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magics-neptunes-things · 6 months

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Ready, Aim, Shot

Hi! ♥ I hope you are all ok!

I have trouble finishing all the stories I started, but I’m working on it!

This one took me a little longer to write, I hope you like it. It is a little different from what I have written so far, but it is following a request from an anonymous:)

Summary: You’re a journalist and you were sent to a complicated place in the world. Will the attack you suffered prevent you from finding your girlfriend’s arms permanently?

TW: Angst, mention of war and bomb, accident, hospitalization.

PART 2 | PART 3

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Alexia is the only woman you fell in love with, and everyday you find yourself falling even harder for her. She was perfect for you. Caring, loving, loyal, attentive and sweat. Your bond is even more special than you ever dreamed before you became a couple.

However, things could have started more easily. You are a journalist/reporter and you know perfectly well that celebrities are not fond of this kind of profession, for good reason. When you found yourself following her for days for the report "Alexia: Labor Omnia Vincit", she was very professional at first. Like, really very very professional. But you lived with her for weeks, met her relatives and finally you found yourself covering her with heart eyes.

What you never imagined was that things could be reciprocal.

Shortly after announcing your relationship, at your friends and family only, you quickly settled together. Your cat met officially Nala at that time and you were spending happy days all four in Alexia’s apartment. I mean, your apartment now.

There are sometimes a few days during which you can't see each other, when Alexia leave for football or when you go in another country for a report. You go watch Alexia at every opportunity you have, enjoying to see her evolve in her element. And you know that Alexia reads or looks the articles or reports you participate in.

Alexia has already had a lot of trouble accepting that you go to eastern Europe last month for a report, so it's with a ball in the belly that you come home tonight. You have to tell her you’re leaving for another complicated place in the world and you know it’s going to be hard for her to accept.

You nervously bite the inside of your lip when you open the door of your apartment, immediately greeted by Nala who comes to rub in your legs, almost making you fall. You laugh gently and lift her off the floor to put a kiss on her skull before resting her gently. Your cat, for its part, opens an eye from its cat tree, long before turning and falling asleep again.

"Thanks for the welcome, Diabolo" you grumble.

You roll your eyes and hang your coat in the cupboard of the entrance before going in search of Alexia. Her sneakers at the entrance and a pleasant smell of food floats in the air, informing you that she’s home. Nala is ahead of you, running towards the kitchen, where you find your girlfriend.

The smile she gives you when you arrive takes your breath away and you accelerate the step to have her faster against you. Your face in her neck, you breathe her smell before putting a kiss, then several along his jaw to finish on her lips.

"Holà mi Amor"

She says to you smiling, passing both hands in your hair.

"Holà."

You let her kiss you again before taking a look at the stove to see what is in the pots.

"Did you finish training early?" You ask when you realize she’s had time to prepare all this and shower before you come home.

"No" she laughs softly "My mom came by to bring us what she cooked for her dinner with her friends tonight. Apparently she planned too big"

"Like she didn’t mean to"

You laugh too and Alexia throws you a smile and a amused look. You both know that she cooked huge quantities on purpose to be able to bring you some, Alba surely received her part too and you wouldn't be surprised to learn that your sister also received Eli’s visit with a tupperware filled with paella.

"Do I have time to shower?"

You want to get comfortable quickly, knowing the discussion you have to bring later. You think you’ll wait until the end of the meal though, not wishing to spoil your girlfriend’s appetite.

"If I had known, I would have waited for you" Alexia whispers, sliding her hands dangerously close to your butt.

"Alexia Putellas Segura, you are worse than a male teenager" you smile against her lips before kissing her tenderly. "I make it quickly."

After a quick shower, you go straight into Alexia’s clothes section of the wardrobe, choosing an old FC Barcelona jogging you love and one of her t-shirts with a Nike logo.

"It seems that you are wrong again on the side of the cupboard mi Amor" Alexia tells you with a knowing smile when you return to her.

"Oops."

********

After the meal, you sat on the sofa in the living room to watch the series that you started to follow recently. You still haven’t managed to talk about it, Alexia seems so relaxed and happy tonight that it breaks your heart to have to make this announcement.

However, your worry must be easily noticeable, since you feel Alexia’s hand on your fingers as you mechanically wiggle between them.

"Okay, what is it?" she asks you, slightly getting up to see you better.

"What?"

"You haven’t paid a single second of attention to the episode since we started it, you play nervously with your fingers and you keep biting your lip. What the hell is going on?"

You sigh softly and sit cross-legged on the couch, not finding the courage to look into her eyes. Beside you, you feel Alexia put herself in the same position. You feel her gaze on you as you speak again.

"I have to leave in three days for a new report" you finally confess.

"Where?"

"In the Middle East"

"No."

Alexia’s firm voice makes you look up and you can’t tell if her "No" is a ban she puts on you or if it's a form of denial to this information. Her eyebrows frown, her eyes are hard and you have to take it on yourself not to lower your eyes again.

"There’s no way you’re going. It’s too dangerous."

"This is my job, Ale" you point out lightly.

"I don’t care. You stay here, there is no fucking way that I let my girlfriend going right to death, your boss is completely crazy and irresponsible."

You watch her get up and go around in circles in the living room, talking while gesticulating her arms in all directions, scaring Nala in the same time.

"I’m not going alone, there will be my team with me."

"I. Don’t. Care."

********

Three days later, you find yourself at the airport with your team. By working together, they became your friends and Alexia knows them very well. And they know Alexia very well too. That’s probably why Lola asks you with surprise about the absence of your girlfriend to say goodbye.

"She didn’t want me to go"

You hardly swallow your saliva and thank Lola mentally for not insisting. Her compassionate smile is enough to bring some tears to your eyes, which you fortunately manage to stop.

Alexia is very mad at you. She tried emotional blackmail, anger, tears and pretty much everything in her possession to keep you close to her. The worst part is you would have preferred to stay with her, but you couldn’t refuse that warrant. You had already refused a report to manage Alexia’s anxiety a few days before and your boss warned you that it was the last refusal on your part that he accepted.

You don’t know if Lola passed on the information to the rest of the team, but they all show themselves to be particularly caring with you. Ben offers to check in your luggage and you gladly accept. You take a quick look at your phone and see that you have messages from your parents, your sister, Eli and Alba, but none from Alexia.

She left for her training saying goodbye of course, it was still out of the question to leave you angry. You can’t blame her, you know perfectly well that if things were reversed, you would react the same way. She too had tears in her eyes closing the door behind her and that didn’t help you leave your apartment earlier

"Well, look who’s here" Marta laughs.

Like the rest of your team, you turn to the point she’s staring off behind you. And you feel an electric current running through you when you recognize Alexia’s silhouette. She hasn’t seen you yet and you can see her look through the crowd with a desperate air, as if she were afraid of having arrived too late. Fortunately not, with the amount of material you have, boarding always takes forever.

Without hesitation, you split the crowd and she finally sees you. A few seconds later, you are in her arms and it's only now that you see Mapi over her shoulder. The tattooed one winks at you before getting away to give you some privacy.

"I thought I was too late"

Alexia’s voice came to you in a muffled way, her face being buried in your hair while she hugs you against her with all the strength of her arms. You give her back her embrace, certainly with much less force, but this embrace brings you the comfort you needed.

"Thanks for coming" you mumble back.

One hand in her hair and the other in the hollow of her back, you breathe deeply for the first time in three days. You stay like this for a few moments, before Alexia lets go of you with one hand to search in the pocket of her coat.

"I have something for you."

You watch her do and after a few seconds she show you a necklace with a pendant hanging. You would swear that something is hidden in it, but before you can question her on the subject, Alexia resumes speaking.

"You’ll open it on the plane, okay?"

You nod and let her hang the necklace around your neck. Her fingers make you shudder and you hurry to get back against her when she’s done. You don’t care if you’re being watched or even if someone recognized you. In any case, it’s been several weeks since edits of you two started appearing on the Internet. Alexia doesn’t seem to care much either since she’s the one who initiates your kiss.

"Promise me you’ll come back"

"I promise"

Her forehead leaning against yours and her look in yours makes you forget the rest of the world around you. The place where you fly is dangerous, you are perfectly aware of it. And Alexia too. She doesn’t make you make those promises every time, but only when she knows there’s a risk.

"I hate your job."

Her remark makes you smile softly and you replace a lock of her hair behind her ear before resuming speech.

"I think this is the last time I leave"

"What do you mean?"

The surprise forces Alexia to take off her face from yours to be able to better observe you. Her hazel look plunges into yours when you shrug your shoulders.

"It gets too complicated for both of us and I don’t have the same pleasure doing what I do anymore. I’ll talk to my boss when I get back, but I’m thinking of resigning"

Alexia’s face becomes perfectly smooth under the shock of the information and she blinks several times before responding.

"I- I never asked you to quit" she stutters, making you smile.

"I know"

You smile in front of her amazed air and kiss her tenderly on the cheek. You have been working for the same people for many years and have made a name for yourself in the profession. And even if a job change is turned down, you know you’ll find something else elsewhere.

You hear Lola calling you gently behind you, meaning it’s time for you to go. Alexia looks at you and your smiles are more like grimaces. It’s time to say goodbye.

"Take care of yourself and don’t let Diabolo eat too much."

"I will"

A new kiss is exchanged before you have to release her. You take a quick look in the direction of your team, most go up to the departures floor thanks to the escalator, only Lola is waiting patiently for you downstairs.

"Be careful, mi Amor. Think of me?"

"Every second of the day Cariño."

A few hours later, you are installed on your plane seat, window side. As if to better stick to your mood, the rain began to fall on Barcelona, drawing shapes on the porthole through which you look. Remembering the pendant that Alexia gave you, you gently take it in your hand to better observe it. You have no trouble finding the security to open it and inside you discover a rolled paper that you unfold. You smile and realize it’s a picture of you and Alexia. Behind it, she wrote a note.

"Forever with you. Te amo tanto. Alexia ♥"

********

Since your arrival, you have been able to exchange several messages and phone calls with Alexia. Things are going better than you both imagined, to your relief. You are not exactly in the middle of the conflict, the work you were asked to do being more focused on the population who decides to enlist in the army to defend their country. You are protected by soldiers who follow you like your shadow and you even feel safe.

It's the mind entirely turned towards the report that you climb in the jeep that brings you and your team where you have to meet several people to interview them. You have to go back to Barcelona in two days and your idea to resign is still on your mind. The more you think about it, the more you know it’s the right thing to do.

You are listening with amusement to Ben talking about his son’s latest mischief when something happens. A click, followed by the panic cries of the men around you. They express themselves in their native language that you don't master, or very briefly. A few seconds later, a heat wave lifts you off the ground and you are thrown out of the vehicle, unconscious, the mine you drove over blowing up everything around.

********

When Eli and Alba appear on the edge of the training field, Alexia knows something bad happened. The joke she was exchanging with Ona gets stuck in her throat and her face visibly pale. Jonathan accompanies them and beckons her to come to them. It's with tingling throughout the body that Alexia stands up and makes her way towards them.

"What happened?" she immediately asks, looking her mother in the eye.

"Y/N's team ran over amine. Half of them are still missing"

It's Alba who speaks, making Alexia look in her direction. Unable to open her mouth, she waits for further information.

"Y/N has been found, but it's not good Ale"

"What do you mean "it's not good?" "

Alexia gets upset, bringing their mother in the conversation for the first time. Obviously she fears the reaction of her eldest, knowing how attached you are to each other.

"Alexia…" she makes a soothing tone by grabbing her daughter’s arm.

"But just tell me! She’s dead, isn’t she?"

Alexia’s tone rises and she must take it upon herself not to push the physical contact initiated by her mother. Eli and Alba exchange a look before the first one resumes speaking.

"No, but she’s in a bad state. She was found unconscious and is on an official ventilator. They don’t yet know how badly she’s hurt. As we speak, she’s still in a coma and they don't know if she will make it."

********

The days that followed were a summary of hell for Alexia, your parents and your relatives in general. Due to the geographical distance, the news has reached them in dribs and drabs only by the interval of your team. Your boss got yelled at by Alexia, your father and Alexia’s mother. If you weren’t about to resign, there’s no doubt he’d demand you do.

After a few days of staying together at your parents', your loved ones have finally started their lives again. Your sister went back to work, but Alexia literally had to be taken out by force to agree to return to the training grounds. To make sure her daughter would go, Eli even asked Irene to come pick her up.

The information about you is vague but they know the main thing, you’re still alive. "She promised to come back to me" Alexia repeated several times, both to convince herself and to reassure others.

Even if she will never admit it, seeing her friends makes Alexia feel better. She strongly suspects them of doing everything to change her mind, but she is sincerely grateful. It changes her from the four walls of your parents' living room or yours, even if your animals also bring her comfort and affection.

Alexia is in the middle of a discussion with Mapi and Aitana when her phone rings from her bag. As always, she feels a mixture of feelings at the idea of dropping out, fearing bad news. But it’s usually your mother who gets calls from your bosses to give them news. It’s been three days now since they learned anything new.

Seeing that the call number is unknown, Alexia hesitates a few seconds before answering but ends up doing so. Normally, people with access to her phone number are allowed to have it. She has never had any problems with that.

"Holà?"

The silence settles on the other side of the phone and the Latin checks that she has picked up before putting the phone back against her ear.

"Is there anyone here?"

A new silence sets in. Just as she was about to hung up, Alexia finally hears a voice at the other end. The voice is barely higher than a whisper, as if the person were particularly exhausted.

"Ale? It’s me…"

The ground slips under the captain’s feet so abruptly that neither Mapi nor Aitana has time to catch her. Sitting on the floor, the one who had managed not to shed a single tear since the announcement of your accident melts into tears, alerting her two friends who are now convinced that something dramatic is happening.

Alexia let a flood of curses that you’ve never heard come out of your girlfriend’s lips when she realizes it’s you on the phone.

"I’m alive" you end up adding, not really knowing what to add.

"You had better" sobs Alexia before finally raising her eyes on Mapi.

Lost in her emotions, she didn’t realize that her reaction alerted almost the entire team. Ona, who had gone to take her shower, kneels beside Mapi, both leaning in the direction of their friend and captain while others stand in an arc around her.

"It’s Y/N. She did it."

********

Your parents had already had to detain Alexia so that she wouldn’t jump on the first plane upon learning of your accident, but this time it was even worse. With the injuries you’ve got, you couldn’t go home right away. The translation was sometimes complicated at first, until the Spanish embassy sent someone to do the translation. From there, you were able to recover your phone and thus be in contact with Alexia and your loved ones more easily. The connection is not always optimal, but having your girlfriend only a call from you does you a lot of good.

It's not in very good condition that you get on the plane to repatriate you to Barcelona, but you specifically asked to return as soon as possible, even if you were then hospitalized in Spain. During the explosion, it was mostly the left side of your body that was injured. In addition to a crumbling shoulder, broken ribs and a damaged knee, you find yourself with a head injury and a broken nose that fortunately had time to deflate. Thanks to that you no longer look like a boxer at the end of his career but it looks like you have two big cockroaches.

You learned yesterday that three of your six team members didn't survive the attack. Ben and Lola have already returned to Spain and it's with a hint of guilt that you leave Marta alone on the spot. But her family is coming in two days and she swore to you that everything was fine for her.

Exhausted by the journey to the airport, you slept all the way back and it is only when the wheels of the plane touch the ground that you open your eyes with a start. The person assigned by the embassy to follow you smiles kindly and you answer vaguely, before looking out the window. When you see the airport building, you feel your heart speed up. Alexia is waiting for you, a few hundred meters from you.

You tried to refuse to be moved around in a wheelchair, in vain. So it is with a sulky pout that you find yourself traveling through the airport, to the place to collect your belongings. The good news is that you had left almost all to your camp and so you were able to recover everything. Even the necklace offered by your girlfriend survived and did not leave your neck a single squad then you left Barcelona.

Your suitcase is much too long for your taste to arrive and you refrain from jumping on your chair of impatience when it is time to pass the security control of customs. Everything is going too slowly and you are convinced that you would go faster by limping with your crutch. But you finally arrive in the main arrival hall and it only takes you two seconds to spot Alexia, your eyes are attracted to her like a magnet. By the time she comes to you, you get up from the chair and two seconds later you’re finally where you want to be forever. In her arms.

The embrace is not very practical, your arm in sling prevents you from holding her as you would like and you clench your teeth not to flinch despite your painful ribs. You still feel that Alexia is doing everything she can to be delicate. She has not yet been able to truly realize all of your injuries.

But in the end you don’t care, because it’s all about her. Alexia feels like she can breathe completely for the first time in about ten days. You feel her coming off of you after a few minutes and you have trouble supporting her gaze. You know that you look terrible, even if you are not the type to wear kilos of makeup every day, there you are really far from being to your advantage.

"Mi Amor" she whispers tenderly, holding your face in her hands before as much delicacy as if it had been porcelain. Her thumbs caress your cheeks and you feel tears in your eyes. "It’s over. You’re home."

You nod and close your eyes, letting her kiss you tenderly before she takes you back against her.

Needless to say, the next day your boss received a letter of resignation from you. Thanks to what happened to you, you received a starting bonus, allowing you to have money set aside before embarking on your new project, writer and WAG. Because from now on, it’s out of the question to part with Alexia for more than half a day.

#woso x reader #woso imagine #alexia putellas x reader #alexia putellas imagine

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doumadono · 6 months

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for the characters with letters!!

Katsuki Bakugo - D :)

A/N: crafting this piece brought me immense joy, and I sincerely hope you derive the same pleasure from reading it ♥ The inspiration for this ficlet came from the following post

MY HERO ACADEMIA MASTERLIST

The rain-soaked day seemed to magnify the colors of your surroundings as you stepped out of the university building, the thrill of acing your exam still coursing through your veins. Thoughts of celebration filled your mind, oblivious to the figure standing not far from you.

As you unfurled your own umbrella, a sharp voice cut through the steady rhythm of the rain. "You think that piece of junk can handle this rain?"

