#let's play pretend series

[myhockeyworld87]

Let’s Play Pretend - Matthew Tkachuk - Part 6 (Finale)

Word Count: 15,888

Warnings: Language, Smut, NSFW

Notes: Ugh! Here it is the final installment of this series. It’s bittersweet for me. I’ve enjoyed writing this story so much and it seems like you guys have enjoyed reading it as well. I know it was a bit of a wait but you got an extra 5K words out of it...haha. With that, the last time we saw these two they’d done the deed, but hadn’t faced the aftermath of it all. So here we go! Hope I don’t disappoint you guys with this ending. 

As always I hope you guys enjoy this. If you do, hit me with some feedback. It’s always welcome. Happy Reading!!!

Let’s Play Pretend Masterlist

Matthew was still in a bit of a haze as he drove to the practice arena for his meeting with Treliving. This was nothing like how he saw his morning going. He wanted to lay in bed and just profess his love for you, tell you how he's had these feelings for you forever, and that he was tired of playing pretend and wanted to make your relationship a real one. In his head, you'd admit that you'd loved him just as much and that you couldn't think of anything better in life than being his fiancé for real. But as much as he wanted the scenario that kept playing in his head to happen, his heart wasn't as sure that would be how things would go. He'd never once imagined Johnny knocking on his door looking for him.

That reminded him he needed to call his family. He punched the button on the car phone. "So you're alive," his dad answered.

"Ha, ha," Matthew sarcastically laughed back. "You knew I was fine."

"Did we? I mean you went radio silent after that text I sent you. I know it had to be a lot, finding out Brady got the captaincy and then the trade rumor. I hope you didn't take anything out on (Y/N)." Oh, he'd taken a few things out on her but not in the way his dad thought. "That girl has done everything for you, you know…"

"I know dad," Matthew cut off his father before he could reprimand him further. "She's the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Well, I'm glad you can finally see that."

"I can, dad. I think I've always known it deep down, but this…this whole situation has brought everything to life." Matthew paused wondering if he should tell his dad everything. Keith had always been his biggest supporter, next to his mom and he knew after his talk with him a few days ago, that his dad knew his true feelings. "I love her dad. Like love her, love her, and I can't see my life without her."

"So why haven't you told her that?" His father prompted.

"I planned on doing it this morning but I got derailed with a meeting with Treliving." Matthew sighed not happy with the situation but there was nothing that could be done. "As soon as I get back home, I plan on sitting down with (Y/N) and putting it all out there."

"I think that's a step in the right direction, Matthew, for both of you. Just be honest with her and follow your heart."

"Thanks, dad. I plan on it." Matthew meant exactly that. He was going to put everything out there and hope to god that you felt the same way as he did. "Well, I'm at the arena. I'll call ya tomorrow and let you know how everything went."

"Good luck, just know that your mom and I are rooting for you."

Matt hung up the phone and headed into the rink. He took a deep breath ready for whatever Treliving was going to tell him. At this point, he knew that the Eichel thing was nothing but a rumor, but that didn't mean that the team wasn't still trying to be rid of him. Just because this trade didn't work out, didn't mean that another wasn't in the works. All Matthew knew was that whatever was said in this meeting today, he would be able to handle it, because he had you.

He lifted his hand and knocked on the door, only walking in when he heard Treliving call out for him to enter. "Matthew, so glad you could make it in this morning." Matt sat down across from the GM, crossing his ankle over his knee to keep from bouncing his legs up and down. "I wanted to have a conversation with you and address what happened last evening."

"Ok."

Treliving steepled his fingers together, resting his elbows on the desk before he continued. "So...we were approached by Buffalo about trade with Eichel." Matt's heart sank more than he thought it would. It hurt knowing that his team, the one that he considered family, wanted to trade him. In the back of his mind, he kept hearing your voice, telling him that the two of you could make the best of any situation. And he knew he could, as long as you were by his side. "You should know, we never truly entertained the idea at all."

"Wait, what?"

"Matthew, you're a valuable part of this team, and despite what happened in preseason, we feel that you're the future of the Flames." Matthew breathed out a sigh of relief at Treliving's words. "Coach Sutter and I talked and we both feel there's no reason to wait. We'd like to offer you the captaincy now."

"Oh, wow." Matthew didn't know what to say. The entire summer this was the moment he'd been waiting for. He'd wanted it so much that he'd conned you into being his fake fiancé, but now that the moment was here, he was having mixed feelings. He was both shocked and surprised at himself at what came out of his mouth. "While I'm truly honored, like more than you'll ever know. I'm not sure that's what's best for the team right now." Treliving seemed taken back. "We've really been gelling as a team and I can see so much potential in this group to go all the way. I'm not saying that it has anything to do with us not having a captain at the moment or not, but I think disrupting this environment right now, wouldn't be what's best. I don't want you to get the wrong impression; I do want to be captain of this team. More than anything. Well, maybe not more than anything. But for it to be right, I think we need to wait until the end of the season."

Treliving was quiet. The silence almost beginning to make Matt regret what he said. Maybe he should've accepted it right now, especially after everything that he'd put you through. Matthew was pretty sure that when he told you he'd declined the captaincy, you weren't going to be happy with him, but he would cross that bridge after he told you he loved you. Right now, he had to deal with his GM. "I'm honestly surprised at you, Chucky." The GM using his nickname could be both good and bad. "You've really matured since last season, not only on the ice but in life as well it seems. You putting the team first really tells me, that when next season rolls around, there won't be any hesitation in naming you captain."

"Thank you," Matthew answered. "I appreciate your faith in me and while there's still a lot of work to be done this season; I look forward to being the Flames' new captain next year."

"I'll be proud to name you it as well. You've really stepped up these last few months, taking in your teammates, and being a leader both on and off the ice. Not to mention you getting into fewer fights. I can't help but wonder if all this has to do with your fiancé or something else."

Matthew smiled easily at the mention of you. "I'd like to take a lot of the credit but I think we both know it's been (Y/N). It's cheesy to say this, but she just makes me want to be a better person, you know?"

"I do know." Treliving agreed, rising from his seat, signaling that the meeting was over. Matthew rose as well, shaking the GM's hand. "I'm still going to look for that leadership from you, you know? Even without the C on your chest."

"It'll be there, sir. There's no need to worry about that."

"You know, a year ago I'm not sure I would've believed you, but today…today I have no doubt you'll keep your word." The GM smiled fondly at Matt, as he made his way out the door. "Give (Y/N) my best."

"I will. I'll see you tonight at the game." Matthew left the office feeling much better than when he walked in, at least as far as his career was concerned. His heart was a whole other matter. Morning skate was in an hour, so he text you saying he'd be staying at the arena until after practice. He didn't want to drive home only to have fifteen minutes to tell you that he loves you and then have to walk back out the door. You deserved so much better than that.

Once Matthew left, you looked around the house and knew you had to do something. Your bra hanging off the banister was not a look that would make it into architectural digest. Then there were the dirty dishes from last night's meal that were still on the table. You were pretty sure you weren't going to be able to get the layer of crust off them and would probably have to run them through the dishwasher twice to get them clean. It was definitely a mess you didn't want to leave for the housekeeper.

It took you close to an hour to clean up the downstairs before you followed the trail of clothes to the bedroom. The sheets were a rumpled mess, which only sent memories of last night flooding back. The way Matthew touched you, made you feel, and the look in his eyes, made you hot and bothered all over again. Last night had been everything you dreamed of and so much more. You'd fantasized about being with him so many times, but the reality was so much better than anything you'd conjured up in your head. Matthew had been both rough and gentle at the same time, everything that you'd ever wanted in a lover, and god if you didn't want to experience that all over again.

"UGH," you screamed out to the empty void of the room. If you let your mind keep wandering back to last night, you'd be in serious trouble. You grabbed the duvet and ripped it off the bed, then pulled the pillows out of their cases. As you rolled them up, the smell of sex wafted through the air, crumpling your resolve to put the night out of your mind just like you were the sheets.

You strode through the house, trying to imagine how your talk with Matthew was going to go. Matthew felt something for you, you knew that. What it was, you weren't sure. There was a chance, all be it slim, that he loved you, just as much as you loved him. The way he'd kissed you this morning before rushing up the stairs hinted at that, or so you thought. Then again it could've just been lust. When you'd been so rudely interrupted from the cozy haven you and Matt had created this morning, you'd been keenly aware of his hard-on pressing into your body. You were easily ready for round two and you were definitely sure, so was Matthew, which scared you. He could easily walk through the door and say that all he wanted was a simple friend with benefits relationship with you just like he'd suggested a few weeks ago. That option seemed very real in your mind and shook you to the core. Could you do that? You weren't sure if it was even possible to keep your feelings out of the bedroom, as it took everything in your power to not tell Matthew that you loved him last night. To go back to kisses and touches that meant nothing, seemed almost impossible, let alone to have him deep inside you.

In the fifty minutes it took for the wash cycle, you contemplated how you were going to tell Matt that there was no way that being friends with benefits would work. However, during the next hour of the dryer, you talked yourself into it, for not being able to touch Matthew and love him would kill you more. By the time you headed back upstairs to make the bed, you convinced yourself that Matt would walk in, declare the two of you fuck buddies, so to speak, and you were going to be fine with that. You'd just finished pulling up the duvet when you heard him call out your name. "(Y/N)," he yelled as he entered the door, not giving you time to answer before calling out. "Princess, where are you?"

"Upstairs," you called back, taking a giant gulp of air before having to face the man you loved. Matt walked through the threshold of the bedroom, all damp locks from the shower he'd taken before leaving the arena, and you wanted nothing more than to run your fingers through the unruly curls. You tossed on one of the throw pillows before asking, "How did things go with Treliving?"

"Good, I guess." Matt fidgeted from side to side, as the nerves started to bubble up inside him. The whole ride home he practiced verbatim what he wanted to say to you the moment he walked through the door, but seeing you in the bedroom, next to the bed where he'd made love to you several hours ago, had all those thoughts flying out the window. "I don't think you're going to be happy with me." Matt watched your face as your brows knitted together in concern. "We can talk about it later though." He took a deep breath in, ready for his well-rehearsed speech. "I really think we need to talk about us."

Matt's words stilled your actions. You expected him to tell you what had happened between him and the GM but apparently, he wanted to get right to things between the two of you. "Ok, you were right."

Your words threw Matthew off. "Were?"

"The whole friends with benefits thing. You were absolutely right about it." Matt was stunned, it was written all over his face, but whether that was because you actually agreed with him or that he no longer wanted to be with you that way; you didn't know. You didn't give him time to answer. "It's been so long for both of us and…"

Matt didn't hear anything else you said, as this piercing ringing started in his ears. He couldn't believe you were saying that you just wanted to be fuck buddies with him. Did last night mean nothing to you? It had meant everything to him and he couldn't go back from being so intimate and loving you, to being indifferent. "Stop," he finally shouted more harshly than he intended. His fingers immediately went to his curls, sifting and tugging on the locks as if he could make his brain work and figure out what to say. None of this was going how he intended. "Jesus, (Y/N)," he finally breathed out. "I don't want to be your damn friend with benefits."

Your heart stopped beating. Hearing Matthew say the words out loud, made bile rise to the back of your throat. It was your greatest fear, not being enough for him, and now you wanted to run into the ensuite and empty the contents of your stomach. Instead, you stood there, trying to stop your body from violently shaking as he continued to speak.

"I love you," Matt blurted out. Nothing like the way he actually wanted to tell you. "And maybe you don't feel the same way, but damnit I'm tired of pretending I don't."

He loved you.

Matthew Tkachuk loved you.

You were stunned into silence. Partly because you never expected him to be. If you were being honest, you never let yourself imagine he would love you the same as you did him, for fear of getting your heart broken, but now he did, and your heart felt like bursting at the seams.

Matthew waited a full minute for you to say something, but when you didn't his heart started to sink. There was no going back now. He didn't want to take those three little words back anyhow now that they were out; so, he kept going. "I think I've always loved you, (Y/N)." He wanted to pace back and forth in the room but stood still as he continued. Hands still sifting through his curls as he did. "God, when I think back on it, I think I knew back in middle school. I was so damn jealous that Kyle got to kiss you in that play. You remember, what was it called?"

"Snow White," you supplied finally breaking your silence.

Matthew smiled, as he remembered you both as kids. "Yeah, I always wanted to just call it the dwarfs." He chuckled to himself, remembering you all in costumes. "But then the night of the play Kyle got sick and the teacher told me to fill in."

"I remember." And you did, you'd been thrilled and nervous to have Matthew play Prince Charming.

"All my friends were chirping me because we had to kiss and I made a big fuss saying I didn't want to, even though secretly I did." He looked at you as heat flooded his cheeks. "I'd never kissed anyone before and I wanted it to be you, but I didn't know how to handle my friends picking on me. And even though Mrs. Carson told me to that it was just pretending; I knew it was more. The moment my lips touched yours, I knew everything changed between us. I just didn't know how much." Matt chuckled and you joined him as you thought of what happened next. "But then Brady shoved Leo into the bed you were lying on…"

"Sending me flat on my ass."

"And the whole set crashing down." You were both full-on laughing now. "God, we were horrible actors. I guess we've changed a bit as we've gotten older." The thought sobered you both, as it reminded you of your fake engagement. "I think I pushed all those feelings that I had for you, to the back after that. Well, except when Brady told me he loved you." Matt thought back to that moment. "I'd never wanted to throttle my brother so badly. I hated him. He's my brother and I hated him at that moment." Matthew's eyes filled with tears at the memory. "Partly, because he loved you, but mostly because he had the guts to admit his feelings for you, and I didn't." He blew out a frustrated breath. "Fuck, I'm a horrible person."

You reached out and touched his arm, a natural instinct to just comfort him. "No, you're not."

"Maybe not. I was an awful brother at that moment, that's for sure. I'd like to think I've changed since then."

"You have," you reassured him, your hand sliding down to his. His fingers automatically entwined with yours.

"I wish I would've recognized those feelings back then and told you I loved you, instead I lied to you, to Brady, and to myself." Matt looked down at your linked fingers. He wanted so badly to never let you go, to think that he could hold your hand like this forever, but while you'd said a few words since he told you his feelings; you hadn't said a word about how you felt for him. "Maybe if I hadn't, things would be different." He let go of your hand then, all be it reluctantly. "Fuck, (Y/N), the moment you kissed me in this house, everything changed. I couldn't lie to myself about my feelings for you any longer. Every day, while you've been pretending to be my fiancé, is just one day more, I fall deeper in love with you. I know last night was just some meaningless sex to you, but to me…it was so much more."

It was so much more to you as well, and you wanted to tell him that, but Matt didn't give you a chance. "I can't pretend anymore, (Y/N), and I get it, if you don't love me back. I just…well I can't be your fuck toy…when I have all these feelings for you."

"Matty…" you tried to interrupt.

"And I don't know what all this means…" He motioned between the two of you. "For the two of us…like I know we said that we'd stick this out until the end of the season…but I just don't know if I can keep pretending…"

"Matthew!" There was a bit more authority in your voice this time, hoping that it would somehow break through the endless stream of words he kept spewing.  

However, it didn't. "I mean I want us to always be friends…I just don't know if I can do all of this…"

You opted for a different tactic this time. "I LOVE YOU!" you shouted at him. It certainly wasn't how you pictured telling him over the years but at least it stunned him into silence.

"You what?"

"I love you." This time you said it a bit softer, letting words carry more weight. "I've loved you for years, Matty. Like…so many years. But I was just so afraid of losing you, I didn't want to tell you."

"You love me?" He asked and you were pretty sure that he both heard and comprehended what you said even if making you say it one more time.

"Yes, you idiot. I love you." The corners of his mouth picked up in the widest grin and then before you knew what happened, his lips were on yours. It wasn't hard or crushing as when he'd first kissed you last night. This time Matthew was tender, almost reverent in the way his lips glided with yours. His arms slipped around your waist drawing you closer to him, as yours snaked around his neck. Somewhere in a haze, you realized that you were kissing the love of your life and that he loved you in return. You'd dreamt of this so many times but it was nothing compared to the reality. You couldn't breathe and it had nothing to do with one kiss melting into another, but the realization that Matthew loved you. He loved you, just as much as you loved him.

His hands stole down to your ass, where he grasped the globes, lifting you so that you had no choice but to wrap your legs around him. Just like last night, he danced you both over to the bed, only this time he sat, leaving you to straddle him. Only then did he break the kiss. "Say it again?" He asked as his hands roamed all over your body. Knitting your brows together, you pretended as if you didn't quite understand what he was asking. "Don't tease," he huffed.

"I vaguely remember saying something about…you being an idiot."

His fingers deftly moved to your sides where he tickled you mercilessly. The sound of your laughter echoing off the walls. "Say it…Say it or I won't stop."

"Stop," you gasped out, as laughter continued to bubble forth from you. When he didn't relent, you finally heaved, "Iloveyou." It was all one word as you didn't have a full breath in your body. His fingers stopped then, giving you a chance to catch your breath. There was a seriousness in Matt's eyes, one you knew that while he may love this playful side of you, he needed to hear the words spoken with a more sincere note, and you would never deny him that. "I love you, Matthew. I've loved you…" you shook your head. "I think I've loved you my whole life."

