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drake-walker-appreciation · 8 months

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Late submission fic for Drake's birthday! It's never too late to miss the deadline!

Best birthday ever (One shot)

This little drabble is 100% tongue in cheek, none of it is canon. And no offence or disrespect is intended! I wrote this just for a laugh. (More explanation at the end) But it's important to note that this is happening in 2018, a year after my TRR1 timeline.

I've included @choicesflashfics Prompt 3 — “Why are you being so weird?” from week 37

I had wanted to submit this for Drake's birthday event too but missed the deadline, lol

Book: TRR

Pairing: Drake x MC

Word count: 1435

Warnings: Swearing (in different laungages), mentions of death by animal attack and references to a pairing that you probably do NOT want to hear about...Ever! You've been warned!

Ava had been a little disappointed when her fiancée insisted on a quiet, low key 29th birthday.

"I just want to enjoy some time alone with my girl." He'd told her

But it was the first birthday of his that they were celebrating as a couple. Drake had pulled out all the stops for hers a few months earlier and Ava had been ready to return the favour, however he had been adamant.

In the end she managed to win a small comprise out of the most wonderful but stubborn man she'd ever met, and he’d agreed to an intimate meal with just two of their closest friends, Liam and Kiara.

But that part was the plan for the evening.

In the meantime, they were going hacking together out in the Cordonian countryside, which was why she was up at the crack of dawn preparing Narishka.

She was just finishing with adjusting the stirrups when she heard him approaching with Lonestar.

"Ready?" He asked with a smile.

"Yup"

She followed as he made his way out from the barn, then after mounting, they went on their way.

It was a perfect day for this, despite it being the middle of July, the heat wasn't overly harsh. The trail was laden with trees and led them up through the hills, Drake leading the way, Parts were a little steep, but they kept the horses at a steady pace, pausing at one point to let them stop and drink.

"I've been wanting to do this trail with you for a while." He admitted. "Just never got around to it, I guess."

"It is beautiful." She looked out at the mountainous view that was peaking through the trees. " Looks never ending though!"

He chuckled. "It'll be worth it, trust me."

She regarded him tenderly. "You know I do."

She watched as he scooped some water from the perfectly blue stream and splashed it over his face. He was in his element here, nothing made him happier than being out in nature, But she loved it too, spending time with him like this, learning new things and making memories.

They soon broke into a clearing and Ava looked around at the rugged, hilly Mediterranean landscape in awe.

“We’re ready for a jog over here. You coming?”

She turned to face him, and he gave her a smirk before letting an eager Lonestar canter off. Narishka took off after them without Ava even having to prompt her. She enjoyed the rush of wind that whipped past her and the smoothness of Narishka’s elegant gait.

After a few minutes, they came to a stop, Drake quickly dismounted before catching Ava as she slid down from her own mount.

“Come and look.” He told her. He then took her hand and led her forwards to where the hill dropped down, revealing a massive lake below. Beyond that were more hills and mountains as far as the eye could see.

“Wow!”

” Impressive huh!” He smiled and went about unpacking their saddlebags that contained a blanket as well as food and drink. Together they set everything up and made themselves comfortable while the two horses began to graze contentedly.

Once they’d finished, Ava led next to Drake, resting her head against his chest as they enjoyed the serenity of their surroundings.

It was a good several hours before they began to make their way back and Ava immediately started on the food for them and their two friends. Drake stayed out of her way. If she wanted help, he knew she’d ask, but she usually preferred to be left alone.

He went out into the backyard to play with the dogs, while she remained in the kitchen. They both kept an eye on each other, exchanging smiles and laughs through the window until he eventually came inside to make coffee, setting one down for her too before heading to the living room.

Ava busied herself with the meal, and the dessert. She was looking forward to the evening get together, even though it was small.

It was then her phone began to ring. She put the stirring spoon down and quickly washed her hands before answering, only to be greeted with a dial tone.

“Coño!” She looked at her phone to see who it was. ‘1 missed call. Kiara’ it said on the screen. She wondered what she wanted, was she going to be late for the meal? Had something come up?

“Babe?” Drake called out from the other room.

“Just a minute!” She hit the call button, but it was engaged and a few moments later a voicemail notification popped up.

Drake then appeared in the doorway. “Come look at this.”

“Uno momento, Kiara’s trying to get hold of me.” She looked up at him as she held the phone to her ear to listen to the message. He was stood leaning against the door frame with a shit eating grin on his face.

“Salud!” Kiara’s stressed voice came through the phone, along with shouting in the background. “Unfortunately, we won’t be able to make it tonight. Je su…” A loud noise in the background cut her sentence short.

“An merde!” I will call back and explain later.”

The line clicked dead and Ava looked down at her phone in confusion and disbelief. She heard Drake chuckled. “Lemme guess, Liam and Kiara cancelled?”

“Yes” Ava confirmed, still confused. “How did you know? What’s so funny? Why are you being so weird?”

He motioned with his head for her to follow, and she did so. He led her to the living room, where the TV was on and showing a serious looking news anchor.

“Apparently, the attack happened when the president was golfing at his Mar-a-Lago and had been retrieving his ball from the edge of a pond. Witnesses, who were out of the line of sight, report hearing a splash and a shout. They rushed to the scene, but there was no sign of the commander in chief except his red baseball cap that he had been wearing.” Brian Thomas, reports from Mar-a-Lago.”

Ava stared at the screen dumbfounded. “What, the?”

Another sombre news anchor appeared on the screen, stood outdoors with palm trees behind him.

“Thank you, Rachel. Yes, this happened just a little over an hour ago, we’ve not yet heard confirmation on whether the president’s body has been recovered from the water. Now there is speculation that an alligator had been seen on the grounds as recently as yesterday, but the reports are conflicting over the size of the animal, some saying seven ft long, others claiming ten. This will mean however that Mike Pence will be sworn in as President, and he is apparently on his way to the resort now.”

Ava’s jaw dropped. “No me diga! Is this for real?!”