Startled, you turned to see Bakugo, dressed in his hero costume, eyeing your umbrella with disdain. He held a large black umbrella that shielded him from the rain, and in his other hand, he clutched a vibrant bouquet of your favorite flowers. The surprise on your face must have been evident, as he continued with a gruff, "Don't look so shocked. I know you never pay attention to the weather."

"Katsuki. What are you doing here?" you asked, genuinely curious about what could have brought him to your university campus.

He scowled, walking closer and shifting his umbrella over both of you. "Heard you had some super important exam. Thought I'd check on ya."

Your eyes widened in disbelief. "You knew about my exam?"

He grunted, avoiding eye contact. "Yeah, well, Kirishima blabbed a thing or two. The Shitty Hair can't keep his mouth shut, you know."

Despite his dismissive tone, you could see through the facade. He had taken the time out of his busy hero schedule to show up for you. The realization hit you like a pleasant shock, and for a moment, you were left speechless. "You… you didn't have to do this, Katsuki," you stammered, genuinely touched by the unexpected gesture.

He rolled his eyes, as if annoyed by the sentiment. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Just take the damn flowers and let's get out of this rain."

You accepted the bouquet from him, expressing your gratitude in a hushed tone. "Thank you, Kacchan."

The two of you began to walk side by side, the rain creating a gentle melody on the umbrella. Bakugo's stoic expression softened as he glanced at you. "So, vet school, huh? How's that treating you?"

You shared your experiences, the challenges and triumphs of your chosen field.

Bakugo listened attentively, nodding occasionally. Despite his tough exterior, there was an undeniable interest in his eyes - they lingered on you as you spoke, and you couldn't help but feel a warmth spread through you.

As you reached the gates of the campus, Bakugo stopped and turned to face you.

The rain seemed to intensify, but neither of you minded. Under the shelter of the umbrella, Bakugo's gaze never left you. The world around you blurred as he spoke, his words carrying a vulnerability that contradicted his tough exterior. "I'm proud of you, you know. Choosing your own path and kicking ass at it," he admitted. "That's huge."

A warmth blossomed in your chest, and you leaned in, pressing a quick but tender kiss to his cheek. "Thanks, Katsuki. It means a lot coming from you."

He huffed, a half-smile playing on his lips, clearly not accustomed to such sentimental exchanges. "Stop it, nerd."

As you continued your walk, Bakugo's arm found its way around your shoulders, and you found comfort in the simple yet profound gesture. "Listen, Y/N. I've been thinking, perhaps you could spare a moment in your busy student schedule to have lunch with me this Friday?" Bakugo suggested, keeping his gaze forward, almost as if he feared you might reject his proposal; a faint blush adorned his cheeks.

A smile tugged at your lips as you listened to his invitation. "I'd love to," you responded, feeling a warmth spreading through you. His shyness only added to the charm of the moment, and the subtle pink on his cheeks was nothing compared to the flutter in your own heart. "Friday for lunch sounds perfect."

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pinkandgoldensoul · 1 year

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pairing: max verstappen x female!reader genre: friends to lovers, kind of slow burn, angst, fluff and comfort !tw!: swearing, online hate towards reader, insecurities, fluff, angst other notes: fake instagram things? Loosely based on Singapore GP 2022 word count: 10.1k (as always, feel free to use dividers to split the chapter into chunks!) A huge thanks to whoever reblogs or likes the story and a special thanks to @ally4and33 for her support in the last couple days! ♥ Love you all!

It felt soft. The light knocking on your eyelids, asking for permission with its warmth. As your entire body slowly moved, awakening, you snuggled up to the blanket you had wrapped around your shoulders and enjoyed its coziness. Max’s smell still trapped onto the pillow, you smiled with eyes closed. He wasn’t there, but you knew he had been all night, cuddling with you and falling asleep; you still could feel his thumb repetitively rubbing your skin as he held you close and the beating of his heart lingered on your mind as a beautiful song that you play on loop, knowing all the lyrics. By heart. Waking up to those memories – real ones, this time – made your insides twist in a pleasant discomfort; you knew you weren’t mistaken, you knew Max had stayed over with you, holding each other, and you didn’t have to fear or mistrust your mind. You had snuggled and cuddled together, and nobody could doubt it. No drunk, slurred mental estate could put those moments at risk. You owned them, forever.

You looked over to the side, only to realize Max wasn’t lying next to you. You weren’t surprised, though; you figured he may have decided to go training, have breakfast or simply get up. Staring at the ceiling, you smiled: your nose didn’t feel as stuck as it was the day before and an unknown wave of positive, bright feelings earned you a decent dose of optimism. You probably had been needing it for quite a long time. «Good morning, y/n.» Max’s voice made your head snap up towards the door, and you actually would’ve preferred not to see him. That smile wrinkling his lips, his eyes brimming with light, his whole appearance blinding you way more than sun beams could ever manage to: everything about him enchanted you. «Morning,» you whispered, stretching a bit. «Slept well?» he asked, getting closer to the bed. «Really, really well.» you answered, uncapable of stifling in a huge smile. «Bet you did, it’s 11:30!» Max said, laughing. «You sleep in way more than I do, c’mon!» As you said that, you rolled over the bed, facing the pillow, and you felt the mattress sinking down onto your side due to Max’s weight. «I’ve bought you some medicine.» You eyed the small plastic bag he still held in his hands. «I think I’m doing better.» «Doesn’t mean you’ve fully recovered.» Max added. «I know, but-» «No, don’t even bother telling me you don’t need medicine because I’m not listening to you.» After a small pause, Max looked at you again, almost unsure. «Do you really feel better?» «Yes, still a bit sluggish, but I feel fine.» Despite the positives in your feedback, he couldn’t help but get stuck thinking about the negatives. «Sluggish? Maybe you have a little bit of temperature?» «I don’t think so?» Max rummaged into the plastic bag and took out a brand-new thermometer. «Why did you buy a new one?» you chuckled at the sight. «Because now this is your personal thermometer.» «Thanks…? Didn’t know I’d need a personal one.» you raised a brow, still amused. «Oh, but this is special, y/n. It will know everything about you.» You inspected the packaging thoroughly, trying to convince yourself it would, without really succeeding. «You can give a name to it, if you want.» «Max, it’s a freaking thermometer!» you laughed. «So what? It may get offended if you don’t. You know, it’s really sensitive.» As he cracked that lame joke, you glared at him. «Tell me you didn’t say that.» Max’s cheeks immediately squished upwards to make room for his mesmerizing and innocent smile, happy and giggling as a kid would do after making a mess. And you couldn’t stop yourself from grinning at him as well. «You’re so stupid…» «And now I’m sure you don’t have a temperature, because your heart’s stone cold. Poor thermometer.»

After a couple of minutes – and a lot of insisting – Max dragged you out of the bed so that you could have some breakfast-brunch-lunch-whatever you have before noon; then, he persuaded you to take some medicine to relieve the dizziness and you started to feel better. Max noticed your eyes got livelier and livelier as time passed by and it only encouraged him to suggest new activities, as he would’ve liked to spend all day talking with you, relaxing on the couch, or onto the bed watching a movie, but in his mind a whim, an urge, a need and, ultimately, a duty, called upon him. Getting ready for Singapore. He needed to come back to his other house to get some simulator work done, he was missing it; but how could he ask you to come with him and get bored all alone? Or if you decided to stay at the apartment, how could he leave you alone again? Max felt troubled at the way he had gradually become unable to accept the idea of you being on your own; it wasn’t a matter of trust, despite the latest events. He simply couldn’t let go of your soft hands, of your scent, of your lips curving into a beautiful smile, of your voice chanting him like a siren.

Sitting onto the bed, Max played with your hair, combining strands into a messy braid. So lost in the process, he didn’t even remember when and why he had asked you to let him do so. «Are you going for a loose braid?» you enquired, enjoying the slow-paced rhythm of his fingers working on your hair. «Yes, my specialty.» As he heard you giggling, Max felt his heart caving in. «When did you learn to braid?» «When I was seven. My mum taught me how to braid Victoria’s hair.» A fond smile immediately bloomed onto your lips, and you were lucky enough not to have Max in front of you, so that you could hide it. He had shared with you a few of his childhood memories before, and his sister’s name always came up, either because she was present or absent during his karting days; you could tell he really loved her and somehow still felt sorry for taking their father and himself away from her. He had also showed you some pictures, which had your heart melting in awe, though you’d try to dissimulate. Max was a loving person and you cherished every seed of affection he would plant along the way, just so you could grow even fonder of him. «Is it done?» you asked, as the weight of your hair leaned back onto your skin. «Yes.» With a quick motion, you brought the braid forward, onto your collar bone, and stared at it. Max sat back in front of you and got captured by the sun light shining through the window behind your back, reflecting its gold onto some rebel strands of hair, as a perfect frame to your face. Reacting way too late to your “Thank you”, Max stuttered, realizing he still had to tell you about his plan. Had he prepared one? Not really. But his instinct dictated it to him, spontaneously, as he started speaking to you. «Tomorrow I need to go back to the house and get done the training for the race and I was thinking you could come with me.» Your eyes immediately flicked to his, a glimpse of surprise flashing inside of them. «A-are you sure? I don’t want to bother you…» «I’ll be locked inside a room pretty much all the time, how could you ever disturb me?» he chuckled. As you pondered in silence, Max prompted you with all the activities you could undertake there and reassured you about getting proper medications if you still needed them, offering to be the one to go buy them. As he kept maxplaining in order to persuade you, you giggled and stopped his rambling. «Max, it’s okay. I’ll come.» you smiled. His face immediately lit up, and your chest ignited at the sight; without noticing, his fingers had reached yours onto the bedcover and they had shared a rush of electricity, of magic. Of complicity. Of… something. Something you couldn’t name, but definitely something sweet, warm, comforting and almost painful at the same time. #

«This is the room. Do you need me to show you the bathroom?» «No, we’ve been here a few days ago, I remember.» «Fine.» Max scratched his head. «I’m… I’m going to ask what’s for dinner.» «Okay… I’ll take out my toiletries, then.» «Perfect!» Max rushed out of the bathroom quickly, eaten alive by embarrassment. He’d been awkward in his life before and obviously had slipped up countless times, but after that little talk, a thin veil of uncertainty, hesitation and discomfort weighed down onto his cheeks as a fire, covering the skin with a soft blush and making his hands slightly clammy. Max hated not being in control of his heart drumming inside the ribcage, pleading to get out and reach its half; he hated his voice cracking or sounding insecure despite the attempts at dissimulating; and he also hated his mind running, racing on its own and replaying moments he’d prefer not to be reminded of while standing in front of you. Could he really blame his mind, though? After all, he had been the one to ask you to come back to the house where you nearly had kissed, nearly had hooked up, nearly had crossed the fine line between friends and not-just-friends; still, it was the place you had danced clinging to each other, got drunk together with smiles, whispers, fingers intertwining and shivers, cutting all the noise and everybody else out of your piece of heaven. All these memories were mere rings to a longer chain and the more Max tried to trail back to its beginning, the further it would get due to the new – old – images of you two together, packed inside the same untitled folder of his heart. The only partial relief was he wouldn’t be able to spend too much time with you due to the simulator training.

He wasn’t alone in his struggles, though. You avoided the reflecting surface of the mirror in which you had seen played forbidden fantasies only a couple days before, and as you turned around taking a closer look to the bathroom, you eyed the bathrobe you had worn, all your attention channeled towards those three letters on full display. Max. You recalled yourself freaking out in there, convinced you and him had slept together, then stealing the robe away without a second thought. When did it all become so overwhelming you would fall apart simply going back to those memories? You closed the cabinet with a firm thud: getting through the sudden closeness had never seemed so hard.

«Hello?» Slowly waking up, you tried opening your eyes. «Hi, Alice, what’s up.» It was Max speaking; his voice was distant, but still clear enough to hear it. «No, I’m awake. Why are you calling, though?» He seemed like he was in the room next to yours, at the phone with someone. «Hope it’s not a new media activity, we already have a lot this week.» Visualizing the floor plan in your head, you reasoned he was in his bedroom. «What? Is this a joke?» As Max’s tone raised, you couldn’t refrain yourself from eavesdropping a little bit more attentively. «But where did they get these numbers? Did they make them up? Unbelievable…» Numbers? Was he talking about simulation work? «Well, we could sue them for defamation. ‘Cause we’re fine, right?» Nope, definitely not simulation work. Your forehead hurt, and with those words dancing in your brain confusion inevitably grew. «Alice, can we please talk about this on Wednesday? Just tell me that other thing.» Hands rubbing tiredness out of your face, you sat onto the bed. «For fuck’s sake… Is it bad?» Feet barely touching the ground, you tried gathering energies to get up. «THEY SAID WHAT?!» But Max’s altered voice got you flinching, startled, frozen in place. «How do they dare? Write down all their names, because I’m not being interviewed by those assholes! Don’t get them near me! Fucking dickheads.»

With featherlike steps, heart thumping in your chest, you leaned against the door frame of Max’s room, trying not to disturb him and hinting at your presence at the same time. «No, we’re not discussing it now,» he said in a hurry, after noticing you were standing a few meters away. You unsurely walked towards him. «But I want this to be clear: I am deciding what to do, and I don’t want anybody else to interfere.» As Max abruptly ended the call and put the phone back into his pocket, only to look at you, the breath you were holding finally released. «Who was it?» you managed to whisper, full of doubts and uncertainty. Max, noticing your distress and able to read that little veil of sleepiness you hadn’t been able to shrug off your face, tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, giving you a shy smile. «Alice Hedworth.» You raised a brow, in confusion. «The communications manager of the team.» he plainly answered. You looked down, recalling the quick-tempered replies he had given, then raised your eyes back at him. «Why would you have to sue people? What happened?» «Did you eavesdrop?» You gaped at him, feeling like a thief caught red-handed. «Uhm… It woke me up, so…» Max sighed. He’d rather not tell you, but he was aware it was inevitable for you to find out eventually, so there was no point in hiding it from you. Plus, there was probably nothing to worry about. Or at least Max hoped so. «Some journalists claim we breached the cost cap last year. They also say another team is involved, but of course, we’re the ones under the spotlight and now they’re complaining about how it’s unfair we won the championship, since we did it illegally, to their saying.» Max’s placid expression wasn’t able to instill reassurance in you. «But you guys are really fine?» «Of course we’re fine, they’re just coming at us because they cannot accept they’ve lost and scandal is the only way to bring us down at the moment, since their car can’t.» He slightly chuckled at his own comment, but again, it did nothing to calm your mind down. «How could they invent all of this? I mean, it’s a pretty big accusation, they must have some sort of proof in order to say it… How did they get numbers?» «I don’t know, I’m not an accountant. And you aren’t a detective, y/n.» Max said, smiling at you. «C’mon, let’s go have breakfast.» He was guiding you towards the kitchen with his fingers barely brushing against your lower back, when suddenly another thought crossed your mind. «What was the second thing?» «Uh?» he said, caught off guard. «You said you wouldn’t release interviews to some journalists.» you explained, taking a seat. He frowned. «You really paid attention to the conversation, didn’t you?» Max turned his back to you, grabbing two cups from the cupboard and hiding his reaction to the topic. «You don’t have to worry about it.» he downplayed. «Just paparazzi being annoying as always. But they’ll be taken care of.» You would’ve liked to pay more attention to the way his tone had subtly turned serious, suggesting bother and almost rage; the last bit of the sentence been spitted out of the mouth as a curse, in a lower voice, so that its darkness couldn’t reach you.

You should’ve known. You should’ve expected it to happen, sooner or later. It was bound to happen, you told yourself. After all, been dragged down the pitlane by one of the most famous drivers in the world under thousands of flashing cameras wasn’t really a gesture that would get anyone go unnoticed by the press. Of course, medias had gone crazy over those pictures taken in Monza, but the true bomb was dropped with the rumors of the probably-not-so-private party of last week. Suddenly, your name started to travel from mouth to mouth, even though nobody had ever acknowledged your presence before. You went from being a stranger to the Cupid’s arrow breaking into Max’s cold heart, the one who caused him and Kelly to argue and ultimately split, a mysterious girl no one knew who had unspecified intentions: clout? Money? Visibility? After all, you could’ve never gained those alone: you weren’t that beautiful. Kelly was way prettier than you; she brought a heavy and significant surname and was successful in her field. Who were you? A parasite? A gold digger in search of fifteen minutes of fame? A lot of people agreed on the fact that you definitely didn’t look like someone worthy of being pictured together with Max Verstappen. To be fair, nobody had prepared you for it anyway, but you couldn’t say Kelly hadn’t warned you.

The weather in Singapore was extremely humid; you couldn’t tell, though, if the sweat forming onto your skin was the product of the low atmospheric pressure or the fruit of being swamped and chased by a group of photographers, journalists and phones used as microphones, directly pointing at you like knives. It wasn’t a walk of shame; indeed, you couldn’t understand what was there to be ashamed of, you didn’t know what you were supposed to tell those people, and neither could guess what they expected to hear when there was nothing you had to say. Still, your gut sensed the hidden words and the secret turmoil you had to keep inside, paired up with the anxious oppression of the small crowd surrounding you, addressing questions at you, as you marched head-low towards Red Bull’s garage. «Are you the reason Max and Kelly Piquet broke up?» «How long has he been cheating on Kelly with you?» «Y/n, please answer some questions for us!» «How did you guys meet? When did your relationship developed into something more?» «Y/n, please, can you confirm the rumors about the party in Monaco?» «Can you tell us more about your family?» You abruptly halted your steps. Which family?, you bitterly said to yourself. Still lost in thought, you distinctly heard the clicks of a camera taking pictures. In that exact moment, you felt nothing more than a lifeless doll inside a lions’ cage: you weren’t a person anymore, you were just an object, without feelings and sensitivity, which had to withstand whatever they wanted to do to you or give them anything they tried to gain from you. Before rage could take the upper hand, you felt two hands dragging you away from the journalists. «It’s enough pestering for today.» You felt Carlos quickly grabbing your arms and guiding you towards the heart of the paddock, in order to leave all of them behind and preventing them from even daring to follow you. «I promise you the hospitality is a much quieter place.» he said, smiling. A veil of numbness, though, had washed emotions away from your face: reality had thrown an ice bucket at you, not only forcing you to face your inner chaotic magma of feelings, but justify the lack or the presence of them in front of the world as well. It was clear, you weren’t ready. You told yourself the timing of the news was absolute crap, unmerciful, cruel; if it had happened a couple months earlier, the situation would’ve been almost totally under control. Because you would’ve had nothing to control. «Don’t mind them, they’re going to drop it soon.» Carlos’ words momentarily distracted from your trail of thoughts, and you were glad they did. «Hopefully you’re right.» you sighed.

