#(feel very free to continue this little story ♥︎)

[harley-sunday]

August Rush [10]

Summary: You’ve known Carlos for almost as long as you have been working in Formula One but you never expected it would take you seven years and a concussion to realise that maybe you like him as more than just a friend.

Pairing: Carlos Sainz jr x reader (OFC nicknamed Pip) | Max Verstappen x reader (best friends)

Warnings: Language. Slightly NSFW. 

Word count: 6.9k.

AN: This is it, babes. The final part of this wild ride we all went on almost a year ago. I’m gonna miss writing for these two but I think the story I wanted to tell got told and it’s time for them to have their happy ending. I couldn’t have done this without my Devious Friend™, my editor-in-chief, and my greatest support. eL, this one’s for you, babe ♥ And for all of you - I meant what I said last time, please feel free to come yell at me in the comments. I would love to hear what you think!

Masterlist

Despite the weather forecast predicting nothing but rain this race weekend, it’s actually quite nice when you make it to Spa on Wednesday and so you’re enjoying a walk through the paddock in your Alpha Tauri-issued team polo with your sunglasses on and an iced coffee in your hand. Something about the calm before the storm, you think idly. 

Spa is- It’s hectic. It’s the first race after the summer break and so there’s always a lot to catch up on, the last remnants of silly season still echoing through the paddock and some of the announced driver changes for next year raising a few eyebrows here and there. Like you expected, the news that your team has chosen to focus on the development of next year’s car has been met with very few questions and so, except for a press conference that isn't scheduled until tomorrow morning, there isn’t much for you to do except catch up with the other press officers and a few of your driver friends.

First stop is the Red Bull garage, where you find Max joking around with some of his pit crew, comparing tans and exchanging stories about their summer holidays. His smile grows even wider when he spots you and he gives you a quick wave, motioning for you to come over, “Hello.” 

You step into his outstretched arms without a moment’s thought, “God, I’ve missed you, Maxy.”

He hugs you closer, “How are you?”

“Good,” you tell him, before you let go and take a step back. “I just wanted to hear if we’re still on for dinner with your mom tonight?”

“She’s been talking about nothing else ever since she got here,” Max chuckles. “I think we’re staying in the same hotel, right?” He waits for you to nod before he continues, “Ok, so why don’t we meet in the lobby at seven and I’ll ask mum to meet us there? I think she wants to go to that restaurant we went to last year also.”

“With that housemade ‘Stoofvlees’,” you try, no doubt butchering the pronunciation. Your mouth starts to water just thinking about the dish, a beef and onion stew that Sophie convinced you to try last year and that you have thought about ever since. 

Max laughs, “Yeah, that’s the one.”

“Perfect,” you agree with a nod as you start to walk backwards towards the pitlane, “I’ll see you at seven then.”

***

“Oh my God,” you roll your eyes and lean back in your chair, savouring the taste of your final bite. Holding your hand in front of your mouth then, because you still have some manners left, “That was so good!”

Sophie and Max share a look before they both let out a laugh and Max continues telling you about his holiday in Brazil, after you’ve already told them a little about your time in Mallorca, leaving out a few choice details of course.

Dinner with Sophie and Max is nice, it always is. You don’t get to see Sophie that often and when you do it’s usually just a quick hello in the paddock after quali or before the race and so to be able to sit down with her and Max and have a couple of hours to catch up is a small treat in and of itself. 

When Max excuses himself to go to the bathroom, Sophie leans forwards and waits until he’s out of earshot before she softly says, “There’s something different about you, Pip.” 

You smile and look down, trying to avoid her curious gaze because you know if she looks at you long enough you’ll just spill everything. Instead you trace the rim of your water glass with your fingers and shrug, “I’m just really in a good place, I guess. Work is going well and-”

“Hmm,” Sophie agrees half-heartedly, seeing right through your act. “It’s ok if you don’t want to tell me yet, sweetheart. I know how exciting it can be to keep something to yourself for a while.”

“Yeah,” you nod and look up at her, smiling almost apologetically, “I think I should tell Max first-” 

She reaches over the table and puts her hand on yours, “Whatever it is or-” she smiles, “Whoever it is, I’m sure Max will be fine.” 

“I know. It’s just-” you take a deep breath.

“He cares about you so much,” Sophie looks up then and when you follow her eyes you see Max making his way back to the table. She leans in closer, squeezes your hand and whispers, “He’ll be fine.” 

***

During the drivers’ interviews on Thursday, pairing Pierre with Mick and Yuki with Fernando, you stay in the media room for all ten interviews like you always do, smiling when you see Carlos and Daniel walk on stage. 

You’re all the way in the back of the room but still Carlos’ eyes find yours and the smile he sends you makes the heat rise to your cheeks. Daniel is too busy cracking jokes with one of the journalist to notice anything but then Carlos gets asked what he did over his summer holidays, which he answers with a very vague, “Not much, I enjoyed having some time off while also making sure I kept up with the training schedule,”, and all of a sudden Daniel’s all over him with cheeky grins and cheesy winks that are meant to let everyone know that, as far as Daniel’s concerned, Carlos is not telling the full story.

For a moment you’re worried Daniel knows- Something, but- He couldn’t, can’t he? Still, you clear your throat loud enough to catch Daniel’s attention and when his eyes land on you, you tell him to cut it out with a miniscule shake of your head. 

He furrows his brows and you know he’ll give you shit for it later, but for now you’ve averted the crisis because the next journalist is already asking Carlos what he thinks of the weather forecast for this weekend and if he’s worried about the race being delayed.

***

“What was that all about, babe?”

You startle a little when Daniel’s warm breath hits your neck and so you curse quietly, which in turn makes him laugh, turning a few heads in your direction. You try to smile apologetically, knowing it’s best not to have the pinnacle of F1 journalism on your bad side.

“Bad conscience, huh?” He pinches your side and puts his mouth even closer to your ear, “So come on, spill the tea, what were you and Sainz up to this summer?”

“Nothing,” you whisper in his direction. “I just didn’t think it would be good for either team if they found out during a press conference that an Alpha Tauri employee spent their summer at a Ferrari driver’s house. There’s a time and place for that, Dan.”

Daniel sucks some air between his teeth, “Yeah, that could get nasty real’ quick, huh?” He slings his arm around your shoulder then and holds up his other hand, extending his pinky to you, “Pinky promise nothing happened?”

You don’t hesitate and hook your finger behind his, “Pinky promise.”

“Good,” he says and oddly enough it sounds as if he believes you because he nods to the podium then, “Let’s hear what these two have to say for themselves then, babe.”