“Yup! This is turning out to be the best birthday ever”

“Wow!” She pursed her lips, trying to remain serious. Someone had lost their life in a horrific manner and was leaving behind a young son. She wasn’t sad, though, in fact after everything he’d done, she wasn’t even sorry.

Still, she was confused. “But,” She began. “ This doesn’t explain why Kiara and Liam cancelled on us.”

“Sure dose! The palace is now in mourning. No one from the royal family is allowed to take part in social events during a mourning period.”

“Oh! So does Cordonia do this every time a foreign leader dies?”

Drake shook his head. “Nope!”

“So why then?”

“Because Connie insisted on it.”

Ava rolled her eyes, she might have known.

“Sad to lose his fuck buddy no doubt!” Drake quipped.

She sniggered. “Behave you!”

“What? It’s true. They were fucking!”

“They were not!” She laughed

“No, seriously, they were!”

She looked at him, half smiling. “Oh yeah, then why were they both married, to women?”

He shrugged. “Guess they both wanted to have their cake and eat it. Either way, hardly anyone knew about it.”

“And you did?” She looked at him skeptically.

He grimaced. “Yeah, but not through choice!”

“What do you mean?”

“I overheard them once, they were going at it in Connie's office.”

Ava gasped. “Ay no!”

“Tell me about it! I will never unhear it for the rest of my life!”

She stared at him, hand over her mouth, half horrified and half finding it hilarious.

“Now, can we please change the subject before I lose my appetite?”

“Okay!” Ava turned and made her way back to the Kitchen, her head reeling from the bombshell. There was no way she would look at Connie the same way ever again!

Ok..

So the idea for this came about when my co-worker made an offhand comment about Trump being eaten by an alligator when he was mentioned in a news story that came on the radio as we were working... Then my brain then went

Then I remembered a comment @burnsoslow made once in a response to something I'd written

omg I bet Trump and Connie are FUCKING please write this

So here we are. This one is for you, burns . Wherever you are, I really hope you see this and get a kick out of it. Miss you! Xxx

@aussiegurl1234 @deb-1106 @karahalloway @kingliam2019 @lovingchoices14 @marshmallowsandfire @tessa-liam @walkerdrakewalker

#drake walker #drake's birthday #drake walker appreciation

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drake-walker-appreciation · 8 months

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Happy Birthday Drake!!

Thanks so much to all who participated!!! Sorry the master list is late. It's been a month ya'll.

Camping Was Intense - Artwork by @karahalloway

Surf's Up! by @karahalloway

Drake's Dirty Thirty by @aussiegurl1234

Cake by @persephone13

Best Birthday Ever by @petiteboheme

#drake's birthday #drake walker appreciation #drake walker #trr drake #the royal romance

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drake-walker-appreciation · 9 months

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Hii 🥰

I saw this picture for Valentine’s Day and thought maybe it’ll inspire a fic or an edit (no pressure 🥰)

Hello lovely @peonierose 🥰 Thank you so much for this ask! I am so sorry it's late. You sent it way back in February, and I meant to write something for Valentine's Day, but life got in the way a bit. So I saved it for Drake’ Birthday Celebration hosted by @drake-walker-appreciation (love you guys! 💗)

This is set after my still in-progress long fic, Darling Just Dive Right In, which is about Drake Walker's relationship with Riley's cousin, Selena. Selena is a therapist with a trauma history that this story alludes to, so I hope it doesn't get too confusing since I don’t get too deep into it here. I do hope you enjoy the story! I paid a little homage to you in the fic as well, so I hope you like it 😋

Title: Cake

Pairing: Drake Walker x Original Female Character

Word Count: ~1800

Warnings: Implied trauma

Tagging: @karahalloway @harleybeaumont

“Luna,” Selena called over her shoulder as she swiped another smudge of hot pink icing along the finished cake. “You know you’re not supposed to be there.”

The feline in question huffed a meow before jumping off the counter. She bumped her head annoyingly but affectionately against her calf before slinked off to where her brother, Salem, sat watching (stalking) their mistress as she decorated the cake. Selena glanced up and caught the identical looks of longing in their jade eyes staring out from their round furry faces, their black coats shining so brightly in the late afternoon sun.

“Nope,” she said, waving her mini spatula at them, blowing away one of the curls that managed to escape her messy bun. The cats’ eyes trailed after the pink icing on the end, both cats sneaking a tongue out to lick their chops. “This kind of icing is not for kitties.” They trilled at her softly. Her heart melted. “Stop being so adorable.” They trilled again, and she rolled her eyes. “Dammit! Fine!” She set the spatula to the side and grabbed the small bakery box that Luna had been trying to sneak into. She pulled out two of the mini cupcakes specially made for cats. The cats immediately bounded over, meowing over each other and moving around her ankles until she set their treats on the floor. “Just a taste!”

A key turning in the lock on the front door alerted her to an unannounced arrival. She stood up immediately in surprise, ready to hit the security button underneath the countertop of the kitchen island when she saw her husband’s familiar face peering at her. She screamed. Both cats and her husband jumped nearly a foot in the air.

“Shut your eyes! Shut your eyes!” She desperately tried to block the cake with her hands and small spatula.

Drake slapped a hand over his eyes. “Jesus Christ! Stop screaming!” He nearly dropped the tote bag in his hands.

“Sorry! Sorry!” she said, voice still loud but at a more acceptable volume. She reached down and petted her two cats, who had resumed eating their treats once they realized that no one was going to get attacked. Less than a year after her stalker had been caught in their house, the little family was still recovering and getting used to feeling safe in their home again.

Drake blindly shut the door behind him while still holding a hand over his eyes. “It’s okay, Darlin’. You didn’t get the security alert?”

Selena looked at her phone and saw that she still had it on Do Not Disturb. She saw the alerts that indicated that Drake had arrived at the front gates to their property. “Whoops!” She blushed and quickly turned off the setting. “Still on work mode. Sorry, Sweetheart.” She blew him a kiss but saw that he still couldn’t see. She picked up her spatula to put the finishing touches on the cake she had spent all afternoon baking and decorating. She glanced up every so often to admire her husband. He must have showered and changed out of his work clothes at the beach house he and his crew were currently renovating. His t-shirt was a pristine white, and his blue jeans looked clean, soft, and faded. After a year of being married, she still found him to be deliciously distracting in all of the best ways.