You both plopped onto a small couch in the living area, absentmindedly watching the tv hung on the wall. Sitting in silence, caught in your headspace, you didn’t notice the Spaniards eyes studying your expression. «So… Italy did good to the both of you, uh?» Carlos smugly looked at you. You rolled your eyes, kind of annoyed. «Stop it.» «I mean, now I get why you were so worried something happened at the party.» «Aren’t you supposed to help me relax?» «Isn’t it working?» Your furrowed eyebrows made your confusion clear. «No?» «I think it does. Now that you’re mad at me, you’re getting those journalists out of your head.» As a faint smile lingered onto your lips, a voice coming from the tv immediately caught your attention, drew your gaze, captured your undivided attention: Max’s. Seeing him suddenly lit up your opaque features, and Carlos noticed; unfortunately, he also witnessed distress and worry replace the fondness inside your eyes. You couldn’t bear the sight of it. No, as much as you tried to avoid it, there was an inner part of you that shattered in pieces while hearing journalists insinuating stuff without proof, implicitly – but not trying to hide it either – suggesting Max wasn’t worthy of being a champion, that the 2021 title had been robbed. Once again, his abilities and merits were questioned looking at parameters that didn’t include his outstanding performance and talent. And it hurt you; somehow, it hit close. When he had informed you about the rumors it didn’t seem that bad, or serious, or anything that could be real, to be honest; but everybody referred to it as a grounded certainty, a fact to deal with and, even before an official confrontation with the FIA, all cried scandal. Inside Max’s cold eyes, you read frustration and anger. You couldn’t stand it. So you stood up. «Y/n?» Carlos asked. You left the hospitality without adding a word.

Your feet automatically moved down the paddock with small and quick steps, trying to go as fast as they could. You didn’t cross eye with anybody, because the only person you wanted to see wasn’t walking in the crowd. There was un urge, a deep-rooted need to seek refuge in Max’s arms, unfold your distress and take out his, merge them together and let go of them. With fidgeting hands, you reached for your phone in the jeans’ pocket and called him. You had so many things to tell him; so many useless words to make sure he was doing okay, so many dreamed reassurances you wanted to give and be given back. Although he wasn’t picking up, you marched towards your destination until you finally saw Red Bull’s logo standing out onto the external wall of the hospitality. You were ready to approach the entrance, about to step onto the stairs and run inside, but someone sprung up in front of you warding you off with an arm. «Sorry, you can’t get inside!» This person from the team guided you a couple meters away from the door you desperately wanted to cross. You looked at her closely, and you saw a tag onto her Red Bull shirt. That Alice, uh? Now it makes sense. «What?» you simply asked. «You’re not allowed to get inside our hospitality, I’m sorry.» she quickly repeated, shaking her head. «But I need to talk to-» «Y/n, I’m sorry, but you can’t. I don’t know what Max told you, but we as a team have other problems to deal with at the moment and we don’t want rumors about you two to be on the list as well.» The stern expression she put on made you stand still, speechless, almost uncapable of reacting. «Also, you’re not allowed inside the garage throughout the weekend. As soon as the situation with the media gets better, you’ll be welcomed again, I promise.» «I just wanted to talk to him.» you whispered. She sighed. And she left. After exchanging a few words with people from the stuff – probably making sure they wouldn’t let you in – she disappeared inside the building, and with her all your hopes of relief.

«She can’t get near Max down the track, in the pitlane or here in the paddock, okay? Paparazzi are everywhere and they’re just waiting for those two to slip up again.» Alice spoke to some colleagues in the communication area with a peremptory tone; hearing heavy steps behind her, though, she immediately turned into ice. «Who’s slipping up?» Max asked, quickly taking a sip from his water bottle. Alice deeply inhaled, mastering the courage to confront him. «You and y/n, Max.» she replied, sharp. As your name was brought into the conversation, Max’s focus shifted completely on it. «What happened? Did you see her? Did you talk to her?» Alice, trying not to get intimidated by his pressing questions, kept her tough face on. «She came here to see you and I had to make her leave. There are too many eyes on you, and I’ve already told you this is an extremely delicate moment! Also, Kelly is involved, and we don’t need other troubles…» «But Kelly isn’t involved at all, this is only between me and y/n! And we’re not even together!» Max said, raising his voice in frustration. «Press doesn’t care about the truth, they just know what they can see! And they will try to dig deeper if you give them the opportunity to.» «So what? I can’t see her anymore? She isn’t going to come over to our garage for races?» Max asked, sarcastic. He probably expected Alice to match his sarcasm, but she hesitated, afraid to fuel his rage. Her silence, of course, did the exact opposite. «I told you it’s my decision! If I want to hang out with her, I will! You’re nobody to tell me who I can spend my time with!» «This isn’t meant to be against you, and you know it.» Of course not, he thought. It never is. They treated him like a little puppet for their PR content he didn’t give a shit about and expected him to accept restrictions on the people he could spend time with. His manager, approaching Max to calm him down, put a hand onto his shoulder. «Come on, Max, let’s go-» «What would you do if they asked you to stop hanging out with a dear friend of yours?» he asked Alice, gradually more uncapable of containing anger. «I’d do it, if it’s for the good of the team.» «But this only has to do with me! My friendships don’t involve the team!» «Yes, but YOU are part of the team! Guess what, for most you ARE the team, you represent it, and when they see you, they think of Red Bull!» «And do you think this is fair to me or to anyone else working in the team?» he replied, crossing arms. «Okay, Max.» Alice said, resigned. «Okay. If you don’t like it, you can call Christian and tell him yourself.» With that, Alice simply walked away: she had nothing else to add, since there was no one willing to listen.

Max didn’t waste any time. His steps echoed through the corridors – followed by his manager, who vainly tried to stop him – and constant loud thumps could be heard from quite a distance, causing a few employees to peek the head out of their office to check who was passing by. He didn’t even knock on the door; there wasn’t time for formalities, there wasn’t enough patience to calmly handle the situation. «Can we talk?» #

You sat across each other. You weren’t there. It was hard to explain, but you felt some kind of comfort in being surrounded by silence despite a crowd of people going back and forth as little ants. Despite Sebastian sitting in front of you, sternly staring at you. There was tension; composure, studying of movements, distance. And it magically dissipated, as Sebastian’s sigh erased the wall of unsaid words dividing you. «I’m sorry for treating you badly last time.» you casually said, not daring to cross eyes. A pause. You quietly reasoned which words to use next, although Sebastian prevented it by breaking his iced silence. «You don’t need to apologize. I could see something troubled you, and I’m pretty sure it still does.» He was met with an unmutated expression. «You can talk to me, if you need it. Whatever it is, I’ll try to help you.» Yet another shower of silence. He then insistently searched for your eyes. «You don’t have to pretend you’re fine with all the media pressure. I’ve been there before, and I’ve learned how to deal with it.» «That’s not the problem.» you said, reluctant, diverting gaze. «Okay. Then what is it?» he persisted. Yeah. What was it? The press asking you about your private matters or them hinting at a romance affair which was non-existent, to your dismay? Was it the fact that you wished it was real and actually had to hide something, instead of fighting feelings you desperately tried to conceal and repress in front of anybody, Max and you included? «Or I’d better ask… Who is it?» Sebastian’s words had you like a deer caught in the headlights. «Guess Max is still the deal, right?» he inquired again, leaning his elbows onto the coffee table. «Yeah.» you hummed, mostly to yourself. «Do you like him?» Seb slightly smiled at it. «I don’t know. I mean, I think so, but- It’s probably just me, it’s not worth ruining our relationship.» you rambled. «Who said you are going to ruin the relationship?» Seeing Sebastian put a skeptical face, you swam in your own insecurities: the amount of paranoia you’ve been dealing with in a week made your head hurt, and for a second the clouds darkening your mind got away thanks to Seb’s light of reason. You would reflect upon it in another moment, though: the weekend already seemed difficult even after putting aside your emotions, and you clearly weren’t in a position to gamble. «I can’t afford to lose him.» you then stated, staring at the sky still lost in thought. «Trust me, Max won’t let go of you that easily. He really enjoys your company, you’ve got nothing to fear.» Sebastian smiled. You tried to do the same, but you told yourself you would’ve liked to be as confident as he was.

Max didn’t like losing. Not that hard to figure out, some would say. But it was a trait which he kept also off the track; there was something so confident and assertive in the way he would speak his mind, express his opinion, a sort of determination stemming from dead-certainty and belief. And Max had just conquered a small win, after all. You weren’t allowed to enter the Red Bull garage, but he had managed to convince Christian Horner to let you stay in the hospitality. «But I don’t want her to be here tomorrow and on Sunday, understood?» Christian asked, making sure Max wouldn’t take advantage of it. Max nodded, despite not being fully satisfied yet; after texting you to come over and seeing you enter the hospitality, though, a bright smile immediately spread over his lips, as he immediately searched Alice’s eyes to catch her reaction and enjoy it. She crossed her arms and simply walked away, visibly annoyed. At the same time, Max saw you getting closer with a cheerful appearance: without even thinking twice, his arms were ready to welcome you in a hug. «Thank you.» you murmured as you parted. Looking at you, Max couldn’t restrain a thought: winning had never tasted so sweet. #

«So many corrections, right?» «Yeah… I lost the count of all the times I was about to hit the wall!» Max and Charles having a little debrief after the first sessions of free practice was an established tradition no one ever really complained about. The two of them were walking inside the paddock, heading towards the hospitalities, and the discussion gradually shifted from track conditions to simply catching up with each other. Charles was quick to notice way more cameras than usual were pointing at them; he hadn’t really paid attention to the rumors, so he felt naturally weirded out by the sudden interest. «Is it just me or is everybody following us?» the Monegasque lightly chuckled. «Yeah, seems like it.» Max brushed off. «Did I do something?» Charles asked, utterly oblivious to the situation. «No, they’re here for me, don’t worry.» They stopped a couple meters before Red Bull’s entrance, but before splitting, Max stepped in. «I still haven’t apologized for how I treated you the morning after Zandvoort. So, uhm, I’m sorry.» Charles squinted, thinking hard, then let out a “Ah!” after successfully remembering the situation. «Don’t worry, I noticed there was tension between you and y/n. It’s fine.» As Charles added a smile to the sentence, a laughing filled the air and made the two drivers turn their heads: they saw you getting out of the hospitality playing and laughing with Sergio’s wife and, in particular, with her children. You had spent time with them and watched free practice together, and now that it was time to say goodbye. Exiting the door, you immediately perceived stares on you and couldn’t help but cross them. As you and Max made eye contact, a spontaneous and traitor smile appeared onto your lips, making Charles slightly spying on Max’s expression to observe his reaction. Acknowledging the newly relaxed atmosphere between the two of you, he didn’t miss the opportunity to tease him a little. «Did she already recover?» «Yes, almost fully.» Max answered, as they saw you discretely blow your nose. «She’s doing a lot better.» «And you’re both doing better, I see.» Max was about to look at him and reply, tell him off or something, but he wasn’t able to divert gaze as you gently tousled Sergio’s son’s hair, a fond and amused look in your smiling eyes. Charles’ goodbye reached his ears delayed, and Max got lost staring at you, in awe, his heart twisting in affection.

On Saturday, things didn’t get better. Max had texted you to ask if you’d like to have breakfast with him outside of the paddock before the third session of free practice, so that the team couldn’t have anything to scold him for. You had gladly accepted. You dressed up, combed your hair and pulled the door behind you as you got out; inside the lift, you felt a light comfort since you were about to spend some time with Max again. But no, things weren’t supposed to get better. In fact, as you tried to get out of the hotel, you were stopped by the presence of a bunch of journalists waiting outside the hall glass door. Do they care that much about me?, you wondered. You stood still, hands closed into cold-sweat fists, unable to take a decision. A voice inside of you told you not to pay attention to those jerks and to fiercely make your way past their ignorance; silence would kill their loudness. However, there was a gut feeling you couldn’t ignore, pleading you not to enter the lions’ den, because you simply wouldn’t be able to tolerate it. Paralyzed by fear, you retraced your steps.

Pushed the door, took your shoes off and passed a hand through your hair, breathing deep. There was nothing to freak out about. You got closer to the window and peeked down the street: they were still there. That’s normal, you thought, they were there a few minutes ago. You swallowed. You noticed your mouth had gone dry. Was it dry when you woke up? You couldn’t tell. Swallowing multiple times, you realized it still hurt a little bit. Did it hurt when you woke up? You couldn’t tell. You quickly took your phone out and texted Max. “sorry, I don’t feel good, I’m not coming” Had you just made up an excuse so that you didn’t have to show up? You couldn’t tell. You sent the text, then threw the phone onto the covers in distress. You peeked down the pavement once more: they were still there. Nothing to freak out about. You picked up your phone from the bed once again and did something you had never done, something you shouldn’t have, but that your irrationality reckoned as a good idea. Scrolling social medias to read what they had said about you. To your surprise, you found several debatable Instagram pages which posted stolen shots of you and Max. The most frequent attribute either one of you was given was “traitor”, oftentimes written in full capital letter onto your faces. The real cruelty, though, was stored in the comments section.

No need to freak out.

You run back to the window, your breaths picking up the pace as you noticed they were still there, still fucking waiting for you in order to assault you like a prey. You shut down the blinds, closing off the rising sun’s beams, drowning in the darkness. The phone, which you had let fall back onto the bed again without noticing, vibrated with a muffled sound. “Thought you were doing better…?” Knees gradually gave in under your shaky body, crawling on the floor with your back against the wall. “I thought that too”, you slowly typed. In that moment, your throat tickled and made you cough so hard you hoped to spit out the anguish’s knot in your stomach, emptying your body from the very bottom and finally getting rid of that discomfort. Before you had time to process it, coughs turned into sobs and a few ugly tears hid around your eyes, making your skin sting and burn. #

Sick. «What’s that pout, Max?» You had got better so fast, you’d had no problem for days… How come you were sick again? To be fair, Max easily guessed illness had nothing to do with it. «No, nothing.» Something was up yet another time. He knew you would avoid in any possible way further exposure, minimize the risk of being caught together and troubling the both of you. And this drove him mad. He couldn’t care less about other people’s opinions: he’d always had to fight against prejudices and poor thinkers, sailing the sea throughout major shitstorms, and he had learned how to handle the pressure from a very young age. He was used to it. But you weren’t. And he was aware. Though, he wished you would stop being so conditioned and influenced by other people. «Then put your helmet on, it’s almost time to go.» Lambiase’s voice brought him into the present, awakening the sounds of fervent mechanics bent over the car, the noise which had made him zone out in the first place. #

Vox media. A vox media is a word that has a neutral meaning per se, but can carry both a good and a bad one; it’s like a medal, with its two faces, both brought into the table whenever the term is mentioned. It’s funny how the chances of getting the wrong message it’s almost non-existent… Well, the context usually clarifies it. There are words that can only have good or a bad meaning in a specific situation. And as a driver, in the middle of your last flying lap of the last session, knowing the checkered flag is getting closer and closer and so is the adrenaline for a conquered pole position, taking all the possible risks you can in a street circuit, searching for grip in every single centimeter of asphalt, there’s probably only one thing you don’t want to be told. «Box, Max! Box, box, box!» «Why? What the… why?» A stab amidst the chest. This is what those words felt like for Max, leaving him breathless for a second, as his focus broke and fury took its place. «What the fuck!? What the fuck! What are you guys saying?!» They left him yelling in frustration on his own, keeping silent; but Max needed answers. «I don’t get it, what the fuck is this about?» «I’ll explain once you’re out, Max.»

As Max parked the car for the FIA to check it, his eyes flicked to the side: flashes got his attention, and a group of cameramen run towards Red Bull’s pit wall to picture their failure. And it was in that moment he finally realized how all the pressure the media had kept on the team had pushed the system to crumble like a house of cards, making them get stuff wrong with his car and preventing him from delivering as he was about to do. Did he really wanted to be filled up with crap excuses for their mistake? No. He had obliged to whatever they had instructed him to say in interviews about the cost cap, and they had thought banning you from the paddock would solve their problems. It clearly hadn’t. Max got out of the car and removed his helmet in a hurry: GP tried to hold him back, to no avail. He had already gone past him, not sparing a glance.

Max marched towards the hotel. The sweat clung onto his skin like a suffocating veil, and his frustrated rage certainly didn’t help getting rid of it. He passed the back of his hand on the forehead. He was on the edge. All because of the team fucking up his qualifying, the team who was in everybody’s mouth for the cost cap scandal, the team who had decided to get you away from him for PR reasons. His mind was filled up with racing thoughts, but one thing was extremely clear: he was fed up with all of it. There wasn’t any tolerability left; he would’ve stripped himself naked and run to you undressed, if that would get those paparazzi and “journalists” out of the way. Out of his way, out of yours.

Entering the building, the receptionist didn’t even manage to address him with practiced polite words, since Max simply sped right past him, thinking his racing suit would serve as a sufficient introduction.