He pecked your lips before saying, "God, I've waited forever to hear you say that. I love you so much, (Y/N)."

"Not as much as I love you."

"Oh, princess, we are not playing this game, because you will lose." To think that Matthew loved you even half as much as you did him was still beyond your comprehension. It was overwhelming but in the best way. "But seriously, (Y/N), we should talk for a minute." You blinked hard at Matthew's offhanded comment. It felt like he was taking the wind right out of your sails and leaving you stranded out in open water.

"Ok," you mumbled out weakly.

Matthew saw the wary look in your eye. "It's not bad. It's just…I don't know how to put this…"

The longer Matt took to spit this out the more worried you became.

"I'm saying this all wrong." The last thing Matt wanted to do was make you question everything that had transpired over the last several minutes. "I love you, (Y/N) and what I'm trying to say is. I should've never made you lie to everyone about us." Matthew knew he still wasn't saying what he wanted to. "What I'm trying to say is that I'll tell everyone the truth…tell them that we're not engaged…though I hope you know that's what I want…to really be engaged to you…hell…I want to marry you…but…"

"Matty, stop." You took both your hands and placed them on his cheeks. "I want all that too. I want to be engaged and married and…well…" You didn't want to scare him with talk of kids, so you just continued. "But I can't see telling everyone that we lied now that we're finally together." As soon as those final four words left your mouth, you wanted to take them back. "I mean I don't know if we are together, it's just..well…"

"Oh, we're together." Matthew wanted to make sure there wasn't a doubt in your mind about that. "There's no way that I'm letting you go, not now, not ever."

Well, that definitely brought a smile to your face. "Then I can't see changing things now, as I don't plan on giving you up either. Besides, I'm still on shaky ground with the publishing company after the whole Mason fiasco…"

"Please never mention that man's name again."

Matthew's grip had tightened on your ass until it was almost biting. You leaned in and pecked his lips. "Deal." His fingers eased a bit. "Anyhow, I really don't want all my readers finding out that I lied about being engaged to you."

Matt tipped his head back and closed his eyes as frustration with himself set back in. "I'm so sorry, princess, for not taking your life into consideration when I asked you to do this."

"Hey," you cupped his cheek when he didn't immediately look at you. "Hey look at me. That's in the past, and we are moving towards the future. So, no more apologizing. Got me?"

"Got you," he answered with a smile. "Have I told you how much I love you?"

"Hmmm," you pretended to contemplate it. "Not in the last three minutes."

"I guess I need to rectify that." Matthew flipped you over on your back before you could even think about what he just said. "In fact, I think I should show you how much I do." His body loomed over yours, making your heart beat faster. Your arms looped around his neck as his lips came down on yours. His hips gently rocked into your clothed core telling you exactly what he had planned.

"Whoa," you told him gently backing away from the kiss. Matt gazed down at you curious as to why you put the brakes on something he knew you both wanted. "You have a game tonight."

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, shouldn't you be napping?"

"I plan on it. Right after I make love to you."

You giggled, one of those silly schoolgirl ones, at the mention of making love. Even though it was something you'd dreamed of since high school. "What is so funny? I swear I tell you I love you and you've done nothing but laugh since."

Matt seemed only mildly miffed, and you assumed that was more because you were distracting him from his true purpose, which was getting you out of your clothes. "It's just…I never thought this would all happen…yet here we are talking about…" You made a goofy face before saying, "making love. It reminds me of when we were twelve and had just got 'the talk'."

"When I was twelve, I had no idea what I was talking about let alone how to do any of it." Matthew ground his hips into you then, making you gasp. "I've definitely learned a thing or two since then."

"Oh yeah?"

"Mmm, most definitely. Now I'd love to show my girlfriend a thing or two I've learned. If she would quit giggling. It's deflating my ego."

You knew Matt was only half kidding, but still, you sobered. Hands trailing down his chest to the hem of his shirt, you bunched up the fabric to lift it over his head. "Then by all means show me." You rid him of the garment in mere seconds, then Matthew's lips found yours once again. His tongue exploring you as though he'd never kissed you before; searching and reaching into your soul so that you had no choice but to give him your whole heart in just that kiss alone. You were lost in him, as your hands roamed up and down his bare chest, but you wanted more. It was that thought that spurred you on, as you shimmied his sweats down over his hips. You could only get them as far as his knees, to go further would mean your lips would have to leave his, and you weren't ready for that.

Matthew felt the same urgency that you did. His hands slid under your shirt where he was relieved to find you not wearing a bra. It gave direct access to your breasts. His hands were on them in seconds, tweaking and kneading them, until your nipples were turret little peaks. When he couldn't stand it any longer, he broke the kiss to peel off your top and throw it across the room. Only then did he let his mouth travel down your neck and over your collarbone to your soft and supple breasts. God how he loved them. Over the years, you teased him so many times walking around in a flimsy piece of material you called a bikini.  He'd nearly come undone seeing you each summer, just wondering what it would be like to see what was underneath it. Now, it was all his. You were his. And Matthew planned on keeping it that way for the rest of your lives.

His mouth found your nipple, where he suckled it to a rock-hard pebble that had you moaning out his name. All the while his hands moved south, seeking out your core. A place he knew where heaven existed as he'd been there last night. He stripped your leggings off first. Once they were gone, his mouth traveled down over your stomach, dropping loving kisses as he went. He finally stopped when he reached the thin scrap of material that covered what he wanted. Looking up, he captured your gaze. Saw the heat and desire that you had for him there. He gently nipped the fabric dragging it down between his teeth to uncover you, while his fingers hooked around the elastic sides. He releases the lace from his teeth and in one swift motion tore the panties from your body.

You gasped as cool air hit your pussy, but then Matthew's mouth was back. Hands gently nudging your legs further apart to accommodate him. He rained kisses along your inner thigh. By the time he reached the juncture of your legs, you were trembling with need. He blew out a warm breath, making you shiver before two fingers spread you wide. Flattening his tongue, he licked a long stripe between your folds. "Oh God, Matty," you panted out while Matthew smiled against your core.

"So, fucking sweet," Matt groaned out, for he had been dreaming of this moment for so long. Last night had been so heated and rushed that he hadn't taken the time to worship your body like he truly wanted. He planned on making up for that now. He dove back into your pussy, tongue lapping at you, tasting your essence.

Your hands fisted into the duvet as Matthew's tongue worked his magic on you. It was too much when he flicked it back and forth over your clit. Hips bucking upward into his mouth, he had no choice but to sling an arm across you to keep you from squirming. His onslaught didn't stop as he sucked hard on the little nub and you moaned out with pleasure. Your right hand sifted through his curls, partly holding him there to continue and part almost pushing him away. Matt reveled in it all. Your soft moans spurred him on until he had no choice but to sink two fingers deep inside you.

"Matty, please," you begged writhing underneath him.

He didn't relent though. Fingers still thrusting in and out of you, while he worked your swollen clit. You could feel that familiar tingle start in your belly. That little flutter that told you your orgasm was working its way through your body. Then Matthew hit that spot, that sent you spiraling out of control. You swore you saw stars as your orgasm hit, and you tugged on his hair bringing him a bit closer to your core.

Matthew worked you through your orgasm, continuing to suck on your clit, as a rush of wetness soaked his fingers. He felt like a fucking god, making you cum so hard. It was a rush and he wanted to do it again and again. Glancing up at you, he saw pure ecstasy written all over your face. He couldn't stop himself as he lapped at your clit again.

"Matty," you whined out. "It's too much." You were way too sensitive to go again at the moment. Besides you wanted to return the favor.

Matthew arched his eyebrow at you. He knew you could take more, but didn't want to push you, as he wanted to sink his cock deep inside you and make you cum again. He slithered his way up your body until your hand caressed his cheek bringing his lips to yours. He melted into the kiss, drinking you in. It was then you took the opportunity to turn the tables on him; flipping him on his back.

It didn't take you long to shuck Matthew's sweats and briefs off him. Last night, you hadn't got the chance to really appreciate him like you wanted to. He was rock hard now. The length of him straining up to his abs. You licked your lips and heard Matthew groan in anticipation. Raking your nails on the inside of his thighs, you let your tongue slip out to lick the precum off the tip. "Fuck," Matt hissed out, letting his hands tangle in your locks. Your lips sunk over engulfing the tip, then slipped down more to take almost every inch of him. What you couldn't fit, you fisted your hand around and started to pump. You hollowed out your cheeks and bobbed your head, as you took his cock in and out of your mouth.

"Your mouth is magical, princess," Matthew moaned out. His fingers gathered your hair so he could watch you work; a sight that almost sent him over the edge. He felt his cock hit the back of your throat and his eyes rolled back in his head. You were going to kill him but in the best possible way. When you cupped his balls, he knew he was done for, and he pulled you off of him before he exploded in your mouth. You looked up at Matt under hooded lashes, questioning why he'd stopped you. "Princess, I need to be inside you now."

His comment made you chucked and you relished the power you had over him at that moment. Slinking your way back up, you straddled Matthew. His cock just a hairsbreadth from your cunt. "I wanna ride you, Matty."

The corner of Matt's lips picked up in a smirk. "By all means Princess. Have at it."

You pumped his cock, before positioning it at your entrance, then started to sink down. His girth stretched you, making you feel so full, and you closed your eyes enjoying every second of it. "Look at me, Princess." Your eyes snapped open at Matthew's command, connecting with his instantly. There was awe and that sense of wonder there, but so much love it made your heart want to burst. You could only hope that yours reflected the same, as you bottomed out on him.

Leaning down, you kissed him so passionately there could be no doubt that you loved him; that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with him and him alone. His hand went to your hip, urging you to move. You started to rock against him; his cock slipping in and out of you with ease from how wet you were. Breaking the kiss, you sat back up, resting your hands on his chest so you could ride him easily. His hands skated up your abs to cup your breasts where he tweaked and pinched your nipples. The action encouraging you to ride him faster. "You're so fucking beautiful," Matt breathed out. Swiveling your hips, he gasped as you sent him hurtling towards the edge. You knew he was close, had been since your lips were on his cock. He wouldn't last much longer, and that was fine with you, but knowing Matt he'd hold off until you were hanging off that precipice as well. You deftly moved your fingers to your clit, which was still sensitive from your previous orgasm, and rubbed small circles there. "So, fucking hot," he panted. His words combined with just that small touch pushed you over the cliff and you came hard.

"Fuck," Matt screamed as your pussy clenched around his cock. He grabbed your hips, thrusting wildly into them until his own orgasm overtook him. Hot spurts of cum filled you and you loved every second of it. When you finally came down from your high, you collapsed onto Matt. Both of you breathing heavily from your lovemaking. "I love you," Matthew finally whispered as his hand ran up and down your spine.

Leaning up on your elbows, you looked directly into his eyes. "I love you too." He pecked your lips before his head fell back against the mattress. You could tell he was exhausted, and in a few hours, he needed to be at the arena ready to play. In an attempt to let him rest, you made a move to roll off him.

"Where are you going?"

"You have a game, in a few hours and need to sleep." His arms locked around your back pinning you to him so that you couldn't move.

"I can sleep just like this." Matt had no intention of letting you go.

"Matty," you protested.

"Fine." He rolled you both onto your side. "Better?" You hummed in acquiesce for you knew he wasn't going to relinquish you further.

"You never did tell me what happened with Treliving?"

Matthew huffed. Of course, you wouldn't forget about the meeting he had earlier with the GM. "I thought you wanted me to sleep." You simply raised an eyebrow at him. "Fine," he sighed as his cock finally slipped out of you. He felt the loss as much as you did. It was almost as if he was distancing himself from you in preparation for what he had to tell you next. "It went pretty well. Apparently, Buffalo did make that offer." Your eyes widen at that statement, so he quickly rushed to the next part. "Though they never entertained it at all."

"Well, that's good news, Matty."

"It is. It's this next part I know you're not going to like." Matt took a breath steeling himself for what he was about to say. "They offered me the captaincy."

You jumped up on your elbow, so excited for Matt. "Oh my god, that's amazing. It's…"

"I turned it down."

"What?"

Matthew inwardly cringed. He'd put you through utter hell, made you lie to your family and friends, and all for what? So that he could turn down what he so badly wanted. It was a dick move and he knew it. He sat up in bed then, the sheet dropping down to his waist. "I turned it down, (Y/N)."

"But I don't understand. Isn't this what you always wanted?" You scooted up to rest against the headboard with him, only bringing the sheet with you to cover you. It acted almost as a shield for anything more he might say.

"It is…or it was." Matt shook himself. "I still want it, don't get me wrong. It's just…like I told Treliving…the team is in a good place right now and I think we need to put them first. I don't want to disrupt the chemistry we've got going on right now. And I know this was like one of the main reasons I asked you to fake this whole engagement with me…but I guess things changed. That's not right. You've changed me." Matthew shook his head in disbelief at the whole situation. "When that video came out, I thought my world ended, but you told me things would be alright and they were…but only because of you. You've always put me first (Y/N) and it's time I started doing that as well. I hope you don't hate me for this." Matthew was breathing heavily after his little speech. He'd literally just told you that he loved then made love to you and the last thing he wanted was for you to tell him that you hated him for putting you through all this hell for nothing.

You were quiet letting everything that Matt said sink in. Had this happened a few months ago, you would've been fuming, but everything was different now. "I'm proud of you," you told him with a smile on your face, before leaning over and pecking his lips.

Matt was stunned, to put it mildly. He'd expected you to yell or scream at the very least, not a sweet kiss to the lips with even sweeter words. "Really?"

"Yes, really." A small chuckle escaped your lips at his expression of disbelief. "It takes a lot to put everyone else's needs above what you really want."

"Well, I haven't really done that where we've been concerned, but I promise I'm going to." Matthew took a deep breath, he'd thought about this next part a lot ever since last night. "I acted like a spoiled brat last night when I heard about that trade rumor." You went to stop him but he held up a hand to keep your words at bay. "I mean I can't regret it too much considering how everything ended up, but I should've handled it better. I wasn't thinking about us." You cocked your head to the side not understanding his meaning. "You were right. Buffalo could've been good for both of us. It's a lot asking you to travel to New York all the time for work and I never thought about that…not last night or this summer. But I'm thinking about it now. I can ask for a trade either now, or when my contract's up, whatever you want. I can try and stipulate that it's in the Metro though Carolina would have to be out, but every other city would work. If I'm lucky it would be in NYC but Philly or…"

"Matthew stop!" You'd try to catch his attention when he'd first said the word trade, but when started naming cities you couldn't take it any longer. "I don't want to move." Because really you didn't. "I mean I would, if we had to, but Calgary is home. This place," you gestured to the bedroom. "Is home."

"No, (Y/N). It's not." You looked over at him, eyes wide and brimming with tears because in these two short months it had felt like this new chapter had begun. One that solely was about the two of you and the start of your life together, even if it had been pretend most of the time. "Home is anywhere you are."

"Oh, Matty." This time you couldn't keep the tears from flowing, but you quickly swiped them away, as he gathered you in his arms.

"I love you, (Y/N)."

"I love you too, but I don't want to move to New York."

"But that's all you talked about earlier this summer."

"I only wanted to go there because I couldn't be with you." Matthew gazed down at you in disbelief. "I thought you were moving on with your life. That you'd find some girl to move into your new fancy home and end up getting married. And I couldn't just stay in St. Louis and watch it all happen."

"Funny," Matthew lightly chuckled. "I did find a girl for all that and she's right here with me." His lips found yours once again, it was as if the floodgates that had been holding back all the emotions you both had for each other had finally been unlocked and now you couldn't seem to stop kissing and touching each other. "And in case you didn't get the memo, I'm not letting you go."

"Good, because I don't plan on leaving. So, no asking for a trade."

"I'll agree to that, as long as if there ever comes a time that you feel we should move; you tell me."

"Promise," you answered. "Now, time for a nap. You've got a big game tonight, and I've got dinner with the girls."

Matthew picked at the sheet which covered your breasts. "I was thinking more about round two."

You lightly shoved him away. "Bring home a win and I'll think about it."

"Think about it?" He pulled back the sheet, while at the same time hauled his body over top of yours. "Still wanna think about it?"

"Matty," you giggled but then let out a moan when his lips connected with the hollow of your neck. Hands gliding up to his shoulders, you went to push him away only they slid around clutching him and drawing him nearer. "Nap." The mumbled word was said in hopes to remind you both that he should be resting for the game.

"I'm good, princess. I feel like I could score a million goals at the moment." How could you argue with him when everything he was doing was setting your body on fire. Giving in was a whole lot easier and something you both wanted.

It was at least an hour later before you were both sleeping. But true to his word Matt scored a goal and had three assists against the Rangers. He tried to convince you that it should be your new pregame ritual, but you weren't having any part in his superstitions.

It would've been a lie to say that it didn't happen again over the next couple of months, as your new relationship progressed. Life with Matthew was absolutely blissful. The two of you were inseparable. Well unless he was on a road trip. You'd dreamed for years of a life with Matthew and now that you had it; it was everything that you thought it would be and so much more.