“Can I look now?” He shifted on his feet.

“Wait!” She exclaimed. “30 more seconds.” She grabbed the black gel icing and carefully applied clusters of black dots and dashes around the cake. The cats meowed their way over to Drake, and she watched as he carefully bent over to greet and pet each one while still keeping his eyes covered. She smiled and set her decorating supplies aside and pulled out the dessert plates and forks.

“Okay, you can open your eyes now.” Her smile widened to a grin when he dropped his hand and looked with surprise and slight confusion at the cake. “Surprise! Happy Anniversary!” She skipped around the kitchen island and grabbed his hand to pull him closer.

“Our anniversary isn’t until next week.” He let her push him gently onto a stool, eyeing the rather pretty, but extremely. . .feminine cake. She threw her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss on his temple. He turned his head and finally took in his wife’s appearance. Her long curly hair was barely contained on top of her head. Her amber eyes were excited as they gazed at him with so much affection that he could never doubt her love and loyalty towards him. She had pink icing smudged on her cheeks and arms. Her black tank top appeared to have a dusting of powdered sugar. Her cut-off jeans shorts were soft and hugged the curves of her hips and thighs. He snaked his arms around her and pulled her in for a proper kiss. “Hello.”

“Hey there, Corazón,” she said. She snuck another kiss on his nose. “It’s the anniversary of when we set the date.”

“Ahh,” he said, remembering. “You know I’ve never seen Riley plan an event as quickly as she planned our wedding. A one-week engagement is absolutely unheard of in Cordonia.”

“Eh, she loved it,” Selena shrugged. “It was good practice for her. Planning events under pressure and all that.” She moved to grab the knife to cut the cake.

“Wait, I have something for you,” he said, holding out the tote bag.

Surprised, she took the bag. “I thought you didn’t remember it was an anniversary today.”

Drake rubbed his neck, his warm brown-eyes meeting hers sheepishly. “I didn’t. I just thought you would like those.”

“Awww,” she said, peppering his face with kisses. “I love ‘Just Because’ gifts.” She opened the bag and exclaimed, “Oh how beautiful!” Inside stood a small vase with a bouquet of peonies in different shades of pink. She pulled the vase out carefully and placed it on the counter beside the cake. “Awww, they match the cake! How did you know?”

He laughed, “I didn’t. I saw them and thought you would like them.” He paused and turned another interesting shade of pink very much like the flowers and cake. “And they kind of reminded me of that pink lacey set you wore that day when we set the wedding date.”

She squealed and clapped her hands, “Ah ha! You did remember! Even if it was subconsciously. It still counts.” She threw her arms around him and hugged him again. “Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart!”

He hugged her close shaking his head. “Happy Anniversary, Darlin’.”

She pulled herself away and gave him the knife. “You do the honors.”

Drake eyed the cake again and chuckled to himself, “It’s a very. . .pink looking cake.”

“Too girly for you, Walker,” she asked, eyebrow raised. “No, I’ll eat it, but I’m just wondering why you made it so feminine.”

She nudged him, “Maybe I remembered my pink lingerie, too. Shut up and cut the cake. I think you’ll love the inside.”

He smiled at her cheek but followed her instructions as he careful sliced a piece and set it carefully on a plate. “Wait,” he said, taking a good look at the cake. It was a chocolate double layer cake with what appeared to be white filling and. . .was that cookie crumble? No, graham crackers? “Is that. . .?”

Selena clasped her hands in excitement. “It’s a s’mores cake! Chocolate cake with a marshmallow and graham cracker filling and marshmallow icing.” She took a fork and cut a piece so that he could get the chocolate cake, filling, and a bit of icing and held it out to him.

The widest and sweetest smile flittered across his face as he took in the morsel on the fork and the way she practically vibrated with her excitement. “You made me a cake that tastes like a s’more?”

“Well, I sure hope it does,” she laughed, the cake shaking precariously on the fork. “Taste.” She held the fork closer to his mouth expectantly.

He shook his head in disbelief. “You’re amazing.” Ignoring her scoff, he took the bite. His eyes fluttered shut as the cake practically melted on his tongue. The marshmallow and graham cracker filling swirled with the chocolate. He groaned and snatched the fork out of her hand to take another bite of the slice. “Oh my God, I love you so much!”

She laughed as she watched him enjoy the cake. He insisted on feeding her a piece, and she found herself moaning at all the different flavors. “Fucking hell, that actually tastes really good.” She grabbed her own fork, and they devoured the piece before cutting another one and eating that one as well.

“Dinner?” she asked.

“Cake,” he answered, smiling when she snorted a laugh and cut a third slice. They split that one too.

Their cats began to whine and twine their way around their ankles. Selena rolled her eyes and gave them each another mini cupcake. One with pink icing to match the s’mores cake. Drake chuckled and prepared to cut a fourth slice, when Selena stilled his hand and set the glass lid over the cake on its stand.

“Wait,” she said, eyes twinkling with mirth. “I have one more surprise for you.”

“Hmmm?” He hummed, question in his eyes. He watched as she pulled off her black tank top, revealing a very familiar hot pink lacey bra. His eyebrows shot up. “Wait. . . is that from. . .?”

“Yep, the same as last year.” She leaned in close and whispered in his ear, “And I’m wearing the matching thong.”

He immediately grabbed her around her waist and tossed her over his shoulder. She shrieked a laugh as he carried her up the stairs towards their bedroom. Their cats stared in astonishment.

Selena held her finger up and said, “You two behave. No more cake.” They meowed in response and moved over to their cat tree by the window.

In the bedroom, Drake kicked the door shut so that they wouldn’t have a feline audience and gently laid Selena down on the bed. He crawled on top of her, caging her in with his arms. Her cheeks were flushed as pink as the icing on her cake, and her eyes danced.