He knocked onto your door with such a force you jumped, startled, still sitting in front of the tv in shock for the mishap. When you opened to him, your shock grew even bigger. Max didn’t give you time to react and stormed into the room as soon as there was enough space for him to sneak inside. You turned and followed his restless pacing back and forth, mouth still agape for the surprise. «Max, what happened?» you tried to ask, but the words came out with a shaky voice. «No fuel.» he replied, closing off the blinds to unwanted attention. «I… I’m so sorry… But I’m sure you’ll have the pace tomorrow! And- and there might be a safety car! Anything can happen during the race…» Rummaging through your mind in search of words of comfort, you stared at Max, who was giving you his back. He nervously passed a hand through his hair, as his chest started rising and falling quite fast. Why did he get there? It wasn’t your fault, and neither could you turn back time or change the situation. What was he searching for? What did he expect, what did he want from you? In a fraction of second, Max turned around and he immediately got the answer. You felt your wrist been pulled, while your bodies crashed together onto each other, molding together, melting, clinging. You could hear and feel onto your skin his hot, heavy and shortened breaths, as Max’s face nestled against the crook of your neck. It was so quick you didn’t see it coming; it was so natural you didn’t even try to avoid it. Because it simply felt appropriate and right to let Max loosen the embrace enough to stare at you and then quickly closing the gap, leaning in for a kiss. Hands full of your skin and lips dancing heatedly onto yours, Max understood: this was what he came there for. He hadn’t been able to resist without you, especially after the pressure he had withstood. He had needed you so bad. You couldn’t rewind time and prevent mistakes from happening, of course; but there was a lot you were able to do by simply standing on his side, smiling, encouraging him and checking up on him, things he had terribly missed. He just couldn’t stand the idea of you watching him from a screen, miserable, not even daring to put foot into the paddock in fear of people halting you and asking you inappropriate, nosey questions. And as his hands firmly held your head, perceiving the skin underneath them emanating warmth acted as a foot stomping on full throttle: suddenly, he needed to feel your body even closer, despite your faint attempt to regain breathing space gently pushing on his chest, and his tongue asked for permission to deepen the kiss, slowing down the rhythm only to make it more intense. Max had lost control since jumping out of the car, but he hadn’t realized; and even after running to you with his suit still on, ignoring every person around him, knocking on your door and kissing you out of the blue, then getting all worked up, no, he still hadn’t managed to notice. But your hands, still pressed down onto his chest, eventually splitting you apart… Yes, they were the ones to break the spell. The bitter cold that hit him as your body got away from his hold felt like a slap straight to the cheek. He sobered up, all at once, unable to speak or say anything now aware of his actions. On the other hand, you didn’t even know what had pushed you to move away: in fact, a part of you immediately regretted it. Out of breath, you vainly tried to come up with an explanation, some sort of defense, and quickly acknowledged your guards had completely fallen apart as soon as Max had crossed the threshold. «I didn’t… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.» Max said, clearing his throat, visibly embarrassed. «No, Max, I…» You what? You didn’t know, you couldn’t state it openly; was it a problem telling him or admitting it to yourself? Was it his unreadable expression making your hands clammy? Or was it him walking away defeated and disappearing as quickly as he had into the room? #

You tossed and turned under the covers, willing yet unable to find peace of mind: Max’s touch still lingered onto you, pervaded your senses and couldn’t brush him off your thoughts. You wished you had stopped him from leaving you in such a confused state; in fact, you wished you hadn’t stopped him at all in the first place. That kiss had felt like heaven: unexpected, unplanned, sudden, so that your heart sank into your chest; urgent and needy, as you were, even after not seeing each other for less than twenty-four hours; casted with tenderness, because it had stemmed from a comforting embrace; burning of desire, incomparably more passionate than whatever you had been able to imagine in your dreams after the party. Had it been another dream? Did you fall and hit your head? You sat straight up and pinched your cheek, scared to be living a lucid, feverish fantasy. It stinged. It was real. You crushed back again onto the pillow, staring at the ceiling and sighing. He had kissed you first. He had run to you, crossed the darkness of the night with his hair still sweaty only to kiss you and walk away. You wanted to torture yourself with how it wasn’t possible for you to love each other, but the only thing you could wonder with a smile written on the heart was whether Max had enjoyed it as much as you did. Above all the pictures journalists could’ve taken, opposed to the previous occasions, you told yourself you would’ve liked having been caught this time. Just to have a proof for your unreasoned happiness.

After unsuccessfully attempting at falling asleep, you had sent a text to Charles, asking him if they could have you inside the garage for the race. There was no way you would manage to lock yourself into the room, staring at the tv and watching Max doing everything he could to win the race and, possibly, the championship as well. Charles, a born gentleman, said yes despite being conscious of the extra spotlight the team would have to face.

You were surprised – and pleased – to see that nobody was waiting for you out of the hotel; strange, you thought, but people had probably got bored and tired of standing, and they decided not to harass you on Sunday. How kind of them.

Sitting with headphones in your hands, you watched the rain fall, mindlessly fidgeting with the wire. «Here you are, the star of the moment!» Charles chirped, taking a seat right next to you. «Y/n, an interview, please!» said Carlos, mocking one of the pleading journalists he had saved you from on Friday. You threw an annoyed glance at both. «I can still leave.» you threatened with a smile. «Oh, but you won’t.» Carlos confidently said, putting a pair of sunglasses on. Charles, amazed, eyed his teammate. «Carlos, you’re such a fashion icon!» «Tell me something I don’t know yet.» the Spaniard boldly replied. «Uhm… It’s raining and you don’t need sunglasses?» you asked, skeptical. Carlos let out a sigh in fake annoyance. «These aren’t for the sun.» he indicated them. «It’s a filter for all the bullshit you’re going to feed us with after we’ve asked you what we want to ask you right now.» He then turned towards Charles, who stared at him trying to telepathically read into Carlos’ head. «What… what was the question?» he whispered, still looking intensely at him. Carlos, flipping his head towards you, bore his eyes – well, definitely his sunglasses – at you with a knowing smirk. «Y/n.» «Yes…?» «I’m not getting in the car if-» «He’s not getting in the car!» Charles repeated after him, impressed. «Yes. I’m not getting in the car unless you tell me what the heck is going down between you and Max Emilian Verstappen.» Silence filled the air, as Carlos nodded in gloating and Charles shook his hand uttering a “Such a good question, mate”. After the little scene, they both turned to you at the same time. «So?» Carlos urged. «I… I don’t know what you want me to say!» you said, embarrassed. «Well, you could start with explaining what you were doing last night in the same room.» «How do you kno-» «Someone from the Ferrari stuff was down the corridor and saw you opening the door to him.» Charles confessed. Still a little bit mad about your privacy being violated, or better, about your vulnerability being exposed, Carlos pressed you even further. «Don’t you trust us? Charles, y/n doesn’t trust us.» he said, sad and offended.

You deeply inhaled, desperately trying to master the courage and tell them so that you could be over with it, but words died before you would even shape them. Charles, noticing how difficult it was for you, had an idea. «Carlos, why don’t we take a guess? And whoever loses, must stay five seconds under the rain?» «And the winner?» «The winner… The winner wins a hot chocolate!» Charles said, his eyes searching for confirm in yours. «Fine.» you breathed out. «Okay, I go first.» Carlos eagerly said, sitting on the edge of the seat. «You… you cuddled onto the bed!» «How sweet!» Charles chuckled. You shook your head, in denial, whispering “No, I’m sorry.” It was Charles’ turn, now; he leaned forward, forearms onto his laps, trying to read your eyes. Uneasy, your pupils flicked right and left in search of relief. «You kissed.» As he spoke those two words, a sudden cloud of warmth burned your limbs, awakening them from their sleep: your heart beat faster, your lips slightly parted in surprise and a pink flush tinted your cheeks. «You kissed!» Carlos yelled, jumping onto the seat, as if everything had become clear. Unable to sustain their astonished expression, you looked down. «It’s not something to be ashamed of.» Charles immediately tried to lift off your embarrassment. «It’s all wrong… I mean, all of this, we shouldn’t-» You stopped talking as you felt a hand touch your shoulder: it was Carlos, this time addressing you with a serious face. «Did you like it?» «Carlos…» «Did you like it, y/n?» «Yes, I did.» you whispered.

Feeling small in your chair, you hid the palms of your hand under your laps, still self-conscious. «I don’t know if he liked it…» «Bet he was the one to go for it.» Charles quickly jumped in. Yes, he had been. And the mere idea confused you even more, made your heart flatter and do somersaults inside your chest. «…But even if he did, we can’t go out or something, with all the hate we’re receiving. The team would never allow it.» «Y/n, listen.» Carlos began, addressing you. «After a qualifying session like the one he had yesterday, no driver would’ve crossed the city to leave a meaningless peck on a friend’s lips. He likes you and you like him, so there’s no need to overcomplicate things because of your fears when it is that simple.» «It scares me.» you whispered, still deep in thought. «I’ve got so much to lose…» Charles softly smiled, then cleared his throat to gain your full attention. «Imagine to be an f1 driver in qualifying: it’s Q3 and you just have one shot to set the pole. There isn’t time to be careful or afraid, you must send it, even if it means you have to take risks.» «Yeah, you gotta send it!» Carlos said, in excitement. «You get nothing for nothing, y/n.» «Guys, I’m not a racing driver.» you laughed. «But you’re going to be together with one of the best out there, so you need to gain some courage!» Charles, not satisfied with the discourage written over your face, tried to persuade you a bit more. «You will probably confront about it pretty soon anyway, and I think you should tell him how you feel. If you don’t, you would both miss out on an amazing relationship.» Uncapable of sustaining the serious atmosphere for so long, Carlos broke the short silence that followed Charles’ words. «Nah, would they really? I don’t think Max deserves it.» Saying so, Carlos took his glasses off and put them back into the pocket. «I’m getting emotional… Our little y/n has grown up so much, Charles…» he turned to him, «She’s about to have a boy now.» «And what a boy, Carlos!» the Monegasque chuckled. The three of you shared a laugh; as you watched them jokingly bicker, you couldn’t help but think you were lucky to have such amazing people to support you, despite them being famous and busy any time of year. Charles, feeling your eyes onto him, stared at you with a brow raised, as you seemed about to say something. «Thank you.» You both smiled at each other. «Oh, don’t thank me, y/n. You owe me a hot chocolate, after all.» Charles said, «And you have to go under the rain, Carlos.» «No, I don’t! It’s not fair!» he protested. «You gotta send it, Carlos!» you told him, Charles laughing uncontrollably at your joke. «You’re lucky I’m a gentleman.» he replied, raising his pointer finger at the two of you.

No one was surprised to find a tensed atmosphere around Red Bull’s staff. People had tried to dig deeper into the cost cap story to see things clearer, pointing at the team and angrily accusing them of cheating “once again”. Max let it all rain down, wash the frustration away from him and erase the grip from the track at once. His mind was somewhere else. He couldn’t make sense of his escapade; he had overstepped any boundary and completely disregarded any resolution he had set for himself. The “fine line” has been crossed and there was no making up for it. «Like the rain?» Max peeked over his shoulder and saw Daniel approaching. «It’s relaxing.» he then answered. The Aussie nodded and stared intensely at him, then looked out the window as Max did. «Do you remember the morning after the party?» Daniel abruptly asked. «In the kitchen?» «Yes.» «Uhm, yeah, there was Carlos as well.» Max recalled. «Right.» he paused a few seconds before carrying on. «Before you got up, I talked with him a bit and he told me a few things about y/n.» Daniel knew he had perked Max’s interest as he felt a pair of eyes watching attentively, and couldn’t stop a grin. Max, thrown off by his behavior, sighed annoyed. «If you’re joking, this isn’t funny.» «I’m not.» Daniel replied. «Carlos said y/n was freaking out because she’d had some kind of dream about you two but couldn’t tell whether it was some blurred memory or her subconscious messing with her in hangover.» «What was the dream about?» Max found himself whisper. «I don’t remember exactly. But you can ask her.» Daniel, pleased by his reaction, looked at him. «Carlos told me y/n likes you.» Those words sent electricity through his fingertips and awoke his heart, which beat faster: Max felt caught by feelings he couldn’t control nor understand, and they took over him to the point he couldn’t stop himself from releasing them. «Dan, I kissed her.» Max blurted out, confessing. Daniel goggled at him. «At the party?» he asked, surprised. «No, yesterday. After qualifying.» Silence. Max scratched his neck, nervous, itching everywhere, the same electricity travelling onto his skin. «Dan, I don’t know why I did it, and… and I don’t know what to do, because at first she seemed to be okay with it but then she pushed me away! I have no idea what’s going on…» Daniel flicked his eyes to the side before inching closer to him, so that nobody else could hear what he was about to say. «Max, I know you’ve just broken up with Kelly and that it might be too soon to say, but have you, like… considered you could’ve fallen in love with y/n?» The dam of his heart’s lake fell apart and a waterfall of emotions poured down as the rain did outside the window. Needless to say, Max’s awareness of his feelings for you hid under the thick layer of unconscious knowledge, and being exposed to it upset him greatly. «Guys, it’s time to race!» they heard someone say, probably some engineer from Red Bull or McLaren passing by. «It’s showtime.» Daniel said, nudging Max.

You watched the race from the Ferrari garage, once again, and it was even more nerve-wracking than usual, as yellow flags followed one another. Your eyes were vaguely paying attention to the images onto the screen, but your heart was constantly searching for Max’s position, and when a massive lock-up brought him in a run-off area and forced the team to pit, you were caught by an indescribable sadness, since the championship title was inevitably postponed.

Walking down the pitlane, hiding yourself from indiscreet eyes with some of the Ferrari merch Charles had given you as a camouflage, you saw an orange suit waving towards you. «Daniel! Congratulations for p5!» you said, grinning at him. «Oh, thanks.» he replied, a bit absentmindedly. His answer left you a bit dumbfounded: after such a good result for the team – with Lando in p4 – and for himself as well, you expected to see a glimpse of happiness in him. Then you reasoned he had just got out of the car, drenched in sweat and physically worn out. «Are you okay? Do you need some water?» you asked, not able to read his expression, eyes gazing far behind you. In fact, Daniel was tired, but his poor reaction was due to focus: he was searching for someone down the pitlane, and that person was Max. The Dutch had asked him to detain you in the middle of the post-race crowd so that he could confront you and talk to you without leaving the track (as the team had ordered him, after the latest events).

Max had run to the weighing to be one of the first drivers on queue and had jogged back to the garage to drop the helmet; he was so impatient to reach you, despite not being sure of what to tell you exactly. Maybe he simply wanted to see you and have you close. Easily getting rid of his PR assistant – since she was too caught up speaking with Sergios’ – and lowering the cap’s visor in hope of going unnoticed, he fiercely walked with eyes scanning left and right, and when he finally spotted the two of you, every step was lighter, as he felt closer to finally break free and disclose his hidden feelings. «Max!» Or maybe… not yet. «Max, stop!» Alice’s voice halted his wide strides; Max turned around, livid, and he would’ve lashed out at her if only he hadn’t seen the worry covering her face. «Take a look here!» she said, handing him the phone.

What's wrong with this instagram story, you ask? Oh, nothing. Simply sets up half of the drama planned out for next chapter. (I can't believe next chapter could be the last one, don't wake me 'cause I don't wanna leave this dream)

AS PER USUAL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING! ♥ I’D REALLY APPRECIATE IT IF YOU LEFT A NOTE FOR FEEDBACK, SO THANKS IF YOU DO! HOPE YOU HAVE A NICE DAY! . · ˚✧

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#max verstappen x reader #max verstappen x you #f1 x reader #f1 fanfic #f1 fic #f1 fluff #f1 angst #golden #max verstappen x y/n #max verstappen fluff #max verstappen angst #formula one fic #formula one fanfiction #f1 fanfiction

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smokersbaby · 10 months

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Third submitted request for the July Event, enjoy! 💕 SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN (CLICK HERE TO SEE THE MAIN POST)

Request text: Another July Birthday \o/ (There's so many of us XD ♥ ) If it's yet to come then allow me to congratulate you early, if it's already passed then congratulation \o/ ♥ I'd love SFW #12 with Smoker and afab!reader - perhaps because they've twisted their ankle and are trying to tough it out or something like that. >.> It could also turn into a NSFW #2 where Smoker distracts you from your throbbing ankle \lol/

Written for: @quinloki Character: Smoker Reader: AFAB!reader Prompts: SFW: #12 - bridal carries NSFW: #2 - worshipping their favourite body part of yours TW prompt #2 NSFW: fingering, penetrative sex, spanking, choking Total word count: +1,3k Author's note: Thank you for the request and the birthday wishes! I loved how you suggested turning the sfw part into the nsfw hehe, I hope you like it! -Every reblog is highly appreciated!-

"I'm toootally fine" you exclaimed with a bit of a laugh in your voice, Smoker almost running after you as you got out of the bar.

Such a pleasant evening it was, drinking with your lover at the counter, not realizing how silly it was of you challenging him at a little drinking game, ending up with you almost knocked out and tipsy after barely two glasses of your favourite cocktail and him not bothered by the effects of alcohol drinking twice as you.

"Slow down" You could hear him right behind you, annoyed by your behaviour, making it somehow funnier bluffing to escape from him and increasing your pace down the street. A fall on the ground was almost inevitable since you were one of those clumsy that tripped on their own feet just by barely walking, so there was no way you couldn't end up face down on the street running like that under the effect of the cocktails you drank.

Smoker wasn't surprised as he saw your figure stumble on a surface root and hit the ground, but seeing how quick that fall was he reached you as fast as he could, knowing that you may have hurt yourself. "Are you ok?" a hint of concern in Smoker's voice. Your head was spinning for both the fall and your tipsiness and, even if the left ankle was aching, you didn't want to hear him reproach with the classic "I told you!", so you stood on your feet nodding in agreement and trying to walk again like nothing happened.

Not even three steps later and the pain made you stop in the middle of the street, not able to continue by yourself. Smoker tilted his head "You twisted your ankle, didn't you?", as you looked away in embarrassment he was about to speak again, but you stopped him before saying that typical reproaching of his.

"I know, you told me…" a loud sigh escaped your mouth, Smoker came closer to you, letting out a little laugh before kissing your cheek and picking you up as you weighed nothing. "Can I at least carry you or are you going to complain?" he asked ironically, knowing how much you liked being bridal-carried by him, feeling those strong arms of his lifting you up that way.

