
"O-o-o-okay Noona"
She smiled again, letting go of your neck.
"I like it when you stutter like that, you're so cute, my baby boy is so perfect"
She rubbed her face all over your cheek.
"Let's go to sleep Noona"
She squealed.
"I love you, good night baby"
"G-good night, Noona"
It's been a long day, you went through a lot. The moment you closed your eyes you feel your consciousness slowly sleep away.
The next morning you woke up with the heavy weight of someone on top of you.
"Morning babe"
You were still blinking your eyes trying to wake up when you felt Irene's lips pressing up against yours.
"Noona"
You pulled back, making her let out a growl.
"I-i-i-i need to w-w-w-wash my teeth"
Opening your eyes you see Irene is looking at you with dissatisfaction.
"I don't care, I want to kiss you"
She tried to kiss you again but you close your mouth making her face turned to anger.
"Noona please, let me wash my teeth first okay? You can kiss me all you want after"
She frowned but nodded anyway.
You stood up, trying to get out of bed, which is hard when Irene is clinging on to you.
"Noona, I can't move"
She just looked at you with a cute puppy eyes.
"I, love you?"
She smiled and kissed your cheek before letting you go.
"I love you too babe"
You went to your bathroom, with Irene following close behind you.
"Noona, I need, to take a shit"
She frowned yet again.
"Once you're done, I'm making out with you for an hour"
Was it an ultimatum? A promise? You decided to not think about it before you locked the bathroom door.
"Fuck"
You went to wash your face.
"What the fuck just happened"
You were hoping that your reflection would answer you, thankfully it didn't.
You do your morning duty before washing your face yet again hoping you would wake up in this weird dream.
When you go out you see Irene is waiting for you in your couch.
Crossed leg, crossed arm, cold eyes, she returned to the old Noona you know. Although, it was only for a moment, she smiled to you, a warm yet sinister smile.
"Come here honey"
You, awkwardly sit next to her.
"I love you"
She grabbed your hand, both of them.
"I love you too Noona"
You tried your best to be earnest.
"I want you to be honest with me"
"Okay"
"Do you have any relationship before me?"
Her eyes turned cold and sinister, you felt her hand pressing up harder against yours.
"I.... Do"
A few bones in your hand might broke off from the sheer force of her ire.
"You...."
Her growl made your body tremble.
"They're, just in the past"
She grabbed both of your head before pushing you to lay down on the couch.
"I don't care, I've waited so long for you and you can't even do the same? You're even a decade younger than me but you don't have any patience? For me?"
What? What is she talking about? What am I walking into right now?
"Noona, we just met, a week or so ago"
"I don't care, you should've waited for me"
Your face was wet, from her saliva and some tears. That's right, she's crying.
"I-i-i-i'm sorry Noona"
Good news, you felt her hand lower down from your face. Bad news, it's resting on your neck.
"You, fucking, cheater"
It tightened around your neck making let out a choked gasp.
"Noona"
You gurgled out.
"I hate you, I hate you so much"
Is this it? How you gonna die? Was it worth it for a night with Irene?
"Who's the bitch"
She suddenly let go of your neck and grabbed your head again.
"WHO WAS IT"
She screamed at you as you were coughing hard.
"My ex?"
You managed to squeak out.
"Yes, the bitch who seduced my man"
How do I get out of this? Fuck it, let's flirt our way out.
"Baby, it's nobody important, I already forgot about them"
You slowly wrapped her arm around her.
"They're bitches who almost succeed in getting you from me"
She's still mad, but her body atleast responded to your touch.
"They didn't, and even if I met you while I'm still dating them I would still choose you. We were made for each other right?"
Your forced smile is enough to calm her down a little.
"I don't want you to ever meet them again"
You nodded, obviously.
"And I want you to marry me"
You didn't nod, obviously.
"Say yes"
Fuck how do I get out of this. Uhmmmm, think fast brain, think.
"I, want to be the one who proposed"
She looked at you with discontent.
"Then propose to me"
What now smart guy? You felt your leg started to shake nervously.
"I need to buy a ring"
She snorted.
"I don't need a ring, I need to hear you say it"
Go all out? Fuck it I don't want to die.
"I, want to buy it, for you. I want to make it, romantic"
She frowned, cutely this time.
"You don't need to do that"
She can blush?
"I have to, we only get to, well I only get to propose once right? And we get married once, so I want to put all my effort on it"
Oh my god, Irene is blushing, hard. She looked away from you shyly, a very cute view, if only she didn't try to strangle you to death earlier.
"You're such a flirt"
You were stunned by her words, but recover quickly.
"For you, I have too, because..... I love you, and only you, forever"
She dug her face to your chest before letting out a shy shriek.
"Baby?"