“Thank you,” he whispered, kissing the freckles across her cheeks and nose before planting a soft kiss on her rosy lips.

“For what?” she asked, her voice breathless.

“For the cake.” He kissed just behind her ear. “For remembering things like the day we decided to get married.” He kissed along the slope of her neck. “For being so kind, sweet, and generous to everyone.” He pressed a kiss on her shoulder. “God, for loving me and our little furbabies the way you do.” He pressed a kiss just over her heart. He held himself higher on his elbows to meet her eyes, smiling when he found them filled with tears. “And for not giving up and for loving life, your life, our life, so much despite the craziness of the year. I love you so much.” He leaned down and captured her lips with his.

“Happy Anniversary, Selena,” he murmured before slowly peeling the rest of her clothes off.

#drake's birthday #persephone13 #cake fic #drake walker x f!oc #drake walker #drake walker appreciation #persephone’s asks #persephone’s lovely moots 💕#darling just dive right in fic

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drake-walker-appreciation · 9 months

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It absolutely works!

Uncharted: Tales from the Gypsea - Surf's Up!

Fandom: TRR

Series: Uncharted: Tales from the Gypsea

Pairing: Drake Walker x Harper Gale (F!OC)

Synopsis: While on their honeymoon, Harper takes Drake out of his comfort zone with an unexpected birthday surprise...

Word Count: 5,000 (which is about 3,000 words longer than anticipated, but H&D always run away from me, so here we are 😅)

Rating/Warnings: E (swearing in multiple languages, a few lemon-scented moments, extreme sports)

A/N1: So… this was not what I was supposed to be working on… 😅 But when @petiteboheme sent me a video of Bruno Santos (my FC for Drake) trying hydroboarding (also known as jetblading) for the first time, and demanding that I write a version featuring Drake and Harper, I couldn’t say ‘no’. And since (a) it's the summer, and (b) I haven't written a birthday fic for Drake this year yet, I instantly got a brainwave and dove right in! Hope you enjoy!

A/N2: As mentioned in the Author’s Notes for this series, this fic takes place during Harper and Drake's honeymoon. I HC that Drake’s birthday falls on June 6th, so this mini-adventure would take place approx. midway through the trip.

A/N3: This fic ended up featuring quite a lot of Italian, so as per usual, translations below. I also have a few other general notes at then end.

A/N4: This is also my submission for @choicesjunechallenge, prompts Summer, Vacation, Surf, Beach, Love.

"Rise and shine, sleepy-head," I murmur softly, feathering kisses along the side of Drake's neck.

He groans under his breath, pulling himself out of the depths of slumber with some difficulty. "That's my line, Gale."

"Well, I'm stealing it," I reply impishly, leaning over him to catch his lips with mine. "Especially since I'm up before you for once."

"Obviously, I didn't do a good enough job last night," he grumbles against my mouth, even as he snakes his hand onto my backside to pull my naked body on top of his.

"Oh, don't worry — you did," I assure him, dropping tiny kisses down his chest. "Just like the night before..." My teeth graze his abs. "And the night before that..."

A low sound rattles his throat as I move lower. "The circumstantial evidence indicates otherwise..."

"I needed a way to grab your attention," I tell him sweetly, pausing just above the much more pronounced tan line that circled his hips.

"Oh, you most certainly got it," he confirms, all vestiges of sleep now banished from his countenance as he looks down at me hungrily.

"Good," I declare, drawing myself back up to his eye-level. "Because I have something for you."

"Oh, yeah?" he smirks with a cocked brow, running his palms up my bare thighs in anticipation.

"Yup," I affirm, leaning over him to reach into the recess on the wall behind the bed.

His eyes widen as I pull out the rectangular-shaped item wrapped in Marvel superhero logo emblazoned wrapping paper. "Wait. You didn't—"

"Happy birthday!" I pronounce, holding the present out to him triumphantly.

He greets my offering with a seriously unimpressed glare. "Gale, I told you that—"

"—you don't want any presents, I shouldn't make a big deal out of it, we're on our honeymoon, blah-blah-blah." I fix him with a deadpan look. "Well, guess what, bud? You don't have a choice. Because I want to celebrate the day you were born."

He scoffs. "Oh, so my birthday's all about you, huh?"

"No," I counter. "It's all about you. And I think I did a pretty good job last year. So, how 'bout you trust me for a change?"

He heaves a beleaguered breath. "Can't we just—?"

"Nope!" I interject, thrusting the parcel into his face.

He rolls his eyes as he finally takes the present. "The things I do for you, girl..."

"Don't you mean the things I do for you?" I counter meaningfully.

He hits me with level look as he scoots himself into a sitting position. "We could both be doing each other right now if—"

"Oh, my God, you're impossible!" I cry exasperatedly, even as I fail to suppress a snort of amusement. "Just open it already!"

"Maybe I like the anticipation..."

I smack him on the chest.

"Christ, I married a bullbat!" he huffs.

"Who you love unconditionally," I remind him. "So, I know you'll love this."

He quirks a sceptical brow as he finds the edge of the folded paper and starts to peel it open. "You sound damn sure of yourself..."

"I have reason to be confident," I say, folding my arms with a wink.

He shakes his head at me as he finishes opening his present. But I can see the smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.

The last of the wrapping paper falls away, and he frowns. "You got me... a photo frame?"

"Turn it over," I prompt, trying to contain the butterflies flapping around in my stomach.

He’s gonna like it — I’m sure of it. But... there's always a tiny part of you that insists on throwing all the worst-case scenarios at you, making you doubt yourself.

He flips the frame over...

...and silence falls on the cabin as his expression goes blank.

I bite my bottom lip, waiting for him to say something, to react in some kind of way, but he is as immobile as a statue, giving no indication of his state of mind.

Finally, I can't take it any more. "Do you—?"

"When did you do this?" he demands hoarsely.

"When we were last in port," I tell him. "I went to that pharmacy t—"

"But we don't have the pictures from the wedding yet," he cuts in, voice still tight.

"You mean, you don't have the pictures from the wedding yet," I grin. "I asked Max to put a rush on that one so it would be ready for your birthday."