Even if you tried to hold a grudge for a bit at him, you couldn't resist as you were in his arms, those sweet brown eyes looking at you with such care and the way he was holding you because you hurt yourself. Soon you both arrived at his place, Smoker placed you on his bed and brought an ice sack for your ankle and a glass of water to rehydrate you because of the alcohol.

None of you talked a lot as he took care of you, making sure the sprained ankle of yours wasn't that badly injured, which it wasn't. "Are you mad at me Y/N?" he asked calmly, no hint of teasing in his voice. You weren't, but the alcohol in your body was losing its effect that made you all excited and energetic, leaving an itchy sensation of sadness in your chest.

You shook your head and opened your arms, showing him that the only thing you needed was his body wrapped tight against yours to fill that void left by the alcohol. No need to ask him twice, the way his arms held your figure pressed against him made that feeling disappear in less than a minute, he was such a teddy bear in moments like those.

It was late and just laying on the bed like this with Smoker was enough to knock out the both of you after that little wild evening at the bar. As he looked at you falling asleep in his arms, Smoker smiled, thinking how cute you looked all messed up after drinking a bit too much and imagining all the possible ways to make you forget about that aching ankle of yours in the morning.

Despite the amount of ice Smoker put on your ankle the previous evening before dozing off onto the bed together, that stinging pain didn't leave your body completely. Fortunately, it wasn't swelling at all, but as soon as you stretched waking up, you felt how it needed more time to recover before walking pain-free again.

Smoker wasn't on his side of the bed since he was showering himself as always. He was used to getting up earlier than you. In your mind, you had no intention of standing by yourself so you just lay on the bed waiting for him to return.

"Are you going to stay in bed all day long Y/N?" he raised his eyebrows seeing you still under the bedsheets entering the room. "It hurts…" cheeky smile appeared on your face, pointing at that injured ankle of yours. "Poor baby, let me help you" Smoker grinned and came closer to you with just a shower towel hanging down his waist.

You rolled over on your tummy, it wasn't unusual for Smoker to give you a massage so you knew exactly what he was alluding to. Smoker took your feet in his hands, slowly rubbing his thumbs on your soles and going up to massage the injured part of you. He didn't waste much of his time there, his eyes were constantly looking up, seeing you displayed in front of him, with just panties covering your booty.

His hands slid up to your calves, kneeling them just to reach your tights soon after. The way Smoker started rubbing the inner part made you understand how he wanted more than just giving you a simple massage. As he reached your rear, he pulled down those annoying panties that prevented him to have free access to his favourite part of your body.

The way his fingers massaged the soft skin of your ass made you whimper at the touch, his thumb already rubbing your clit slowly to get you more aroused. "Is this a special treatment Smoker?" the teasing in your voice was evident. "I'm just taking care of you Y/N", Smoker kneeled on your booty, biting it slightly and making you gasp at the sensation of his teeth against your bottom.

His middle and ring fingers slid inside your wet cunt so easily as if they belonged there, the subtle movements he was making with them were slow, too much slow for you that you started grinding back with your ass just to feel the thickness of his fingers more.

A smile appeared on Smoker's face as he was still leaving love bites on your ass. "Needy this morning, huh?" he teased you, pulling out his fingers and standing on his knees. The shower towel that was barely covering his hard cock was no longer there and you realized that when he pushed his shaft inside of you making your back arch to let him fill you.

Thank god those thrusts weren't slow as his fingers before, with one hand gripping onto your ass to keep you steady and lifted for him and the other on your back pushing your head down onto the mattress. "Are you still in pain Y/N?" he asked ironically hearing you whimper in pleasure because of how he was increasing his pace thrusting inside of you.

"Mmh yes my ankle still hurts, take care of me…" you lifted your butt more to get him a better angle, the hand on your ass giving you a not-so-soft spank on your butt cheek making you gasp. You felt Smoker leaning down to your back, his left hand reaching your neck and grabbing it in a light hold, him biting your shoulder and growling as his thick cock was hitting all the right spots deep inside of you.

"Good, because I'm not letting you go until it stops hurting".

#one piece #smoker one piece #captain smoker #one piece smoker #smoker #one piece fanfiction #smoker op #fanfic oneshot #july event #one piece oneshots #smut oneshot #oneshot #one piece smut

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boushalaivre · 8 months

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She'll be there with you, with her love, waiting only for you

Summary : Astarion winced as Eulalie cleaned his injured cheekbone.

"Sorry," she muttered under her breath. "Can you—" She lightly brushed his chin with her fingertip, encouraging him to hold his head high. "Thank you."

(Or in which Astarion (clumsily) steal a necklace.)

Tags : Act 2 - Soft Astarion - Fluff

(English isn't my first language, please be kind. ♥)

AO3 or below

Astarion winced as Eulalie cleaned his injured cheekbone.

"Sorry," she muttered under her breath. "Can you—" She lightly brushed his chin with her fingertip, encouraging him to hold his head high. "Thank you."

Unwittingly, his eyelids fluttered at her lingering touch. It's been a while ; since he had confessed genuinely feeling something for her, since he had admitted not knowing how to handle this –them–, and probably needing some time to apprehend this whole new notion of caring for someone, she dutifully had been careful not to overstep the line he had drawn. He didn't fully understand why, how, she had been so easily comprehensive — didn't she, now, have the right to demand something from him ?

Humming a tune he didn't know, Eulalie started to clean his cut lip. She stuck her tongue out, to concentrate, and Astarion couldn't help but stare at her, thinking she was the cutest tiefling he had ever met.

"Just a little more aaaand—" She applied a fresh compress on his left cheek, relieving the stinging sensation. "— there you go. Well, it would have been much better if Shadowheart had done it, but it doesn't seem too bad."

"Don't sell yourself short, my dear. I feel wonderful."

"Shut up," she giggled, a sweet melody that gave him a lopsided grin.

She let her fingers linger over his face, tracing faintly his jawbone, as if she was afraid he would reject her. He mused, not for the first time, that he did not deserve this kindness, even less her; he leaned against her hand, regardless, because he might die if she pulled back — him, overdramatic ? Certainly not.

Astarion sighed slightly.

"Thank you."

"Always," she smiled. "Next time, be careful when you see a sparkling, but weird chest. You know how these are always trapped."

"Worth it," he mumbled, eying her necklace set with black agates. "It suits you well."

"I feel wonderful," she mimicked, and he barked a laugh, something he didn't remember doing so naturally before her. "No, seriously, I love it."

She stroked a little longer his cheek with her thumb, the shadow of a grin on her lips, before starting to remove her hand; Astarion grasped her wrist. Holding her stare, he dropped a peck on her palm; with parted her lips and a hitched breath, she lowered her gaze to his mouth. For a brief moment, he thought she would close the gap between them, but Eulalie remained still.

"We—" She cleared her throat. "We should head back before dark. The others must—"

He swallowed the rest of the sentence with a sudden kiss. She suppressed a shriek of surprised, eyes-widened, before quickly melt against him. While she placed her palms on either side of his face, being careful not to touch his injuries, she felt fangs grazing her lower lip; a soft moan escaped her. Astarion pulled away too soon, but not far, his nose brushing hers. He could see a faint blush on her cheeks and something, a pleasant warmth, spread in him.

"Was it ok ?" he asked in a low voice.

"More than ok," she whispered. She leaned in once more, their lips barely touching. "Can I kiss you again, please ?"

The delightful warmth came back, fiercely. She asked. She always asked, never presumed, even though he had just kissed her, because she valued his thoughts, because he mattered; it was still something he needed to work on, but he began to like it — being his own person. And she had said please, sweet polite little thing.

Astarion ran a thumb along her jaw, teasing her gently.

"Of course, love. I'm all yours."

She beamed at him, putting the sun to shame.

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #astarion x tav #astarion

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botan-kiri · 1 year

Note

Okay, but what if Luffy had his own room on Shanks' ship in the "original" universe even in One Piece. Like luffy lived very far from patys bar, shanks was already attached to luffy so why not unite the useful with the pleasant? And that's enough to pack the headcanon that shanks took Luffy for a walk on the boar (Never in the big line, only in the blues) Like in baratie, the island of ussop things like that. Would you write a one shot?

I would love too, ORDER UP!

Shanks had a surprise for Luffy, he and the crew set up a room for the 6 year old a room on the ship (he had to be 6 when they met and turn 7 during the year they stayed). Luffy lived some what far from the village and mostly stayed in the bar or on the ship in shanks' room on occasion, so why not give the kid his own room. Luffy was ecstatic about his new room. He did ask if he was now part of the crew but Shanks shot him down "sorry anchor but no, this is so it's easier for you to stay in the village and MAYBE, and I mean maybe take you on a trip around the east blue or another blue when we know your grandpa will not be around for a bit." Luffy pouted for a second and quickly hugged shanks "thanks for the room! The one at my home is too empty" Luffy said with a bit of sadness.

The room was filled with toys, books, and posters that Luffy loved. The first place that Luffy ever went with the Red haired pirates was a village that has a dojo for swordsman. Luffy met a green haired kid and the two became friends fast. The next place Luffy went was a floating restaurant and met sanji, sanji would have Luffy be his taste tester for recipes he wanted to try out. Luffy convinced yassop to visit his kid and then met Ussop, thankfully the doctor of the ship cured his mom.

One time Luffy went to the north blue and met a older kid named law and became friends (from Luffy's point of view).

Even after the shanks left the pirates left Luffy's room untouched. When Ace met shanks they swapped stories about there favorite rubber kid, Ace even saw Luffy's old room and loved seeing how well loved it was. Ace also found out the extent on how lonely Luffy was before they met.

Shanks and Luffy kept in touch with a denden even tho they wouldn't see each other for years.

Let me know if you want me to expand on this and if you want me to write a interaction in more detail. I hope you enjoyed /^°^√♥

#luffy's red room #one piece #monkey d luffy #shanks #dad shanks #i hope youlike the name if the au

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xshinx86 · 1 year

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♥The little wolf and the mechanic♥

Part 5 of the BL love story.

Story/Sims by #Shinx86

A new day dawned, Flo was already quite early on his feet. Inner restlessness let him no longer sleep. Tyson, on the other hand, slept like a rock, only when something loud rattled he was torn from his dreams.

Tyson: Mom I made my bed! Oh… what was that? Jesus what time is it? I'm not fit for whatever yet.

Tyson yawned sleepily and slid out of bed. Still beside himself, he slipped on his slippers and ran out of the bedroom. In the background, more clattering could be heard, obviously someone is up to mischief in the kitchen. As Tyson arrived in the kitchen, he couldn't believe his eyes. Flo was trying to prepare breakfast for both of them, unfortunately his talent in cooking was not the greatest and the kitchen resembled a battlefield. Tyson however started smirking and ran behind him. He put his hand on Flo's head and tousled his hair. Flo startled slightly and dropped whatever he was holding.

Flo: Ahh! Why are you scaring me like that!!! That's not funny.

Tyson: Hahaha, sorry Flo, I didn't mean to scare you. But tell me what's going on here so early in the morning? Were you trying to make breakfast?

Flo turned red around the nose and looked down in shame. Tyson realized right away that Flo really wanted to make breakfast.

Tyson: That's really sweet of you, you know? What do you think, should we work together? I think it's much easier hand in hand. Have you ever made breakfast before Flo?

Flo: No not really, that was always done by my mother. I've seen her do it too, but doing it all by myself, no, not really. I wanted to make you one because you always cook me something.

Tyson looked at Flo in surprise, now it was him who was blushing. Flo can be so damn cute, he thought to himself. And yes Flo was really cute, how could you ever be mad at him for anything?

Tyson: I see, yeah … Okay let's get some order first and then we'll make scrambled eggs and bacon. What do you think about that?

Flo: Sounds great, I'll go get the broom and clean up!

Both cleaned the kitchen and then they cooked their breakfast together. The familiar togetherness gave Flo a pleasant feeling. He had to think of Jerimy and what he said to him. "You have to ask him, Flo! Come on, I dare you!"

Tyson: That was delicious, how does it look like you want to go out again today? If you like we can visit your new friend once. You told me that he lives near here.

Flo: Jerimy, hm yes why not. He was very nice and I would also like to meet his friend Tommes.

Tyson: Well, let's get our shoes on. We can do the dishes later.

A short time later, both ran through the forest. Flo always lifted his nose in the air, which may have looked strange but had a very specific reason. Tyson still had to get used to this behavior but he believed more and more that Flo was a wolf, so he just let him do it.

Tyson: And where do we have to go? I know houses around here but that someone new has moved in is new to me.

Flo: His scent is quite strong, I think he should be behind the next trees.

And it was, just a few trees away a clearing appeared and the house they were looking for. Flo and Tyson ran to the door and knocked. A handsome man opened the door for them and started to smile.

Tommes: Oh well if it isn't Flo and his friend? Hi I am Tommes, Jerimy told me about you. And since I smell wolf here, you can only be Flo, am I right?

Both look at Tommes surprised.

Flo: How can you smell me? You are not a wolf or are you?

Tommes: Hehe, no I'm not, but thanks to Jerimy I've learned how wolves smell. I'm sorry to be so rude, but come on in.

Tommes just took a step to the side when something small hopped past him and joyfully jumped into Flo's arms.

Jerimy: Flo! Ahh there you are at last! I am so happy! Let me cuddle you!

Flo: Whew ~ Jerimy, yes I'm happy too, but could you please not smother me?

Jerimy gave a joyful growl and if he were in his wolf form, he would surely be wagging his tail like a happy dog right now. Jerimy grabbed Flo`s hand and pulled him inside. The house was cozy and very neatly furnished, so that one immediately felt at home.

Jerimy: Are you hungry? Hmm, no you just ate I smell eggs and bacon on you. But tell me, how was it, did you ask him?

Flo immediately hissed sheepishly at Jerimy and pulled him around the next corner. Tommes went into the kitchen with Tyson to offer him a cup of coffee and strike up a conversation.

Flo: No, I haven't dared yet. But I tried to make him breakfast this morning. Which didn't really work, he ended up making breakfast again. What should I do? I don't want him to throw me out if I just ask him.

Jerimy: Oh, don't worry about it. If he throws you out, you just come to us! We have room and I really like you. And friends are there to help each other.

Flo: Thanks Jerimy, that's nice of you. Now I feel much better. But I don't know how to tell him yet.

Tommes and Tyson got along great. They were on the same wavelength, so the conversation quickly turned to wolves.

Tommes: Wolves, huh? How did you meet your wolf? Jerimy told me that Flo is all alone, but one of the good ones.

Tyson: I'm still a little bit up in the air about the wolf thing. I mean, yeah, I believe he is. I just came from work and he was sitting by the lake looking sadly at the water. It was raining and I thought maybe he needed an umbrella or something, so I approached him.

Tommes: Rain, oh yes. You know wolves love the rain, so Jerimy loves it idolatrously. We always go for long walks when it rains.

Tommes noticed Tyson looking around for Flo. He had to smile and leaned over the counter a bit.

Tommes: He did it to you, didn't he? I know that feeling too well, it's the same with Jerimy.

Tyson looked at Tommes in surprise.

Tyson: I don't know if that's good or bad. I mean, how do you do it? I'm always worried I'm going to do something wrong and then one time he bites my head off in my sleep.

Tommes started laughing and shook his head in amusement.

Tommes: No, don't worry, they are normal people if you look at it that way. Just with a special gift. But don't worry, Flo is a peaceful wolf. Otherwise you would have long ago no more head. But I understand your insecurity, to live together with a wolf is not easy. You have quite a few strange habits.

Almost at the same time both said " chewing shoes" and started to laugh. The laughter did not go unnoticed. Flo and Jerimy have good ears and immediately ran over to them.

Jerimy: What are you laughing at?! You're not making fun of us, are you?

Tommes: No, my cuddly friend, nobody is laughing at you. I was just telling Tyson something about you wolves. I'm going to get something, take something to drink if you want.

Tommes gave Jerimy an unconnected kiss as he passed and ran out of the kitchen. Tyson and Flo only embarrassedly looked to the side to resist.

Jerimy: Yes this is Tommes, Flo. He and I are a couple, I've been through a lot with him and he's still by my side. If I'm honest, I've become attached to him.

Flo: Really committed? So there is no one else you can smell good anymore?

Jerimy: Yep really bound, he even knows my other form.

Flo looked at Jerimy curiously.

Jerimy: Um … Flo? Wasn't there something you wanted to do? Something about that one thing, you know.

A short wave went in the direction of Tyson. Tyson looked at them both in disbelief and wondered what was coming. Flo just blushed and shook his head hastily.

Flo: Ahhh! No no, it's okay Jerimy. That can still wait. I think we have to go again, don't you? It's so late already!

Tyson: Late? We just got here, didn't we? Are you okay Flo? I mean if you'd rather go again, then we'll go.

Flo: No, I … no we don't have to go yet. I just meant that I have to go for little wolves.

Tyson: Oh, yeah then go ahead or do you need help with that?

Awkward silence and then Jerimy burst out laughing.

Jerimy: Hahaha, you guys are really cute together. Flo now give yourself a break! I'm behind you, trust me, you can do it!

Tommes returned to the kitchen carrying a thick book under his arm. He stood by Jerimy and looked curiously around.

Flo: Alright, but Tyson you have to promise not to laugh at me for this.

Tyson: Alright, I promise Flo.

Curious, Tyson looked at Flo and wondered what he wanted to tell him now.

Flo: Good. Well I … I want to ask you something, Tyson. You said I can stay with you as long as I want. But how exactly do you mean that? Are you telling me that we are family?

Tyson was briefly surprised, but quickly a joyful feeling crept in and he smiled affectionately. His hand gently reached for Flo's hand, a tender touch that set off a whole firework in the wolf and made him blush again.

Tyson: Yes Flo, that's what it means. I would love to be your family. You're a wonderful person, Wolf, and I want to know more about you. That is if you would like that too?