You follow his eyes towards the podium, where Max and Charles are answering some rather boring answers about strategy and their expectations for this weekend.

***

Carlos finds you in the Alpha Tauri hospitality early on Friday morning, the paddock still relatively quiet and not too many other drivers yet around. It’s been your race week ritual ever since he moved from Toro Rosso to Renault and so you were already waiting with an espresso for him and a cappuccino for you. It’s weird, having to act as if you’re still just friends because God, you really want to kiss him. To distract yourself you keep playing with the charm on your bracelet.

He notices, of course he does, and says, with one raised eyebrow and a rather mischievous grin, “If you would just tell him we could- You know-”

“Carlos-” You add a dramatic sigh for full effect. “Later. Ok?”

“Later today, or-” Carlos lets out a laugh when you throw him a look, “What? I need to know how to plan my day, cariño. Can I kiss you? Can I not ki-”

“Carlos!” You put your hand over his mouth and look around rather panicked, hoping nobody has heard him. It doesn’t seem anyone did, “You are a menace, you know that.”

Carlos wiggles his eyebrows and nips at the palm of your hand.

“Oh Jesus Christ.” You let out a sigh and pull back your hand, “I will tell him after the race, ok? I promise.”

He pouts. Of course he does. 

You shake your head but can’t help but laugh, “Two more days, babe. You’ll manage.”

“Babe?”

Shit. You turn around and try your best to act cool, “Hi Lando.”

Lando seems unimpressed and points at Carlos, “What are you calling him ‘babe’ for?”

“She’s angry,” Carlos says before you even have the chance to come up with an excuse. When Lando looks between you and Carlos and back, looking more confused than ever, Carlos leans in and whispers, “Did you never notice she calls people ‘babe’ whenever she tries to get her point across even though she knows you’re not gonna listen?”

And, oh damn if that isn’t the truth. You just never knew he picked up on that.

Landos squints at you but doesn’t say anything for a few seconds and just as you’re convinced he’s not buying it he starts nodding enthusiastically, “She does!”

“Lando!” You playfully smack his chest, “You’re supposed to disagree, babe.”

Lando’s eyes widen and then he lets out a cackle, “You’re literally doing it right now.”

You can’t help but laugh but throw Carlos a quick wink when Lando isn’t looking and mouth a quiet, “Nice save.”

***

While the first free practice is rather uneventful, FP2 has Max losing control of the rear of his car and spinning out at Malmedy, hitting the wall. Despite that he still manages to set the fastest time and so you’re not too worried about him or the car, although you still send him a text to make sure he’s ok. 

It’s nearing the end of the day and so you’re busy  gathering your things when you hear your name being called from outside the garage. When you look up and see your best friend standing there, waving enthusiastically, you can’t help but run over to her and throw yourself at her for a hug, “Hi friend!”

“Hi babe,” she hugs you closer. “I’ve missed you.” 

“I’ve missed you too,” you admit easily enough. 

She lets go then and puts her hands on your arms, “Now tell me, how are things with that boy toy of yours? I want to know everything.”

“Flo,” you warn through gritted teeth, a quick look around to make sure Pierre isn’t within earshot, “not here.”

“Fine,” she huffs. “During dinner then.” She looks at you expectantly, “You ready to go?”

“Yeah, let me just grab my things-” you say and nod towards your bag and jacket. “I do want to get changed first though, so we’re stopping at my hotel first, ok?”

“Ok,” she echoes, the word dramatically drawn out, “but you're driving.” 

***

“So yeah, friends with benefits,” you conclude your story of your time with Carlos. 

Flo eyes you suspiciously but doesn’t say anything.

“We’re just having fun-” you try again but it sounds rather unconvincing and you hope she’s not going to push it. You feel terrible lying to your best friend but you really want to tell Max first and so you add with a cheek grin, “-and great sex, so win-win.”

“Hmm,” she hums, leaning back in her chair, a glass of wine dangling between her fingers. “There’s something you’re not telling me, though.” A wicked grin then, “Don’t worry, I’ll figure it out.”

“Counting on it,” you challenge her, holding up your glass. “Cheers, babe.” 

***

Saturday has a change of weather and all of a sudden you find yourself waiting in the garage, the first qualifying session delayed by fifteen minutes because of the rain that’s absolutely pouring down. You’re not really needed for qualifying but you like to show your support to both Yuki and Pierre and so you tend to hang around anyway.

When it’s finally time to get started, you find your way to the TV screens lining the wall and watch the first round of quali unfold with Pyry, Pierre’s trainer, standing next to you, absolutely towering over you. Flo is standing on Pyry’s other side, nervously chewing on the cuticle of her thumb as her eyes are glued on the screen. You know Spa holds some horrendous memories for her and that she’s not just watching Pierre but Charles as well and so you stand next to her and take her free hand in yours, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Together you see Yuki getting eliminated after the first stint and Carlos and Charles stranding in Q2, while Pierre and Max advance to Q3, where a crash from Lando brings out the red flags after only a few minutes of racing, which means Max takes pole and Pierre starts sixth on the grid tomorrow. 

***

You’re in the media pen with Pierre once qualifying is over and zone out a little when he’s answering questions from Ziggo Sports because their reporter Jack has a very roundabout way of asking something that’s always rather simple. You can’t wait to get out of this cold and so you’re sort of daydreaming about the hot shower waiting for you in your hotel room. It’s then you see Carlos walking over to Sky Sports who are lined up next to where you’re standing and you can feel your heart skip a beat because God, he looks good. 

He catches you looking and throws you a wink, taking off his cap and running a hand through his hair, knowing exactly what it does to you.

You quickly avert your eyes and try to focus on Jack’s next question but it turns out the interview is over and thus so are Pierre’s media duties. You walk back to the garage together in silence, both of you lost in thought. Before he disappears into his driver's room to get changed, you remind him there’s a scheduled post going up on his Instagram in an hour or so and then  continue on towards the Alpha Tauri offices to collect your bag so you can head out and call it a day. 

You’re in a relatively quiet part of the paddock when you feel someone walking up behind you and before you can even turn around there are two hands on your hips, gently pushing you into a dark corner in between the Alpha Tauri and Ferrari garages. You gasp, ready to punch whoever has grabbed you but then you hear a low chuckle that you’d recognize anywhere and so instead you turn around and gently slap his chest, whispering a berating, “Carlos!”

“What?” He tries to act all innocent while grinning wickedly, “There’s no one around, cariño. And I really, really want to kiss you. If I have to wait until Sunday evening I won’t survive.”

You let out a giggle, hiding your face against his chest, “You’re so dramatic.”

“It’s why you love me,” he counters almost instantly. “Let me kiss you?”