She immediately attacked your mouth. Her hands is holding you from behind and work as your head pillow.
You felt your cheeks getting wet, her little moan and squeal also tells you, she's crying.
"I love you, oh god I love you so much it hurts. Hold me tight babe, don't let me go, never let me go"
She pulled away showing her tearful face.
"Okay babe, I love you too"
She took of your shirt.
"I want you, I want you again inside me babe"
She whined as she took of her's as well.
"I, am tired"
She kisses your cheek.
"I know, I'll do all the work this time. Just lay there okay baby?"
She pulled down your pants before ditching her panties and start grinding her already wet pussy on your dick.
"Hold my hand baby"
She reached out to you. You pulled up your hand and she immediately took it, interlocking your fingers with each other.
With the support from your hand she continues her grinding until your dick became hard.
Without waiting any longer she put it inside her.
"Aghhhhh, baby"
Her hands squeezed yours as her leg was quivering.
"You're, so tight Noona"
You can't help but groan feeling her inner walls is squeezing your dick, ready to milk it until it ran dry.
"I'm the best right baby, I'm better than those bitches? I have the best pussy you ever tried?"
Her eyes is filled with madness and a crave for your praises.
"You're the best one Noona, nothing come close to you"
You let go of her hand and reached to grab her ass.
"Yeah baby, my pussy was molded for your cock, it's perfect, we're perfect, I love you, I love you so much"
Losing it's support she drop down to you and start to nibbling on your neck as her hips start to pick up the pace.
"I love you too Noona"
You moaned feeling her teeth is biting on to your collarbone.
"You're so big, I'm breaking baby, do you want to tear me into two?"
Fuck this succubus is insane
Your hand starts to spank her ass making her moan louder and louder.
"Break me baby, fill me up, I want to feel your cum inside again. Come on, fill me up baby, fill up your Noona with your cum"
Your hip started moving, matching her pace. Every thrust you send made her thighs and ass wiggle. Her moans and screams start to shake matching her body's trembles.
"I'm coming baby"
She moaned as she sinked her teeth to your chest.
"No Noona, you don't get to cum"
You have to do it, how can you pass up the opportunity to dominate Irene?
"Baby please"
She raised her head showing her teary eyes and begging expression.
"If you cum, I will hate you"
You see her face was riddled with shock and fear, those two expression was then mixed with arrousal and lust as you start thrusting her faster and faster.
"Baby pleaseeee"
Her tears ran down her cheek. You almost feel sorry, almost.
"You cum when I cum, understand?"
She bite her lower lips, her tears running down her face.
"Babyyyyy"
Thankfully her whines help pushed you over the edge.
"Cum with me babe"
Your dick start to twitch, then as she felt your cum tainted her inner walls she let out a deep guttural groan as her body went to another seizure.
You felt, tired, drained, you lay on your couch panting as Irene was having an orgasm.
Finally it passed and she dropped to your chest. You hear her sobbing as her tears wet your chest.
"I'm sorry baby"
You decided to caress her head, she let out her cries as she hugged you.
Do you feel sorry for her? Maybe
Do you regret doing it? Fuck no
Finally she stopped crying and raised her tear stained face and her red eyes is looking at you timidly.
"Oh baby, I'm sorry, I just can't.... Stop myself when you're.... Being so cute"
Her tears falling again as she start to kiss you.
Her hands is hugging your neck, her leg is resting quietly between yours.
The kiss was, actually you're not really sure, probably 30 minutes or more.
"I love you baby, I really do"
Finally she finished and just whimper weakly in your ears.
"Okay babe, fuck it's already 7, I need to go"
She shake her head and just lock you in place.
"You're free for the day baby, cuddle me"
Even though her voice sounds so weak and tired you know resisting her now will only make your suffering greater tomorrow.
"I, need to contact my trainer at least"
She shake her head again.
"I don't want you to talk to other woman"
Fucking hell lady.
"Please?"
She then raised her face, it looked tired, but her eyes have some cold fury in it.
"Did you have her number in your phone"
Oh shit, here we go again.
"Yeah, I nee-"
She slapped my chest, it felt weak, but the emotional damage, well it's also weak since you're not that into her yet.
"Delete it"
You felt nervous, trying to make some excuses in your head.
"Why are you hesitating? You want to cheat on me again?"
You winced as she say that, knowing full well, what's gonna come for you for the rest of this relationship.
"I need her contact in case something happened"
She shake her head again.
"No, I don't care, delete it. If you want to say something then tell your friend to relay your message to her"
"Baby please"
"No, I lose you before I'm not losing you again to some scrawny whore who's going to seduce you. No baby, I'm not losing you again, not when I already have you in my arms"
What now? What will your brilliant mind come up with?
"I need it for my career"
She snorted.