"You're really good with him," Sarah commented offhandedly.

"Nah, he's just a good boy. Aren't you Benny?" You asked the baby as you swayed him back and forth on your hip while making silly noises at him. Benny giggled and laughed like he always did.

"He has his moments, let me tell you." The two of you were waiting for Matthew and Erik to leave the arena and head home for the night. The Flames had one more away game before the All-Star break. Unfortunately, Matthew hadn't been selected to attend this year, but Brady had. With the last game being in St. Louis, you were flying with the team to spend a few days at home before the entire family headed out to Las Vegas to watch Brady. "Have you and Chucky talked about having one anytime soon?" Sarah's question not only shook you out of your thoughts but caught you off guard.

"No, not yet. We still haven't come up with a date for the wedding." Although Matthew kept insisting he'd marry you tomorrow if you'd let him. The whole thing still felt like somewhat of a dream to you. You no longer felt uncomfortable wearing his grandmother's ring, as you knew that one day, you and Matt would be man and wife. When that day would be, you weren't entirely sure. For now, you were just basking in the glow of each other's love.

"Well, I'd start thinking about it," Sarah said reaching over to take Benny from your arms. "Because the look on his face tells me he's taking you home to try and get one tonight." Matthew did have a stupid grin on his face as he stood in the locker room doorway gazing at you with Benny. "Have fun tonight, you two." Sarah winked as she walked off with Benny and Erik.

Matthew came up, grabbed your waist, and then kissed you soundly, before saying, "You know you looked pretty good holding Benny Bear a few minutes ago."

"Oh no, we're not ready for that yet Tkachuk."

He twirled you to the side, then picked up his bag and the two of you headed out. "Soon though, don't ya think?"

You waited until you were in the car before you answered. "We just started really dating a couple months ago. You can't seriously be thinking about babies."

"Why not? And it's been more than a couple months. We've been engaged since what…June?"

"Fake engaged since then," you corrected him.

"Was it though?" He shrugged nonchalantly as he started the car, putting it in drive and pulling away. "I like to think of it as sort of our pre-engagement."

You'd watched the game pretty closely tonight, though there were a few times that Benny stole your attention, but you hadn't seen him hit his head or anything. "That's not even a thing."

He arched an eyebrow at you. "It can be our thing." A simple eye roll was your answer. Leave it to Matthew to make his own rules. "I'm just saying…we're going to make beautiful babies."

The flutter that went through your belly at Matthew's words shouldn't be as thrilling as it was. You could picture it now, Matty holding your little baby making silly faces and cooing noises; it sent your ovaries into overdrive. "Fine. You're not wrong."

"Does that mean…"

"No! It does not. We are going home and packing. We leave for St. Louis in the morning and neither one of us is packed." He'd been keeping you busy in the bedroom in other ways than getting stuff ready for the trip. "Besides, I think everyone would appreciate it if we got married first before we started popping out kids."

"Pfft…You know both our parents would be ecstatic if we told them they were going to be grandparents." Ugh, he was so right. You could already see them in the baby aisle at Target buying one of everything. Thankfully, you were saved from answering as you pulled into the driveway, and while you did give in to your desire for Matthew; it was only after you had packed for St. Louis and Vegas.

Matthew had arranged for you to fly with the team, though your parents were going to pick you up at the airport. Racing around in the morning, you jumped in the shower before Matthew, hoping to give yourself some extra time to pack all your toiletries. You'd just finished dressing when you went to put back on your engagement ring that you slipped off before your shower, only it wasn't there. Bending down, you checked the floor of the bathroom yet still didn't find it. You always placed it in the ring holder you had on the bathroom counter, but it wasn't there. Running into the bedroom, you checked your nightstand but again it was empty. The toiletry bag was next, for it must have slipped in there when you were packing everything up. Again, you came up empty.

You were on your hands and knees when Matthew walked into the bedroom from his shower. "What are you doing?"

Halfway under the bed, phone flashlight on, you found all kinds of things, including several condom wrappers that Matthew hadn't thrown away in the last couple of weeks, but not your engagement ring. "I'm looking for something." You weren't ready to admit that you couldn't find the one thing that would literally crush Matthew.

You could hear him pad across the floor, then suddenly his head was under the bed on the other side. "Looking for something?" You banged your head as he startled you. Matthew for his part looked a tad guilty that he'd inadvertently hurt you. You crawled out from under the bed, hand rubbing where you'd hit, as tears started to rain down your face. Matt was over by you before you could wipe them away. "Princess, are you hurt? I didn't mean…"

"It's not my head…" you hiccupped as a sob attempted to escape. "I lost…I lost…" It felt as if you said the words it would be real and you didn't want that at all, but still, he deserved the truth. "Oh, Matty…I lost the ring." There was a slight look of confusion on his face, telling you he didn't quite understand. "Your grandmother's ring. I can't find it."

"What do you mean you can't find it?"

God, you loved him, but sometimes you just wanted to shake him. "I took it off to shower like I always do. I swore I put on the little dish I have, but it's not there. I've looked everywhere."

"I'm sure it's around here somewhere. Let me help you look." He went back into the bathroom and you followed him. Eyes searching with every step you took.

You tried to play it in your mind, if it had fallen on the floor, it could've easily rolled somewhere there. Dropping down to your knees, you crawled around looking for the diamond. It wasn't small by any means and should be easy to see. From the corner of your eye, you saw Matthew searching the sink top. It occurred to you then what might have happened. "What if it went down the drain?"

Matthew peered down the sink, moving his head this way and that. "Let me see the flashlight." You ran back to the bedroom and grabbed your phone, handing it off to Matt the minute you walked back in. Again, he stared down into the drain. "I don't see it, but that doesn't mean it's not down there."

"We need to call a plumber."

"Princess, there isn't time for that. We need to be at the airport…" he checked his watch. "Like now."

"I'm not going."

"What?"

"You heard me, Matty. I'm not going."

"You're being ridiculous, (Y/N)." He was already reaching for you, but you backed away getting ready to head into the bedroom. "We'll call a plumber as soon as we get back. The drain trap probably has it. It's not going to go anywhere."

"The what?"

"The drain trap." He opened the cabinet below the sink. "See how it bends?" You nodded. "There's a little trap in there for when things like this happen. I will call a plumber and have him here the day we get back. I'm sure that's where the ring is."

"This is why I didn't want your grandmother's ring, Matthew. I was afraid something like this would happen."

"Nothing's happened. It's probably stuck in the drain." Matt insisted and you could see him getting frustrated.

"And if it's not?"

"Then we turn a claim in to the insurance company. That's why it's insured."

"But Matty…it's your grandmother's ring. You can't replace that."

He sighed, partly annoyed yet still trying to play it off that it wasn't a big deal, even though you knew it was. "No, you can't," he agreed. "But it's just a ring, (Y/N). When I look at it, it's not like I see my grandmother. I only see our future."

"Oh Matty, that makes it so much worse." He rolled his eyes, the frustration clear now. "You go. I'll call the plumber, as soon as he finds the ring, I'll book a flight and head to St. Louis."

"This is completely ridiculous, (Y/N). You're getting on the team plane with me. It could take days to get a plumber here."

"I can't face your family, knowing I lost the ring."

He hauled you into his chest. "OUR family doesn't want to see the ring. They want to see you." His thumb and index finger lifted your chin as you were tucked into him. "You haven't seen your parents in months. We missed Christmas with our families. You're really going to take a couple days to get a ring that isn't going anywhere, and miss out on everything?"

When he put it like that it didn't make much sense. "No," you mumbled weakly.

"Then go grab your suitcase, and let's get out of here." He leaned down and pecked your lips before tapping your ass and sending you off to the bedroom.

Matthew had you both packed in the car before you could second guess yourself. He ushered you onto the plane, seating you beside himself for the flight. His arms wrapped around your shoulders and drew you close to his body as the plane took off. You felt sick to your stomach the longer you sat there. How on earth were you going to face Keith and Chantal? Especially after all that Keith had done for you with the Mason situation. While Keith hadn't been able to get Mason fired, he had brought Mason's action to the attention of those higher up. In the end, Mason had shot himself in the foot as others reported similar actions. He was fired from the publishing house, and last you heard was having trouble finding a job. While you hated to see anyone down on their luck, Mason had only gotten what he deserved.

It seemed like a slap in the face to Matthew's family that you'd lost a family heirloom. The thought made you half sick. So, when the fasten seatbelt sign came off, you quickly undid the belt. "I'll be back." You rushed out of the seat and headed back to the bathroom.

"Everything ok with (Y/N)?" Hanny asked Matt.

"She thinks her engagement ring fell down the sink this morning and we didn't have time to get it before we left." Noah's eyes widen but other than that he didn't say anything. "She's afraid to face my family since the ring was my gram's."

"Guess that explains why she looked like she was going to toss up her breakfast."

"She's worried over nothing. My parents aren't going to say a word."

"Yeah, Big Walt wouldn't have a mean bone in his body for (Y/N). Not to mention your mom thinks the world of her."

"Exactly." Matthew agreed with Hanny. "They're just happy that we're happy."

"Hey Chucky," Markstrom said startling his friend as his hand came down on his shoulder. "You might wanna check on (Y/N). I was back getting coffee and…well she doesn't sound ok back there."

Matthew was out of his seat in a flash and headed back to the lavatory. His initial thoughts were that you were back there crying and expected to hear you sobbing, instead, all he heard was you heaving the contents of your stomach into the disgustingly gross airplane toilet. He rapped on the door. "Princess, are you ok?" He heard you heave again before you muffled out a 'yeah.' Guilt got the best of him and he started rethinking his decision to basically force you to come. "Can you let me in?"

The lock to the door slid to open, and Matthew made his way into the small space, barely able to close the door behind him. "Babe, are you really making yourself sick over this?" You stood there catching your breath as he rubbed small circles on your back.

"I don't know…maybe."

"(Y/N), this is silly. It's just a material object." He continued to caress your skin, the action making you feel better, as you leaned back against him. "We'll get it as soon as we get home. I already called the plumber and I'm sure when they call back, we'll get everything set up."

He was right. The ring would still be stuck in the drain when you got back to Calgary. Taking another deep breath, you felt somewhat better but your stomach was still queasy. "I know you're right. I'm sorry."

"It's ok, princess. I just don't like seeing you work yourself up like this."

"I just can't believe I was so stupid and knocked it into the sink."

"Accidents happen. Do you feel like you can go back and sit down, or is your stomach still upset?"

"It settling a bit. I probably should've eaten something this morning." You'd totally skipped breakfast in your search for the ring and had a feeling that wasn't helping the uneasy fluttering going through you at the moment.

"Let's get you some toast and tea or something." Once you were back in your seat, Matthew brought you some toast and a hot cup of tea. Of course, Hanny and Markstrom gave you a sympathetic look as you went to sit back down, which didn't make your stomach feel any better. You'd be glad to get off the plane and get seeing both your and Matthew's parents over with. Hopefully, once they knew what had happened your stomach would go back to normal.

The plan was that your parents would pick you up at the airport and you would head over to Keith and Chantal's, while Matthew checked in to the hotel with the team. You planned on staying tonight with your parents but Matthew insisted that your other nights would be spent with him. He even went as far as to say that he'd get a hotel for the two of you to stay at if you weren't comfortable staying at his parents. Little did he know that while you agreed to stay at Keith and Chantal's, there would be no hanky panky going on in his childhood bedroom. The last thing you needed was to disrespect his parents more by having sex in their house.

How your parents didn't notice your missing ring within the first five minutes of seeing them, you had no idea, but you were able to make it all the way to the Tkachuk house without either of them saying a word. The minute you walked in the door, Chantal enveloped you in a hug and you felt your stomach churn again. You had to take a deep breath to not lose the toast you ate earlier. Keith came over the moment that Chantal let you go and you couldn't stop the dam of tears you'd held at bay.

"Hey kiddo, we're happy to see you too," Keith told you as he grabbed you in a hug, mistaking your tears for happy ones.

As soon as you got yourself under control, you pulled back from the hug. "It's not that…though I do miss you all…" You swiped at the tears that rolled down your cheeks. "I lost the ring," you finally blurted out. "I'm so sorry. I think it fell down the sink and…" you were full-on crying now, hiccups and all. "I feel horrible…I wanted to stay in Calgary…"

"Oh honey," Chantal was the first one at your side. "It's fine. It's just a piece of jewelry." She hugged your tight, running her hands up and down your back in that motherly way that you needed. "You're not the first woman in the world that it's happened to. In fact, I've done the same thing." She chuckled at the memory. "More than once, actually."

"Really?" It was hard for you to believe that Chantal of all people would be as clumsy as you.

"Yes really." Keith was the one who answered. "Only we couldn't get the plumber here and she made me crawl under the sink and pull apart the drain."

"Ask Matthew about it," Chantal added. "I distinctly remember asking the boys to not turn on the water, but…"

"Those little fuc…"

"Keith!" Everyone laughed as Chantal scolded her husband, and you hoped that someday you and Matthew would look back on this nightmare the same way.

"What am I missing?" Matthew asked walking through the door. It was only then that his mom let you go, so she welcome home her first born.

The afternoon flew by, and soon you were all headed out to dinner, from there Matthew said his goodnight. You wouldn't see him until after the game tomorrow, but you were happy for the time to catch up with your families. Keith and Chantal had been very involved in your writing career after the Mason incident, and though you'd talk to your parents weekly, they were dying to know what was going on. Talks hadn't resumed with any of the production companies that were interested in making your book a movie, but your old editor, Stephen, insisted that he was close to getting things back up and running. It had been for the best considering you'd been concentrating on your relationship with Matthew. Writing was non-existent when he was around, though he always urged you to go and type away at the computer. It just seemed you couldn't get your mind to work when he was around. Road trips were a godsend for that reason alone, as they allowed you to make headway with your recent book. Which you were just putting the finishing touches on. The publishing company couldn't wait to get their hands on it and assured you it would be another bestseller.

"That latest chapter you let me read last night seemed to hit a little close to home," Chantal commented when the two of you were alone the next night at the game. You blushed as Sophia and Xavier's story had somehow become eerily similar to yours and Matt's. "I'm glad you two finally admitted your feelings for each other. I've never seen my son so happy." She pulled you into a side hug as the two of you made your way out of the box and down to the locker room. "Now the question is, are you going to set a date for the wedding?"

It was the question your parents had asked the minute they picked you up. But how did you tell them, that most of your engagement had been just the two of you pretending, at least Chantal knew the truth. That familiar queasiness that had settled in your stomach since you'd lost the ring came back and you swallowed hard before answering. "I don't know…it's just…"

When you hesitated, Chantal prompted. "Matthew never really asked you."

"Yes!" you whisper yelled in relief that she had said the words instead of you.

"I get it, (Y/N). As women we all dream of that perfect moment when the man we love gets down on one knee and well…" She shook her head in dismay. "My son has done everything backward when it comes to you."

"Maybe not everything." Chantal just raised an eyebrow, while you said nothing more, not willing to elaborate on the specifics.

"At any rate, I hope my son wakes up soon. I'm looking forward to having you as my daughter." Chantal's words went straight to your heart, for you'd felt like they were second parents to you for a long time. It was nice to know that they felt the same way. The locker room opened just then, and out came Matthew. "Good game, sweetie." She said moving towards Matthew and enveloping him in a hug. He only side-hugged her, as he was carrying a box under his left side. His father did the same before Matt finally made it to you.

He dropped a kiss on your lips, less heated than normal since most of the family was around. "Good game, Matty."

"Thanks, princess. This is for you." He handed over the box and you looked at it curiously. "Just go in the family room and put it on."

"I thought we were all going out to dinner?" The plan was that the entire family, both yours and his, were headed to one of Matt's favorite restaurants after the game. But now it seemed Matt had other ideas.

"We are. You and I are just making a quick detour." You looked at him and then Chantal, who had a little smirk on her face, and you were starting to wonder if she knew more than she was letting on. "Just go change."

Taryn grabbed you before you had a chance to answer. "Come on. I'll help you." She unceremoniously led you out of the open corridor and into the family room that was off to the side. Everyone had already left, so the room was yours. Once in the room, you opened the box dying to see what was inside. There lay a beautiful white dress with blue floral accents embroidered all around. It was shorter than you expected as you pulled it out, but then Taryn grabbed the overskirt. Full with the same blue trim, it was the perfect complement to the dress. "He's got pretty good taste, for an annoying older brother."

"It's breathtaking," you told as your hand relevantly stroked the fine material.

"Let's put it on." The strapless design fit perfectly as if someone had taken your exact measurements and had the dress constructed just for you. It made you wonder what Matty was doing while you were sleeping. When Taryn attached the overskirt, you twirled around and the dress flowed around you. "You look phenomenal."

"It reminds me of something, but I can't quite put my finger on it."

Taryn folded your clothes and stuck them in the box for you. "Let's not keep him waiting. I'm sure he's dying to see you."

The minute you stepped out the door, there were a ton of oohs and ahhs, but it was the low whistle that Matthew gave that had heat flooding your veins. "You look…wow…I mean gorgeous."