“We can’t-” you try but you know it’s a losing battle when he puts his fingers under your chin and tilts your head back, making you look up at him. 

He licks his lips and lets his eyes fall to your mouth, “Please?”

You don’t say anything but instead push yourself up, brushing your lips against his, letting out a tiny whimper when he kisses back, hard. Soon enough you feel yourself getting lost in the kiss, your hands sneaking into his hair, wishing you could stop time for just five minutes or so. 

Carlos has just slipped his tongue inside your mouth, making you moan a little, when you hear a manic laugh coming from somewhere close by.

Both you and Carlos pull back at the same time and you hold onto his arms as you look around him, trying to find the culprit. Maybe it’s not that bad. Maybe they were laughing at something else. Maybe it’s-

It’s Pierre.

Oh shit.

You curse quietly and step to the side, rounding Carlos, arms outstretched to your driver as if any sudden movements will set something in motion you’re not ready to deal with yet. 

Pierre shakes his head, still laughing, and holds up his phone, snapping a picture, “C’est chaud ça, hein?”

“Pierre Jean-Jacques Gasly,” you warn him, using your best mom-voice as you slowly walk towards him, “don’t you dare. Delete that.” Dropping your voice then, hoping it will get your point across, “Now.”

It’s no use, his fingers are already hovering over the screen, his lips curled up in a manic grin, “Oh, this is so good-” 

“What are you doing?” Your voice is a little high-pitched but Jesus, if he puts any of this on Instagram-

It’s then he looks up and when he sees how close you are he tries to act very innocent all of a sudden, dropping his smile and shrugging, “Nothing.” 

You take a deep breath, trying your hardest not to panic, “Give me your phone.”

“What? No.” Pierre takes a step back and hides his phone behind his back.

“Cabrón,” Carlos says from over your shoulder, his voice low and a warning there that makes a shiver run down your spine. “Give her your phone.”

“I didn’t do anything stupid, ok? I just wanted proof. So I can collect my winnings-” He seems to realise his mistake the moment the words leave his mouth and he tries to cover it up by adding, “It’s not online, I swear.”

You look at him in shock, starting to connect dots you’re not sure you want to connect, “Winnings? What? Do you have a bet going on or-?” It’s then you remember your call with Flo, where she told you to figure things out before Spa and- You can’t believe Pierre and Flo would actually bet on you getting together with Carlos. Then again- You shake your head, figure you can worry about that later. Your first priority is getting Pierre’s phone and if he wants to piss you off some more by not giving it to you, fine. You’ll go get it yourself.

Out of nowhere you lunge forward, pushing Pierre against the back of the Ferrari garage and distracting him with a well aimed flick to his cheek-

“Oi!”

-and reach behind him, taking the phone and running back to hide behind Carlos. Pierre’s phone is locked but of course you know the code and so you pull up his last used app, a little surprised to see it’s Whatsapp, and open the most recent message thread, which is a group chat called “Chili and Pip 2021” and for a brief moment you wonder how many previous group chats there have been that they had to add a year to the name. You file that away for later because there are too many contacts in the group for it to just be him and Flo. Jesus. 

The last message Pierre sent in the chat is the picture he took, showing Carlos’ back and you behind him, looking absolutely livid. The message he attached a very eloquent, ‘Busted!’

“I can explain-” Pierre tries, and at least now he has the decency to look a little guilty. 

“I want you-” you point his phone at him, “-Flo, and everyone else in this fuckin’ group chat in my office in ten minutes,” you tell him through gritted teeth, stepping in front of Carlos then to make your point. “And I’m keeping your phone so you can’t pull any more bullshit, Gasly.”

“But-”

“Nine minutes and forty seconds,” you warn him, turning on your heels then and hold out your hand, waiting until Carlos takes it before you tug him towards the Alpha Tauri building.

When you reach your office, you can’t help but laugh, “Oh, this is going to be fuckin’ awesome.”

Carlos seems confused.

You let go of his hand and lean against your desk, “I know this is not the reaction you expected but- Ok. So. Honestly? I’m actually not surprised they made a bet out of it, I mean- It’s- It’s what we do. When Charles and Flo first started to realise that maybe they liked each other as more than friends, Pierre and I bet on how long it would take him to make it Instagram official so- I won, by the way,” you add with a grin. You wave your hand around, “Not really the point. Anyway, the thing I’m most upset about is that I didn’t figure this out sooner-”

“Why?” He looks at you like he’s afraid you’ve lost your mind, which honestly, after the way you’ve been rambling, you can understand.

“So we could have messed up their wagers,” you explain. “We could have pretended to have gotten into a big fight or- I could have made up a boyfriend, you know? Just, mess with them a little.”

Carlos visibly relaxes and nods, admitting with a shy smile, “Pierre once bet me that Charles would cry during his first podium.” He shrugs and his smile grows wider then, “He lost.”

You can’t help but laugh, “I should have known this would happen. Ugh-” you let out a frustrated sigh but then clap your hands together, “Ok. Here’s what we’re going to do-”

***

“Everyone here?” You look at Pierre, who nods. You’re not convinced, “Where’s Max?”

“Max isn’t in on this-”

Oh, thank God.

“-he doesn’t know anything about this,” Daniel pipes up from where he’s leaning against the wall. “We know how protective he is of you and-"

“Ok. Thank you, Daniel.” You have to bite the inside of your cheek to keep from laughing when you see Daniel shrink back against the wall like a naughty schoolboy who has been told off by the headmaster. You’re leaning against your desk, hands resting on the cool surface on either side of you, and look across the room. 

All the usual suspects are here; Pierre, Charles, Flo, Lando, Daniel- You’re a little surprised to see Yuki here but then again, are you really? You know from experience that Pierre can be quite persuasive and so he probably bullied the younger driver into taking part. No, the one that surprises you most is Rupert, Carlos’ personal trainer. When your eyes land on him you shake your head, hoping it conveys your disbelief, “Really Rupert?”

He laughs and shrugs, “I’ve been seeing you two-” he says with a nod towards Carlos, “- dance around each other since his first year in Formula One, darling. I’m honestly surprised it has taken you this long to figure it out.”

The rest of the drivers in the room nod in agreement. Flo even has the audacity to throw you a look that says ‘Told you so.’

“Anyway,” you continue, focusing on Pierre again. “Since you seem to be the ringleader, Gasly, please explain what’s going on here?”

“Well, I-” Pierre runs a hand through his hair and looks at Flo for backup. 

“No. nu-uh.” She shakes her head, “This was all you, Gas.” 