"You only need me, if you want to debut just say it and I'll make you debut"
Sugar mommy is a pretty rare thing to have, especially someone this hot.
"Baby, I, need to earn it"
She growled again.
"You, can let me ask her right? I'm just telling her I'm sick"
Her face contorted as she grabbed your chest.
"Fine, but I want to see your chat history. In fact, I want to see your phone and check every single girl you tried to cheat on me with"
Well this is it, it's your life now.
483 notes · View notes
avatar-anna · 9 months
Text
Rumors
so...i've had this concept rattling around in my brain, but i had no idea how to write it, so i used pictures instead. i definitely want to do more, but tumnlr only allows 10 pictures a post, so here's to hoping i remember to come back to this in the future!
yourinstagram
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liked by taylorswift and 67,530 others
yourinstagram: had a very cool dude over today to make even cooler music
yoursistersinstagram: you let someone in the bat cave?!
y/nfan5: possible collab on the new album?
yourinstagram: more like i was helping someone with theirs ;))
harrystyles: Thank you for having me. X.
harryfan3: HARRY???
harryfan7: omgomgomgomgomg
y/nfan1: pls god let us have a harry and y/n collab on his next album i NEED it
harrystyles
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liked by gemmastyles, yourinstagram and 2,233,781 others
harrystyles: HS3. Coming soon.
harryfan8: NEW ALBUM ALERT
harryfan11: HARRY YOU CANT JUST DROP SOMETHING LIKE THAT WITHOUT A RELEASE DATE
harryfan4: this has to be what he was working on with y/n right?
y/nfan3: i need them both on a song together
yourinstagram: had fun late night talking with you xx
y/nfan9: i'm sorry wHAT
harryfan5: is this flirting this sounds like flirting
harryfan13: honestly...here for it
y/nupdates
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liked by harryfan7 and 4,320 others
y/nupdates: Y/n in a video for Vogue recently!
"A lot of people ask me how Harry Styles ended up recording at my house when we'd virtually never crossed paths before. It was actually Taylor (Swift) who kind of set the whole thing up. They spoke at the Grammys last year and she apparently gave him my number so we could work together...He called and asked if I was available to help with his album at all. At the time I was on the road, then working on stuff for the band, and it just kind of went back and forth for a few months while we tried to line up our schedules. Then I was done touring, but I was kind of in a weird state in life where I didn't want to leave the house or hang out with anyone. And I remember making up excuses because I wasn't really up to making myself presentable to a whole team of people I'd never met before and having our first meeting be this huge thing. I'd basically built it all up in my head about how our ideas would clash and we wouldn't get along and I just kept telling him maybe some other time. Long story short, Harry showed up at my place a week later by himself with just a guitar, a notebook, and my favorite takeout order. We spent the whole day together working on a bunch of different stuff from themes to genres of music to sampling and mixing. And writing. Lots and lots of writing. And now he's a dear friend. He's so sweet and so talented. I wish him all the best with the new album."
y/nfan8: ok i'm glad it worked out and everything but imagine a virtual stranger showing up to your HOUSE?? like she said no and he basically forced her to write his album for her
y/nfan4: that's so real of her tbh to not want to leave her house
y/nfan2: y/n is notoriously introverted it makes sense
harryfan13: girl...
y/nfan7: i don't think it was that serious. and if she really didn't want him there she could've said no
harryfan13: and y/n literally called him a friend?? stop trying to start shit that doesn't exist
y/nfan7: of COURSE mother brought them together
harryfan17: i can't believe that's what harry and taylor were talking about in the video!
harryfan2: chill harry doesn't need to be in a relationship with every woman he's associated with
harryfan4: wait but wasn't y/n at that grammys too?
harryfan9: it was still covid it's possible their paths didn't cross
y/nfan19: wait what if he was too shy to go up to her??😭
harryfan4: i love that they're writing besties now but i think they'd be so cute together 🥹
hsupdates
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liked by harryfan4 and 10,343 others
hsupdates: Harry about Y/n L/n for Rolling Stone:
"I've always admired (Y/n's) work. She and her band are incredibly talented, and are just so passionate about creating music. I wanted that same energy for my third album, the freedom to make whatever I want without any reservations, and I knew Y/n was the perfect addition to the team. It took some convincing, but once we kind of got started, we couldn't stop. As we've gotten to know each other these past few months, I not only respect her as a musician, but for the person she is as well. Her soul is one of a kind, and I feel like my album would be so different without her on it. So now not only do I have an album that I'm proud of and love, but I got an extraordinary friend out of it too."