"I feel a little overdressed." Even though Matthew had on his game suit, everyone else was still in more casual, if not Calgary Flames, attire.

"Nonsense, you look beautiful," Keith told you, before giving his son a wink. "See you, kids, later." With that, the entire family left, leaving just you and Matthew standing in the arena hallway.

"You really do look stunning." Matthew came up and finally kissed you. The full-on, soul-wrenching kind that made you weak in the knees. You could get lost when he kissed you like this, but all too soon he was pulling away. "Ready to go?"

"To where exactly?"

"That's a surprise." He laced your fingers with his and the two of you headed out; his parents taking all of your things. Once you were in the car he handed you the sleep mask he always used for afternoon naps. "Put this on?"

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, I'm serious." The blindfold dangled off the end of his fingers and you finally snatched it away in compliance. Matthew started the car the moment you had it on, then shifted into drive and the two of you were off. "No peeking."

You rolled your eyes though Matthew you couldn't see it with the stupid blindfold on. "Why are you making me wear this thing?"

"Duh, so you won't know where we're going."

He turned down a street, or at least you thought he did as your body turned, and you grabbed hold of the dash to catch yourself. This whole week you'd felt uneasy after losing his grandmother's ring, being blindfolded was not helping that at all. "Easy on the turns, please. It's making me queasy."

"Since, when did you become motion sick? You were begging me to go on the Tower of Terror last time we were in Disney."

You wanted to tell him that it was that damn ring, but knew he'd go ballistic again. "Since, you decided to put a blindfold on me and drive like a speed demon."

He grabbed your hand and then sweetly kissed your knuckles. "I'm going to speed limit princess, just relax." It was about fifteen minutes before he put the car in park, and you assumed you were at your destination. "Stay there, I'll come get you."

"You mean I have to leave this on?" You whined. It wasn't that you didn't like surprises it just seemed that Matthew was going a bit too far to keep this one from you.

You had no reply, as he was already out of the car and running around to help you out. The air was chilly when he opened the door, and you wished you'd at least grabbed your coat before Taryn took it. "Ok, watch your step," Matthew said as he grabbed your hand to get you out of the vehicle. His other hand immediately wrapped around your waist so you wouldn't fall. Taking the first step, you felt a little wobbly and were grateful for the support. It was about ten steps before he opened a door and you were engulfed with heat. Your heels made a clicking noise that echoed off the walls, the sound letting you know that no one else was around.

"Where are we?" you asked again, even though you knew he'd never tell you.

"You'll see." It was probably another two hundred feet before Matt opened another door and ushered you through it. The only telling sound was a little creak that the door itself made. "Ok, there are six steps up you have to take, ok?"

"Ok," you answered though you weren't one hundred percent confident since you couldn't see a thing, though you knew Matthew would never let you fall.

You climbed the steps one at a time with Matthew's help. Then it was another few feet before he stopped you. "Ok, wait here a minute."

He let go of you and your stomach flipped a bit, so you took a deep breath to settle your nerves. The smell of flowers filled your nostrils and you wondered if he'd taken you to the Missouri Botanical Gardens. It was then you heard a loud click, followed by a low hum overhead. The sound was once again vaguely familiar to you, yet you couldn't quite place it. A few seconds ticked by as you waited for Matt to finally return.

Matthew was nervous. This could all go extremely well or you could absolutely hate him, that's all he knew, but he was going through with this anyway. He straightened his jacket, cleared his throat, then walked over to stand directly in front of you. "Ok, you can take off the mask now, princess." He specifically used the pet name he so loved to call you as sort of a hint.

You slowly lifted the blindfold from your face. The harsh lighting making you take a minute to adjust to your surroundings. There were flowers everywhere, along with a few fake trees, and in the middle of the stage, there was a cardboard constructed bed. Wait did you say stage? That's when you realized you were back in your middle school auditorium. Matt had transformed it back to the Snow White play you'd performed when you were kids. "Matty," your voice held a note of awe at all he had done. "This is beautiful." For it truly was, yet you still found yourself asking. "But I don't get it?"

"Don't you, princess?" He gestured to your dress and now you knew where its familiarity had come from. While it wasn't near to the homemade design you'd worn years ago, it did have that fairytale quality to it that made you feel like Snow White.

Matthew captured your hand drawing you back to the present. "I had to bring you back here because this…well this is where I first fell in love with you." A smile came to your face at his declaration, while at the same time you started to tear up. "I let way too many years go by to tell you that, but you were my princess then and you're my princess now. Well, if I'm being realistic you're more my queen, but I'll never stop calling you princess." He tucked a small strand of hair behind your ear and you felt yourself lean into his touch. "(Y/N), you've been my best friend for as long as I can remember. You've stood beside me when…well when you shouldn't have that's for sure. I never thought that I was good enough for you…I'm probably still not, yet somehow, I'm still lucky enough that you picked me. Well, at least I hope you'll pick me." His hands started to tremble as he held yours. "I didn't ask you last summer, yet still you agreed to be my…" he rolled his eyes before saying, "fake fiancé. But now I'm asking you for real." He dropped down to one knee and your breath hitched. "(Y/N), you are the love of my life and you would make me the happiest man on this planet if you'd agree to be my wife. Will you marry me?"

"Yes!" You swear the word was out of your mouth before he had even finished asking the questions. "Yes, Matty. A million times yes." This time you were the one shaking, only it was with so much happiness it seemed as if it would just jump right out of your body. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small little black box, flipping it open in his hand. There inside was his grandmother's ring. "Matthew Tkachuk!" His name echoed in the empty hall. "Is that…"

Matthew turned nine different shades of red before answering in a very sheepish voice, "yes." He scurried up off the floor, all the elation from moments ago forgotten. This was the part he'd been dreading for the last two days.

"I've literally been sick about losing this ring and you've had it the whole time."

Again, he mumbled out a weak, "yes." He knew he had to explain before you got irate and changed your mind about marrying him altogether. "I snuck it from the sink when you were taking a shower. I didn't think it would be that big of a deal."

"Not that big of a deal…Matthew, I've been so worried."

"I know. I know. Which is why I did this tonight instead of tomorrow as I planned." He ran his free hand, the one not holding the ring, through his hair. "Believe me, princess, I almost through the whole plan out the window when you got sick on the plane, but…well…I've always wanted you to have this ring. My whole family wants you to have this ring. But I wanted to ask you, not just assume that because you'd agreed to be my fake fiancé that you'd be my real one. I thought about getting you your own, but then I talked to Brady and…"

"Brady was in on this?"

Matthew ducked his head down, then answered. "My whole family is."

"But…How…Did they…Oh My God…Does that mean Brady and Taryn know the truth?" That nauseous feeling from the car, came hurling back with full force. "Oh my god, I think I'm gonna be sick."

"Hey…hey," Matt cooed an arm wrapping around your waist to support you. "It's not that bad, just breathe."

You did as he told you, taking deep breaths in to calm yourself. The last thing you wanted to do was barf all over the gorgeous dress he got you, let alone the stage. Still, that feeling just wouldn't go away. "Where's the garbage?"

Matthew's eyes widen and he quickly scanned looking for something for you. Luckily, there was a big can with a few pieces of debris from set construction off to the side, and he guided you over to it. Matt held your hair back as you unloaded the contents of your stomach into the plastic can. All he could think of was how bad he'd fucked up. This was not how he saw this night going.

Tears sprang to your eyes, as the bile rose from the back of your throat. You willed your body to relax as it continued to churn, but thoughts of the world knowing you'd lied about your relationship made it all the worse. Both yours and Matt's careers could be in jeopardy. Your life had literally just gone from the greatest moment of your life to the worst.

"It's gonna be ok, (Y/N)." Matthew tried to reassure you. "It's only those two. Your parents don't know. No one else knows." His free hand started to rub your back, trying to comfort you. "I swear princess, no one else will find out."

Your stomach started to ease up a bit, though you regretted the nachos and beer you'd had at the game. Matt grabbed the small scrap of cloth from his suit pocket and handed it to you. It was more decorative than anything, but at least it served its purpose as you wiped your mouth clean. "I'm sorry. I don't know what's going on with me."

"You've been under a lot of stress (Y/N), and I'm sorry I contributed to that. But princess, you gotta know that even if it got out that we faked our relationship, in the beginning, it's not going to matter because we love each other now." He continued to rub circles on your back. "As for Brady and Taryn…well, Brady's apparently has known the whole time, or at least he told dad that." You weren't completely shocked at that knowledge, after all, he was both you and Matt's best friend. "And we both know Taryn can smell out a plot a mile away. Don't tell her I said this, but she's definitely smarter than Brady and I put together." That brought a chuckle to your lips. "No one else knows, nor will they ever."

"You're right." It was honestly stupid to make yourself sick over something you couldn't change. Hell, you actually wouldn't change it, because it led you to this moment with Matthew and him proposing. And you totally made a mess of things. "I'm so sorry. I spoiled your whole proposal."

"Princess, you haven't ruined anything." He cupped your chin to look up at him. "I distinctly remember you saying yes when I asked you to marry me. So, unless you're changing your mind this is still the greatest night of my life."

"I'll never change my mind." You saw the sense of relief all over Matthew's face. "Now, give me back my ring," you teased.

"Shit, I dropped the box." Matt's eyes darted over to the center stage where the two of you had been moments ago. The velvet box lay there on the ground, thank god. He made his way over to it, bending to pick it up as you followed behind. "Still in there," he pronounced as he pulled the hinges back. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, silly of course, I'm sure." Removing the ring, he placed it on your left hand and made it official. He made a move to kiss you, but you halted him.

"Oh right," he commented offhandedly, as he remembered you hurling your guts out moments ago. "Feeling better?"

"Not really. Maybe I have a bug or something. It's been bothering me like this for a couple weeks."

"What? I thought this just started a couple days ago with the ring?" He shrugged off his coat and draped it across your shoulders, in case you were getting sick.

"It's been on and off for a couple weeks. Some days are worse than others."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know. You've been on the road or it's in the morning when you're at the rink and by the time you're home; I feel fine." Most times you just chalked it up to eating a bad meal the night before.

Matthew's wheels started to spin, as he took in everything you were saying. "Princess, when was the last time you…uh…had your period?"

"Um," you were trying to think when that was. "Let me check my phone. Shit. It's in my bag." Surely, you'd had it last month. You wracked your brain trying to remember, but the more you thought about it you realized you'd hadn't had one recently. The holidays had been so busy with getting packages out, helping out with the team toy drive, and games, you just forgot about it. November then, you had to have had one. "We've been really careful though."

"Well…except…"

"That first time!"

"And the next day," Matt added and your thoughts traveled back to how heated both encounters had been. Neither one of you had given it a thought to stop and whip on a condom. Besides you were on the pill. Birth control was, like what, ninety-nine percent effective. The voice in the back of your head reminded you that was only when it was taken correctly.

"I may have missed a pill," you admitted, thinking back to when you were in LA. You'd been so upset with what had happened with Mason that you'd packed up all your stuff and headed home. The flight had been late and when you landed the next day, you'd completely forgotten about it. "I think I might be sick again."

"It's gonna be ok, baby."

"Baby? You never call me that." You started to cry, but you really didn't know why.

"I didn't mean it, PRINCESS." Matthew quickly tried to recover hoping not to upset you further, but then you started to giggle. "Princess, are you ok?"

"It's just…" you continued to laugh for really this could only happen to you. "It's the same plot I gave Sophia and Xavier."

Matthew joined you then, as he remembered reading your final chapter. "Oh my god, it is." When the two of you finally got ahold of yourself, Matt gathered you in his arms. "Well, you know they ended up living happily ever after and so will we."

"But are we ready for this? I mean we literally just got engaged."

Matthew shrugged as neither of you may have a choice in the matter. "Is it ideal…no," he answered realistically. "But we know we want kids. You know you're going to make a great mom." Matt was being so reassuring that you almost believed this whole thing could work. "But we're kind of getting ahead of ourselves. We should probably take a test or something."

Thank god, one of you was actually thinking, for it seemed your brain had completely forgotten how to function. "You're right, but everyone is waiting on us. We'll have to do it tomorrow."

"They'll wait. This is more important." Matthew was right, you were sure that your families would hold off any plans until you both arrived. "Besides they weren't heading to the restaurant for a bit. They all knew what was going on. And before you say anything, I told your parents, that I never truly asked you properly with the videotape and everything. So they are none the wiser."

He started walking you off stage then, fingers entwined as you headed out the door. "I love you. You know that right?"

"I do," he smiled back. "But I can tell you right now I love you more."

"You couldn't."

"Don't start, princess. You know you'll never win this one." He kissed your hand sweetly and then led you to the car. "Walgreens is just up the road. We can stop there." It took all of five minutes to pull into the parking lot of the drugstore. "You just want me to go in and get it."

"No, we're in this together." This time his lips found your cheek before you both opened the car door. "Besides I'm getting a toothbrush or something."

Matt chuckled. "Thank goodness, I'm dying to kiss you properly."

You grabbed a package of Colgate wisps before heading to the aisle that had the pregnancy tests. There were several to pick from, so you grabbed a couple and read them quickly. "This one says it has early detection."

"Doubt we need that if you think it was way back at the beginning of November."

If your calculations were correct, that would make you almost twelve weeks. The thought both scared and thrilled you, to think that you'd be that far along. "Ok, this one it is." Heading to the checkout, you realized once again you didn't have your purse with you. "You have your wallet, right?"

"Of course." Matt paid for the items and the two of you headed out the door. "Stupid question but where do you want to go and take this?"

"Well, if we drive home, it's fifteen minutes to get there, then another fifteen to take the test probably, and then another twenty to the restaurant. Which means we'll be another hour late."

"Restaurant it is." Matthew declared and headed that way, which was only about a ten-minute drive from where you were. "We have the back room, so no one should see us come in."

"We're really going to take this test in a public restroom? Together?"

"Why not."

Chantal's words from earlier echoed in your mind. "Your mom was right; we do everything backward." Matt cocked an eyebrow at you for further explanation. "Well, technically she said you, but I'm lumping myself in at this point."

"It's going to be ok. You know that."

"As long as you're with me, I know it will be." Matthew pulled into the restaurant then. You took a moment to shed the overskirt of your dress before stepping out of the car, then made your way inside. Matthew immediately told the host that you were here for the party in the back, but that you needed a few minutes. Then the two of you headed over to where the restrooms were. You opened the ladies' room door and Matt followed you. "You can't…"

He just pushed you gently through the door before you could protest more. The lady washing her hands at the sink immediately took notice of the two of you and humphed her dismay. "It's not what you think," Matthew tried to explain to her but gave up when she walked out. "Is there a lock on this thing?"

"Doubtful."

"Then go in the big stall." You started to walk down to the end and he followed. "I'm not standing out there alone," he added when you looked at him skeptically.

"Fine." You'd already read the directions and knew what you had to do, though peeing with an audience was a bit daunting. Once you were done, you put the cap back on and handed it over to Matthew, who had his timer set. "Wait here. I'm washing my hands."

It took all of thirty seconds to do that before you slipped back in the stall. "I think we have our answer," Matt declared as you entered. He handed you the stick, which clearly said 'YES+'. When your eyes finally looked up at him, he was grinning ear to ear. "Are you happy?"

A lone single tear fell down your cheek and you quickly swiped it away, before nodding. "Yeah, I really am. Is that bad?"

"Hell, no it's not bad." He crushed you to his chest, lifting you slightly. "I'm ecstatic. We're having a baby!" The bathroom door opened and you both immediately quieted down. "Let's get out of here," he whispered. As soon as you were out the door, his lips covered yours. The happiness of all that happened today being poured into every caress of your lips. "Are you sure you're happy about this?" He asked once the two of you broke apart.

"Of course, I am. I mean it's not planned but how can I not be happy about having your child." It was something you'd only dreamed of and never thought that it would actually happen. "Though it means we'll have to postpone the whole wedding for a bit."

"Why?"

You glared at him disapprovingly. "Even if we decided to pull off a summer wedding. I'm going to be like eight months pregnant. I'm not walking down the aisle looking like a whale."

"You're not going to look like a whale." Your scowl only intensified at his words. "Ok, so no summer wedding…but what about now."

"I'm sorry what?"

"We leave for Vegas the day after tomorrow. We could get married there."

While not the wedding of your dreams, it did mean that the two of you would be legally married before the baby arrived. "Ok, let's do it. Just not by Elvis."

"Deal. One word to my mom and she'll have something elaborate planned in no time. We are telling everyone, aren't we?"

"I mean…if we want them at the wedding, we kind of have to." He clasped your hands and started to almost pull you toward the back room. The two of you giddy with happiness the whole way back.

As soon you entered the whole family cheered. "So, is it official?" Taryn asked first, seeing the wide grins you both had.

Matthew looked at you and you looked at him before he said. "Yes." The whole family erupted in cheers. "But…" Matthew announced over all the noise.

"Oh, god," you heard his dad sigh. You knew Keith had to be fearing the worse.

Your grip on Matt's hand tightened as you felt a bit more anxious. "There's a bit more." Everyone's eyes were on the two of you, waiting for what Matthew would say next. "We're getting married in Vegas." The look of shock on your families' faces was quite comical. Especially, Keith as his hand immediately slapped his forehead. Before anyone could protest or question your impromptu decision Matt added, "Because we're having a baby."