"Christ, Harper," he breathes, eyes brimming with sudden emotion as he pulls me into him. "Remind me never to play poker with you..."

"I'll take that as a compliment," I say, wrapping my arms around him. "So, does that mean I managed to surprise you?"

"Every goddamn day," he says into my hair, squeezing me tight. "'Cause the fact that you're here with me at all is still pretty un-fuckin'-believeable..."

"Well, you did put a ring on it, so..." I waggle the fingers of my left hand at him.

He smacks me on the ass. "You know what I mean..."

I snort into his neck.

"But seriously," he says, pushing me back up so we were face-to-face again. "I love it. I honestly didn't even realise we had any pictures of us... let alone so many."

"Sometimes you gotta capture that moment in between," I tell him with a coy shrug.

His expression cracks. "God, I love you..."

Yanking me to down, his lips claim mine in a passionate, searing kiss that is dizzying in its intensity.

I sigh happily, melting against him.

And even though I would've loved nothing more than to lose myself in him, out here, in the middle of the ocean, for the umpteenth time since the start of this trip, our love-making’s going to have to wait.

Because today calls for a very different kind of celebration.

So, before Drake has a chance to pull us both into what’s — very clearly! — his preferred form of revelment, I break off the kiss.

His eyes snap open to meet mine. "Gale, what are you—?"

"No rest for the wicked, cowboy," I declare, jumping off him. "It's your 28th birthday and we have things to do, and places to be!"

His face drains of colour. "Sweet fuckin' Jesus... You didn't organise a party, did you?"

I choke back a laugh at the sight of the sheer horror in his eyes. "You really think I'd do that to you, Walker?"

"Well, you clearly have no compunction 'bout leaving a man high and dry on his birthday," he objects sourly, gesturing at his arousal that’s now flying very much at full mast. "So, apparently anything goes."

"Don't worry," I assure him, pausing in the doorway to the bathroom. "There's no party. But we are running behind schedule, so you need to get your butt out of bed and move the boat, Cap'n."

"She's a 37-foot sailing yacht..." he grumbles, running his hand down his face, "not a—"

"Chop-chop, Walker!" I prompt, disappearing into the bathroom with a clap of my hands. "Nobody's gettin' any younger here!"

He flops back onto the pillows with a pained groan. "Christ alive..."

"So?" I ask an hour or so later around a mouthful of Eggs Benedict, sitting on the patio of an unassuming little bistro in St. Julian's, on the island of Malta. "Did I pick well?"

Drake spears the last of his own breakfast. "See or hear any complaints?"

"Worth getting out of bed for?"

He quirks a brow at me as he settles back into his chair. "Now that might be a stretch..."

I punt him under the table.

"Hey," he objects, dodging out of the way. "I said it was good. But would I trade the chicken and waffles for an extra hour in bed with you? Every time."

"Hmm..." I say, stirring the remainder of my freshly squeezed orange juice with my straw. "Sounds like I need to try harder next time."

He meets my eye over the rim of his coffee cup. "You can try... But you've set a damn high bar for yourself, girl."

I click my tongue as I set the glass back onto the table. "Well, the day isn't over yet, cowboy. I may still be able to surpass myself."

"Tough odds, Gale," he assures me with a smirk. "Tough odds."

"How was everything?" asks the sever, appearing to clear our plates away.

"Really good!" I say. "I'm stuffed!"

"And you, sir?"

"It hit the spot," Drake acknowledges, flicking a contented look my way.

"Glad to hear!" the server replies as she stacks the empty crockery together. "Can I get you another refill, or—?"

"Just the bill, please," I interject, reaching for my purse. "We're running a bit late."

"No problem," she replies. "I'll print it off right away. Cash or card?"

"Car—"

"Cash," interjects Drake, holding some Euros out. "And you can keep the change."

I whirl on him in bewilderment. "But—"

"Th-thanks," stammers the server, clearly surprised by the size of the tip Drake has just given her. "Did you still want the receipt?"

"Nah, we're good," advises Drake, pushing his chair back. "The wife says we're running late, so that means we're running late."

"Okay, I won't keep you then! Have a good rest of your day!"

"But—" I try again, but the server has already stuffed the cash into her apron and turned away.

"Up-and-at-'em, Gale," prompts Drake, holding his hand out. "You said we gotta get moving so—"

"But, I was going to pay for breakfast!" I object, grabbing my bag and taking his proffered assistance to help me stand.

"Well, I beat you to it," he shrugs, looping his fingers through mine as he navigates us through the labyrinth of tables that dotted the bistro's patio. "Plus, you'd've been shafted on the bank charges and the exchange rate, so—"

"But it's your birthday!" I press. "I wanted to treat you for a change!"

"Trust me, you did," he assures me with a smile, giving my hand a squeeze. "You found a place in the Med that does chicken and waffles for breakfast. If that's not a treat, I dunno what is."

I feel myself blush under the sincerity of his gaze. "So, you did like it."

"'Course I did," he affirms, twirling me to a stop in front of him. "Even if I had to eat dirt for breakfast, I'd enjoy it if I got to do it with you. You're the silver lining around everything, mon coeur."

I feel my throat tighten as I gaze up at him. "Drake..."

"And the money?" He reaches up to stroke my face with a nonchalant shrug. "That's all relative. We're married now, so what's mine is yours and vice-versa. There's no need to keep tabs on who pays for what and when."

I'm suddenly powerless in the face of his caress. "If you say so, Mr. Walker."

"It's my birthday," he confirms, cupping my face in his hands. "So, I do say so... Mrs. Gale-Walker."

Leaning in, he tilts my chin up. My eyes shudder closed as his lips meet mine softly, tenderly, like a lapping wave kissing the shoreline. But with each surge, that wave crests in size and strength until it becomes a riptide of passion that threatens to swallow us completely.

"Christ, I'll never get tired of saying that," he breathes between one inrush and the next.

"It was... definitely a hard... fought accomplishment," I agree haltingly, gripping his hair in an effort to keep myself from being swept away by his sudden fervour.