harryfan9: so this is what people mean when they say platonic soulmates
y/nfan12: all we've gotten is crumbs and i'm already in love with their friendship. and the album of course
y/nfan2: i'm so interested to hear this album now. if y/n is on it it has to be good
harryfan3: "her soul is one of a kind?" if that's harry as a friend i don't think i can handle boyfriendrry😭
y/nfan7: i'm holding out hope for them honestly🤞🏼🤞🏼
liked by harrystyles and 23,724 others
yourinstagram
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yourinstagram: you've fallen from the sky down to me, i see it in your face, i'm relief, i'm your summer girl
y/nfan17: shut up are those song lyrics??
yourbandinstagram: the tears behind your dark sunglasses, the fears inside your heart as deep as gashes🎶🎶
y/nfan17: HOLY SHIT those ARE lyrics!
y/nfan6: haven't even heard the song and i know the girls have done it again
harryfan4: could it...could it be about harry?
y/nfan8: you're grasping at straws
harryfan12: are they? they've been spotted together all over LA
harrystyles: ☀️☀️
y/nfan8: as friends. friends can hang out can't they?
harryfan3: new music from harry AND y/n? we're about to be fed y'all
harryfan10: THEY REALLY ARE BESTIES
y/nfan2: i bet they collaborated on this song together
Interviewer (I): What's one memory or experience you can share from making this album? Any trips to Japan or Jamaica?
Harry (H): We stayed in Los Angeles mostly for this one. But erm...in terms of a specific memory...I would say that while I was working with Y/n, one of the tracks was actually inspired by her cat.
I: Really?
H: Yeah. Whenever it did something to annoy Y/n, which was quite often, she'd call her a little freak. The song's obviously not about the cat, but the phrase was in my head and yeah. Things just kind of...snowballed from there.
I: The sound that Y/n's band has is more rock centric, a similar sound to your first album. Is that what we can expect for your third studio album?
I: You've become quite close to Y/n L/n it seems like.
H: Not necessarily. Y/n and I collaborated, but she also let me take the reins in terms of sound. She had opinions of course and we would bounce ideas off of each other...but she really just followed my lead and supported the vision I had. She is playing a majority of the instruments on the album, though.
H: It's hard not to.
I: How so?
I: It sounds like you could go on for quite some time about her.
H: She's just cool, you know? I was kind of intimidated when we met for the first time. She's quiet, but you never forget that she's in the room, you just want to go over and talk to her. Of course once you meet her she's incredibly kind and not at all intimidating, but still like chill and stuff. The first time we met we sat for an hour just talking about music we enjoyed and live shows we wanted to attend and things we learned while in lockdown. She's just effortlessly cool. An old soul, I guess. And somehow she translates that into her music. Her sisters, too. They're all just first-rate musicians.
H: Sorry. I kind of gushed for a minute there.
H: And the band. They're just so talented, you know?
harrystyles
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liked by jeffazoff and 4,211,323 others
harrystyles: From start to finish, making this album has been such an incredible journey. It was so fun to try new things sonically while also making something that I'm one hundred percent proud of. I've never felt more myself while making music than I did while creating this album for all of you, and I have so many people to thank for that. Hopefully you know who you are. I love, love, love you.
harryfan16: 😭😭😭😭😭
harris_reed: little angel👼
harryfan3: WE'RE SO PROUD OF YOU
yourinstagram: congratulations h. you deserve it.💐💐💐
harrystyles: I couldn't have done it without you💐
yourinstagram
liked by yourbandinstagram and 53,089 others
yourinstagram: for one night and one night only...but in all seriousness shout out to my friend and his incredible album. happy to have been a part of the magic :)))
harryfan13: HAPPY HARRY DAY!!!
harryfan4: is she in ny??
y/nfan7: yes! she was spotted with harry before the show today
harryfan9: they're literally so cute i love their friendship
harrystyles: You made the magic happen. Thank you for everything. X.
harryfan3: they're so...
y/nfan2: i genuinely think they like fucking with us bc i legitimately can't tell if they're dating or not
y/nfan7: at this point i don't even care i love whatever they're doing they both just seem so happy to be besties/lovers/collaborators and i love that for them
harryfan5: ^^
y/nupdates
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liked by harryfan10 and 3,742 others
y/nupdates: Y/n performing Keep Driving onstage with Harry in NYC tonight at ONO!
y/nupdates: When he introduced her, he said: "Tonight is special in a lot of ways. I'm sharing my album with you for the first time, my family's here, my friends are here, and...a very good friend of mine is here to play a song with me tonight. This album wouldn't have been possible without her, so please give her as much love as you've given me. Y/n L/n, everybody!"
harryfan4: stop they're so close it hurts😭
y/nfan7: i was there they were staring at each other and smiling the whole time!
harryfan12: that's the one where he says choke her with a sea view!?