His eyes widen in shock at the betrayal by his friend, “Do I need to remind you about-”

“You do not,” Flo bites back. “We both know what happened that night.” As always, they only need half a word to have a full conversation. Flo crosses her arms in front of her chest then, “You’re the one who created the group chat, non?”

Next to her Lando and Yuki nod but then Pierre throws them a warning look and suddenly their shoes are much more interesting to look at. Lando, at least, has the decency to blush.

“I can’t believe you’re going to let me take the blame for this,” Pierre says under his breath before he turns back to you. “Fine. Ok. So-”

You hold up your hand to get him to stop talking and shake your head, “I don’t need all the details. Just tell me who got it right and how much they won.”

Pierre shrugs, a smile tugging on the corners of his mouth, “I did.” 

“Hey. No,” Yuki says then. “You said race day at Spa, Pierre. It’s not race day yet, is it?”

“Exactly,” Flo joins in. “So I won.” 

“No. No, no,” Lando jumps in and points at Flo, “You said before Spa. So technically you both got it wrong.”

You let out what you hope is a frustrated sigh, “Ok, so did no one get it right, or-” 

Charles shakes his head in reply, “No. But I think Pierre is the closest.”

“That doesn’t count though, does it?” Carlos says from where he’s standing next to you and when you risk a glance in his direction you can tell he’s trying his hardest not to laugh. 

“I guess not,” Charles agrees quietly, hanging his head.

“Ok, so then the money is ours,” you say with a shrug as if that settles it. “Perfect.”

A round of protests starts across the room, Pierre arguing that that’s not how it works, while Yuki suggests using the money for a new bet instead, and Lando saying that because you weren’t in on the bet you couldn’t possibly win.

From the corner of your eye you see Daniel push himself off the wall, drawing your attention with a quick wave, “Babe, it has been swell, but Michael’s waiting on me for some guided meditation or- Whatever. I gotta skedaddle out of here.” He reaches into the pocket of his jeans then and pulls out a folded fifty Euro bill, reaching over Yuki to hand it to you, “I’ll make sure Michael pays you tomorrow, yeah?” 

“Michael’s in on this as well?” 

“Yep,” Daniel nods. “He had you down for Abu Dhabi, by the way-” he throws you a wink, “-So I’ll let him know he’s way off.” 

“Sure. Ok. Whatever,” you reply, not surprised. Daniel is just about to open the door when you call out to him, “Dan?” When he turns around you lock eyes with him, “Not a word about this to Max, ok?” You look at everyone in the room then, “I mean it, guys. He can’t hear this from you.”

A chorus of, “We know,” echoes across the room.

“Good.” A smile then, “Thank you.” 

“So,” Pierre starts hesitantly, testing the waters, “can we go now, or-”

“Well first of all, you are an idiot for thinking we would announce our relationship on race day.” You scoff, “Have I taught you nothing in our years of working together?”

Pierre hangs his head and repeats from memory, a mocking tone to his voice, “No important news during race weekends. We wait until we’re in between races before we put out personal news.”

“Exactly.” You push yourself off your desk then, “And second of all, it looks like you all owe me fifty Euros, suckers-” you hold out your hand and grin, “- so pay up.”

***

“I really should go see Max,” you tell Carlos once it’s just you and him, and an unexpected three hundred Euros in your back pocket. 

“Do you want me to come with you?”

You think about it for a second and then nod, “Yeah, I’d like that.”

“Ok,” Carlos presses a kiss to your temple. “Do you know where he is?”

“Probably still in the garage,” 

Carlos laughs, “Yes, I think that might be our best shot.” 

***

Sure enough you find Max in the back of the Red Bull garage, going over some data with GP. You walk up to him, Carlos waiting outside because even though they tolerate employees of the sister team in here, you’re not sure it would go over well if you invited one of Red Bull’s main competitors into the lion’s den.

“Max?” You smile as he looks up from the screen and nod towards the pit lane, “Can I talk to you for a second?”

He looks at GP, who nods, “Yeah, we are done here anyway.” Max follows you outside without asking questions and if he’s surprised to see Carlos standing there he doesn’t show it and instead looks at you expectantly, “What do you want to talk about?”

“So,” you draw out, hoping a few extra seconds will help you find the right words, “I have to tell you something. And I need you to not freak out-”

“I won’t-”

“You freak out, Max,” you tell him with a kind smile. “Remember when I told you I missed my flight from Amsterdam and caught a ride with that guy who was driving to Paris so I could take a train from there?”

“Yeah, but that was of course dangerous, Pip,” Max berates you, arms folded in front of his chest now. “He could have been a murderer, or-”

“Yeah, ok,” you hold up your hand to stop him. “This is not that, ok. I am not in danger, so-”

“I’m not going to freak out,” Max says with a heavy sigh, “but you are getting on my nerves. Just tell me what’s going on.”

You take a deep breath and risk one last glance at Carlos, who gives you an encouraging nod, that does nothing to calm your nerves, “CarlosandIareinarelationship,”

Max furrows his brows, “What?”

“Carlos and I,” you repeat, slower this time. “We’re together. In a relationship. It’s very serious, at least uh- For me it is. And I uh-” you know you’re rambling but you can’t seem to stop, “I think Carlos is serious about it as well. I mean, he gave me a bracelet so-”

“Pip,” Carlos puts his hand on your arm and shakes his head, a smile tugging on his lips, “stop.” 

You blow out a breath and look at Max, trying one last time, “Carlos and I are in a relationship.”

Max stays silent for a bit but then deadpans in that way only he can, “I of course know.”

“I-” you echo, confused. “You know?”

“Yes.”

“Ho- How?”

Then, as if it’s the most obvious thing ever, “I saw you kissing in the paddock earlier today.”

“Huh.” You look at Carlos, still panicking a little,  pointing from you to him and back, “He saw us kissing in the paddock.” 

“Seems like he did,” Carlos answers calmly as if somehow he knew Max knew all along. 

“Did you know he saw us, or-”

Carlos shakes his head, “I did not but-”

You turn back to Max, “And you’re ok with this?” You’re not sure why you’re trying to self sabotage here but the question comes out almost on its own.

“Of course,” Max looks from you to Carlos as if he’s confused why you’re even having this conversation. 

“Ok.” You nod, relieved, “Ok. Cool. Uhm-” you look at Carlos and shrug, “Well, I guess that’s that then.” 

“That doesn’t mean I won’t seriously hurt you if you ever hurt her,” Max says then, looking at Carlos with that determined look he gets whenever he tries to get his point across.