"Oh my god," you weren't sure if it was your mom or Chantal's excited exclamation but they were both out of their seats in seconds. Hugs were coming from every direction as everyone congratulated the two of you.

"Guess you were right," you told Chantal. "We do everything backward."

"It doesn't matter what direction you do them in, sweetheart, as long as you both are happy and in love."

Matthew came from behind and wrapped his arms around your midsection, just catching the last of what his mom said. "We are most definitely in love," he dropped his voice down then. "No more pretending for us. She's stuck with me forever."

"I guess it's a good thing I love you, Matthew Tkachuk."

"And I love you, (Y/N)."  

#matthew tkachuk #let's play pretend series #Matthew Tkachuk imagine #Matthew Tkachuk smut #nhl imagine #nhl imagines #nhl smut #nhl fanfic #nhl fanfiction #hockey imagine #hockey smut #hockey fanfic #hockey fanfiction #nhl lemon #hockey lemon #lemons

[katewalker]

everytime i see a new person falls into the syberia chasm: this is how i rebuild the fanbase

#pau.txt #of course i play absolutely no role lmao #but i like to pretend it's my influence #let me have this i've chose to base my entire personality on this series 20 years ago

[beardedhandstoadshark]

Hc that the reason Brawl plays generally slower than the other games is because the events of Subspace Emissary screwed with/destabilized the fabric of reality and put many things off track, including tears between dimensions (which is how Snake could become the first 3rd party character followed by Sonic) as well as gravity, which then balanced itself out by the time of Sm4th and Ultimate.

And while we’re at it, the conspicuous undefined canyon area we keep seeing in the following games (like Megaman‘s trailer but also happens to be the exact place Kirby crash-lands after Ultimate) is one of the places that got nuked by the subspace void bombs during SE, leaving a highly unstable reality behind after the void bubble went away. That’s why new characters tend to be near or in it, and how Kirby could escape the thanos-ing of the entire multiverse, because the place technically exists between them.

#toastshark rambles #smash bros #super smash bros #smash bros brawl #super smash bros brawl #is the main tag super sb or just sb? #like with lo/z it tends to lean more towards going without the The at the start #but idk how it is for ssb #yes ik this series is about a kid playing pretend with figures but let me have this #anyways Subspace emissary is also why the smash ball and master core exist #not sure HOW it’s linked to the master core. but it is #anyone remember the master core? Sora Ltd sure doesn’t lmao #what was up with that anyway #I mean it gives Kir/by secret arena end boss #which is kinda fitting given the relationship between these two series #but still #This came to me from listening to Per/sona music of all things lmao

[iguessitsjustme]

Say It With Your Hands - Chapter Five

Name couldn’t believe that Em was in his room. Prim had shown Em the game she was playing and asked if he wanted to play before giving up the computer to him. So Name and Prim were sitting on his bed, talking and watching Em play Slenderman. It was immensely entertaining, Em was so animated even before the jump scares. Name was only worried once when Em had fallen out of the chair when Slenderman appeared. 

Prim signed, “He’s really funny. He could probably do really well if he streamed himself playing.”

Name nodded, “He’s always been like this. But I’m glad he doesn’t stream himself. I don’t want to share him with the world. He barely has time for me as it is.”

Prim signed back, “I know. He’s super cute too. You’d have to be fighting off people just to spend any time with him. I can see why you like him. You have excellent taste in guys.”

Name shot a panicked look at Em as she signed that. He knew Em didn’t understand sign language and that he wasn’t looking at them, but he still didn’t want his feelings broadcast like that. He was expecting to see Em’s back, but he was met with Em’s eyes boring into him. Em tilted his head and opened his mouth like he wanted to ask a question, but stopped himself.

Name looked at Em and signed one of the few things he knew Em would know. “Food?” Em nodded and said, “I am craving pickled fish. We should visit Champ’s grandpa tomorrow. I bet he’ll make some for us.” Name nodded as Prim’s phone started to buzz. 

Prim looked at Name and signed, “That’s my alarm. I gotta go but I’ll text you tonight.” Name smiled, “Okay.” Prim got up, signed goodbye to Em and left. With Prim gone, Name suddenly became very aware of Em’s presence in a way he’d never been before. He didn’t know why, but he knew something had shifted between them and he could feel the air in the room becoming denser with the feeling of something. 

Em looked at Name for what felt like an eternity, but in reality, it was probably only a few seconds before he said, “She’s really pretty.” That is not what Name was expecting Em to say. Name knew that Em would probably find someone in college and he would have to hear about Em’s dating life. He had prepared himself for that. He hadn’t prepared for Em to be attracted to Prim. His one friend who understood him. His one friend who was just like him only she was a girl. Name could handle Em dating. Name couldn’t handle Em dating someone so similar to him but not him.

Name didn’t smile as he nodded. “Do you like her?” Em asked. Here it comes, Name thought as he slowly shook his head no. Name wanted to plug his ears. He didn’t want to hear what Em was going to ask next. He didn’t want to know that Em liked Prim and wanted to ask her out. He didn’t want Em to ask if Prim was single. He didn’t want, he didn’t want, he didn’t want. 

But Name didn’t close his ears as he prepared his heart to be broken. Instead he focused his gaze on Em and waited for the words to come. The words that would shatter the beast that had surfaced. He braced himself for the tears that were about to come. 

And come they did. When instead of asking about Prim, Em looked at Name and signed “I like you too.”

Chapter 1 2 3 4

#ghost host ghost house #ghost host ghost house the series #remember me #remember me the series #it's the last chapter of my fluffy little fic #it was nice writing again #i haven't really written in years #i should write more #anyway i hope yall enjoyed this #also i have never played slenderman and i am working off of knowledge from a lets play i saw someone do like 5 years ago #if i got it wrong let's all just pretend i didn't thank you

[leoxxii]

do you think maximus accidently "overheard" a bunch of shit purely bc he pretended to not know sign language for like 10 years. like there has to be things bolt signed to medusa bc he thought nobody else in the room would understand anyways. there has to be SOME things medusa didn't translate bc it was just him venting or cursing right. what secrets does maximus have??

#like. bolt tells medusa someone has a shitty outfit and maximus is just sitting watching them like 👀 #they try to surprise maximus but it NEVER works and they cant figure out why #lets ignore the moral implications of maximus pretending to not be able to converse properly w his own brother for a little bit #bc i think there could be a few fun scenarios to play around with #i def like how in the comics maximus can understand him just as well as medusa and doesnt like. hide that. #i guess he also can read minds in the comics i suppose that helps #i just think black bolt and medusa shit talking while maximus has to pretend to not understand them to be very very funny #OH WE CAN MAKE IT SAD. THEY TALK POORLY ABOUT MAXIMUS RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM. OH SHIT WE CAN MAKE IT SAD #SO MUCH to do with this show's poorly thought out canon #KABSKABDH #but anyways. WHY is sign language not like a necessary thing to learn in attilan. why does NOBODY know sign #surely that should be taught in schools if their king STRICTLY communicates in sign?? #why do none of the other royals know sign? karnak gorgon crystal and triton NEVER try to learn it?? #like.thats weird right? even if its so the audience can understand bolt. which is why a lot of dialogue between him and others is kinda off #the implications that NOBODY in his family except medusa and maximus even ATTEMPTS to learn his only means of communication #is just p weird!! why wouldnt they?? you can still have that weirdish dialogue that he has when hes alone w medusa or max #throughout the entire series #instead of. abso fucking lutely NOBODY of these 1400 people except TWO ever learned any sign #sorry ive gotten off topic here the world building fascinates and confuses me !!! im obsessed with dissecting this bug of a show !!!! #inhumans #marvel #maximus boltagon #blackagar boltagon #medusalith amaquelin

[rosenecklaces]

.

》 Elain archeron + tittles

#elain archeron #pro elain #acotar #lets pretend cauldron blessed is there lol i couldn't fit it in a place #anyways guess who started to play with photoshoot #acotar series #pro elain archeron #edit

[remedy7411]

I have a lot of feelings about how negative commentators are about the stars losing vs how positive they are about the Krak*n losing. A lot of feelings!

#stars lb #I can also see how this team ruined another players hockey career #like watching them in the playoffs it’s not surprising at all #especially with them being angry over McCann #overall this was a fun game to watch but I really hope that the stars continue to mimic period one and two play in the next two games #bc if they do it will be good #they can’t let the krak*n exhaust them #I say pretending I know anything about hockey #fun series is fun

[prettyhighforawhiteguyblog]

#fly eagles fly #feagles #why should they kill themselves trying when the nfl obviously rigged every Superbowl against them #even when it wasn't the Patriots #because nfl always sucks Brady's dick in the Superbowl #took a series of crazy heroics by Brandon Graham to win that one #you know the Eagles deserved it last year #again #I'll give Brady that first one #despite some crazy offensive playmakers like McNabb #at the end let the pressure get to him and stopped having fun #Andy got distracted play calling another perfect play so he “mismanaged” the clock once again trying to keep up with Brady! #can you forgive the guy? #he's the most perfect coach in the whole world #he's the person Joe Paterno pretended to be #but dude #nothing in the world could beat a 29yo Brady and Belicheck in his prime #except Eli Manning #snort #Eli was a streaky genius #Payton was trained to perfection #Eli was more self taught #He wasn't as reliable but he was fun as hell to watch #reminded me of a better Joe Montana #Joe Montana was ahead of his time but he was no Tom Brady #or Eli Manning for that matter #the NFL has moved on #Joe paved the way and i honor him for that #but the skill of the NFL then is college ball now #any second string defense of most teams would probably beat him behind another teams second string offense

[starlit-mansion]

I think the worst thing help wanted 2 will be is nothing but fanservice, and the fact that ruin was all fanservice gives me. Little hope actually

#i feel like baby is just going to play like a badly written fanfic of herself because. the writing in the steel wool games is sheiße #their dialogue is honestly unlistenable half the time. the worst the series has ever delivered. #it's either incredibly forced faux-naturalistic babble or that awful stilted impression of baby and henry's monologues #which worked for baby and henry because they're both weird. but like. phone guy and phone dude didnt talk like that #the fact that roxanne started talking like baby when she was telling cassie about her bday party? oof. weird choice #throwing out her whole characterization to sound deep and emotional. yikes. #baby and henry are like... exercising a lot of self composure in their monologues. roxy doesnt seem to HAVE that quality #it didnt feel like her raging weeping bitter personality had finally uncorrupted. she was just like. basically the same as freddy. oblivious #whereas if she'd been written to be a little boisterous and excited with a hint that she knew it was an illusion they were sharing #trying to talk about the fun they'll have at cassie's next birthday but accidently saying something that highlights her shattered nature #both of them trying to pretend for a moment that things aren't terrible #like the whole thing about roxy is that she's so upset when others are around then puts on an act when they're close #and it just. did not seem to even be the casr when the whole narrative crux rested with her #so like. i'm very wary of how they're going to write the funtimes because the funtimes HAVE personalities but they're harder to nail down #like baby at a glance is sweet but cold (like ice cream...) but i can't see them nailing the slow burn of her menace or the way she gloats #kellen will carry as freddy of course #but it could go either way with foxy or ballora. they're so one note that they could fall flat when trying to carry whole scenes #but if you dont let them carry whole scenes then thats worse

[emphistic]

Bf!Sukuna who sometimes calls you 'girlfriend' — and not in a flamboyant way

"Girlfriend, c'mere."

"What do you want, girlfriend?"

"Sure, girlfriend."

Bf!Sukuna who loves having your lips on his; he'll just randomly come up to you and slot his lips against yours without a word

Bf!Sukuna who walks around the house shirtless, and teases you by saying, "You should try it out," only to get a pillow thrown at his head

Bf!Sukuna who would pause his video game just for you

Bf!Sukuna who is actually super clingy, and cannot function without having you in a foot radius — but will never admit it

"I'm going to go get groceries now."

"I'll come with you," he said, immediately standing up from the couch.

"I thought you hated errands."

Sukuna shrugged, "'m bored."

Bf!Sukuna who spits in your food when you're not looking

Bf!Sukuna who, when he can't sleep, will just stare at you — a few times, you've woken up to his creepy crimson eyes staring back at you, and you socked him in the jaw

Bf!Sukuna who claims to hate your music, but whenever you two are in the car, he'll always let you handle the aux

Bf!Sukuna who purposely forgets to do your laundry so he can see you be forced to wear his clothes instead

Bf!Sukuna who is the king of keeping eye contact

Bf!Sukuna who'll hover around while you do your makeup and just ask random questions

"What does that do?"

"Why the fuck is it shaped like that?"

"It's almost as big as my dick."

Bf!Sukuna who steals your things and raises them above his head where you can't reach just to mess with you

Bf!Sukuna who never gets cold, and while that may seem like a good thing in the winter because you have a personal heat generator, it is the absolute worst during the summer — you have to ban cuddling because Sukuna is just too damn warm

Bf!Sukuna who doesn't help you bring in groceries, even if your hands are full

Bf!Sukuna who ignores you for the rest of the day if you forget to give him a good morning kiss, or good morning text (if you guys are temporarily apart)

Bf!Sukuna who is good at everything he touches

— a/n: kinda irrelevant if you ask me, but I just had to include this

Bf!Sukuna who pretends to forget if you guys have planned a date together

Bf!Sukuna who gets a hard-on when he sees your angry face; he loves having you pull on his ear and drag him away to a secluded area to hear you yell at him — he thinks you sound so sexy and look so hot

Bf!Sukuna who isn't above doing extreme pda when he sees someone staring at your ass

Bf!Sukuna who whines about going to work, claiming it's boring, but in reality: he just doesn't want to leave you — or vice versa: he doesn't want you to leave for work

Bf!Sukuna who swears up and down he doesn't want kids and hates children, but when he sees you taking care of his little brother Yuuji, he finds himself doing a mental 180°

Bf!Sukuna who goes into a trance staring at your ass

Bf!Sukuna who has no purpose for an Instagram account: you forced him to make one — he never posts on there, but when does, it's only pictures of you and occasionally him and you

Bf!Sukuna who has a drum set in your guys' shared apartment, but refuses to play it for anyone but you, and even then, he only plays to annoy you or wake you up from your nap

Bf!Sukuna who permanently quit smoking when he saw you plugging your nose near him

Bf!Sukuna who enjoys chasing you around the apartment, sometimes with a knife in hand just to make you extra scared

Taglist: @starlets-things @sad-darksoul @mochimoee @r0ckst4rjk (pls lmk if u only want to be tagged in my boy nextdoor series or all of my work) @lillycore

#sukuna x reader #ryomen x reader #sukuna x you #jjk x reader #jjk x you #sukuna fluff #sukuna headcanons

[myhockeyworld87]

No pressure but looking forward for Lets Play Pretend update.🫣

It's coming out shortly!!! Working it now.

#let's play pretend series

[skzdarlings]

the ride ; skz ; chan x reader

original ask: requested by @rosequartsz : chan with the prompt ❛ i want to fuck you so badly. ❜ like the reader is the same age as jeongin so chan kinda feels bad but at the same time he wants to corrupt the reader so bad cushsisjsis

+

original ask: requested by anonymous : Chan and ❛ please. make me feel good. no one else can like you. ❜ ❛ have a little trust in yourself, i know you can take it. ❜

pairing: bang chan/reader content info: friends to lovers, chan is a little older than reader, reader is not actually that innocent but pretends to be and they both get off on it lol. some not very safe driving lol keep ur eyes on the road. car sex, dirty talk, teasing, corruption play, puuuuure smut. word count: 2400 words.

masterlist. part of the valentine’s day stories series. credit to prompts. requests are closed.

enjoy!

-

“That’s not fair,” Jeongin says.  “I called dibs.”

“Too bad.”  You stick your tongue out at him.  “Learn to run faster, loser.”

Jeongin scowls, once more relegated to the backseat of Chan’s car.   You are sitting pretty in the passenger seat for the fourth day in a row and Jeongin is playfully annoyed about it. 

You and your twin brother have been racing into Chan’s car since high school.  You are both at university now, but Chan still offers the occasional lift.  With storm season making public transit a bigger hassle than it’s worth, Chan has been offering more rides. 

Just because of the weather.  Not any other reason.  Of course.      

You smirk, casting a side-glance into the driver’s seat.  Chan is smiling at Jeongin through the rearview mirror, looking less like Channie, the boy of your teenage fantasies, and more like Bang Chan, the man of your adult dreams.  He is wearing a baseball cap and leather jacket, his whole demeanour oozing an effortless masculinity, the bearing of a competent man who knows he can do anything. 

And still, despite his well-earned cockiness, he has an undoubtedly shy side.  When he looks at you, the tips of his ears flame an embarrassed, fiery red, and his dimpled smile is almost boyish in its sweetness. 

“Right then,” he says.  Then, like the endearingly cheesy goofball he is, he adds, “All aboard, ready for takeoff!” 

“Jeongin,” you say, blinking innocently at your twin through the mirror.  “You have your presentation notes, right?  You don’t want to forget them.”