y/nfan7: YES AND I SWEAR HIS SMILE GOT BIGGER WHEN HE SANG THAT PART AND LOOKED AT HER LIKE HE FULLY HAD TO TURN AROUND TO LOOK AT HER BC SHE WAS PLAYING THE DRUMS
harryfan3: i'm choosing to believe they're in love idc what anyone else says
hs/ynupdates
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hs/ynupdates: Harry, Y/n, and her sisters in New York after ONO tonight! Apparently Harry and Y/n were standing and walking very close to each other. Like arms wrapped around each other close.
harryfan2: that could literally mean anything tho. they're good friends why wouldn't they walk next to each other?
y/nfan14: i feel like they don't know if they're dating or not at this point😅
y/nfan8: her sisters are so unserious i love it
y/nfan5: i love that they all showed up for harry🥹
yourbandinstagram
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liked by taylorswift, harrystyles and 710,225 others
yourbandinstagram: Thanks for having us, London!
y/nfan1: i can't believe i got to see harry and y/n perform in ONE NIGHT
harryfan3: sending my love and my tears to everyone who got to experience this historic night
harrystyles: Thank you for taking the time to share the stage with me. X.
yourbandfan2: how do y'all always look so good 😭
I: So you opened for Harry Styles a few weeks ago and performed a song with him in New York.
Y/n: My sisters and I did, yeah.
I: How did that come about? Did your team call his team? Or was it more casual than that?
Y/n: Oh, definitely more casual. I think we were just hanging out together one morning and he kind of just suggested it. No bells and whistles or anything like that.
I: So can we expect (Your band) to join Harry on his upcoming tour, then?
Y/n: I don't think so. We're working on putting out a record of our own at the moment, but we do want to get back out on the road soon, but I will definitely be attending more of his shows in the future.
I: And what can we expect from this upcoming record? Did Harry help you the way you helped him out?
Y/n: I've sent him a couple things to listen to, and I value his opinion a lot, both as a friend and as an artist. He also showed me a couple records recently which kind of influenced how I approached some of the songs sonically. He's got a huge vinyl collection at his house. I'm honestly kind of jealous.
I: There's been some rumors running around that you and Harry are in a romantic relationship. Would you like to put any of those rumors to rest?
Y/n: I could see where people might think that. Harry's very affectionate by nature, and over the last couple of months we've become very close. He's not just someone I admire in the music industry, but as a person in general. I feel incredibly lucky to call him a friend. And a close one, at that.
I: So just a friend then?
Y/n: Yeah. Yeah, just a friend.
913 notes · View notes
bebebelll · 6 months
Text
does anyone know her dad? daniel ricciardo smau (part 2)
pairing: daniel ricciardo x toto's secret daugther!reader / daniel ricciardo x schumacher & wolff!reader warning: mention of slutshaming note: part one here, part three here, part four here
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ynquads never drinking or letting 20+ men into my 2-bedroom place ever again. also yes danny slept on the floor but brought great wine.
liked by susie_wolff, danielricciardo, mercedesamgf1 and 1 834 273 others
maxverstappen1 who threw up in the hallway? because someone threw up on seven pairs of shoes
alex_albon lando. i saw him drunk dancing out there too landonorris OKAY
username ARE YOU NOT EVEN GOING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE TOTO WOLFF THING
username they are absolutely fucking username the fuck are your sources bro?
georgerussell63 i would like to apologize for the vase that i broke
logansargeant i will add the sorry for chipping the countertop lewishamilton i took the dog toys for roscoe and i'm not sorry fernandoalo_official i didnt do anything but i would like the recipe for the soup
danielricciardo why would you post just that pic?? i found you sleeping on the kitchen floor in the morning you were not doing any better
ynquads lando stole the sofa, alex slept in the armchair, charles and max were passed out in the tub AND pierre, carlos and yuki were in the bed. i did not have other options at 5 am danielricciardo you shouldve come next to me. we could have cuddled ynquads baby i am literally in your arms right now danielricciardo and i want you with me all the time
username if austin has the whole grid + like four of the old guys get passed out drunk in one small apartment, i cannot wait to see what las vegas does to these men
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danielricciardo love you and also am so scared of your dad. we won't need his permission to marry someday right?
tagged: ynquads
liked by ynquads, maxverstappen1 and 593 837 others
username i love the dichotomy of the pajama pics and the hot evening wear
ynquads get you a man who can do both
landonorris like how you're both ignoring sky news and twitter burning down with the rumours
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ynquads so...you know how the world of motorsports is super small? you grow up with half the formula 1 grid and idolise the other half. sometimes you grow up being mortal enemies and you both get into f1. sometimes you win the title because your teammate dies. sometimes a 27-years-old toto wolff hooks up with michael schumacher's sister katarina. anyway! Lass uns diese Woche zum Essen gehen, Papa! Viel Glück für Onkel Lewis und George! (let's go out to dinner this week, dad! best of luck to uncle lewis and george!)