Flo's eyes lit up, he was overjoyed and overwhelmed by his feelings. He joyfully pulled Tyson into an intimate hug and squealed happily. Tommes and Jerimy were also delighted to see both of them like this.

Tommes: I'm happy for you two, you know we should become friends. After all, we have a lot in common. Oh and here Tyson, I wrote this book, it will help you get along better with your family member.

The book Tommes put on the counter was titled "My life with a wolf". So all four spent another great afternoon together and got to know each other better.

#sims 4 #the sims 4 #sims story #bl lovestory #boys love #shinx86 #lgbtq

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the-blind-geisha · 2 years

Note

you're so right with that pandemic thing. i swear i had my moments when i thought it was 2023 and not 2022 lel.

living in demiurge tag sounds amazing, ngl. and, honestly, im not surprised you're trying to put his character into your original work. man, this gives me some very good memories, haha. good luck with that! i mean, based on what you were doing with your oc in ac era, im sure you gonna do amazing in here too! <3

glad to hear that. not about that anemia part, that can go and suck something. but yeah, thanks a lot, dear. ngl i feel guilty about this (or more like cringing) so, really, thanks a lot. it means a lot too! <3

Yuri Alpha has so little time to develop too, just like Albedo and Demiurge </3 but i know what you're feeling. my fav one is Sebas (funny how he and Demiurge aren't on friendly terms) and yeah. i mean, he had some time but it doesn't feel enough for me. or maybe, i just wanna see Tuare again. I absolutely love her too. I watched a few episodes of the new season and it's amazing! like you said, they really raised the quality (flashbacks from these sheep? from previous season). and yeah, the movie! man, i think it's time to reread the light novels.

that's really so sweet, I mean, oh my goooooooood. so, so, sweet! i need to confess tho, i was never really interested in final fantasy nor i can imagine myself getting and being active in overlord fandom. to be honest, i'm here just for you. our contact was cut but i've been thinking about you, how you've been and all that stuff. after all it was thanks to you that i started writing too and met people i still talk to. it sounds so silly, but i own you a lot. that's why i want to check in on you, from time to time <3

i was honestly surprised you got back on the blog that had ac content. but hey, no matter where you are and which blog you're using, you're still the same wonderful creator from these years ago <3. and i gotta check (reread!) the fall series cuz the dilf addiction is stronger in me than ever. also, damn, those names of your stories bring back memories too. but dunno why, i find myself missing the one about jacob wooing the reader? anyway, i just want to say: take your time. if you decide to post your fanfics again, that's great. if you decide to never post your fanfics again, that's great too! don't feel pressured, alright? no matter what. yes, im sure a lot of people would love to reread these fanfics again, but they have no right to pressure you to post them. those are your fanfics and it's completely your choice if you want to release them to the world again or to let them rot on your hard drive. (send them to a happy farm kekekek)

oh my! that's wonderful! i mean, he's your character, after all. so, i'd be nice to bring him back. loving the idea of werewolf au (it kind of reminds me of his ability to turn into a horse) but still, no pressure, alright?

omg that's honestly so nice! but also, hm. alright then, since im that person, then, hiya Oreana, thank you for all the fanfics, love letters, rp responds you have blessed us with. it was truly such a pleasant journey. but i should also say: thanks for writing that one love letter. i actually requested it during a school's party, my mood was absolutely low but your letter lifted it. <3

don't worry about the folks (me) not finding you! we (me) have our methods ("hackerman" methods)

it's always great to hear from you too, Oreana! <3 - P

(i need to say that cuz yeah. ehem... HOLY EFF look how long the asks can be now! that's so effing cool! i remember how limited you were when i firstly got on tumblr, so that's so effing awesome. so effing awesome for someone who loves to talk a lot. like me yaay!)

Mawwr, thank you, hon! That means a lot!

Haha, don't worry about the anemia part. XD I have taken iron pills on and off to where I'm becoming a functioning person again. And, seriously. Don't worry about anything negative between us that may have happened in the past. ♥♥

LOL I love the whole dynamic between Sebas and Demiurge. I'll admit I was so confused during the scene where Demiurge was fighting to get Tuare on his farm having not read the LNs or Manga and forced to go right into the show. X”D I thought maybe Demiurge randomly cared about her out of nowhere and the two were silently fighting over what she should do for Nazarick. Then I realized he just wanted to torture the poor girl...and that the sheep were actually humans. My whole world turned upside down, I tell you! X”D Out of context Overlord scenes are awesome... lmao.

Ooh, you started writing? That's awesome! I am so happy I could inspire that! ;^; One of my main reasons for writing is to try and inspire/encourage others. So that makes me insanely happy. ;~; Of course, hon. You can always check in on me whenever you like! Heck, I feel during this time I get nervous about all the people I'm close to or even the readers I miss. I just hope they're all doing well.

It was more to feel safe, and also, people kept following me here. X3 So I just decided to return to it. ♥

You're so dang, sweet. T^T Aww, thank you?? That's so kind of you to say!

Jacob wooing the reader? You mean the one that spawned a mini-story after I did the first love letter of its kind for a late V-Day drabble? An old friend of mine created a whole aesthetic for it...I think I have it still. I do! ♥

I know he took the reader out on a date and all that and it caused some Romeo and Juliet drama, as she was a Blighter, I believe.

♥♥♥ Thank you for that. I can't tell you how guilty I felt deleting the stories. I never do go delete happy, but oof. I was just beyond repair. The only positive out of that craziness was I grew a stronger backbone, but I don't know at what cost. X3; Still, thanks!

My word...the fact you remember even that—Emmett being able to turn into a horse because his mom was Oreana in another AU of mine—is amazing. O_O; I actually almost forgot it! That is...beyond flattering?? Thank you so dang much! T~T

Thank you, hon. Just...Thank you... I'm like, almost a sobbing mess of happiness right now. I can't tell you how lovely this message is to receive. ♥♥♥ I am so happy that love letter you received has brought you joy and it came during a good time for you. It is wonderful to know my writings came during the perfect time for some folks.

(Yeah you can practically send novels. XDD Works for whenever someone wants to send a RP post, I guess!)

#thanks again hon #means a lot #all of my love!#mod answers #anon #treasures #anon: P

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otomes-and-tears · 2 years

Note

Hi, I’m the anon that asked for the whole Nevra reacting to Guardienne coming back and being pregnant while in the crystal prompt 😂 I just wanted to say thank you for writing it, and I hope that it isn’t causing you a massive amount of stress! It’s been over a year now and I’m always pleasantly surprised when I get a notification that you shipped out another part of the fic! I hope this doesn’t come across as me being like. Passive aggressively nudging you about it, but rather, I wanted you to know I really enjoy the work you’re putting out and how I’m grateful for how hard you’ve been working on it. Writing on Tumblr can be thankless and draining, plus you aren’t even being paid for the amount of time you put into it. So thank you for all your efforts!

OH MY GOD I'M SO GLAD I NOW HAVE AN ANSWER TO THAT LOL

Hi anon!! I didn't really expect to hear from you at all, so this is a very, very pleasant surprise! I'm so glad to know that you're still reading my story ♥

I actually had my own headcanons for a similar scenario before you sent me the request-- and you have no idea how excited I was to finally do something with it! It's like you read my mind.

With total honesty, I'm not used to writing full, multi-chapter stories. I found that my writing style suits short one-shots best. So "An unsung melody" is still a bit of a struggle for me sometimes.

It doesn't help that I'm a full-time student, and my teachers haven't shown me much mercy this last semester (haha, send help please). Still, I've been lucky enough to have the kindest, most patient readers that put up with my erratic upload schedule! I promise I've been taking breaks and am not letting writing the fic overwhelm me. I've been working on the new chapters bit by bit when I have free time, and with a bit of luck the next one will be released very soon ♥

By the way-- I've had a very shitty week and your message made me cry (in a good way, I promise). You're incredibly sweet, and please know that this message meant a lot to me.

#anon dropped this 👑#bee rambles #ask bee #an unsung melody au

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gloryride · 2 years

Note

Watermelon, flamingo, pink magnolia for Vanessa? :3

Thank you so much for asking about pink girl ♥ [pink themed asks]

watermelon— have you ever had to reject anyone romantically? how did it go?

Yeah … and it's never pleasant to do that. I had everything from the pleading fellow, crying, rejection, anger … I was always clear, I had told Gustavo that I would break up with him if he became a Valentino. And he was surprised that I did it the same day! Oscar cried when I refused to follow him to South America, it broke my heart …

Others knew I didn't want a serious relationship, I was always clear. Everyone had to think that they were unique, or the ones who would change my mind. Wrong."

flamingo— would you say you’re clingy in relationships and friendships?

"Not at all! I love spending time with people, being together, but I also love my independence. I don't like overbearing people and I don't want to be one. I may be more clingy in friendships than in relationships, but it's in small doses!"

pink magnolia— would you say that you develop crushes quickly?

"You could say that! I actually love flirting with people and seeing the reactions. If someone gets on my game, I like it and I can get a crush quickly! But I like those moments more than the person itself. The world is full of such beautiful and lovely people, it would be a crime not to give them some love!"

#oc ask #about : vanessa vergara #thanks again ♥#vanessa is an heartbreaker ...

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zamjd · 4 months

Note

HI HI!! I’ve been reading the ask you sent me the other day and I want to keep it in my inbox forever SO IM REPLYING VIA ASK INSTEAD AAA. It was such a pleasant surprise to see it! And the fact that you reread it multiple times?? 🥺🤧💕 I’m glad it’s had such an impact on you!!

BY ALL MEANS!! Take your time on the drawings, I know life can get busy and I hope you prioritize your self care basics first and foremost above all else!!

Thank you for the good wishes as well. I’ve been sick this past week but your message uplifted my spirit and I appreciate that! I hope YOU are having a greater time this year and that even when you’re feeling down that you know you are cared for. Remember that you always have people you can turn to!

Side note. I did not forget abt the moon halo! I just currently have 12k photos in my gallery atm ☠️ ALSO ALSO. I’ve a question. What are your favorite DCA fanfic tropes? Or what’re your favorite themes that you like in writing?? Asking for a friend >:3

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA OMG WAAAAAAT

I AM MELTING IN JOY, CURRENTLY SMILING LIKE AN IDIOT WHILE TYPING THIS- AND YOU PLAN TO KEEP IT FOREEVER AAAAAAAAA AWSDAWFSA NO THAT'S SO MUCH 😭💕💕

YOU WRITE SO WELL!!! AND THE STORY IS SO SO SO SO!!! (sorry for all the caps I'm not normal ^^)

I am going to be absolutely honest- I'm not that knowledgeable about tropes or themes nor take time to acknowledge them (and I have only read a little few DCA fanfics), I'd like to apologize ;-; not biased about them, It really depends on the way the writer writes! Or how interesting the idea is (for example there was one goose au where dear reader is a goose- or that one au where reader is a staffbot) <- but ideas that are already used but re-introduced in a new way is also cool(an example would be head-in-the-clouds royal jesters au where it took the medieval au but with a jester twist!(<- haven't read it yet but planning to DWASFG ;-;))!

Again thank you!! ♥

#OOf that's a lot of pics to go through-#take ur time dw :>#you did say it was quite some time ago anyways ^^#asks #<- idk what tag to use lol #yippe! >:D

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oddshroom · 2 years

Text

♡ Heart Signs ♡

Scenario: A hangout around Tokyo with your bestfriend, spending time and taking a picture together.

Characters: Manjiro Sano, Baji Keisuke, Sanzu Haruchiyo, Rindou Haitani, Ran Haitani

Character/Reader’s Age: 15-16

Warning: cute fluff stuff for my starved people

A/N: I am currently working on the requests that were sent to me, so anons/non-anons please be patient thank you :)

Ⓜ︎.list

Requests and Prompts

♥︎-Manjiro “Mikey” Sano

It was pleasant walking around Tokyo, especially breathing in the air that smelled like food. “N/N! I smell some Dorayaki!”. Watching as he rushed over to the stall where they sold some, you paid for the food that was already being devoured. Both you and the stall owner deadpanned at the blonde’s antics. “Mikey let’s go, thank you sir”. While he was still content on eating the dorayaki you took out your phone facing the camera towards you. “Mikey”, you said before smiling and lifting your hand to make a half-shaped heart. Crumbs on his face, he quickly walks his way to you. Also lifting his hand and connecting it with yours. Taking the picture and looking over it, Mikey has his eyes set on you while smiling. Tranced while looking at his smile, you found yourself setting it as a wallpaper.

♥︎-Baji Keisuke

Determination, it was just pure determination to get him to take a picture with you by the end of the day. So far it was failing, even you began to lose hope about getting a picture with the demon spawn you call bestfriend. Luckily fate was on your side and presented Chifuyu during your hangout. “Chifuyu! Come take a picture with me!”. Clearly it was loud enough to catch baji’s attention. Now glancing over both your’s and Chifuyu’s figure, he watched as he got closer and closer to you. Then making a heart-shaped sign, he wasn’t about to let that happen. Soon enough Chifuyu was now shoved away while you clicked a picture with Baji. Chifuyu and you both swore you heard him grumbling something along the lines with ‘only take pictures like these with me’ but who knows ears can play tricks.

♥︎- Sanzu Haruchiyo

Sanzu had been keeping you close to him during most of the time, maybe even tugging on the hem of your shirt to pull you near him if someone else had been getting to close. Not that you minded it. While walking around in Tokyo, you managed to spot a photo booth which got you a bit excited. While he was looking off, glaring at random people you managed to get his attention. “Haru! Look I found a photo booth come on!”, grabbing his sleeve you were practically dragging him to the booth. After you both got inside it, he took off his mask. Not that it surprised you, you’ve already seen his scar and know who did it. Quickly taking your mind off that, you made a half heart-shaped sign. Slightly rolling his eyes, he did the same and connected it with yours. A bit flustered by the gentle contact.

♥︎- Rindou Haitani

He had asked you to come with him to the store to get some hair dye, since the streaks in his hair were now fading. Although it was kind of an excuse to hangout especially after Ran was pestering him non-stop. “N/N which hair dye would match the one the currently in my hair”, he asked curiosity lacing his tone. “Hm, I believe this one would, it has a tint of cyan to it which your hair does”. “Alright”. After paying for the dye, you both headed out to eat somewhere, which is where you got the sudden urge to take a picture. He looked at you silently judging you for a second, realizing what you wanted. Knowing so already, he watched you raise your hand in a half heart-shape before he did the same. He couldn’t help but let out a genuine smile at it.

♥︎- Ran Haitani

He had randomly proposed to go hangout together for a little bit, maybe even buy or eat something. So here you were walking down the populated streets, where Ran kept in his range to make sure you wouldn’t get lost. While you were walking you noticed Ran stopped talking, so when you turned back to look you saw him looking at a display of necklaces. One that had a heart on it. You knew what he was going to do. So you stopped him from buying it for you. “Ran no”. “Oh come on, it’ll look nice on you”. “I already know that, but let’s take a picture instead”. “Fine”, knowing fully well there’s not point in arguing with you. Getting his phone out you both decide to make a heart-shape connecting with each other before taking a picture of it. He couldn’t help smile at you.

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greta-van-fics · 2 years

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every day like sunday - ch. 1

a/n: i have been having SO much fun writing what i’ve been calling “prohibition sam” for a minute :) this chapter is a lot of description and exposition and not very much samuel so i do apologize! thank you SO MUCH to my beautiful editors and readers @alwayzthere @jakekiszska and @sparrowofthedawn, you are all angels and i owe y’all abt a million dollars in proofreading fees ♥︎ our ask box is always open if you’d like to be tagged or have any other questions :) anyway, enjoy prohibition sam! ♥︎ liv

taglist: @alwayzthere @godlygreta @serenitysammy @kk223478 @jakekiszska @tellmama-allaboutit @gretavanhoney @weightofdreams-gvf @daisiesyellow @kiszkashorizons @dannythedog @mywaysooon @tripthelight-fanfic @star-boxer @obetrolncocktails @greta-van-yeet @theweightofstardust @fleetsonfire @gretavanfleas

warnings: minor violence, brief alcohol mentions, you have to deal with my vague-ass writing style :)

“Know what you’re getting into?” “Naturally.”

“Kiss me.”

Phantom lips brushed yours as the train flew along over the tracks. Why does it feel as though we never move when we’re on the train? Kiszka had asked you one day, both of you traveling in a compartment similar to this. I can see everything racing past us, but I’m staying completely still. He had held up a hand. Still as a statue.

You had responded with a smile that mirrored the pleasant flush you felt inside you. We’re moving just as quickly as the train, but the train is doing all the work. Kiszka had sat back, unperturbed by your simple explanation. Chestnut curls fell into his eyes as he gazed out the window.

The shade was drawn in your compartment now, and you moved to raise it with a tentative glance at your companion. The old lady was so fast asleep that a sudden jolt brought on by the train switching tracks and taking a sharp turn did nothing to disturb her. You decided a teaspoonful of sunshine, the only amount currently peeking through the dark clouds, would do little to detract from her slumber.

Hills rolled past your sightline, and soon turned into factories. Your journey had to be reaching its end. The thought made you shudder and glance above the sleeping woman to the luggage rack. An old, beaten and worn leather case stared back down at you, unflinching. How easy it would be to leave it on this train, walk out the doors and lock it away forever. It would be lost to the whims of the railway, winding around on an endless loop until some unsuspecting passenger decided to open it and suffer the consequences.

“Next stop Union Station! Coooming up on Union Station!” the conductor sang as he traveled up the car and onto the next one.

You were unaware you’d dug your fingernails into your palms until you unclenched them and saw blood-red crescents forming in the rough skin of your hands. Leather gloves were pulled from your pockets and over the roughness, hiding it from the rest of the world. You hated the tough skin that had formed over childish softness after years of being submerged in water and suds. No longer.

The train began slowing, and you craned your neck to catch a glimpse of the station as groans and squeaks poured from the rods. A shriek of the steam whistle signified your official entry to Union, and finally roused the old woman, who jumped and grunted, “Whensit?”