“I know, cabrón,” Carlos agrees easily enough. He claps Max on his back, “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”

***

EPILOGUE

It’s after Abu Dhabi and its controversial last race, where Max beats Lewis on the last lap and thus wins the championship, after post-season testing, after a hug goodbye and a promise to stay in contact over the winter break to both Yuki and Pierre, and after a quick stop in Monaco where Max gets off his plane and wishes you safe travels, leaving you in the hands of his trusted cabin crew, that you find yourself on your way Mallorca once again. 

This time Carlos is waiting for you at the airport, standing a little to the side so as to not draw attention to himself, a black baseball cap drawn over his eyes, and his hands in the pockets of his jeans. You spot him before he sees you and you swear your heart skips a beat the moment he looks up and you lock eyes with him.

God, you’ve missed him. 

Sure, you’ve seen him just about every other weekend since you left Mallorca in August but other than some stolen glances in the paddock, your regular coffee dates, and some very spicy text messages and phone calls, you haven’t actually been with him and it’s gotten more and more difficult as time went by and so it takes everything you have not to run up to him.

Instead, there’s a chaste hug when he greets you, knowing the airport arrivals hall is too much of a public space to do anything but.

It isn’t until you sit down in the passenger’s seat of his car that’s parked in a far away corner in the garage, that he leans in and kisses you fiercely, tongue running between your lips almost immediately. You open your mouth greedily, your tongue chasing his into his mouth before you lick the inside of his cheek, savouring his taste.

Carlos pulls back then and mutters something in Spanish that you don’t quite catch but can figure out the meaning of soon enough when he steps back and rounds the car, leaving you to catch your breath on your own. When he steps inside he throws you a look that makes you shiver but doesn’t say anything, instead starting the car and backing up out of the parking space.

You put your seatbelt on and turn towards him in your seat, whispering a quiet, “Take me home, Carlos.”

***

Carlos circles your nipple with his tongue, making your arch your back, and you can feel him smile against your skin when you let out a quiet moan. He’s cupping your other breast with one hand while the other has two fingers inside you, slowly scissoring you open as his thumb rubs circles over your clit. 

You haven’t even made it into the kitchen yet because he’s got you flush against the wall in the hallway, your dress pushed up to your hips and your panties discarded somewhere between the front door and here. “Carlos,” you sigh, your hands cupping his face and guiding his mouth back to yours, the kiss drenched in want and need and-

“I don’t care how we do it,” Carlos says against the corner of your mouth, “but I’m done hiding you from the rest of the world, mami.” He pulls back a little and looks at you, pupils blown wide, “I want everyone to know that you’re mine.”

You hum in agreement, throwing your head back so he can kiss his way back to your chest, your hands in his hair now to keep him in place. “All yours, baby,” you whisper, your voice a little hoarse. You cry out when he adds a third finger without warning, your eyes flying open when you feel him drag his mouth from your breasts to your stomach and further down, watching as he drops to his knees and laps at your clit, “Fuck, that’s it. Right there-”

He looks up at you and actually winks before he slides his hand behind your knee and pulls your leg up onto his shoulder for better access. 

The quiet whimper you let out when he pulls his fingers out of you is quickly replaced by a moan when you feel his tongue slide inside and he starts eating you out for real. You grip onto his hair a little tighter and grind your hips against his face, quietly pleading, “Don’t stop,” over and over and over again.

***

“Can’t we just stay here forever,” you muse quietly, your fingers ghosting over his chest, sometimes playing with the charm that’s hanging from his necklace. Behind the curtains the sky is a vivid orange, casting a faint glow into the bedroom that makes it feel like you’re in a movie. “I’ve saved up a nice bit of money and I’m sure you don’t have to work like, ever again-” above you Carlos chuckles, “-so I think we could make it work.” 

“Maybe. But I know mamà would kill us if we don’t make it home for Christmas, cariño,” Carlos reasons, pressing a kiss to the top of your head, “so-”

“Yeah, you’re right,” you agree quietly. You look up at him then, “Speaking of Christmas-I have an early Christmas present for you.”

Carlos raises his eyebrows, “Oh?”

You reach over him and grab your phone, pulling up the app you use for scheduled posts and angling the screen towards him, “I want to post this tonight. I’m done keeping you a secret.”

He takes your phone from you and scrolls through the five pictures you’ve edited, showing a curated timeline of your relationship since August, the first one a picture of him that you secretly took yesterday, when you were waiting on your food in a café in Cala d’Or, the rest of them selfies of you and him throughout the moments you shared together until now. His smile grows wider when he reads the caption before he looks at you again, “You sure?”

“Very,” you confirm easily enough and push yourself up so you can let your lips ghost over his. “We’ve waited long enough.” 

***

“Ok,” you refresh the page to confirm. “Done.”

Next to you Carlos nods, “Good.”

You’re on the couch in the living room, your feet resting in Carlos’ lap, both of you enjoying a glass of red wine. Before you even have a chance to lock your phone it rings, the name of your best friend popping up on your screen and you can’t help but grin when you show Carlos before you accept the call and put it on speaker, “Hi Maxy,”

“Pip-” his voice catches and so he tries again, “Pip, I think you made a mistake.”

“What are you-”

“You posted to your public account,” Max continues, panic seeping through his voice. “I don’t think- This should of course go on your private account. What if anyone- Oh Godverdomme” he lets out a shaky sigh, “you already have a hundred likes. You need to take it down, Pip, before-”

“Maxy,” you interrupt him with a smile, “breathe.” He’s still rambling and so you try again, “Max Emilian Verstappen, stop. Breathe. And go to Carlos’ profile.”

“But-”

“Do it.” You bite your lip to keep from laughing, Carlos already looking at you with a very bemused smile. In your head you count down, waiting for Max to understand, from three, to two, to one, to-

“Oh,”

“Yeah,” you agree easily enough, knowing Max has just seen the same caption with mostly the same pictures, on Carlos’ page. Except for the first one, where Carlos opted for a picture of you and Piñon sleeping together in the garden.

“So this was on purpose?”

“Yes. Very much so.”

“And the team is ok with this?”

You let out a laugh, “Max, I love you but if you really think we posted this without running it by our bosses first I wonder if you even really know me.”

“Yeah, ok, that’s fair.” You can just imagine the way Max hangs his head. “Well, in that case I didn’t call.” 

You can hear him start to say his goodbyes and so you quickly say, “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

It stays quiet on the other end of the line for a few seconds but then you hear him let out a heavy sigh that you know is fake because you can hear the smile in his voice when he says, “Of course. Congratulations.”

“Thank you, Maxy,” you say with a self-satisfied smile. “I’ll call you on Christmas Day, ok? Love you.”

“Ik ook van jou.” He clears his throat then, “Oh and Carlos?” 

Carlos leans in, apparently not surprised that Max knows he was listening in, “Yes, cabrón?