liked by danielricciardo, mercedesamgf1 and 1 837 364 others
susie_wolff your dad appreciates the first photo a lot! he didn't love the third though
mercedesamgf1 we'll always have a spot and cup of coffee just for you! no need to go to red bull, come home to us ❤️💪(also admin has known this since 2017 and could barely keep their mouth shut so thank you now i can comment)
ynquads mercedes admin really is gods strongest soldier danielricciardo please dont let mercedes just steal you. i need my good luck love charm and kisses ynquads dont worry dan we can romeo & juliet the shit out the red bull v mercedes feud susie_wolff your dad says NO and also do you want to eat salmon on tuesday?
username I FUCKING KNEW IT I CALLED IT I AM THE CONSPIRARY THEORY MASTER I AM GOD
redbullracing sweetheart you don't need to agree to anything. we have red bulls and cake in the hospitality 😅 please stay with us
ynquads what kind of daughter do you think i am? redbullracing we have daniel ynquads you know max and daniel have always been my favourites i could never leave red bull
username yn is 50% schumacher + 50% wolff and daniel 8 wins. imagine the kids they'll get
maxverstappen1 the kid's godfather is also going to have 3 championships danielricciardo 👍
@eternalharry
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yumeka-sxf · 5 months
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I've been waiting to see Yor's epiphany chapter in the anime and it did not disappoint! I felt like analyzing more than usual because I loved this episode so much~ 💖
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I hope that any anime-only viewers who at this point still had the opinion that Yor's just ditzy/submissive, one-dimensional, or whatever negative traits associated with her, have changed their minds. Throughout the cruise arc we've seen so many sides of her character: how she's struggling to understand the exact reason why she's taking on these dangerous assignments when her original reason for doing it (supporting Yuri) no longer exists, how her internal desire to seek her own happiness - live a peaceful life like Olka - is at constant war with her diligence to complete her mission, her yearning to be with Loid and Anya and how sad she looks when she has to tell herself that they're just a cover-up family and she'll have to leave them without a word if anything drastic happens, and how much more confident she is when doing something she excels at - assassinating - yet still retaining her kind and polite demeanor (Unlike Twilight, who dons the mask of Loid Forger, Yor Forger is not a mask for Thorn Princess, at least not in terms of personality. So everything she says as Thorn Princess can be interpreted as her true feelings, including the now two times she's hesitated during fights because of the thought of having to leave the Forgers).
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And, in the moment where she's facing death right in the eye, all the doubts she's had since getting this assignment culminate, not only causing the samurai assassin to get the upper hand, but causing her to take a deep, introspective look into her reason for fighting...if it's not for the same reason as the other assassins, what is it?
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What's even more amazing is that these things about her character did not come out of nowhere just for the sake of a flashy climax. We saw in previous episodes that not only does she understands that being in the Forger family makes her happy, but most importantly, how she's lived her life only thinking of the happiness of others above her own. And what's most tragic is that, upon finally realizing that her original reason for being an assassin is gone (since Yuri no longer needs support) she's ready to die then and there...until she remembers Olka's words about wanting to live a peaceful life, which in turn makes her remember her core reason for becoming an assassin was to not only support Yuri, but to make the world he lives in all the more peaceful by eliminating the villains in it.
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Despite how naive Yor is about many things (due to her upbringing), she's certainly not ignorant about the needless tragedies that exist in the world. And here is where she makes her decision to keep doing her assassinating, not because she enjoys killing people, but because the result of it will make the world a better place...because now, she has even more people whose happiness she desires to protect.
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Even if she sacrifice her own happiness by leaving the Forgers, that's not as important to her as preventing tragedy from befalling her loved ones, or the world in general. And these thoughts are so similar to Twilight's reasons for becoming a spy! Coincidently, as Yor has these thoughts, she thinks of how Loid complimented this aspect of her personality way back when they first met...and the thought that the man who she trusts and respects so much would approve of her decision, gives her the final push to keep on going (I love that they reanimated this scene too and didn't just use the exact frames from episode 2).
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So yeah, if anyone who wasn't sure of how much depth Yor's character has, I hope this episode shed a lot of light! This is the right way to make a character both cute/sweet but also a total badass who's strong on the outside as well as the inside.
(I will probably reword a lot of this for my upcoming Twiyor analysis posts but I couldn't wait until then, lol).
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From Me to You.
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Eddie Munson x Female Reader
Summary:Eddie finds a love letter pushed through his locker, and he’s determined to find out who his secret admirer is.
Warnings: Nothing that I can think of, just tooth-rotting Valentine’s day fluff! Slight use of "y/n" sorry I couldn't escape it!!