You shot her a tight-lipped smile as she glanced around the compartment, trying to acclimate herself, then you rose from the stiff cushioned seat and began to extract the leather case from above her. A porter caught sight of you struggling with it and moved into the compartment to help, but his doing so caught you by surprise and forced a bark of, “No, no! Please, I’ve got it well in hand, sir!” out of you. The porter backed off in a hurry as you swung the case down, your white-knuckled grip on it never loosening. You hefted your old carpet bag into your free hand and slid your way out of the seats to join the rubber-neckers poking their heads out of their own compartments to catch a glimpse of the station.

Making your way brusquely through the train corridor, you noticed a few people eyeing you with suspicion. A few well-placed sneers made people wither away back into their own business. You were suffering no delusion as to why passengers would find your presence off-putting; a single woman, riding across the country without a companion? It simply wasn’t done.

The train stuttered to a halt finally, mercifully allowing the throng of people lined at the door to exit, sweeping you along with them. Your legs felt tense and tight from the long hours of disuse, and your steps were awkward as you tried to stretch them as best as you were able. The thin pencil skirt that stopped just below your knee prevented you moving them freely.

Union Station was hopping, causing you to be immediately lost in a sea of self-absorbed travelers milling about the platform, weaving and ducking around one another in an attempt to rush where they needed to go. When you stepped off the platform and into the bustle of the crowd making its way towards the entrance to the street, you noticed several chauffeurs holding pieces of paper with names scrawled on them in thick, black ink. You wondered briefly whether one of them might hold your name, but quickly dismissed the thought as the heavy leather case bumped against your thigh and reminded you where exactly you were headed. No private car service would be offered there.

A cloud of cigarette smoke hit your face and invaded your lungs as you continued walking, puffed by a man in a bowler hat who winked as you walked past, mistaking your indignation for interest. You felt his eyes linger on your backside as you passed him. That was no Craven ‘A’ smoke, you sniffed to yourself.

You have got to get over yourself, kid! Kiszka would have laughed. You’re so snooty about cigarette brands. And you would retort back, They taste different, alright? Enjoy those piece of shit Woodbines you’re always smoking. And the dance would continue, and you would exchange smiles and pokes and laughter. And light would reflect off his golden eyes in a beauty so blinding you had to look away from him.

That was what you were doing, after all. Looking away from him. Away from him, and towards…well, you had absolutely no idea what you were walking into, despite what you had assured him the last time his hands had held yours.

You wished it was his hand you were holding now, instead of the tough leather handle biting into the irritated flesh of your palm. His hands had always been smooth where yours were rough, gently caressing yours and whispering over them after a long day of being cracked and water-logged.

The sound of horns blaring and shoulders hitting you jostled you from these futile thoughts. You emerged from the station and onto the main drag, Broadway, preparing to blink in the sunlight but finding it still as grey as it had been on your journey in. The street was abuzz with activity just as the station had been. Saturday afternoon shoppers walked up and down, stopping occasionally to gaze at window displays before hailing one of the taxicabs that passed by.

You spared a moment to right yourself and look up and down the street. Umbrellas were clutched tightly by many city-dwellers as they glanced nervously at the threatening clouds, and you suddenly wished you had packed one as well. The threadbare carpet bag in your left hand held only…you ran a mental checklist and ticked off: fresh chemise, fresh hose, a new traveling suit, your night cream, toothbrush and powder, hairbrush, and一Your brain stopped short, refusing to dwell on the brand-new bottle of Chanel No. 5 wrapped carefully in your nightgown.

Shaking your head to bring it and your heart back to the present, you leaned cautiously off the sidewalk and caught sight of a taxicab hurtling towards you. You raised your left hand, carpet bag awkwardly swinging off it as you shouted to catch the cabbie’s attention. A man next to you (the same man who’d huffed smoke into your face, you noticed with a sour frown) yelled over you, and stretched his frame further, successfully hailing down a cab and tossing a mocking grin at you as it pulled up to the curb in front of him. Not on my watch.

In one swift move, you’d thrown your personal bag between the asshole and the car door, shoving him back up onto the sidewalk and began fawning thanks in a breathless voice. Thank you for getting that for me, thank you so much for letting me have this one, thank you, really, you’re too kind, thank you for being an insufferable prick of a man who’d let me stand on the street alone just because I didn’t succumb to your complete lack of charm. The man was so confused and shocked that a woman had managed to outsmart his feeble brain that he made no protest as you slid into the backseat, clutching both your bags. The victory settled on your face in a smirk, and you couldn’t help blowing a kiss to the sap as the cab pulled away from the curb.

“Where ya headed, miss?” The cabbie asked.

“Oh!” You hurriedly began digging around in the carpet bag for the scrap of paper you’d scribbled on. “Sorry, I don’t quite remember the name of the pl--oh, here it is. Miss Juliette’s Dresses.” You crumpled the scrap and threw it back into the bag, your knuckle inadvertently brushing against the hard, glass square in your nightgown.

It smells good. I got it at the department store on Fifth.

It was expensive. It was too expensive, Kiszka. Take it back.

Absolutely not. You deserve it. And anyway, I stole it.

Dear God. A laugh bubbled out of you like a fountain. Did you distract the perfume girl with your boyish charm?

But of course. It’s beautiful…and…I want you to remember--

Don’t say that. Your hand brushed a sun-kissed cheek, then settled heavily on the strong neck. I couldn’t forget. It’s not possible.

“You…sure that’s the place you wrote down?” The cabbie asked after a beat. Your cheeks flushed, but you kept your tone cool.

“Very. I’m in the market for an evening gown.”

With a sideways glance and a doubtful, under-the-breath murmur, the cabbie made a left turn off Broadway and continued the journey in silence. Several blocks past your sightline as you stared placidly out the cab window. As the afternoon turned into evening, with the clouds ever darkening, you noticed that the imposing buildings of the downtown district were giving way to shabbier, dilapidated ones. Abandoned factories with fractured windows that made you feel as if the structures had teeth longing to snap up innocent prey.

The cabbie finally slowed down in front of a storefront bookended by two loan offices with paint-peeled signs. The script on the window of your destination read “Miss Juliette’s Fabulous Frocks” and in slightly smaller letters below, “Dress to impress for any occasion!”

“Thank you kindly,” you told the cabbie, reaching forward to hand him some coins you had pulled out of your pocketbook. He tipped his cap to you then asked if you wouldn’t need some help carrying those bags into the store. You hid a smirk.

“I don’t think I will, thank you.”

Miss Juliette herself sat behind the sales counter when you entered the miniscule store. Indeed, you noted quickly, the store was so small that there was room for only three mannequins, all of which displayed fashions that might have turned heads ten years ago. You had clocked the length of the building from outside…there was certainly room for more than this sad little showing of dresses. The tall, lithe woman rounded the counter and extended her hand. She wore an approximation of a flapper dress, although it looked hand-sewn, and not expertly. The green tassels shimmied as she made her way towards you.

“Darling, welcome in. I am Miss Juliette,” the lady drawled as you took her draped hand and shook it gently.

"Enchanté, madame,” you replied. Your carpet bag was hoisted into the other arm as Miss Juliette took your arm and began steering you around the mannequins she displayed.

“You are positively lovely, my dear.” Her jet-black hair was cut into a sharp bob that ended beneath her ears and curled carefully around her cheekbones. She looked as elegant in her dark green homemade frock as the painted models advertising high fashion on the train station posters. “I can always feel a kindred spirit when I meet one.”

You couldn’t help but smile. “Now,” said Miss Juliette, clapping her hands together. “What’s your look, honey? You want an evening gown…” She said without question, looking you head to toe then peering with pursed, dark red lips at one of her designs, a black number with questionably-placed gold beading. It looked heavy. “What do you say to this one?”

“It’s lovely.” You sucked a breath in before continuing: “But I think I was looking for something in cerulean.”

Miss Juliette’s head snapped around and she dropped your arm, stepping back for a moment. “Is that so?” she asked, her affected accent trilling sharply. “Cerulean, you said?”

You nodded, your mouth forming a tight line and the case beginning to feel hot beneath your fingers. She had turned her piercing black eyes upon you, looking you up and down with extreme doubt and apprehension, until you cleared your suddenly tight throat and said, “Billy sent me.”

Her hands flew to her mouth as she gasped softly. “Of course, my darling, right this way, IーI had no idea.”

“It’s quite alright,” you assured her, as she made her way behind the counter to the ancient oak door, hung with a black sign which read “Employees Only, please.” Miss Juliette reached for the black ribbon tied around one of her bare arms, which you now realized was holding a silver skeleton key. She knocked on the door once, throwing another apologetic smile over her shoulder as she waited, then pressed the key into the lock and turned.

The door swung open to reveal a hunched-over, wizened old man who growled what could hardly be considered a welcome and beckoned you inside. You looked quickly at Miss Juliette, who nodded, with a ghost of a sad smile on her lips. She was lovely, and you wished she was the one leading the way. Instead, you followed the old man into the dank bar, lit only by gas lamps scattered around the tables and stumps of candles in other dark areas.

A few beer-soaked patrons slumped over glasses at the bar, paying you little attention. The soft tinkle of piano music surprised you into searching for its source, and your eyes finally landed on a far corner, where a decrepit piano sat forlornly, a candle perched atop it to illuminate the sheets of music a young man was reading from. The tune was light, although steeped in sadness. Perhaps that was just the grim interior of the bar crowding your perception. You thought that after all this was over, you might have to indulge in one of the illicit offerings of the speakeasy. It had been awhile since you’d had even a splash of gin, given the train journey, and the idea of softening this place a little around the edges appealed mightily to you.

The old man introduced himself as Joe but didn’t wait for you to respond. He led you towards the corner of the room where you had spotted the piano, and you now noticed a small, black door in the wall. The sight of it made your blood run cold, but you adjusted your suddenly slick grip on the suitcase and set your shoulders back. Joe stopped and turned, just before you reached the door, eyeing up the case with a hungry glint that made your stomach flip and clench.

“That have what I think it does in it?” he asked, his voice gruff. “You better not disappoint these boys back here, girlie.”

Your cheeks flushed with anger at his infantilization of you. “I’m a woman just as capable as any man in there. That’s why Billy sent me.” Joe grunted and turned back around, fiddling with a set of keys on his belt loop and attempting to locate the correct one. A light titter from nearby made your head whip around. On edge as you already were, from carrying this case across the country and entering one of the most threatening establishments in the city, the slightest noise had been setting you off like a rocket lately. “What’s so funny, Charlie?”

“It’s Sam, actually,” came the smooth response. The young man playing piano ended the song with an effortless glissando up the keys and stood, pushing the bench out behind him. He made his way over to you, giving you an extra precious moment to take him fully in. It looked as though God had been in a hurry when he made this one: long limbs hung from broad but thin shoulders, and a neck that would have been considered elegant anywhere else slouched forward in a lazy droop, mirrored in the easy grin painted on his face. You wondered whether the speakeasy wasn’t paying him in libations, the way his eyelids rested so heavily over large eyes, so dark brown they appeared black in the dim light. He came to a halt in front of you and leaned back on the piano with his hands thrust into his pockets. “Although right now, you could call me flabbergasted. How’d a girl like you end up in a place like this?”

That line certainly warranted an eye-roll. “Mind your own business, Slim.” The man’s dark eyebrows rose to comical heights as Joe finally located the correct key with a grunt of satisfaction and fiddled with it at the door.

“I told you, it’s Sam,” he said, watching as Joe pushed the door open, motioning for you to step inside. You moved past Sam, sniffing and adjusting your jacket. The suitcase brushed against his knee as you passed, and before you could readjust your iron grip on its handle, the pianist’s long fingers were squirming their way into it, pushing yours off and catching hold of the case entirely. You shouted in indignation when Sam said, “Here, allow me, miss.”

On instinct, you dropped the carpet bag and dug your nails into Sam’s wrist as your other hand attempted to wrench the case from his grasp. You stepped back and rammed your knee directly above his groin, not hurting him badly but sending him staggering into the piano with a crash. He let out a yelp and dropped the case unceremoniously onto your foot, causing your heart to plummet into your stomach as quickly as the heavy load had. For a moment, nobody moved: Joe and yourself painfully aware of the case’s contents, and Sam sporting a look of terror at your sudden outburst. When a heartbeat passed and the whole Earth hadn’t come shattering down around you, you exhaled and picked the case back up, gentle as a new mother. Joe whistled a huff of air from between his gap-ridden teeth and began making his way through the door in front of you, not checking to see if you were following, but you were.

Hotly, and with the main purpose of putting some distance between you and this irritant who thought it appropriate to just snatch your luggage from you.

“What gives?!” sputtered Sam, looking as flabbergasted as he’d earlier claimed to be.

“Don’t you know it’s rude to offer a lady help before she’s even asked?” You smiled, a devious feeling prickling in your soul as the man stared at you, mouth hanging open and fingers clutching the gashes your nails had left. He felt already like a thorn in your side, but the sharpest thorns often appeared on the prettiest roses, you’d found. You thought briefly of Kiszka, but his golden eyes flickered out as you stepped into the darkness, its gaping expanse groping at you and pulling you farther down the hallway towards the underbelly of Nashville, in all its gritty glory.

#WELP THERE IT IS #idk do y'all vibe with this whole set-up?? lmk!!!#gvf fic #sam kiszka fic #greta van fleet fic

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lily-blue · 3 years

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To save a kingdom | step number four: search for the answer with taehyun

☆ characters: benders!txt & lady’s maid!you ☆ genre: elementals au, fantasy, action ☆ summary: When the morning comes, the six of you visit the campsite where the boys got their powers back in hope of finding the Star Crystal that could help you defeat Chi and his army. ☆ words: 5,2k ☆ massive thank you: to @dat-town for proofreading this chapter and also for your lovely comments that you left in the document while doing so. They sincerely made me smile ♥

➼ chapter index

You woke up to a loud thud, a deafening laughter and a very grumpy Kang Taehyun knocking on your door without making the smallest effort to be gentle even though you would have bet your life on it that you had heard Soobin asking him to be more friendly towards you before they had all retreated to Yeonjun’s room last night. Not that you minded his behaviour as you could understand his heart that was full of doubt and hostility when it came to you (a stranger who dared to ask for an enormous favour despite her kingdom’s wrongdoings). And you had always preferred harsh honesty over sweet lies anyway, so you sat up in the bed silently and reassured him with a groan that you were about to join them at any minute.

When your gaze shifted from the door to the clock on the bedside table, you had to admit that it wasn’t as early as you would have thought based on Beomgyu’s warning about your early departure, but you guessed, early meant something different to everyone, so you didn’t make a comment on how the sun was already up. Instead, you put on your clothes from yesterday and braided your hair in a way that allowed you to fight without your long locks being in the way. You obviously hoped that you could have gotten to the Star Crystal and to the dungeon in the royal palace in Eternally without coming across Chi’s men, but if you had learned anything in your long life, it was to always prepare yourself for the worst. Then, everything else would be a pleasant surprise and you were in desperate need of those. Your entire nation was.

‘Morning,’ you greeted the boys when you walked into the kitchen, smiling at Beomgyu in a friendly manner when he poked at the microwave with his drink inside of the machine, not expecting him to heat up a mug of chocolate flavoured milk for you, too, although he did. He did it without you asking for it and without caring about the glances he got from Taehyun and Hueningkai when they noticed the way you looked at each other. It seemed, none of them knew about your late-night conversation, but you didn’t mind this, either. You were familiar with Yeonjun’s antics enough to assume he would have teased you both if he had known.

You weren’t hungry, but you accepted a slice of toast from the blue haired boy when he put it atop of the plate in front of you, the strawberry jam they kindly offered you tasting artificial on the top of your tongue. Yet, it was a lot better than what people could make in Eternally from those lifeless fruits that survived the never changing weather and time of the day. So you devoured it until the last bite like a starving man, knowing no shame when you gathered the tiniest crumbs from your plate. You didn’t want them to go to waste.

Just as much as you didn’t wish to waste your precious time on a second slice of toast, either, but seeing how goofy the boys were regardless of the journey you were about to take, you decided to not rush them too much. You didn’t want to kill their spirit with your worries and the silent reminder that with every second, you got closer to your princess’ public execution - in case, she hadn’t been dead already. You assumed that the redhead’s nagging was more than enough. And you were grateful for Taehyun’s dutiful attitude, because it not only made you feel as though you were of the same opinion, working towards the same goal, but it took the burden of guilt off your shoulders.

You went through your plans for the day during the rest of the breakfast, then headed to the nearest subway station that was just as fascinating to you, if not more, as the bus that you had taken last night. It was more crowded and stuffy than a bus stop, while the vehicle itself was faster than anything you had ever seen before. No wonder, you almost missed your stop and had only gotten off at the right one due to the mass of people that was pushing you forwards. The posters and the lights that signalled where you were exactly were too interesting while the unfamiliar characters and the Korean language were too distracting as it soon turned out that you could only understand it when the guys were the ones who spoke to you. You assumed that it was because of their connection to the medallion in your neck and their magic that belonged to your dimension. Though, you couldn’t have been a hundred percent sure.

‘Are you still travelling on horses in Eternally or what? Can you please not make us miss the transfer? We won’t catch the train in time,’ Taehyun hissed at you when the subway left the stop and the number of people around you started to decrease. Honestly, as he tried his best to keep his voice down, the redhead came off as more annoyed than angry, but you couldn’t be sure. He clearly wasn’t happy that your gaze stuck on every second billboard and sign that came your way. Once, you even stopped in front of a card reload machine which was far from the most interesting thing one could stumble upon in their country hence he was absolutely at a loss of words. Were you living in the Middle Ages back home? Because then, he had even less interest in seeing Eternally for himself, that was for sure. He liked his smartphone and unlimited data too much to give up on those for a country that had forgotten about him and his brothers for two decades just to reach out to him when there were no other options left.

‘I…’ you wanted to apologize or ask what was so wrong with horses, but before you could have done either, the redhead turned his back on you and marched toward the metal gates that apparently led you to another subway line.