Jeongin double-checks his bag but you already know he won’t find them.  You deliberately took them out and placed them on the kitchen counter.

“Damn,” he says, quickly unbuckling his seatbelt.  “I thought I put them in here.  Sorry, I’ll be right back.” 

Jeongin practically flies out of the car and up the driveway, leaving you and Chan.  It happens quickly, before Chan can even compute it.  You can see the gears turning in his head, but you are faster, sighing melodramatically while gathering the hem of your skirt. 

“Silly boy,” you say.  “What should we do while he’s gone?”  You draw your skirt up your thighs just enough to tease the skin of your upper thighs. 

Chan is staring there with his mouth open, his words evaporating on his tongue.  He clears his throat after a second, ripping his gaze away.  He looks across the dashboard and laughs, a shy, awkward laugh. 

“Your brother will be back in a second,” Chan says.  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, yeah?”

He is white-knuckling the steering wheel, like all his restraint is being poured into that physical grip.  Even so, it is not hard to pry his hand off the wheel.  You know a stronger, more belligerent shove could not bend a determined Bang Chan, but the softest touch from your gentle hands will have him breaking in seconds.   

You are slow, casual despite your racing heart, guiding his hand onto your knee.  He makes a little noise that turns your whole body to pure, liquid heat.  You make a similar sound, a faint whimper in the back of your throat, as you slide his hand up your thigh. 

“Channie,” you say, your too-sweet, too-innocent voice part of your acting, but your breathlessness undoubtedly real. 

“Don’t—”  His voice breaks and he clears his throat.  “Don’t say my name like that.  You know—”  

“What do I know, Channie?” you ask, blinking at him with wide eyes while you curl his fingers around your thigh.  You bring your legs together, holding his hand between them.

He visibly swallows, throat bobbing.  The redness has spread from his ears down his neck. 

“We’ve talked about this, baby girl,” he says, his tone stricter, taking on that darker edge that makes your heart – and everything else – gush.   “We’ve been good so far, okay?”   If stolen kisses, open zippers, and groping touches count as good.  “You’re my – you’re my friend.  You should be like a little sister or something to me… yeah?  Yeah… Yeah!”  He shakes his head, pulling himself out of the distraction caused by you unzipping your jacket.  He squeezes your thigh, a firm, warning grip.  “Don’t make this so hard,” he says. 

“What’s hard for you, Channie?” you ask, reaching into his lap and touching his thigh, then higher, finding the evidence of his words.  A shiver moves across his shoulders, his breath catching as you cup your palm around the bulge in his jeans.  “Is it something I can help you with?”  You lick your bottom lip then smile. 

“Oh,” he says.  His eyes crinkle with amusement but there is a score of different emotions on his face, all of them smoldering.  “You really wanna play that game, huh?” 

There is no chance for an answer because Jeongin returns, hopping into the car with his notes.  You and Chan separate, looking out the dashboard window.  You pat your hot skin and try to slow your racing heart. 

Sensing the oddly silent tension, Jeongin narrows his eyes and looks between you.  Eventually, his expression sours like he smells something bad. 

“Oh my god,” he says, then punches Chan in the shoulder.  “Are you fucking my sister!”

“What!” Chan says, getting redder by the second.  “Jeongin, how could— I wouldn’t— I don’t—”

“What, you don’t fuck?” Jeongin asks, then laughs until he is wheezing.  “You can do better, man.”

“Jeongin, shut up!”  You reach back to smack at him, rubbing your hand all over his stupid face and messing up his hair while he wails in protest.   

“All right, all right!”  Chan says, breaking you up.  “Let’s just… let’s just go, okay?  Okay.” 

“Yes, daddy,” you say, mostly out of spite. 

Chan squeaks. 

Jeongin pretends to gag then slumps against his window.  

“I’m gonna need to start taking the bus,” he says, morose.

-

Fortunately, thanks to the impromptu revelation of your shenanigans, it does not take much convincing for Jeongin to find another ride home.  When Chan pulls into the campus parking lot to pick you up, you approach his vehicle with a grin and a wink.    

You slide into the passenger seat, smoothing down your skirt while he sighs.  It sounds more amused than frustrated.    

“Where’s your brother?” he asks. 

You shrug with theatrical exaggeration. 

“Right,” Chan says, starting the car.  “Got it.”

He puts a hand on your headrest to leverage himself, looking out the rear window as he reverses the car.  That proximity alone gets you hot, the temptation to grab him already strong.  You play a patient game, as always, stealing glances and suggestive smiles while he drives. 

Halfway home, you put a hand on his knee.  At first your touch is innocent, tracing slow circles on the denim, then you get a little more brazen, fingertips brushing up his thigh. 

“Baby,” he says in that warning voice, eyes on the road.  Holding the wheel with one hand, he uses the other to stop your wandering ascent. 

“Yes?” you ask with all that faux-innocence.  Rather than fight his touch, you guide his hand to your lap, placing it on your knee. 

Unlike this morning, he does not play nice.  You make a startled, high-pitched sound when he immediately dives under your skirt, his rough palm pressing down where you are already aching.   Your thighs slam shut out of instinct but his hand is where it wants to be, his fingers curled around your pussy in a proprietary touch. 

“What’s wrong?” he asks, his voice playfully mean.  He grinds the heel of his palm against your throbbing clit.  He never takes his eyes off the road.  “Isn’t this what you wanted?”  

“I don’t know what you mean,” you say, though you cannot help but rock yourself against his hand. 

“Mmm,” he says, patting your pussy then stroking your thigh, guiding your legs open again.  “We’ll see about that.” 

You keep your eyes ahead too, pretending not to notice when he glances at you.  Then you gasp because he reaches out and tugs the zipper on your hoodie.  You instinctively clutch it, wearing nothing but a bra underneath, having taken off your other layers to surprise him.  He is the one surprising you, a secret sexy menace under all that shy sweetness.  He unzips the hoodie halfway then reaches past the material to squeeze a handful.  Your body practically sings under his touch. 

“Channie,” you say, breathless again. 

“Don’t worry, baby,” he says.  “Channie’s gonna take care of you, yeah?  Always.” 

“Take care of me how?”  Your question toys with that false innocence, the little game that gets you both hot, but there is genuine curiosity there too.   This game has been escalating slowly over time.  You want more and you are starting to get desperate. 

Chan looks at you.  His gaze moves over your mouth then your body, your skirt rucked up and breasts practically spilling out of your hoodie.  He swears, looking back at the road with that red blush on his ears again. 

“Fuck,” he says.  “I want to fuck you so badly.  You have no idea.” 

His words have a raw, honest edge.  He swallows, hard.  You feel like one tightly coiled ball of tension, ready to snap apart. 

“Please,” you say in that breathy voice.  “Make me feel good.  No one else can like you.” 

You do not make it all the way home.  There is a nearby lookout point at the park, a shrouded parking area that has undoubtedly seen its fair share of hook-ups.  Chan parks there and you dive at each other like randy teenagers.  You climb into his lap, bumping everything on the console on your way, the honking the horn with your backside for good measure.  It makes you both giggle.

Then your laughter is swallowed by hot, desperate, open-mouthed kisses.

“Mmm,” you hum against his lips.  You push his hat off his head and sink your fingers in his curly hair.  “Channie, please,” you say. 

He cups the back of your neck, holding your head where he wants it so he can kiss you thoroughly.  His ravishing touch leaves you shaking with need, rocking against him to no relief. 

“Poor baby,” he says with a little laugh, squeezing your neck then drawing his hand down the curve of your chest.  He unzips the rest of your hoodie.  His mouth follows the same path as his hands, down your chest and back up again. 

He is working you up, deftly and swiftly, using just a few well-placed throat kisses, a few flicks of his fingertips across the sensitive peaks of your breasts.  He seems so composed under you, other than the flush to his complexion, the heat to his skin that has him shedding his leather jacket.   You feel completely undone, half-naked and writhing in his lap.  Your hands tangle together, fumbling around his belt. 

“Let me,” he says.  He gets his belt open and his fly undone, then his hands are on you.  He doesn’t just tug your panties to the side but rips them apart, snapping the seams like they’re nothing.  Then those strong fingers are inside you, finding just how wet and ready you are for him.  He makes a low, guttural sound, thumping his head against the headrest.  “Fuck, baby girl,” he says.  “You know what you do to me?” he asks. 

“I dunno, Channie.”  You pout and bat your eyelashes.  “You better show me.” 

He laughs.  He holds your hips and moves you, positions you where he wants you.  You are pressed so close together, chest-to-chest, so you cannot see when he finally enters you.  But you feel it, hot and hard and filling you, stretching you, almost painful but burning so good.  You slap a hand to the roof of the car, eyes closing as you moan. 

“S-so much,” you say, because it feels like you have been sinking forever and he is still not all the way inside. 

“Yeah, I know, baby,” he says.  His thumb is expertly circling your clit while your whole body seems to soften, changing to fit him, like you were made for this moment.  “That’s it,” he says.  “Have a little trust in yourself.  I know you can take it.”

His thrusts are small, his hands guiding your hips over him, grinding him deep inside you.   Then you are clutching his shoulders, moaning into his neck as he fucks you slowly and steadily.  It is everything you needed and not enough, only spurring more desire.  You know you will need him again, the way he needs you.  Just the way he says your name as he holds you, as he fucks you, as he takes you apart and puts you together again.   It feels like that when you come, when he fucks you through it, saying your name and praising you. 

“Good girl,” he says, barely above a breath.  “That’s it, baby. Just like that.”

When he gets close, he pushes the seat back.   You get on your knees between his legs and take him in your mouth.  He comes with a low groan and another breathless slur of your name.  Then you are back in his lap and his hands are everywhere, clutching you possessively to his chest.  You are both breathing hard, riding the slow come-down of your frantic desperation. 

“Fuck,” he eventually says.  He seems shy again, giggling as he looks at you with a blush on his face.  “We, uh, we just did that, in the car, uh wow, yeah, I, uh—”

“Channie,” you say with a laugh of your own, grabbing his face and kissing him.  He smiles into the kiss, returning it with the same tender softness. 

You kiss for a long time, ignoring the world around you.  Eventually you have to crawl back into your seat and mostly redress yourselves, still smiling and giggling at each other the whole time.  Your phone was buzzing in your bag so you finally check it, rolling your eyes at the message there.   

You show it to Chan who laughs, blushing again, but nods. 

“Right,” he says, “We should probably go get him.”

You laugh too, sending an emoji with its tongue sticking out in response to Jeongin’s message that reads:  My ride fell through.  When you are done not-fucking each other, can you come back and get me?  Thanks.  Sluts.   

#bang chan x reader #bang chan x you #chan x reader #chan x you #bang chan smut #chan smut #skz smut #stray kids smut #stray kids x you #stray kids x reader #skz x reader #skz x you #valentinesdaystories

[vivwritesfics]

On Stream - LN4

While Lando streams, his girlfriend tries to study. Except she couldn't study, not when her boyfriend was so damn distracting (and he was really trying his best to be distracting)

Based the stream that has us all floored (boy why you whining and moaning?) but i refuse to mention the streamers name because he scares me

1.2K

Lando's girlfriend didn't mind it when he streamed. He'd sit in his room, door open so he could turn and see Y/N sat on the couch any time he wanted.

This time, as he streamed, Y/N sat on the couch doing her university work. She hated to admit it, but she'd left it to the last minute, with it due in the next day. So, stressed, she sat on the couch, typing away at her computer.

As Lando got ready to stream, he turned towards the door, waving her over. The stream had only just started, with not that many people watching.

"Lan," she said, leaning against the door frame. "How's the stream going? What're you playing?" She asked.

The stream could see her, could see what he was wearing. There were some that fawned over it, that thought she was adorable wearing an LN4 hoodie, and there were some that were insanely jealous.

But Lando wasn't looking at the chat, he couldn't see the comments being made.

He held his arms out and Y/N walked into them, pulling his head into her chest. "I think we're about to play Fortnite," he said as the people he was waiting for joined the stream.

Y/N pulled a face, which generated an insane amount of comments. "If you're playing fortnite I'm not staying in here," she said and pulled away from him.

Lando pouted, but the chat couldn't see it. All they could see was his head tipped to the side, hair held in place by his headphones.

"Right, I love you but I've got work to do," she said and kissed the top of her head.

But Lando didn't let go of her. He blinked up at her, lips pursed as he waited for her to kiss him. Rolling her eyes, she leaned down to kiss him and walked out of the room, returning to her laptop.

As the stream got going, Y/N tried to get on with her university work. It wasn't easy, especially when Lando started doing that shrieking laugh that he did. It wasn't annoying, one of Y/N's favourite sounds, actually.

But not when she was trying her best to do work.

"Lan," Y/N began as she walked towards the room. "Do you mind if I shut the door.

"Is that Y/N?" Max Fewtrell shouted as they kept playing.

"Baby, come here!" Lando shouted as he kept playing, his avatar running after Max's.

Y/N looked at her boyfriend. She took a moment before she began shutting the door. "No, Y/N, keep it open!" He insisted and Y/N pushed the door back open again.

She went back to her work, but it was near impossible to concentrate. Especially when Lando began moaning into his mic. "What the fuck," Y/N whispered as she looked to her boyfriend.

He was leaning close to the microphone as he let out a series of moans and whines. It was incredibly fucking distracting, especially when he began giggling.

So, Y/N went to go and get a snack to "help her study". She grabbed a bowl from the cupboard, poured some sugar into it and grabbed some grapes from the freezer.

It was delicious, a delicacy. As Y/N bit into these frozen grapes and rolled them around in the sugar, she walked back toward where Lando was streaming.

She watched for a minute, watched as he killed Max. And then she strode into the room, holding the bowl out towards Lando. "Lan," she said and he turned towards her. "Snack?"

Lando scrunched his face up as he looked into the bowl. "Is that grapes and sugar?"

"Frozen grapes and sugar."

He still wore that scrunched up expression as he turned back to his stream. "You little weirdo," he said as she bit into a frozen grape. Lando heard the crunch and pretended to gag. "That's grim, grapes shouldn't make that noise."

Sticking her tongue out, Y/N out of the room, returning to her work. But then Lando started moaning again.

She couldn't work. Not in these conditions. Y/N saved her work and shut her laptop. She could finish it tomorrow, just a few hours before the the deadline, but she couldn't work like this.

"You're lucky you're cute," Y/N mumbled as she leaned against the door. Lando turned, his character dying as he did so. He gave Y/N a grin, the kind of grin where he had his eyes closed, and turned back to the stream.

And then he heard the shower in the room next door turn on. There was music, too, Y/N's playlist going as she showered. Although Lando couldn't hear her singing along, he knew it was happening. He started singing along, quietly into the mic as she and Max continued to game.

The chat began blowing up, asking what the song is. When Lando saw it he leaned back in his chair, looking up as the ceiling as he tried to work out what the song was. "Uh, oh! It's The Police song!" And then Lando began humming the tune to 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic'.

As Y/N showered, Lando sang along to every song. When she stepped out of the shower, got changed into her pyjamas and made her way to where Lando was, he was still singing along to the song that had been playing as she stepped out of the shower, another 80's song.

"Can I sit in here while you stream?" She asked.

A very eager 'Yes!' left Lando's lips and Y/N sat herself in the beanbag he kept hidden behind his chair.

She leaned her head against the wall and watched Lando stream. He was loud, having fun, laughing so hard he was almost crying, but Y/N still found herself falling asleep. Doing uni work all day was surprisingly exhausting and, in no time at all, she was snoring.

Lando didn't notice at first. How could he, when he had his back towards her? It was only when his chat started blowing up, informing him of what was behind him, that Lando noticed.

He took the headset off his head and turned around. The chat had been telling him to shut up and to move her, but Lando knew her better than that. If he tried to move her somewhere quieter, or if he himself was to shut up, she'd wake up, complaining that he's not being loud enough for her to sleep.

Have you ever had somebody love you so much that they fall asleep to the sound of your voice? Even when you're shrieking?

That was how much Y/N loved Lando. She slept through him doing that moaning and whining again, and even when he said the most unhinged things. The chat saw her stir slightly when he said 'come to daddy' and you just know that was overanalysed.

After a good few hours Lando finished the stream. He turned around, scooped Y/N up from the beanbag and took her to bed, kissing the side of her head as he carried her to the bedroom.

#lando norris #lando norris imagine #lando norris x reader #lando norris fluff #lando norris smut #lando norris x reader smut #lando norris x you #f1 #f1 imagine #f1 x reader #formula one #formula one imagine #formula one x reader #formula 1 #formula 1 imagine #formula 1 x reader #ln4 #ln4 imagine #ln4 x reader

[pellucid-constellations]

If It All Fell (2)

Pairing: Azriel x Reader

Summary: If it all fell apart—if you forgot who you were—would you love him again? Would the bond guide you back? Azriel doesn't know if that uncertainty is one he can bear.

Word count: 3k

Warnings: Angst!! (poor Az :/)

a/n: I hope you enjoyy!! :) More to come obvi <3 This is gonna be a long one.