“You’re very lucky to have her, mate. Don’t fuck it up.”

Carlos shakes his head even though Max can’t see him and looks at you with a warm smile, his hand wrapping around your wrist and his thumb rubbing the charm on your bracelet, “Never.”

Once you’ve said your goodbyes you put your phone on silent and toss it aside and when Carlos looks at you with a frown, you grin, “Everyone else can wait until tomorrow.”

“God, I love you,” Carlos mutters as he leans forward, swinging one leg over your hips so he’s lying on top of you, holding some of his weight off by resting on his elbows. He looks down at you and dips his head then, finding your mouth with his.

The kiss is different, slower, like you’re both desperate to savour every minute because you know there’s no rush. Not anymore. You let your hands run through his hair and when after a while he pulls back and collapses on top of you, burying his face in the crook of your neck, his warm breath hitting your skin in regular breaths, you wrap one leg around his waist and let out a content sigh, feeling your eyes grow heavy when you whisper, “I love you.” 

“Te amo, mi reina.”

- FIN -

Taglist:  @shes-homeward-bound | @chiogarza | @oyesmendes | @thatchickwiththecamera | @sanne-p | @your-favourite-blonde | @internetgremlin | @watermel0nsugarhigh | @fictional-l0v3r | @nochillnel | @dr3lover | @dan3avacado | @idkiwantchocolatee | @nicke0115 | @desperate-and-broken | @iamasimpingh0e | @guardians-ofthe-lastyoungkilljoy​ | @vroomvroommbtch

#Carlos Sainz x reader #F1 fanfic #CS55 #Carlos Sainz imagine #Carlos Sainz jr #Harley Sunday x Carlos Sainz jr

[swampstew]

Raven is ready to hibernate ~

I'll be queuing up my posts so I'll be active enough but as far as new content goes - its up in the air. I don't think I'll be doing any more events or requests for the year besides current obligations (of which I am SO CLOSE to finishing) and then I am giving my brain a nice lil break. Might update my theme/colors/banners but tbh not sure cause I really like my theme! So many things to consider but for now I need to rest and recharge♥

OC fanfics will be continued next year and there are very exciting developments with that coming!

My other fics will be updated as I feel inspired, so no real expectations or dates for when those will post.

Tumblr posts, I do other things than bedtime stories (such as crappy canva art, POV posts, welcome to the crew, etc) and like everything else, if I feel inspired, I will post.

If and when I have things to share, I will make a little announcement that outlines posting dates and times so no one misses anything, as I've done in the past under the tag #Raven Announces

Thanks for another amazing year on this blog! Please feel free to send me asks or chat me up, I'll still be here♥

#raven announces #ready to dummify my brain and play sdv #one piece fanfiction #swampstew stories #and SO EXCITED to catch up on everyones works

[gloryride]

24, 43, 45, 51, 60, 69 for Vanessa and Virgil

[CP2077 OC ask]

24/ what gang/faction/corporation do they align with, if any?

VANESSA She is not a member, but Vanessa is friends with the Valentinos. She is more of an honorary member because part of her family is there, Gustavo Orta was her first boyfriend, and her father died a hero for the gang. She helps them and loves their aesthetics, but joining a gang is out of the question!

And after Mikoshi, she enters the closed club of the Afterlife, the legends, and fixers of the city ♥

VIRGILE Virgile is aligned with the Aldecaldos, he joined the clan in 2077, after helping them, along with V, and being with Panam. He is back in a nomad clan after ten years long wandering.

He too, is affiliated with the Afterlife. He works there for several years as a netrunner, and coworker of Nix.

43/ describe their ideal date.

VANESSA Simple or Fancy date ? Both work !

Simplicity is always a winner.

The place doesn’t matter, whether it is a small restaurant, just a drink or a wild trip in the Badlands, she likes to be surprised (little advice : the moto ride, she loves it !) No need to be dress up, but Vanessa appreciates the effort. Being clean, smelling good is already very good.

For the fancy, it's mostly the same.

A chic, sophisticated place and have a little intimate corner, playing big game with suits/pretty dress, because Vanessa will bring out her best wardrobe so try to do the same. She likes Champaradise, Donaghy’s or those very sweet cocktails with bubbles in them. Little chance to screw up.

VIRGILE Some provisions, a little alcohol and here you are taken by motorbike (or car) not far from the dam, or in the Badlands, with a nice view of the city while being quiet. A little privacy never hurts to get to know each other.

Going out to a restaurant, eating well in a pleasant setting allows you to be confident. If he doesn’t cook, the netrunner knows the best restaurants in Japantown (especially japanese) and Kabuki, as well as a charming Italian restaurant in Vista Del Rey where he chats with the boss in Italian. In this kind of place, he talks more, feeling at ease. It can continue in a nice little bar, a stroll where … elsewhere (a)

45/ what was your characters first impression of their partner(s)?

VANESSA

"He's a handsome young man." "Rude, ordinary, self-confident. No, Pepe, he's not for me." "Are we talking about the good-looking guy with green hair? Ordinary, him? V, you're saying that in the worst possible way because he's an ex-corpo guy." "Maybe, but I'm not going to be touched by another corpo. I'd rather become a nun like my sister!"

Vanessa would never be in love with Valentin or even sleep with him in a million years. She found him detestable as soon as she saw him. Then she wanted to play with him as he continued to flirt with her. Her plan? Make him die of desire and then abandon him. But… it didn't work out that way at all, caught in her own trap, and desire.

VIRGILE

"What's with the madwoman, Nix?" "Are you serious? Panam is a lovely girl, a little rough, but she's great." "Unfriendly, impatient, and rude, I wouldn't call her a great girl."

It didn't start well there, either. Panam was starting at Afterlife, working with Nix first, then sent her to Virgile, an expert on nomad deliveries. If she was unkind, it was just that it was a critical delivery; Rogue had pissed her off, it was last minute … but all this Virgile knew much later. They worked together several times before talking and drinking together. Great stories don't always start well!

51/ do they like having multiple partners or do they prefer monogamy?

VANESSA Vanessa prefers to feel free and not feel trapped with someone. She was with Gustavo and then Oscar, but she was much younger. She has a perfect understanding with Valentin because they are in an open relationship, they can go and see elsewhere. But the most important thing is that they always come back to each other ♥

VIRGILE Virgil prefers monogamy, he is faithful when he is in love.

60/ are they more submissive or dominant?

VANESSA Vanessa is more dominant, which is not surprising with her fiery character. She can sometimes switch, especially with someone as dominant as her, but she likes to get back on top quickly.