With a frown on your face, you made a mental note not to rub him the wrong way more and fixed your gaze on the back of his head to not let it wander. Even though he could have been nicer, you weren’t easy to offend nor someone people had spoiled while growing up. You also knew that he was right. You should have concentrated on your mission instead of the wonders of this unfamiliar world.

‘Don’t listen to him. We still have plenty of time to get to the train station,’ Soobin told you when you passed the gates and walked down the stairs instead of using the escalator like how Yeonjun and Beomgyu did. You wouldn’t have said that its fast pace scared you, per se, but it made you feel a bit uneasy hence you opted for the slower albeit safer option.

‘Does he hate me?’ You asked after a moment of silence, munching on the inner side of your cheeks while you were waiting for the boy’s answer. You knew that Soobin was a kind soul, but you also knew that he wouldn’t have outright lied in your face just to make you feel better. Maybe, that was why you were a tad bit anxious that he didn’t answer your question immediately.

‘Of course, not. Then, he would look through you, believe me. It’s just…’ he started and you narrowed your eyes, a little suspicious, when he lifted his hand to his nape and scratched it with his index finger. What could have been so hard to put into words when your question required a simple yes or no as an answer? You didn’t ask about his reasons for treating you the way he did. You weren’t interested in his excuses, either. You would have only preferred to know whether he saw you as a friend or a foe. ‘This whole mission and the fact that we’re from another dimension where our parents might be still alive… is a lot to take in,’ he said and with his claim, he kicked the air out of your lungs - though, not literally.

‘Oh,’ you managed, visibly awkward due to your inconsideration. Truth to be told, you hadn’t even thought about their parents or how it must have felt for them to realize that they hadn’t been abandoned by their family members on purpose. That they hadn’t come to Earth on their own because their parents hadn’t cared about them to one bit. For all the magic in the world, it was so clear to you that they had been loved more than anything once that you had completely forgotten that they couldn’t have been sure about this until you had fallen through the portal less than twenty-four hours ago. Of course, Taehyun was irritated with you and the current situation. His emotions must have overwhelmed him a lot.

Thus, you sealed your lips for his sake and stuck by the other boys’ sides like honey until you reached your destination and your eyes grew wide upon seeing how a train was a subway that one could ride on the surface. It was longer, but not too crowded, which gave you the chance to take a seat on one of the comfortable textile-covered seats by the windows that you could have only observed from the doorway on the subway.

It didn’t depart as abruptly as you would have assumed based on your experience with the South Korean public transportation, but like this, you had the opportunity to take your time with making yourself comfortable next to Beomgyu and in front of Hueningkai and Taehyun in a block for four people not far from the rest of the guys.

Once you were on the way to the campsite, you busied yourself with gawking at the outside world on the other side of the glass since you couldn’t fall asleep as easily as Hueningkai and you sure as hell didn’t have the opportunity to shut out the sound of Yeonjun’s and the earth bender’s constant bickering with those tiny white somethings in Taehyun’s ears that piqued your interest from the moment you had laid your eyes on them. The redhead seemed utterly unbothered by the noise unlike a few other passengers or Soobin whose discomfort soon reached a turning point where he couldn’t not try to silence his friends by joining their childish conversation. However, the two on sugarhigh teamed up on him without thinking, coaxing a low chuckle from you when Soobin excused himself to the toilet. Wow! You couldn’t have believed that trains had toilets on them. It was so awesome.

The forests in Korea looked like the forests in Eternally, so you shouldn’t have been surprised by the familiar feeling that embraced you as soon as you set foot in the woods, but there was something overly comforting in the air while you were walking further into it that urged you to keep your guards up. You shouldn’t have felt at home in another dimension, it wasn’t right, but remaining suspicious in such a setting wasn’t easy despite your logic. You were someone who tended to act on her emotions, your rational side could have hardly fought your comfort, but you tried. Because the future of your home and the life of your princess depended on the outcome of your mission. You needed to stay focused.

‘So this is where you discovered your powers?’ You asked with a raised brow, trying to keep up with the speed the boys dictated with their unfairly long legs.

‘Yeah. We came here camping and suddenly the river changed direction when I got near the stream,’ the blue haired boy said with an amused smile. He clearly enjoyed having his power and bragging about being the first one out of the five of them who had discovered his magic. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have heard this story twice already regardless of the limited amount of time you two had had for mindless chatters yesterday. ‘Is it normal that we discovered them at the same time, though? Does this mean I’m lamer than Hueningkai because he got his power years earlier?’ He asked you after a moment of silence and seeing his pouty lips, you pursed yours before you shared your personal opinion with him. Obviously, you weren’t as knowledgeable about bender magic as real scholars, but it was also true that you knew more than them.

‘I don’t think so. I might not be as well educated as a guardian, but you’ve already had your powers when you were born,’ you reassured him since you knew how Hueningkai’s mother had suffered because of the magic her unborn child had had, but her body couldn’t have dealt with accordingly. During her time at the royal palace, you had heard her scream, vomit and cry until she had passed out from headache and dehydration. There was no way the boys had not had their powers from the very beginning so Yeonjun shouldn’t have been worried about his skills and capability. ‘But here, on Earth, magic is so insignificant it’s barely a thing. So if I had to say something smart, I would say that you couldn’t use it sooner because it’s not from this dimension,’ you concluded, offering him a friendly smile before you shifted your gaze from him to the path ahead of you.

If you had been right about the latter, that would have meant that Taehyun was right as well. There was something in this forest that had helped them find their magic and what else could have been so powerful if not the Star Crystal that contained their ancestors’ spirit and will to protect their people? Despite your instincts, you could feel your hopes getting higher and you weren’t sure how you felt about the excitement in your chest. False hope was dangerous, it could cause more damage than any other enemy.

‘Cool,’ the water bender mumbled under his nose happily, but you resisted the urge to look at him or to join his giddiness. You had to prepare yourself for the worst, you were aware of it. You needed to be strong in case they needed your strength. After all, you couldn’t have really offered anything more. You weren’t like them. You were a mere human.

Other than Beomgyu’s occasional complaints about the hot weather, you walked further into the woods in silence until you stopped to give the poor boy a break and refresh yourself with a few gulps of lukewarm water from the backpacks you had packed for the trip. He was right, the sunlight was burning, but it was almost completely above you, so it didn’t come as a big surprise. Without thick clouds, it was only natural.

‘I remember the storm that night when it all started. Soobin hyung and Beomgyu hyung got lost and found shelter in a cave nearby,’ the youngest of the group told you after he shoved his own bottle back into his bag. You narrowed your eyes partly because of the blinding light, partly out of curiosity which encouraged him to tell you a bit more. ‘We found them and stayed with them there until it stopped.’

‘Ah, right!’ Yeonjun exclaimed excitedly. ‘It was super cold there, but still a lot better than at the campsite. The wind was so strong, we found the tent on the top of a tree after it stopped,’ he added a bit more colour to the story, pointing towards the campsite’s direction, then at a random tree just to help you picture the height from where they had to get their tent back.

‘It was an expensive tent,’ Beomgyu chirped in with a frown that soon turned into an excited smile when Taehyun also joined your small circle and between two gulps, he told you that the cave the others were talking about was exactly where he intended to start the search for the Star Crystal. It made perfect sense therefore you paid extra attention when the boys - one louder than the other, although mostly Yeonjun and Beomgyu - told you more about that night on your way towards your first destination.

Like this, you reached the cave before you could have taken in your surroundings, its cold temperature freezing compared to the Indian summer weather outside. It dressed your limbs in goosebumps under your clothes and bit into your skin where it wasn’t covered which was insane, but a promising sign nevertheless.

‘Was this place so dar…’ Beomgyu asked from behind your back, but before he could have finished his sentence, his friends turned on the lights on their phones and he chuckled at his own silliness. ‘Nevermind,’ he shushed away the questioning looks and fished the rectangular device out of his pocket to share its light with you although it wasn’t overly necessary. Due to the other artificial torches, the tunnel wasn’t blindingly dark anymore.

You said thank you nevertheless and offered him a grateful smile before you urged him to follow you and the others. Honestly, it was shocking how long the tunnel was, but you knew how a cave’s size never really reflected its entrance’s size so you should have known better. Especially since the guys had failed to notice the Star Crystal last time which meant that it was hidden further inside its belly. Taking that the redhead was right. However, at that point, considering everything you saw and felt, you would have been at a loss of words if he hadn’t. Moreso because the further you walked into the eerie cave, the warmer the medallion on your necklace got. Hence, by the time you reached the end of the tunnel, it became so hot, you had to pull it out from under your clothes so that it wouldn’t leave a permanent burn mark on your skin. This must have been a reaction for the Crystal’s closeness.

‘Oh my… was this here last time, too?’ Hueningkai asked and hearing the lightning bender’s bewildered question, your curiosity got the best of you, urging you to walk to the front of the group.

‘Well, we didn’t walk this far into the cave that time but I assume…?’ The redhead tried to reason even though the rational part of him still had his own doubts which clearly reflected in his voice and actions. He might have preferred not to show it, but his gaze shifted to you the moment you reached his side, seeking some sort of confirmation that you couldn’t give him. You were no scholar nor magician. All you knew, you knew from old books that you had read decades ago.

However, what you could help them with with confidence was the text written on the support that the Star Crystal was placed on since it was in your native language. The realization put a proud smile on your face until Soobin took a step closer to the magical object and reminded you that unlike you who couldn’t understand them without the necklace in your possession, they could understand you perfectly simply due to the magic in their veins. Which also meant that they didn’t need a translator. In fact! Based on Yeonjun’s reaction in the changing room, you wouldn’t have been surprised if they hadn’t realized that it was written in a completely different language. So much for being useful.

‘It says only those who are worthy are allowed to touch the Star Crystal without paying the price,’ Soobin informed everyone, coaxing each one of the boys with his words to take a step forward. You followed suit with Beomgyu by your side while the cogs in your head started to spin faster, looking for a distant memory or some facts that could have helped you solve the ambiguous instruction. What was worthy supposed to mean? Was it a quality of the heart or a quality more obvious like magic that only a few could bear?

‘Someone with a pure heart? Because then Yeonjun hyung is out. I saw him kiss that girl last week during his break when he thought no…’ Beomgyu chirped in, earning a low grunt from the blue haired boy with his unnecessary comment.

‘The hell? It has nothing to do with the purity of my heart,’ he claimed with his arms linked in front of his chest, lips pouty and slim brows furrowed in annoyance. In any other situation, you would have laughed at how offended he looked, but then and there, their childish banter only distracted you from figuring out the solution thus you tried your best to shut them out. ‘I am pure!’

‘Guys, calm down! It says worthy, not pure,’ Soobin made an attempt at calming down his friends, but either his voice was too quiet or the two were too invested in their debate, they did not stop talking until Taehyun stepped between them, lifting his hands in front of their chest. His disapproving glances sent a cold shiver down your spine, the unnerving kind.

You gulped and so did Yeonjun and Beomgyu.

‘It can be either of you, I think. After all, it contains all of your magic,’ you spoke up partly to brush away the tension, partly to throw your own two cents in the conversation in hope of positive reactions or at least a reasonable objection. Because even if you were wrong, you assumed that your idea could have served as a starting point or triggered better suggestions. Not to mention that you still weren’t that familiar with the boys’ dynamics hence their argument was rather unnerving for you. You couldn’t decide whether they were angry or their silence meant that they were trying to come up with their own solutions.

‘That’s true, but the earth bender was already dead by the time it was created. Does that really count as a willing offering?’ It was Beomgyu who put his concerns into words first and your eyes grew wide without realizing because of how surprised you felt due to his question. You had grown up believing that your home - as it lived in your memories - could have never been born without the sacrifices of each one of the five great benders. Therefore, hearing him questioning one of their sincerity rendered you speechless. You failed to find the right words even when you turned towards him with your entire body. ‘What? I just dunno… don’t want to ruin our chances in case it does not,’ the boy stumbled over his explanation, suddenly a tad bit shy due to the massive attention he received from everyone.

For a while, neither of you said a word. Not because either of you doubted Beomgyu’s worth or his ancestor’s willingness to save his nation, but because you obviously hadn’t been there when it had happened. Shouldn’t you have lived at that time, shouldn’t you have known those people to be able to form a credible opinion? You were afraid of coming off as fake. You had no idea what to say or how to say it which only added to your anxiety.

In the end, it was Taehyun who broke the uncomfortable silence.

‘I think it counts. Maybe, it counts more than the other benders’ participation. After all, their combined powers weren’t enough. There must be a reason for that,’ he said, not taking his eyes off Beomgyu for a second as though he had been afraid that if he had done so, the earth bender wouldn’t have believed him. ‘The others might have done everything for their people alone and saving the Earth nation was only a consequence,’ he reasoned and you had to give it to him that despite your beliefs, his claim did make some sense. It made you frown.

The innocent child inside of you didn’t want to believe him, she didn’t want to believe that those people could have been just as selfish as any other human being she had encountered while growing up. On the other hand, you could clearly see how Beomgyu’s tense shoulders eased due to the redhead’s reasoning and you didn’t want to take this away from him. Hence, you swallowed down your objection and tried to approach your options from another aspect.

‘Maybe, at that time it was true, but this time there are no separate nations. It’s Eternally, the whole kingdom with all five parts,’ you said and the words tasted bitter in your mouth despite the cause you were fighting for. It felt wrong to agree with Taehyun even though you still left room for the possibility that the Star Crystal hadn’t been powerful enough back then without the earth bender’s power because it had simply needed more magic to overcome the curse. Goodness! Why were you so desperate for a sign that could have proven you right? It hardly made a difference. ‘You should try to touch it at the same time, removing it together,’ you suggested with a small lump in your throat. You were anxious that your stubbornness would be the sole reason why you would need to pay that price the wise words warned you about.

‘Okay. Let’s do that,’ Hueningkai chirped in, and you were grateful for his unconditional support even though you had no idea with what you had earned it.

Seeing them walking up to the magical object one by one, you shifted your gaze from the youngest boy to Beomgyu who was frozen by your side. He seemed hesitant, maybe a tad bit afraid as well, so you gulped down your uneasiness and put your hand on his shoulder. When he snapped his head in your direction, your smile was bright and encouraging. The most friendly you could have managed and the prettiest he had ever seen. He gifted you with a subtle one in return.

Your heart was beating in an unbelievably high speed when the fifth boy completed the circle around the Crystal and you would have sworn, you forgot to breathe when they exchanged a glance before reaching forwards. Your rounded nails were digging small crescents into your palm while you were waiting for all hell to break loose, but to your utmost surprise, nothing went wrong. The stone walls of the tunnel didn’t start to shake and the ceiling didn’t bury you alive. Even the medallion in your neck cooled down to a bearable temperature as if it was its way to reassure you that from now on, everything would be alright.

‘Do you think time will stop on Earth if we take this to Eternally?’ Yeonjun asked, pointing at the Star Crystal in Soobin’s hands. His worry for people who he might not have known was clear in his voice. No wonder he had been willing to save you, too, when you had fainted on him in that foreign alley.

‘Highly unlikely, hyung,’ Taehyun said and the only thing you could do was to shake your head in sync since it was your home that had been cursed. And this dimension had too little magic for a curse that big and destructive to work. You would have been quite speechless if the Star Crystal’s sudden disappearance would have had any effect on its people.

Once the blue haired boy got this thought out of his head, everyone agreed to start the second phase of your plans hence, they turned towards you with their entire body and you couldn’t help but gulp due to the intense attention you recieved. It was your turn to guide them back to your home. You were the only one who could do that since they had no recollection of what Eternally was like.

So you took the necklace off and held it on the top of your palm, thinking of princess Sowon, the royal library you liked so much in a lifetime that felt millions of years away and your room with the other maids in the palace since that should have been a safe place to appear at in case six people’s thoughts didn’t mess with the magical object and the final destination. As you had only ever used it to get here, you had no clue what to expect from the journey back to your dimension.

‘Remember, you have to think of Eternally, you have to yearn for being there or near the palace or the princess for the medallion to work,’ you reminded them one last time before you closed your eyes to be able to concentrate more. The growing pull of the portal and its blinding light even through your eyelids welcomed you with unexpected familiarity.

Since you weren’t sure whether people could change direction inside of the portal and how dangerous it could have been to travel with fuzzy thoughts, you proposed to hold hands and step inside of it at the same time which everyone accepted. So leading the way, you squeezed Beomgyu’s hand once and twice before you faced the portal with newfound determination in your eyes. You could do this. You could take them home in one piece.

The dizziness was tugging on your stomach as soon as you set foot on the other side and you almost lost your balance again, but the earth bender behind your back kept you from falling for which you were grateful. Moreso when your vision finally got clearer and you recognized your surroundings. Shit. Maybe you shouldn’t have told them to think of the palace. What were you doing in the middle of the hallway that led to the throne room? Out of all places, it was the second worst right after landing in the throne room itself.

You pulled Yeunjun behind a column before he could have wandered away aimlessly. You did not like the anxiety that was bubbling up in your chest.

‘Daebak! It’s real,’ you heard Hueningkai from behind your back, but you were too occupied to ask him to stay quiet as your blood was too loud in your ears. Luckily, Taehyun did the job on your behalf.

You had no idea for how long you were stuck inside of your own mind, frozen, because of the shock, but when you eventually put yourself together, you took a deep breath and turned to the boys who were staring at you with worry in their eyes. Oh! It must have taken longer than it should have.

‘Okay guys,’ you started with a small smile, trying to act brave and confident. ‘Let’s not get in trouble before we find the princess. She will know where to look for that secured place the librarian had told me about,’ you reminded them of the next phase of your plan, keeping your voice low due to your hidden fear of… well, certain death.

If they had noticed how terrified you were, they didn’t say a word. Instead, they nodded and followed you towards the dungeon wordlessly. You hoped that you had come to the right conclusion when you had told them that princess Sowon had to be behind bars. Because if she had been elsewhere, you had honestly no idea where to start the search.

➼ next chapter

#txt scenarios #taehyun x reader #txt x reader #fantasy #elemental au #bender au #ssbyme #action

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