Part 1 ♡, Part 3 ☾

Series Masterlist

~~

Did the small wooden box on the top shelf of the closet have meaning? 

Was it significant? 

From the bed centered in the middle of the room, you let your eyes take you along the delicate carvings in the wood. They looped and curved, dropping off in the pattern of a star, and then a moon, and then a misshapen cloud. 

You knocked your head to the side, ignoring the deep pain lingering there, and glanced at the empty spot on the dresser by the door. It was the exact size of the box. And the box—in its new, seemingly hidden location—looked haphazardly placed. 

Did they move it for a reason? 

Did they think you wouldn’t notice? 

Was this even your bedroom? 

You figured it must be. Clothes that looked to be your size were hanging in the closet. A vanity sat by the window with products on it that might compliment your complexion. There were paintings you found yourself enjoying hanging on the walls. 

So this must be your bedroom… but there was something missing. 

And it looked as if nothing was in the right place, but you had no frame of reference for where it was all supposed to be. 

You just knew that that wooden box didn’t belong under a knit sweater in the closet. 

The creak of the door drew your attention away from the apparent inaccuracy of the room. Two people entered, and it was a small mercy that you found some recognition in their faces. Majda and Mor slinked into the room, the latter with a sheepish, shy smile on her face, and clicked the door shut with a muted click. 

“Hi,” Mor greeted, as Majda set an absurdly large bag on the bedside table. The blonde shifted her weight between her feet. “My name is Mor. We met in the forest, do you remember?” 

Do you remember? 

It was unintentionally cruel. 

You nodded your head, not trusting your voice when it was so unfamiliar. 

Mor’s smile brightened a touch. “I was hoping you would. Although, with everything that happened I wasn’t going to put too much pressure on you.” She winked, and you were left feeling like an outsider in your own conversation. 

Majda bustled around your bed, asking permission before touching your head and your neck. You granted it to her, if only because she was the only person in the room not attempting to drive an uncomfortable conversation. Mor seemed very sweet, but she was hovering over you and glancing your way as if you were going to explode. 

Maybe you were going to explode. 

It’s not like you would know if that was a common occurrence for you. 

“I know you’ve woken up a few times since returning ho—here,” Mor quickly corrected, playing with her fingers and shifting onto her toes. “You were confused for a while before you fell back to sleep. Do you remember that?” 

Do you remember that? 

You shook your head. Majda’s hands glowed and warmed against your skull. 

Mor pursed her lips. “Hm, I suppose that’s to be expected. It was all a bit disorienting.” 

There were a few moments of silence. Mor dropped herself into the chair that had been pulled up beside the bed, fidgeting every so often. The old healer continued her assessment of you as you stared blankly out the window and tried to pretend there weren’t a pair of brown eyes burning a hole into the side of your face. You could hear footsteps beyond your door. 

They would pace one way, and then the other. 

“No change.” Majda’s voice startled you out of your stupor. She gave you kind eyes and a pat on your cheek. “This is above my abilities. I’m sorry. You are in good health, otherwise.” 

“My head,” you croaked out. Gods, how long had you been asleep? “It hurts. Hasn’t stopped.” 

The healer hummed. “I can give you some tonics, but until the source of this amnesia is sorted out, there will be no definitive fix.” 

A few glass vials clinked against the side table as Majda placed them there and slung her bag over her shoulder. She shared a few hushed words with Mor and then went to the door, swinging it wide as she stepped through it. You caught the tip of a wing in the doorframe, saw those same shadows from before curve around the hinges and pull towards you. 

They were ushered back just as quickly, and then the door shut as well, hiding the hints of your visitor. 

You hadn’t noticed you’d craned your neck to catch a glimpse until you righted it. When you heard more voices in the hall, you looked down at your fingers, blinking back tears you didn’t understand the origins of. 

“Sometimes, you like to read,” Mor said, breaking the silence. “You were in the middle of this book.” 

She placed the thick novel on the blanket beside your legs. Glancing up at Mor’s encouraging smile, you picked it up, feeling its weight in your hand instead of giving in to the one in your chest. You thumbed along the spine and then at the edges of the pages, stopping when your fingers caught on a sharp edge at the top. 

A bookmark—a place where you’d left off. You flipped it open but couldn’t follow a bit of it. 

More tears left your throat feeling thick. 

“What happens now?” you quietly asked, trying desperately not to cry in front of this woman that you didn’t know. 

“Now—” Mor began, clearing her own throat, her voice just as raw as yours. When she sat by your legs, you let some of the glossiness in your eyes show. “—we take things slow. Majda said we shouldn’t rush things until we find a source. Rhys—Rhysand… the one with the pointed ears and a pompous attitude—is in contact with other courts to try and get some help. There are other people in our Inner Circle that might be able to help as well.” 

You bit into your bottom lip until it hurt. “I’m part of this circle?” 

Mor’s smile was sad. “You are.” 

~~ 

You shifted in front of the mirror, uncomfortable despite being alone. It had been three days since you woke up, and each of those three days had been spent in your bedroom. Your bedroom, you had confirmed with Mor. 

The only two people you had been in contact with were Mor and Majda. You could hear other voices in the hall, sometimes see a shadow pass by your balcony at night, but you only ever spoke to Mor. Majda didn’t say much when she came in to check your head and drop off more vials.

“We don’t want to overwhelm you,” Mor had said, but there was something else, too. You weren’t comfortable enough to pry. She looked disappointed that you accepted her reasoning so easily. 

The three days were spent mostly alone, which you hadn’t minded, but the time spent with Mor was filled with stories about you. Where you grew up, how long you studied, all of your favorite things; she was in the business of introducing you to yourself, and she was definitely qualified for the job. 

You had asked her who she was to you, and you received a simple answer at that. 

“I’m your family,” she had said, and then she began talking about you again. 

She always got quiet when you spoke of your connection to others. 

Which was why you had suggested a lunch. 

You spent the better part of the last three days panicking, and then moping, and then aimlessly searching your bedroom for any hints of the life you led before this. All avenues either left you with a headache or emotional exhaustion. 

You remembered the three other men from that day—Rhysand, Azriel, and the one with the longer hair—Cassian, Mor had called him. You wanted to meet them properly… introduce yourself? A ridiculous notion; according to Mor, you’d known everyone for the past 300 years. 

But you didn’t know them, not really. 

And Azriel’s shadows—you wanted to see them the most. You’d been searching for the calm they offered you since the day you woke up, but couldn’t find it in their absence. 

“Are you ready?” Mor asked, a soft knock on the other side of the door. 

“I think so,” you called back. You’d grown more accustomed to the sound of your voice. It was still strange to hear the sound echo back in your head, but as long as you didn’t scream or yell, it was tolerable. 

Mor opened the door, took in your choice of clothes—a purple dress with sleeves that flowed past the wrists—and tried to hide the flutter of her lashes. 

Embarrassment immediately found you. “Was I not supposed to wear this? It was in the back of the closet so I thought—” 

“You look lovely,” Mor assured, linking your arm with hers. Touch was another thing you were growing accustomed to. It was easy with Mor. “You just haven’t worn that in a while. I was surprised to see it.” 

As she walked you down halls you had never seen before, you huffed out a dry laugh. “Well, this is the first time I’m seeing it.” 

Your joke fell flat. Mor smiled back at you, but it was the same smile you always saw. Sad, pained, bittersweet. 

“Who did you say was attending?” you asked, attempting to steer the conversation away from her sad smiles. 

“Just me, Azriel, and Cassian. There are a few more people we typically see on a daily basis, but we wanted to start out small.” 

“To not overwhelm me.” 

“Precisely.” 

Your steps were silent on the marble floor, the silk slippers you chose allowing some of the chill to seep into your toes. “So, why did they choose you?” 

Mor blinked and turned a confused expression your way. “What do you mean?” 

“Why did they choose you as the one person that speaks to me? Are you the least overwhelming of the bunch?” 

“Well that title certainly wouldn’t go to Cassian,” Mor grumbled out. She guided you to a large wooden door and offered you a shrug of her shoulders that looked far too nonchalant. “I was just the best fit for the job. I love you, but… I could handle this.” 

“Handle this? Am I really so terrible?” you asked, trying your hand at another joke. 

Mor’s smile looked more genuine this time as she shook her head. “No. No, you are absolutely wonderful. And that’s the problem.” 

You took a moment to try and decipher her words. Did you mean that much to these people? Did they care so deeply about your memories that only one person could stand to be around you now that they were gone? 

It was difficult not to fall into the immense vat of guilt you now found yourself teetering on the edge of. It was difficult to pretend Mor wasn't looking at you as if you had stolen something from her. 

That was the truth that was missing before—you would be too overwhelming to everyone else. Not the other way around.

Mor gave your hand a fond squeeze as if she could hear your thoughts, and then opened the door. The hinges squeaked and the sheer size of it caused a rather loud echo in the room, but neither of those sounds drowned out the sharp intake of breath from the dining room table. Your eyes immediately shot to the blue glow and the shadows twisting around wide wings. 

Azriel. 

He looked back at you, unblinking, mouth parted. His hair was clean cut and cared for, but something about it looked frazzled and untamed. It didn’t suit the stiffness with which he sat, nor the white-knuckled grip on his fork that he maintained. 

Black wisps slinked across the floor, stopping at your slippers and twisting around your ankles. You broke your stare from Azriel in favor of watching them swirl up your legs. True to your memory—which wasn’t a testament to much these days—their cool presence eased some of the pain in your head. 

A throat cleared. 

You snapped your head up. 

“Uh, I’m Cassian. I don’t know if you remember me from the other day—”

“I do,” you softly interrupted. 

Azriel choked out a shuddering breath. Your eyes lingered on the side of his face before returning to Cassian as he continued with, “Good. That’s good. New memories and all that. Very nice.”

“Cauldron, Cassian,” Mor admonished. “She’s not an invalid.” 

He threw his hands up in a placating gesture. “I didn’t say she was! I was being encouraging.” 

“Great, I’m sure we all feel very encouraged. Come, y/n.” 

You followed Mor blindly until a chair was pressed to your back and a plate was ushered in front of you. There were a few moments of silence, just the clinking of plates and forks, before the panic began to build in your chest. It was a familiar feeling for you, one of the only you could draw memories from. 

You should say something.

Azriel and Cassian, they were doing this for you—taking time away from whatever it was they were supposed to be doing to have a silly lunch. In a normal world, you wouldn’t need to have lunch as a way to reintroduce yourself to your family. 

Were they still your family? 

You knew nothing about them, could reciprocate nothing.

There had been no news about the witch that did this to you and no one told you if Rhysand found anyone to help. 

What if you were stuck like this? 

What if they grew tired of you wasting away in your room and forcing them into lunches and—

“That dish is your favorite.” 

Azriel’s deep voice rasped at the end of his sentence and sent every thought shooting away from your brain. You came back to present, catching yourself taking quick, shallow breaths and staring down at the table with no clear target. 

“You eat it every other week. I—We picked it up from a restaurant along the Sidra, a river in town,” Azriel explained. 

You brought your gaze up from staring a hole into the wood to find Azriel directly across from you, his posture more relaxed than before. His expression was patient, kind, and you nodded back at him. 

“Thank you,” you whispered. But that was odd—whispering during a meal. “Thank you,” you tried again, clearer this time. “I appreciate that—”

“Azriel,” he filled in, not allowing you the possibility of a mistake. “My name is Azriel.” 

You knew that. You knew all of their names as well as their faces. There were a few paintings shoved into the back of your closet that you had taken the time to study. 

Did they shove them back there on purpose? 

“It’s nice to meet you, Azriel.” 

Azriel’s jaw quivered, his lashes fluttered. 

He took a bite of salad. 

“I don’t know if you’d be interested,” Cassian began, clearing his throat again. “But we used to—well, no, we currently have a weekly arrangement where you drag me to the theater and make me watch a show and I pretend I hate it but I actually have a great time.” 

The lingering joy on his face made a small smile creep up onto your own. 

“Sound fun to you? Might be nice to get out of that room.” 

You took a deep breath, biting the inside of your cheek. This was a good sign, him wanting to spend time with you… him wanting to be in your presence and not break down into tears or anger or distaste.

“I would love to,” you said. “Although, I don’t know much about theater.” 

Cassian dropped a heavy hand on your shoulder. “Wouldn’t expect you to know much about anything, sweetheart.”

Mor snorted the water she was drinking back into her glass, you let out a surprised, scoff-like laugh, and Cassian grinned from beside you, all teeth and snark and playfulness. 

But Azriel. 

Azriel stood up, his chair screeching as it pushed out abruptly. His napkin was clenched tightly in his hand and the rigidness from before was back and in full-swing. The shadows that had stayed with you for the duration of lunch zoomed back to their master, displacing the material of your dress as they went. 

He had a bleak, hard look in his eye as he stared at no one. 

“Azriel?” you asked, and it was the first time you’d started any semblance of a conversation on your own. Even when you spoke to Mor, she was the one prompting you to speak. 

At the sound of your voice, Azriel quickly turned his gaze toward you, his eyes softening immediately. But just as quickly, his shoulders slumped, his napkin fell to the floor, and his hand came up to cover his mouth. “I—I’m incredibly sorry. I can’t do this.” 

And then he was gone.

Part 3 ☾

#azriel x reader #azriel x you #azriel fanfic #azriel shadowsinger #azriel spymaster #azriel acotar #acotar fanfiction #azriel angst #acotar

[xhopelesslyromanticx]

Delusional - Lando Norris x Fewtrell!Reader

Masterlist

summary: In which the internet once again is fooled by your slightly overdramatic side. Rumors about Lando dumping you circulate but luckily the Mclaren driver is just as delusional as you are. Social Media Au

y/nfewtrell

Home

liked by kellypiquet and 60‘797 others

y/nfewtrell in my feelings bruh

view all comments

maxfewtrell did you take my hoodie?

y/nstans what why????

user567 sense a breakupppp

f1islife stunning

arthur_leclerc *plays taylor swift

user345 arthur what do you know

y/nandlan Lando didn’t like?!

user567 see his post? he seems completely unbothered

user898 Landos too good for her anyw

f1gossip you sound bitter

user787 i just always had weird vibes from her

f1gossip we‘ve met y/n and she‘s literally an angel

y/nfewtrell thanks means a lot

landonorris

liked by maxfewtrell and 567‘897 others

landonorris how I try to entertain

view all comments

user687 such a hottie

f1fans someone say unbothered cough

georgerussell63 I thought you were on a diet?

alex_albon he‘s abt 4ft tall he doesn’t need a diet

mclaren next week we back to veggies

f1lover wheres the missus

user789 y/n doesn’t attend most gps she goes to university

f1fans yeah but so do Alex and Kika yet they seem to be way more supportive

user789 I‘m sure shes supportive just maybe also focused on her on career?

y/nstans y/n not liking landos post has me scaredddd

maxfewtrell looking smug

landonorris thanks bestieeee

maxfewtrell

Paris

liked by landonorris and 123‘890 others

maxfewtrell took the little nugget to paris @y/nfewtrell

view all comments

user578 she‘s so cute

f1lover peeping the papaya phone case

norrisandme yes also Lando liked! they goood

y/nfrance we met her yesterday and she seemed fine

arthur_leclerc the nugget in the big city

y/nfewtrell miss you archer

f1gossip my fave friendship

user787 why is she already flirting with guys when the rumors aren’t comfirmed

maxfewtrell oh god if you think y/n can flirt you‘re in for suprises

y/nfewtrell thanks maxie :) loved the trip

team_quadrant let’s go to Brazil!!!!

f1gossip

liked by user676 and 12‘899 others

f1gossip You guys know we normally don’t cover anything realitionship releated but it looks like Lando and Y/n are going through some crisis. She appeared on a tiktok crying after a series of mysterious tweets and instagram posts. Neither her or Lando have yet confirmed the rumors. But she has been absent from his likes and vice versa.

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user676 she’s making it obvious

f1fans cloutchaser?

y/nstans shut up

landonorris @y/nfewtrell care to explain missy

y/nfewtrell no i dont care to, peace out

user676 omg they commented

norrislove they clearly are clowing y‘all

maxfewtrell the woman cries like twelfe times a day and people still wonder?

landonorris twelfe is a little much, ten maybe eleven

y/nfewtrell I have my reasons this time!

y/nfewtrell

Austin Texas

liked by charlottesine and 234‘890 others

y/nfewtrell my lanlan. I formally apologize for being a lot to handle sometimes. I do love you more than words could even get close to explain. Thanks for being the best boyfriend and bestfriend. Thanks for pretending I‘m 21 forever.

view all comments

landonorris my world, anything for you 🧡

y/nfewtrell love youuu

maxfewtrell disgusting

maxfewtrell we all know she aint 21, plus he’s MY bestfriend

f1gossip we stan an overdramatic queen

charlottesine power couple

y/nfewtrell thanks chacha

user787 how annoying all that for such a petty reason

f1fans right i was relieved he had dumped her ass

y/nstans sad people you are, she clearly makes him happy

arthur_leclerc happy 21st I guess ;)

landonorris whats with the wink you twat

f1user y/n control your mans

landonorris

liked by f1 and 1‘124‘799 others

landonorris happy 21st birthday to the most beautiful 21 one year old I know. I love you so much eventhough your overdramatic soul makes people assume we broke up every couple of months. I love you my angel.

view all comments

user676 21!?!?

f1gossip look at y/ns post

f1lover they have me dead

charles_leclerc isn’t she-

arthur_leclerc shut up charlie

maxfewtrell tell them!

y/nfewtrell thanks bean. I love you more.

maxfewtrell bean? cringe

kellypiquet such a beautiful girl

f1gossip so the whole drama reallly was bc she doesn’t wanna turn 22 hahaha

user67 she‘s truly overdramatic

f1 we love a supportive and delusional king

mclaren like a true gentleman Mr.Norris

maxfewtrell

Sao Paulo

liked by oscarpiastri and 123‘788 others

maxfewtrell happy 22nd second you LIAR, never thought Lando would go as delulu as you. Love you nugget.