He swallows a groan as my body arcs into his. "All the more reason...to celebrate the crap out of it."

My eyes snap open. "Celebrate...! Shit! We're late for your—"

"Screw that," he growls, tightening his hold on me. "I'm takin' you back to the boat."

"Thought it was... a sailing yacht," I gasp as he underscores his intent by pulling me flush against the hardness of his body.

"Not the point," he replies dismissively, scrunching the material of my romper between his fingers as his stubble brushes the shell of my ear. "'Cause I'm still gonna fuck you over every inch of the deck."

"After!" I tell him, distracting him with a kiss on his cheek as I spin out of his grasp.

His head drops back to stare up at the sky. "Putain de bordel de—"

"Come on!" I shout over my shoulder at him, already pegging it down towards the marina.

He grumbles something testily under his breath before reluctantly obliging.

Dodging around locals and tourists, we manage to make it down to the bottom of the hill where the island gave way to Spinola Bay just as the various clock-towers around the city begin to toll the hour.

"Crap!" I exclaim, throwing my head around as I try to speed-read the various signs suspended over the promenade. "Which one is it?"

Drake comes to a stop next to me. "Gale, what are y—?"

"There it is!" I cry, grabbing his hand to haul him after me.

"Sweet Jesus, girl!" he huffs. "Will you just—?"

He cusses again as he very nearly avoids running me over as I suddenly pull us up in front of a squat building.

"Ta-da!" I exclaim, throwing my arm dramatically out at the black-and-red façade of the water sports rental place that we just arrived at.

"Okay...?" he says hesitantly, eyeing the store front dubiously. "And we're here because...?"

"You'll see!" I proclaim, pulling him into the minuscule space inside the door.

"Oh, for fuck's s—!"

The two guys manning the counter look up at the sound of our whirlwind arrival.

Laying eyes on me, both of their faces break into that trademark Mediterranean smile I've found myself on the receiving end of more times than I could count since the start of this trip.

"Ciao, bella!" cries one by way of greeting, stepping out from behind the counter. "Can we help you?"

"Ciao, yes. I'm Harper," I say, holding my hand out. "I spoke to one of you on the phone yesterday?"

The guy's eyes light up as he grabs my hand eagerly. "Ah, sì! Harper! I remember!" Bending down, he lays an enthusiastic kiss on my knuckles. "You spoke to me! I'm Mario."

I nod in affirmation. "Yes, I—"

"And this is my brother, Luca!" continues Mario with typical Italian excitement, throwing a hand on the other guy's shoulder to yank him into my eye-line.

"Come stai?" he asks, grabbing my hand out of his brothers grasp to drop a loud smooch on it as well.

"Sto bene, grazie," I reply graciously.

Mario and Luca stare at me in bewilderment before simultaneously lighting up in wonder. "Ah! Sorprendente! Parla italiano? Hai un così bell'accento! Tu che sembri—"

"And, this is Drake," I add in English, somewhat apologetically, having exhausted my limited Italian. "My husband."

The brothers' faces fall. "Ah. Piacere."

Drake nods passively in reply.

"So... you, ah, wanted to have Full Flight experience?" asks Mario, clearing his throat as he resumes his place behind the counter.

"Yes," I respond, digging into my bag for my phone. "The 30 minute package. I have the confirmation email, if—"

"No, no!" interjects Mario with a wave of his hand as he clicks the Apple desktop screen to life. "I have you in system already. And you paid full amount yesterday, so you only need to sign waiver before start of your lesson."

"Great!" I say, dropping my phone back into the bag's pocket as Luca hands me a double sided piece of paper. "You have a pen?"

Two sets of biros are thrust instant in my direction.

"Thanks," I say bemusedly.

Turning back to Drake, I see him looking at me with a raised brow.

"Full flight experience, Gale?" he asks dryly. "We signing our life away to go parasailing or something?"

"Nope," I reply, passing him the waiver and the pen with a grin. "Just you. Because you're about to go hydroboarding."

His eyes snap up to mine. "Hydro-what-now?"

"Hydroboarding," I repeat. "Also known as jet-blading. Think Iron Man thrusters on your feet, but powered by water instead of... whatever it is that powers Iron Man's thrusters."

"Repulsors," he supplies dryly as he scans the waiver. "And you thought this was a good idea because...?"

"Because it's your birthday and I wanted to surprise you with something that you haven't tried before and therefore wouldn't be expecting!"

"Well, you certainly managed to score on both of those fronts," he mutters, scribbling his details on the form.

I lean into him seductively. "I told you I'd be able to surpass myself."

He glances up from the page. "Don't jump the gun, baby. I'm not out on the water yet."

"Like I said this morning," I purr against his ear. "I have reason to feel confident."

A low growl rumbles in his throat as he dashes his signature on the form.

"Bene!" cries Mario, snatching the waiver away. "If you follow Luca to the back, he will give you helmet and wetsuit in your size."

"Wetsuit?" queries Drake, dropping the pen on the counter. "Seriously?"

"All part of the package, darling," I tell him with a pat on his back as we file after Luca.

Drake groans audibly. "You're walking a fine line, girl..."

"You know me, Walker..." I smirk. "I'm all about the high-octane thrills!"

"Good," he says, throwing me a heated look over his shoulder. "Because when we get back to the yacht, I'm still plannin' to take you all the way to cloud nine."

I meet his eye. "That a promise?"

His mouth pulls into a cocky grin. "It's a gold-plated guarantee."

"So, this is equipment room," declares Luca, coming to a stop in the middle of a tightly packed space that was filled to the brim with various pieces of water-sporting gear. "We have helmets, wetsuits, life jackets in all sizes. You look like you're a pretty fit guy so—"

"La mia taglia la so," interjects Drake, striding over to a rack of wetsuits.

Luca's eyes widen.

"He's been diving before," I say by way of explanation.

"Noto," comes the po-faced acknowledgment as Drake rifles critically through the options. "And I see now where you learn to speak Italian."

"Learning," I correct. "It's a bit of a slow process."