Word Count:1,867
Authour’s Note:My life is so devoid of any kind of romance, so I though what better way to resolve that than to write some cutesy Valentine’s Day fic with everyone’s favourite metal-head? Maybe I'm posting this a little early, but I'm pretty pleased with how this turned out (since I suck at writing fluff) and I wanted to share it!
It wasn’t that you didn’t like Eddie, oh no, that couldn’t be further from the truth. However, having to admit to your crush on your best friend? Well that was a whole other story.
So, your big plan was to leave little secret admirer notes in Eddie’s locker in the week leading up to Valentine’s day on Friday. It was an easy way to confess your love to him, without the sting of rejection coming to bite you in the ass.
The Monday after your last class you waved Eddie goodbye as he made his way to the drama room where the Hellfire club would be meeting for their latest campaign. Although you didn't share his love of Dungeons and Dragons, you were still as close as friends could be, only you didn't want to be just his friend.
Waiting for him to disappear out of sight, you look around to check the coast is clear before you slip the hand-written note into his locker. Pushing the folded up piece of paper through the vented slats in his locker, you make your way out of the school. 
All you have to do now is just have to wait until tomorrow to find out if your little secret mission was successful.
_______
Eddie strolled into school that Tuesday morning, opening up his locker to put away his things, but as he did so, a small folded up piece of paper fell to the floor. Piquing his curiosity, he bent down to pick up the paper. Unfolding it carefully his eyes scanned over the nice hand-written message inside.
Your smile is my favourite thing and it brightens my day 
He glances at the swirling joined up writing and how the little hearts dot the I’s and he finds his face warming with a blush.
“What’ve you got there then, Ed?”  Gareth asks noisily, causing the rest of the members of Corroded Coffin to turn their heads to their lead guitarist.
“Wouldn’t you like to know.” Eddie says defensively as he stuffed the note in his pocket.
Holding his hands up in surrender, Gareth dropped the subject and they guys went about the rest of their school day.
_______
The next day, Eddie goes to open his locker and surprisingly another note falls at his feet. 
Quickly he bends to pick it up before anyone notices that he’s received another note. Unfolding the paper he reads the message.
You give me butterflies
He reasons that it must be the same person that it was from yesterday, because the handwriting is exactly the same and the I’s are still dotted adorably with the same little hearts.
As quick as his hopes get up at the thought of someone writing him little love notes,his thoughts are pulled in the direction that this must be some sort of prank. It had to be, right? Why else would anyone leave the school’s ‘freak’ sweet notes like this if not for some kind of twisted joke. 
Jason Carver and his gang probably thought the idea that someone might have a crush on Eddie, laughable. Yeah, he thinks to himself, that sounds more plausible.
Speak of the devil.
Jason and his crew make their way past him laughing loudly and obnoxiously. Right, that's it. 
Eddie stormed up to Jason, poking an accusing finger in his face.
“I bet you think this is really funny, don’t you Carver?” 
“What do you want, freak?” Jason barks out.
“You, leaving those little notes in my locker.” Eddie jabs.
Eddie looks at Jason for a moment, a look of genuine confusion gracing the features of the basketball player, his brows knitted together, before he huffs out an incredulous laugh.
“In your dreams, Munson” Jason laughs in his face as he pushes past Eddie. 
Okay…So maybe this wasn’t a joke. Well who was sending Eddie anonymous love letters?
_______
I want to hold your hands and kiss your face
Another day, another note. Eddie was still none the wiser as to who exactly was putting these love letters in his locker. Right, he thought to himself, he was going to need some help if he had any chance of finding out who this secret admirer of his was. 
Strolling through the doors of Family video, Eddie had decided to recruit the help of the only person he could think that would actually be of any help to him. Even if it did mean that he would have to show all the notes he’d received with Steve ‘The Hair’ Harrington.
“Wait, so let me get this straight. You’ve been getting anonymous love letters put in your locker?” Steve asks
“Well..yeah?” Eddie answers.
“...And you’re absolutely sure you have no idea who this is?” Steve presses.
“Well at one point I thought Carver was doing it, you know, for a joke..but I confronted him about it yesterday and that turned out about as well as you can imagine” Eddie explains
“Do you have some that you want it to be?” Steve quizzes, as he watches the metal-head’s expression change instantly, flushing scarlet rising from his chest to his cheeks and the tips of his nose. “Aha!” -Steve exclaims, jabbing his finger towards Eddie- “So you are thinking of someone then?”
Luckily, Eddie was saved from the embarrassment of admitting to his crush on one of his best friends by Robin interrupting his and Steve’s conversation.
“What are you two dorks gabbing about over there?” She shouts making her way from the back of Family video where she was rearranging a stack of horror films.