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#lando norris imagine #lando norris fic #lando norris smut #formula 1 imagine #lando norris #lando norris smau #lando norris x reader #f1 social media au #lando x reader #f1imagines #formula 1 x reader #lando #charles leclerc #football imagines #norris #oscar piastri fic #oscar piastri imagine #imagine #fanfiction #charles leclerc imagine #charles leclerc x reader #f1 imagine #football

[theemporium]

[3.6k] your life comes crumbling down when photos are leaked of your boyfriend making out with another girl. it doesn't help that your other boyfriend seems to be handling it worse than you are by ignoring the world, including you. well, the everyone except his rival.

series masterlist

.

It felt like a nightmare. 

A sick, twisted nightmare that you were waiting to wake up from any minute now. You could imagine it so clearly, shooting up in your bed with the sheets sticking to your sweaty skin and blood roaring in your ears before soft, comforting French words washed over you. You imagined a pair of arms wrapping around you, holding you tight and a pair of lips pressed against the top of your head until you found the courage to speak.

Every cell in your body craved for that to be your reality, but it wasn’t. 

Instead, you were sitting on your bed in the comfort of your father’s home with the distant sound of music playing from the kitchen and the curtains pulled back to let the sunshine come through and—well, a series of photos on your screen that made you feel like you were about to vomit, if you even had anything in your stomach from last night’s dinner to bring up.

It wasn’t often you visited your father’s home in Switzerland. But sometimes you craved the normalcy and seclusion of the farmhouse. You craved a few days to just relax, to pretend you were a normal girl with a normal father with a normal life. You liked to play pretend for a few days, and Sebastian always entertained the whole concept because he liked having you around. 

That was what this trip was supposed to be. 

With the boys over in the states for the Miami Grand Prix, you had decided against flying out with them. It had been a few months since you had seen your father and, with no great urge to fuck up your body clock with jet lag, you had decided to fly up to Switzerland instead before the boys inevitably returned for Imola. 

It had been nice. It had been exactly what you needed. It had been the few days you needed to ground yourself, to remember life beyond the constant work and travel. It had been the perfect getaway. Even as a young girl, your life revolved around the paddock with your father racing every other weekend, it was easy to forget a life outside of it all. 

But right now? Yeah, you really fucking wish the outside world didn’t exist at all. 

Your relationship with your boys was complicated and intertwined and unconventional, but it was yours. You loved each other, you cared for each other, you would do anything for each other. Or at least, that was what you assumed. The day Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly entered your life, you thought everything made sense.

Even if it took a few years of beating around the bush and your own feelings to reach that conclusion. 

You thought your relationship with your boys was one of the key things that made your life so perfect, that made you happy to be the one living it. 

Until you woke up this morning, rolling over and reaching for your phone to find a flurry of notification banners filling up your screen. It was a mix of messages and mixed calls and mentions from almost every social media app you owned. It was a mess, undistinguishable and baffling to your barely-awake brain. You honestly just expected it to be another fluke, another stupid scandal blossoming out of nothing. It made you want to roll over and fall back asleep before your PR manager inevitably called you. 

God, you would have preferred a stupid scandal to this.

Instead, you found countless photos and videos of Pierre. He was in a club, most likely celebrating ending up in the points after the race. He was in that white linen shirt you loved on him, the one he always left a little too unbuttoned because he knew it drove you and Charles crazy. But instead of his friends or even Charles by his side, it was some random girl. 

His hands were all over her. She was pressed up against his front, starry eyed and grinning up at him. His lips were on her lips, her neck, any inch of skin he could kiss. She was laughing and dragging him out of the club. He was smiling and happily following her.

And you felt fucking sick. 

Not even in your worst nightmares had you imagined something like this, something as horrific and despicable and public as this. Never had you thought Pierre—one of the men you loved—could be capable of this. You never thought he could do this to you, to Charles. 

Charles. 

Charles who was nowhere to be seen in the videos. Charles who had messaged about having an early night sleep before he flew out to Maranello for Imola prep. Charles who was either asleep, on a plane or sitting in his hotel room in a similar state to you. 

Fuck, you wished you were with him right now. 

But you couldn’t stop reading the comments, reading the countless articles and tweets and posts about the whole situation. You couldn’t bring yourself to ignore the comments from strangers on the internet saying it was about time, that they were glad he got away from you. The ones showing sympathy were even worse because it made this real, it made the whole fucking thing so real.

You hadn’t even heard the music from the kitchen stop or the footsteps approaching your bedroom. You hadn’t heard the knock or the door slowly creaking open. You couldn’t tear your eyes away from the screen until you felt a warm arm wrapping around your shoulders. 

“Shhh, honigbienchen, it’s okay. Let it out, I’ve got you,” Sebastian murmured, his voice soft and sweet and comforting and the exact thing you needed to break down the last of your crumbling walls. 

You pressed yourself into your father’s side as you sobbed, as you mourned the loss of what you believed was a loving and trusting relationship. You let yourself melt into his embrace as he held you close, as he held you together. 

You didn’t fight as he pulled your phone from your grasp, locking it and throwing it somewhere on the bed behind him. You didn’t fight as he pulled you closer, your face nuzzled into the crook of his neck as you let the familiar smell of your father’s cologne—the same one he has used since you were a child—wash over you. You didn’t fight as he murmured comforting words in German because a part of you hoped he was right, wanted nothing more than your father to be right. 

You just let yourself break because you knew your father would keep you together.

...

...

The apartment felt like a mockery of the life you once lived. 

You remember the day the three of you signed the lease, it was one of the happiest days of your life. There were always concerns about moving too fast, about hitting a milestone as big as moving in together so early on in the relationship. But, in all honesty, you didn’t see the issues. Call it rose-tinted glasses or call it the truth, but it never felt too soon.

Not for you and your boys. 

Because the relationship was still new when you moved in, just under a year old, but you had known these boys for years. Your life had been intertwined with racing from the day you were born because of your father, you had seen these boys grow up alongside you. You had been there to see them both enter Formula one. You had been there to see Charles as your father’s teammate. 

You had been there for it all. 

You had been friends long before you were a couple. You had grown close to Charles in the days your father wore the Ferrari emblem. You had found yourself attached to the boy, bonding with him in a way you never had in previous years. And where Charles was, Pierre was close behind. They were the package deal you thought you had lucked out on. 

So, moving in together seemed like a baby step in the future the three of you had planned together, a simple necessity as you continued to grow and love and care for each other. 

Now, it was a painful reminder that the place you called your home was tainted with the memories of a man you once loved. Maybe still loved. You hadn’t wanted to delve into those feelings too much yet.

It was empty. 

You had expected as much, or maybe you didn’t. You weren’t sure anymore. 

A small part of you assumed for this to be the moment you woke up from your nightmare. That you would wake up in your bed, slowly blinking your eyes open as you heard the boys laughing away in the kitchen at whatever they were attempting to cook before you woke. 

Another part of you expected to find Charles here, looking like a mirror reflection of you as you finally fell into his arms, as you received the touch you had been craving from him and him only in the last forty-eight hours. 

Another part of you expected to find Pierre standing in front of you, despite the reassurance you had received from a few friends at Alpine that the boy hadn’t left Miami. You thought maybe he would be here to beg for forgiveness or explain himself. You thought maybe he would at least have the decency to look half as worried as you were about Charles’ disappearance off the face of the Earth. 

You didn’t know if you were disappointed or relieved that he wasn’t here.

With your messages and calls receiving no answer from Charles, you had packed your bags and hopped on the first flight out of Switzerland. Your father had his reservations of you leaving so soon, of you being alone. To be completely honest, you wished you could have stayed in his arms forever and ignore everything.

But you needed to see Charles. 

You had to see him with your own two eyes because he was the only person in the world who understood what you were going through. 

To the world, it was just you and Pierre. And you were all okay with that for right now, you were okay with keeping the details and complications of your relationship private until the moment was right. 

But right now, you fucking despised it. Because the world was so focused on you and on Pierre and on the random girl from the club, but nobody was looking at Charles. Nobody cared about Charles. And despite your relationship being an open secret to the paddock, it seemed not even the people closest to him—his own fucking team—knew where he was.

And it fucking terrified you.

Monaco had been your last hope. Your apartment had been a fucking last resort. You were grasping at straws and you were losing your mind and there were a million different things running through your head but you just wanted Charles. 

There was still a voice in the back of your head reassuring you that he would show up, that he would walk through that door and fall into your arms until you both felt something other than pain right now. 

You wanted nothing more than for him to come home, to come to you. 

But forty-eight hours of emotions were wracking through you and you didn’t even realise you were falling asleep on the living room couch until your body was too tired to even try sitting up.

...

…

“Where did you find him?” 

“Well, hello to you too.” 

You flashed the Dutchman a sheepish smile as a wave of embarrassment washed over you. Your brain had been on a one-track mentality since you received his message, the bleary-eyed sleepiness long gone the second he mentioned Charles. You hadn’t even bothered to drive over, far too jittery and worked up to get behind the wheel. You needed the cold air to calm you down.

“Sorry, hello,” you greeted as you stepped into his apartment, trying to push down the urge to just grab Max’s shoulders and shake him until he told you where Charles was. “I just—”

“I know, you’re worried,” he said, his voice softer than you expected. “C’mon, I left him on the couch because he looked comfortable and I didn’t want to disturb him.”

You silently followed the boy through the long entrance corridor, your hands clenched into fists at your side to stop yourself from picking at the skin around your nail beds until they were raw and bleeding. 

You tried to prepare yourself for the sight you were going to see, to prepare for the worst just in case. 

You hadn’t expected him to look so…peaceful. 

He was sprawled on Max’s couch like the boy had said, his clothes rumpled and his hair messy but—at first glance, at least—he looked okay. But you could see the signs that he was no better than you were. His cheeks were red, like he had been crying a lot, and so was the tip of his nose, like he had been wiping it excessively. He looked worn down, and heavier than usual. Like there was a weight on his shoulders beyond the usual season stress. 

He looked like he was half as put together as you.

“I found him outside a bar,” Max’s voice startled you out of your thoughts as he stepped into the space beside you at the bottom of the couch. “I was on a late night run—you know, jet lag and stuff—and he was there. He was…” 

You frowned a little, turning to look at the Dutchman. “He was what?” 

“He wasn’t okay,” Max whispered with his own frown. “He could barely string a sentence together, let alone stand up. I think he had been kicked out of the bar, I don’t know. I promised him I would call you if he came back with me. I…I couldn’t just leave him there, you know?” 

You swallowed the lump in the back of your throat. “Thank you, Max.”

“It’s no problem, really,” he assured you and the silence fell between you two once more. And Max watched as your attention shifted back to Charles. He waited a few moments, a mental debate playing in his head, back and forth like a tennis match before he spoke up again. “I’m sorry. About everything. It…uh, it really sucks.”

You couldn’t bring yourself to look at him. “Thanks.” 

Max took the hint and quickly shifted the conversation. “It doesn’t look like he is waking up anytime soon,” he said. “You can stay the night. The spare room is free. Or I can bring some blankets out here if you don’t want to leave him.”

You turned to him, a strained smile on your face. “You don’t have to—”

“It’s okay,” he assured you, and something in you felt relieved that you wouldn’t have to return home to that bed, the bed you shared with him. “It’s late anyways. You look like you need some rest.”

You chose to omit the fact that you hadn’t slept more than a few hours in the last few days, and even that was after crying yourself to exhaustion. 

“Thank you, Max. Really.” 

The Dutchman smiled. “Like I said, it’s no problem.”

...

…

When Charles woke up the next morning, his head was killing him.

There was a bright light on his face, his mouth felt desert dry and he could have sworn there was a heavy weight on his chest. Not the metaphorical kind he had been lugging around for the last few days, but something actually weighing down on his chest and making it a little hard to breathe.

He gave himself a moment, tried to ground himself and hype himself up to open his eyes when he knew the light would only be more irritating than it was now. He tried to prepare himself for the killer hangover he was going to have to nurse all day, along with the countless calls to his team to apologise for not showing up to any of the meetings. 

To eventually reply to you too. 

However, when Charles finally gained the courage to open his eyes, the last thing he expected was to see a cat staring down at him. 

“What the—” He startled as he quickly sat up. 

The cat let out a noise of surprise before meowing, glaring at him before it padded off. Charles watched it for a few moments before blinking, taking in the unfamiliar setting around him. He knew he wasn’t in his apartment, or his mother’s, or either of his brothers’. 

He had no fucking idea where he was. 

But before the overwhelming fear took over his body and made him throw up everything he drank the previous night, you wandered into the room with a mug in hand. 

“You’re awake,” you breathed out, stopping mid-walk like you couldn’t quite believe he was there. 

Charles opened his mouth to say something but you reacted faster. The mug was abandoned on the coffee table he had failed to notice and you were throwing yourself in his arms, clinging onto him like you hadn’t seen him in years. 

It had felt like it had been years.

Charles let himself wind his arms around you, to pull you onto his lap and nuzzle his face into the crook of your neck until the familiar scent of your shampoo completely engulfed him. He let himself enjoy the feeling of you in his arms after almost two weeks of not seeing you in person. He let himself enjoy the one person in this world that didn’t make him feel like questioning everything in his life. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his voice cracking. “I’m so sorry—”

“Shhh, it’s fine,” you whispered back, sniffling back your own tears. “It’s fine. You’re here now, that’s what matters.” 

“But—”

“I just need you, Charles, no matter how long you take,” you murmured, your words slightly muffled but his arms tightened around you in understanding. 

Neither of you said anything for a few minutes, just soaking in the presence after so long apart. And, if he was being honest, he was in no rush to speak about everything. It had been playing on his mind like a broken record since he saw the videos, he didn’t want to give it any more brain space. He knew it was inevitable, but right now he just wanted to enjoy you. 

“Where are we?” He asked eventually when the curiosity and the cat glaring at him became too much. 

“Max’s house,” you murmured, feeling the boy tense beneath you. You pulled back, keeping yourself close as you flashed the boy a sheepish expression. “He found you last night and brought you here before something happened to you.”

“Oh.” Charles blinked. “That was kind of him.” 

“Very,” you nodded in agreement. You watched him for a few moments as he stared around the living room before you continued talking. “My team messaged me.”

Charles swallowed. “Yeah?”

“They want to know what our plan is,” you whispered. You didn’t need to say more than that, Charles understood. 

“I don’t know,” he admitted.

“Val thinks it will backfire,” you murmured, looking down at your hands instead of his face. “If we are seen together too much.” 

Charles tensed. 

“The media might spin a story about me moving on from—” You paused, his name unable to pass your lips. 

“Can we just…not talk about this right now?” Charles whispered, his voice uncharacteristically vulnerable. “I just…it’s too much.”

“Okay,” you whispered with a nod. 

“We will handle it,” Charles assured you as he reached for your hand. Because he knew you, he knew the whole thing was eating  you up and it didn’t help pushing the conversation away. But he needed to be in the right state for it—not half-drunk from the night before. “Together. I promise.”

You sniffled, squeezing his hand. “Together.” 

“You two want pancakes for breakfast?” 

Both of your heads snapped around to find Max by the door, a kind smile on his face. He paused when he took a look at the both of you, probably noticing the solemn faces and red eyes and instantly looking embarrassed. 

“I’m sorry, did I just ruin a moment?” 

You shook your head. “No—”

“We would love pancakes,” Charles finished for you, trying to focus on your hand in his rather than the fact he was sitting on the couch of the man he had been competing with for a majority of his life. “Coffee is on us. As a thank you.” 

Max waved him off. “It’s fine—”

“We insist,” you said firmly. 

Max glanced between you before nodding. “Okay,” he said. “But I’m only saying yes because you two seem very stubborn and I’m not awake enough to deal with that.” 

And for the first time in over forty-eight hours, you had the oddest urge to laugh.

“Wanna order the coffee together?”

“Together.”

You weren’t sure what would happen next. You didn’t know what you were going to tell Val or the rest of your team. You didn’t know what Charles’ team would say. You didn’t know what the fuck you were going to do when you eventually saw Pierre again, when you had to sort out the fact you technically shared a flat with him.

But right now, your biggest issue was figuring out which coffee Max Verstappen liked and it was a kind distraction to your messy life.

Especially with the assurance that Charles was by your side.

.

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