"Salvagente?" asks Drake, turning back to the room with his selection.

Luca indicates towards the far wall.

Crossing the floor, Drake quickly picks out a life jacket, and a helmet as well.

"Lo spogliatoio è laggiù," advises Luca, pointing to a haphazardly hung curtain in the corner.

"Grazie," nods Drake, carrying his armload of stuff over.

"Do you... need me to hold onto anything?" I ask.

"Nah, I'm good," he replies, stepping behind the curtain. "Be out in a minute."

"Okay."

"So, you come to Malta for holiday?" asks Luca inquisitively, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of having to wait in silence.

"Honeymoon," I reply, tucking my hair behind my ear.

"Ahh!" he exclaims, throwing his hands up into the air. "Congratulazioni! Your husband is very lucky guy!"

"Thanks," I say with a simile. "I feel the same way about him."

"How you two meet?"

"Erm... it's a bit of a long story, but we met in New York."

"Ah, sì! New York!" he nods enthusiastically. "The Big Melon!"

I frown. "Normally it's called the Big Apple, but—"

The sound of metal rings jingling on the curtain pole draw my attention.

Turning my head, I see Drake step out from the changing area and I can't help but snort.

He quirks a brow as he adjusts the chin strap on his helmet. "Somethin' funny, Gale?"

"No," I say, trying to recollect my composure. "I... I've just never seen you with so much gear on."

"Well, it's a bit overkill, if you ask me," he declares, grabbing his clothes and shoes from the floor.

"You do look ready for some serious spelunking..."

"Let me guess?" he drawls, handing me his stuff. "That's my birthday present for next year?"

I swallow down another snort as I drop his things in my tote. "Do you want it to be?"

His mocha eyes meet mine. "Only if you're coming with me."

"You got yourself a deal, cowboy," I say with a grin, pushing myself up on my toes to give him a kiss. "Now go live it up as Iron Man."

"Whatever you say, Miss Potts," he smirks with a wink, giving my backside a clandestine squeeze before turning to Luca. "Quindi cosa dopo?"

"Suegitemi," he prompts, heading back to the front of the store.

"Y'know," whispers Drake into my ear as we follow after Luca, "it's not too late for you to ditch that romper and get gussied up too."

"Nice try, Walker," I laugh. "But like I said — this day is all about you, so I'm more than happy to sit this one out so I can capture your escapades on film."

"Fine," he grumbles. "But I'm gettin' my own back for your birthday."

"I expect nothing less," I grin as Luca leads us out onto the jetty, where Mario is already waiting for us.

"Ah! Bellissimo!" he enthuses upon our approach. But his face suddenly falls as his eyes land on me. "Harper! You change your mind? You don't want to go flying?"

"Oh, no," I say with a chuckle. "This was a surprise for Drake."

"Ahh!" nods Mario in understanding. "You want to use husband as hamster first. Smart lady!"

"Actually—"

But Mario has already turned his attention onto his student. "So. Mr Drake. Like English pirate, yes?"

"Era un corsaro, non un pirata," replies Drake.

"Ah-ha!" exclaims Mario, clapping Drake on the shoulder. "So, it is you who are the secret Italian! But why English name?"

"Perché sono mezzo americano," explains Drake. "Ma mia madre è di Cordonia e anche io sono cresciuto lì."

"Ah, sì... Cordonia," muses Mario. "Bel paese. Belle donne."

As Drake continues conversing with the brothers in their native language, I take the opportunity to slip my phone out of my bag and take some pictures of the three of them, as well as the sparkling bay behind us.

Malta had not been on the list of destinations for this trip, but it had been the only place that offered hydroboarding. So, when it had popped up as an option during my online hunt for birthday surprises for Drake, I knew I had to convince him to make the detour south.

And honestly? It had been worth it. The little island was a true jewel of the Mediterranean with craggy limestone cliffs plunging into azure-blue bays so clear you could see to the bottom, while the small towns that dotted the coast literally made you feel like you stepped back in time as you wandered the meandering cobblestone streets lined with imposing baroque buildings.

Stowing my phone away, I turn back to the men and see that they are now in the process of showing Drake how to use the hydroboard, which really does look like the wayward parts of Tony Stark's suit. And while I can’t understand any of the fast-paced Italian, I’m able to pick up the general gist from the non-verbal parts of the demo: dip your toes down to go forwards, straighten back up to stop or rise higher, and lean to the side to turn.

Drake is nodding along intently, dropping a few questions here and there, but before long, Luca is strapping the device to his feet, and latching on the tube that would supply the water to the thrusters via the jet ski's propulsion system.

"All set?" I ask as he prepares to drop into the water.

"We're about to find out," he replies as Luca helps lower him off the pier.

"Have fun!" I call down to him.

"Harper!"

I snap my head up at the sound of my name.

Mario beckoning to me from atop his jet ski. "Jump on! Capitano Drake said you wanted to take pictures — best spot is from the water."

"But I'm not dressed for swimming," I say, gesturing at my romper.

"Don't worry!" he laughs. "I promised your husband I will take good care of you. You won't fall in."

"Okay, sure!" I nod with a grin, slipping out of my sandals. Opening up my tote, I drop my shoes in and extract my phone before stowing the bag behind a large metal mooring post. Since it was just us out here, I figured our stuff would be safe for the 30 or so minutes while we were out on the water, especially since it looked like Luca would be staying on the jetty.

Quickly throwing my hair into a ponytail, I make my way over to Mario. Sitting down on the edge of the pier, Luca provides some assistance with manoeuvring me onto the back of the jet ski, given that I only really had one free hand.

Once I'm seated securely, Mario relays some instructions into the headset he was wearing before slowly guiding the little vessel away from the jetty.

Glancing behind me, I see Drake's head bobbing above the water, but he quickly starts to ascend skywards.

"Get ready," advises Mario, revving the throttle higher as he spins the jet ski around so we were facing back towards the shore.

Pulling up the camera app, I switch it to video mode and hit record just as Drake rises somewhat haphazardly out of the water.