VIRGILE Virgils is submissive, which also goes hand in hand with his character. But also because, when he was younger, he was active in the foreplay and preferred that others take charge for the rest, so as not to tire his heart. And there is nothing sexier than to see his partner on top of him (a)

69/ do they like having music on while they have sex? share three songs they’d play while getting down.

Crap i'm so bad with music xD

VANESSA She loves music, it's often played in her flat, so it's normal that she also likes to have sex to it. I can imagine the two idiots starting to dance, before continuing in a horizontal tango

Solo Quiero - Montoya, Pedrina Sexual Healing - Marvin Gaye (a very good classic) Ma Benz Brigitte (X)

VIRGILE Virgile has no music for that, and doesn't play music during sex. If the other one does, why not, some people have very good taste in music to set the mood.

#oc ask #about : vanessa vergara #about : virgile sarto #loooong post x) #thanks again ♥

[holydreamlandengineer]

Very kind of you thank you very much!

Hi Friends!

 Our stories truly do matter! 

Heartfelt thanks for stopping to visit me here today.

What a lovely gathering place for kindred spirits we have grown here over the years. I always look forward to your thoughts and questions.

Feel free to contact me anytime by using the media.

As a retired educator, I am embracing this lovely gift of time to spend with family and friends.

My wonderful big Family is a true blessing in my life!

After 40 happy years of practicing and teaching Business Development, Economics, Innovation and creativity in Faculties and Universities, I know that I must continue to learn and to teach something new each day, to be creative and innovator to add value and make a difference in our world.

Many thanks to those who share blogging awards. Encouraging one another is such a wonderful way to share, connect, and grow as new members of the blogging community!  

Leaving a ‘Comment” on my posts is such a thoughtful, little gift. I truly appreciate each ‘Comment’ and really enjoy answering all of them!

Greetings

              Gardening with perennials and herbs, card making, scrap booking, watercolor painting, antiquing, bullet journaling, letter writing, reading, travel, and taking long walks are just some of my favorite ways to spend my days. I’m truly passionate about learning new things!

Each year of my ‘Renaissance’ -the ‘R’ word that I use for Retirement - has offered so many new opportunities to grow and blossom!

It has been my honor to volunteer to help our military families stay connected with loved ones.

I have enjoyed helping neighborhood children learn and grow.

Now it is my honor to help my parents each day.

It feels like a complete ‘circle of love’… and exactly what I am meant to be doing in this moment.

This chapter in life offers so many new possibilities to be creative, learn new things, and make a difference!

I love to look for small moments of joy tucked into the corners of each day, share a bit of handmade kindness, and count my blessings out loud.

I’ve always loved sharing stories with family and friends.

Long letters and scrapbooks can preserve the most wonderful stories.

Blogging has become one of the unexpected joys of my ‘Renaissance’ as I discovered a new way to share stories!

It’s so important to document our lives, capturing the small moments and the big, exciting memories, too. 

Our stories truly do matter! 

It is my hope that you will find a few stories here that will touch your heart, brighten your day… and inspire you to tell your stories… in your own special ways! ♥

It takes a long time to become Young!                                                              

WHY STORIES?

Stories spark imagination and curiosity;

They foster creative and critical thinking skills;

They teach us abiding values like courage, honesty and determination;

They nurture and grow creative language skills;

They help us to understand challenging concepts, historical facts, religious principles;

They are how we make sense of the world around us;

And the worlds we will never see;

They preserve and pass on history, heritage and culture;

They nurture a sense of wonder;

They are how we learn language and how to communicate;

They are enjoyable and fun, and

Stories help us learn who we are!

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[happyheidi]

Transparent animated bunnies ♥︎

(via)

#eeeek!! they’re adorable! #whatcha looking at back there bunny nr 2? #u keep looking back... is it another bunny over there? someone u like? #(feel very free to continue this little story ♥︎) #cottagecore #bunnies #bunny #rabbits #animals #animation #transparent #animated #gif #cute

[the-writers-bookshelf]

Aubrey I forgot how to write. Everything sounds awful now and I'm not interested in my old WIPs. I think about starting new ones and trying different voices and styles but nothing sticks and writing feels like a chore now.

Hi darling anon! As someone who has battled with this feeling for 3-4 years and I'm just now seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, let me look you in the eye right now and tell you: it does get better!

Don't worry: you did NOT forget how to write!

Your brain is just tired and needs to be refilled :)

When writing feels like a chore and you don't know how to put words together, that's your brain saying, "Help! I've run out of fuel!"

It's important to let yourself rest right now. The more you push an already-tired brain, you'll just drive yourself deeper into fatigue.

Watch movies.

Read books. Read A LOT of books!!

Listen to radio shows and watch plays.

Consume ALL the media you can!

I always recommend keeping a journal because it keeps you writing without the pressure to "produce". It can be a great place to work out whatever is going on in your brain that might have you tangled up and blocked.

But journaling isn't for everyone, so don't force it if you don't like it!

While you watch movies and read and stock up on fuel, also consider the answer to some of these questions:

1. Do I still see value in my stories? Or do I feel like they're not worth the time and effort?

If you still love your WIPs but you just don't have energy to work on them, that means you're just burned out and you need a break!

However, if you don't think your stories are worth telling anymore, this is an issue that runs deeper than just "need brain fuel". This will take time and effort to continually remind yourself that your stories ARE worthy.

2. Do I have a support system that encourages my writing? Or do the people in my life scoff at my writing?

Environment can have a giant impact on a writer. If you are surrounded with people who constantly tell you that you should "grow up" and stop writing because it's a waste of time, you will eventually come to believe it. That takes A LOT of brain power to overcome!

If you're feeling tuckered out because your environment isn't being supportive, try to find other people who will encourage your writing! You need people on your team who will support you, not tear you down.

3. Am I struggling in the aftermath of harsh feedback/criticism?

Sometimes, receiving harsh feedback or criticism (or NO feedback at all!) can leave you feeling listless and lost. Then when you try to write again, you second guess every word and nothing sounds good enough.

In this case, you might have to push yourself a little to get past it and keep writing, but always be gentle with yourself! :)

4. Am I dealing with an unusually high amount of stress in my daily life?

We are in a WEIRD world right now. PLENTY of writers, artists, and creative people have admitted to feeling like they can't create at the moment due to stress.

In the first few months of lockdown, I was in a haze of stress as my very-public-facing-job tried to navigate pandemic protocols for the first time ever and there were massive, drastic changes every single day.

I barely remember those few months because I was so exhausted, all I did was drag myself out of bed, go to work, and drop back into bed as soon as I got home again.

No writing was happening. And that's okay.