“Munson here has got himself a secret admirer.” Steve says, cocking his thumb towards Eddie. “Said he’s been getting these little love notes slipped in his locker” Steve continues with his teasing.
“Oooh!! Let me see ‘em!!” Robin squeals excitedly.
Scattering the piece of paper out onto the countertops, the boys watch as Robin reads through each of the messages. Her eyes scan over the words, and her eyebrows draw together, and her expression one of surprise.
“You alright over there, Rob? You look like you’ve seen a ghost, which considering what we’ve been through, is the last thing that should have you looking like that.” Steve joked.
“Shut up, Dingus.” Robin says, shushing Steve holding her pointer finger up at him. “Eddie, I think I might know who your secret admirer is.” 
The two boys look at Robin with wide eyes and bated breath.
Robin turns her back and hot-foots it to the back room of Family video.
“I thought you were going to tell us who it is?” Eddie shouts after his friend.
“Hold your horses will 'ya, Munson?!” she shouts back over her shoulder.
Robin returns with a wide grin gracing her freckled features as she slams down a sheet of A4 lined paper on the counter top.
“What the hell’s this?” Steve said, looking even more confused than before.
“These are the notes that I borrowed from y/n, for Kominski’s class yesterday. Now I don’t know about you guys, but I’d say that that swirly handwriting looks very familiar to me.” Robin says proudly, like she’s decoded the most cryptic of secret messages.
Eddie and Steve lean in closer to compare the handwriting in the love letters, to the handwriting in the classroom notes. 
 “I mean, apart from the little hearts that are dotting the I’s, I would say that is the exact same handwriting” Robin points out.
“So, y/n, huh?” Steve says, letting the thought hang in the air.
If Eddie was blushing before, his whole face must’ve looked like a tomato at this point, 
“Judging by your very red and embarrassed face, I’m going to guess that you like her too, right?” Robin asks.
Steve and Robin look at Eddie as he shyly scratches the back of his neck 
“Okay, yeah I like her..I like her a lot actually.”
“But isn’t tomorrow Valentine’s day?” Steve throws out.
“Oh this is perfect!” Robin jumps up and down excitedly. “Here’s what you’re going to do…”  she began as she brought Eddie closer to tell him her plan.
_______
Sticking to the plan that Robin (and Steve who got dragged into it by Robin) helped him with, Eddie got up early for school for once in his life. That morning he showered, and dressed in a clean Black Sabbath shirt (that he’d previously ironed that evening, earning a raised eyebrow from his uncle, and hung up ready to put on in the morning.)
Dressed and ready to leave, he picked up the bunch of red roses that he’d bought from the Valentine’s day section in town yesterday evening after leaving Family Video.
He’d called you and asked if you needed a lift on the way to school, and knowing you the way he did, you would much prefer to ride with him in his van than take the school bus.  
“Son..” Uncle Wayne called out to Eddie as he was just about to go through the door. “Good luck today, you be nice to that girl, alright?” His gruff voice huffs out.
“I will Wayne, I can promise you that.” Eddie throws over his shoulder with a wide grin as he makes his way to his van.
_______
Pulling up to your house, he parks his van and takes a moment to catch his breath before grabbing his bunch of roses and walking to your front door.
Squaring his shoulders he raises his knuckles to your door to deliver a confident knock. 
“I’m coming!!” he hears you shout from inside the house.
You unlock the door to see your best friend hiding his face behind a bouquet of beautiful red roses before handing them to you.
“These are for you. Happy Valentine’s day” he says as you kindly accept the flowers from him.
Although you had smiled when he’d given you the flowers, he could still sense your confusion at his gesture. 
“I got your notes…I thought they were really cute y’know and truth be told when I read them I kind of hoped they were from you.” he rambled, feeling that familiar heat flushing across his cheeks.
“How did you figure out it was me?” you ask.
“Well it wasn’t easy, but Robin and Steve helped me figure it out…mostly Robin, though..” he chuckles. 
There’s a moment's silence between the two of you where you’re both looking into each other’s eyes.
Feeling bold, you rise up on your tip-toes to place a quick peck to Eddie’s cheek. You feel him smile brightly under your lips.
“Thanks for the flowers, Ed. They’re beautiful” 
“You missed.” he says with a look of disappointment in his deep brown eyes.
“Huh?”
“You missed.” he says again, smirking as he points to his lips.
“Take me on a date first, and then we can see about that kiss, Ed” you giggle.
“Let me take you to the movies tomorrow? We can hold hands and do all that cute shit that you’re supposed to do on a first date” he looks to you excitedly.
“I’d love to!” 
“Great! I’ll come pick you up at seven?” 
“It’s a date” You smile back at him.
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