"Oh, my God! That's so cool!" I exclaim, watching as the powerful jets under his feet propel him upwards until he's hovering about a foot above the water, arms thrown out as he tries to maintain his balance.

"Like magic, no?" grins Mario, watching Drake's efforts and making adjustments to the throttle speed accordingly.

"Definitely!" I enthuse, zooming in on Drake as he begins to move forwards.

"Balance is most important thing," calls Mario above the roar of the jets. "If you have strong balance you can—"

"Oh, no!" I cry as Drake suddenly loses the tentative hold in his equilibrium and tips in slow-motion back into the water.

"Everybody falls," Mario assures me as he helps Drake level out again before powering upwards once more with some further instructions into his headset. "But for first time, he is doing great job!"

"He's an amazing snowboarder," I say. "And he used to ski before that. I'm guessing both of those help."

"Sì, sì," nods Mario, keeping his gaze on his charge. "Skating, rollerblading, surfing — all these sports are good practice. Should we make him go higher?"

"Obviously!" I laugh, giving Drake a wave as he looks in our direction.

He gives a quick wave in response before focusing his attention back on the mechanics of his flight. Mario relays a few more instructions down the line and Drake throws us a thumbs up in response. A few false starts and a couple of jagged movements later, he's managed to draw a figure of eight out in front of us.

"Wow!" I gasp as he repeats the exercise again, this time with increased speed. "He's gotten the hang of that that quick!"

"He is natural," agrees Mario. "Before you know it, he will be competing in X-Games."

"Don't tell him that, because he definitely—!" I gasp as I catch sight of Drake again. "Holy crap!"

"Like I said — he is natural," replies Mario, watching Drake execute a tight 360 bent low over his board.

"Oh, God, I've created a monster..." I mutter sardonically under my breath as Drake flies out of the spin into a wide circle around us.

The rest of the session zooms by in a blur, and before I know it my phone battery is about to die and it's time to head back to shore.

"That was so amazing!" I exclaim as Luca helps me dismount the jet ski. "And I wasn't even the one flying!"

"You are welcome back anytime, Harper," says Mario with a grin as Luca takes my place on the back of the craft. "It was our pleasure!"

Grabbing my bag, I watch as the brothers head back to Drake and help him detach the hydroboard from his feet before shuttling it back to the jetty.

Drake makes the short swim back to the pier, and I'm there waiting for him as he climbs back onto dry land.

"So, what did you think?" I ask as he pulls himself up next to me, dripping water.

"Fuckin' awesome!" he declares, unclipping his helmet with a beaming smile. "The time went by so fast that I swear I was only out there for 5 minutes, tops."

"Well, my phone can attest to the fact that it was the full half hour," I assure him. "I got some good pics though!"

"Great! Can't wait to see! And you're definitely coming with me next time. You'd love it! It really is like flying!"

"Glad you had a good time, cowboy," I say, dropping a kiss in his salt-infused lips.

He wraps his arm around me, drenching me in the process. "I really did. And I really appreciate you pulling this together for me behind my back. You really didn't have to."

I smack him on the chest. "Of course I did! What kind of person would I be if I didn't surprise you with some kind of surprise on your birthday?"

"Well, you got me the other present already, so—"

"Nope!" I declare with a cheeky grin. "One present isn't enough. I gotta keep you in your toes, bud, remember?"

"You do, baby," he says with a warm look, pulling me to him. "Every single day. And I wouldn't trade it for the world."

"Me neither," I assure him, fusing my lips with his. "Now, let's get back to the boat."

So, as promised, a few notes and translations below:

1. Food — I appreciate that chicken and waffles is very much an American dish, with strong ties to the Southern states. However, in the course of my research, I did actually find a bistro in St. Julian’s, in Malta, where they serve this for brunch, so I did not — in any way! — take any creative licenses with that part of the story 😇

2. Language — Malta is an interesting place from a language point of view. While the official language is Maltese (which is a Semitic language that developed from a dialect of Arabic in combination with Sicilian — no, I didn’t know this either!), Malta was a British colony for about 150 years, which means that most people are conversant in both languages. In addition, due to Malta’s proximity to Italy, along with the influence of the Sicilian dialect on the local language, many Maltese people can speak/understand Italian as well. That said, Mario and Luca are actually Italian transplants (rather than Maltese), which is why they speak Italian.

3. Translations — As mentioned in my other fics, I HC that Drake is fluent in both French and Italian. Here are the translations:

- Mon coeur: lit. ‘my heart’ but connotatively means ‘my love’

- Putain de bordel de— : For fuck's—

- Ciao, bella!: Hello, beautiful!

- Sì: Yes

- Come stai?: How are you (doing)?

- Sto bene, grazie: I’m doing well, thanks.

- Sorprendente! Parla italiano? Hai un così bell'accento! Tu che sembri— : Amazing! You speak Italian! You have such a beautiful accent! You sound like—

- Piacere: Pleasure (as in ‘pleasure to meet you’)

- Bene: Good/great

- La mia taglia la so: I know what size I am

- Noto: Noted / I see

- Salvagente: Life jacket

- Lo spogliatoio è laggiù: The changing room is over there

- Grazie: Thanks

- Congratulazioni: Congratulations

- Quindi cosa dopo?: What now?

- Suegitemi: Follow me

- Bellissimo: Beautiful

- Era un corsaro, non un pirata: He was a privateer, not a pirate

- Perché sono mezzo americano. Ma mia madre è di Cordonia e anche io sono cresciuto lì: Because I am half-American. My mother is from Cordonia and I also grew up there.

- Ah, sì... Cordonia. Bel paese. Belle donne: Ah, yes… Cordonia. Beautiful country. Beautiful women.

*Big Melon: So, while looking for a translation of Big Apple, I learnt that in Italian, apple = mela, which I thought looked and sounded surprisingly similar to melon (melone), hence the small linguistic in-joke. Similar case of lost in translation with Guinea pig vs hamster. I know, I’m sad… ignore me 😆

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Picture credits:

Hydroboarding - Harper - Drake - Malta

#drake walker #drake walker appreciation #drake’s birthday

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