If you've got stress going on in your daily life, let yourself deal with it. Give yourself the guilt-free space you need in order to cope with whatever is happening! Writing will be there when you're ready to return to it again :)

***

I hope some of this helps, lovely!! Keep trying. Don't give up and let yourself rest as much as you need to. Take the pressure off of yourself to produce when you do write again and just write something for fun! ♥

It might take longer to recover than you would like, but as long as you don't give up, you'll make it through to the other side! :)

#asks #anonymous

[3raaaachachacha]

Hey girls,

It's been a long time since I last spoke to you. I've been very busy and stressed with school and my exams but now, I have my last two remaining exams on Thursday and Friday and then I'll be free! I feel like the days just won't go by, I can't wait from Friday to come.

How are you doing though? I saw that Admin 🌶 is back so, welcome back! I hope you got some well deserved rest and that now you are doing better than ever. But Admin 🦋, I hope you are also doing great and taking good care of yourself.

And hyunjin is back! I can't believe it, I'm so happy that we will finally see him with the rest of the boys, it's been far too long but at least I hope that the break was a good opportunity for him to relax and have some time for himself and his family. And did you see his drawing of Kkami? He has improved so so much!

Oh, I've been reading your works and I must say, your enhypen works are so amazing! Reading your writings have helped me relax after long days, and I'm really grateful for that. I just wanted to thank you for continuously working on stories to provide us with, they really make my day, and I look forward to them. You may not realise it, but your writings have helped me, and I think a lot of other people too, to feel better after a long, stressful day. For the past 9-10 months I've been so full with anxiety that I was on the verge of crying 24/7, every little thing would have me breaking down. It's been a rough year for me and your stories have given me a way to escape reality for a bit and let my mind wander to peaceful, happy places that helped me keep going without breaking down and passing out. So, I can't help you enough for everything you gave me through your works.

I hope you guys are taking good care of yourselves, don't forget to rest well, eat and sleep well and drink lots and lots of water!

Take care and stay safe~

-warmth anon❤💫

~ hi there !! hope you are doing well and your exams end good. i'm doing alright, just very tired as of lately from working 2 jobs with long, tiring work. thank for enjoying our content, especially our enhypen ones. i've been really proud of the ones i've created since i put a lot of thought and heart into them, so i'm ecstatic to get the good feedback. i think i speak for us both when i say we are more than happy that you found comfort in our writings and that they have helped you in more ways than one. we are happy to provide you with a safe and fun space to come to when you are stressed and need a break from reality. we will continue to write and create more content for you and anyone else that need to escape. thank you so much for this ask, it gave me more energy and happiness than i realized. Have a great rest of your day/night ♥︎ ~

- Admin 🦋

~ hi! it’s been a while and honestly, i thought about you the other day because it’s been a while since we spoke. i’m sorry to hear you’ve been so stressed, but i promise, it will all be worth it in the end! good luck on your last two exams, i’m sure you’ll do so well! yes i’m back! i’m feeling better and i think the break was necessary for me to be able to get some new ideas and continue on from there. i’m doing okay, i’m really exhausted from work. i was so relieved when i watched the mixtape that i cried since i was so overwhelmed with emotions. i missed that boy so much. it was so nice to be able to come back and start fresh with a new group, it really helped to get the ideas flowing again and i’ve been working harder on these posts so i’m extremely pleased to know you enjoyed them. you really are so beautiful and strong, so remember that! like Admin 🦋 mentioned, our blog is a safe and fun space to come to, especially after a long day. thank you for providing us with support and take good care of yourself! ♥︎ ~

- Admin 🌶️

[cousinslavellan-archive]

Broken Souls Pt 1.5

...hi guys guess what’s taken over my brain oops. But hey, I’m writing! Gonna count that as a win :D

So this is a bit out of order, but considering this is an intro chapter more so anything else, naming it 1.5 seemed appropriate. We get a proper intro to both Lily and the wonderful @wafflesrock16 ‘s Tiberius! She’s been nice enough to lend me him for this fic since after brainstorming... I ship them really, really hard. Gwen, Tassius, and any other Kindled characters that are mentioned also belong to Waffles! Go give her some love!

ANYWAYS. Have some more intro! Then we can get into more story shenanigans :D Enjoy! ♥

Also officially have artwork of my twins thanks to @savbakk ! Over here! :3

Lily was born with a Name on the back of her neck, sitting dead centre between her tiny shoulder blades - a safe, human name, one that her parents fawned over even as they bemoaned her twin’s alien Mark.

She learned very quickly that, for whatever reason, she could do no wrong, while Rose could do no right - even if they behaved the same, got the same grades, Lily was praised while Rose was ignored.

It's because of her Mark. she discovers, a plan hatching in her six year old brain, It’s not fair.

“We’ll join the Alliance, get away from our parents - and find your Mate!”  she remembers whispering one night, safely tucked into bed alongside her twin, “Yours is so much more interesting! It’s pretty!”

Rose had agreed if only to please her, she’s sure, but she’d been honest about the plan; working diligently towards applying to the Alliance, doing her best to keep her parents wrath away from her twin.

And then at fifteen, her Mark fades; the lines still visible but the name illegible, a brief prickle on her skin the only sign something’s happened.

Rose is the one who notices, when they’re getting changed for gym class near the end of Grade 10 - pulling her aside so she can check it more closely, making a noise of distress.

“Lily.” she remembers her whispering, looking confused, “Your Mark is… faded.”

They’d checked it out later, doing a quick google search - and the reason had been a bit of a shock.

A Faded Soul Mark indicated a Mate who had died. Her Soulmate had died.

Strangely, asides from feeling briefly lost… it didn’t bother her. She’d never met the person whose name was written on her skin, had no affinity for them - in a way, it left her free.

Free to go where she wished, do what she wanted - free to continue looking after Rose and helping her find her own Mate.

She never bothered telling their parents - told them very little, in fact, distancing herself even as she blocked them from Rose at every possible moment - and by the time they turned eighteen, three years later, she couldn’t even remember the Name she had once worn.

The Alliance was a new start, for both of them, a way to move forwards - a way to find Rose’s elusive Soulmate, the moment they had access to Universal Omni’s and could translate the Mark: Rainer.

It was also the year Lily decided to get her first tattoo, something she’d been thinking about doing since her Mark had faded; a purple anemone flower, the petals unfurling from the central point of her Faded Mark.

It became almost a tradition then, on her birthday every year while they had Shore Leave from Alliance training: adding a new tattoo to each arm, a double sleeve of sorts beginning at her Mark.

A pair of Easter Lilies in the dips of her shoulders, Yellow Roses at the tops, Wood Lilies on her biceps. She gets Stargazer Lilies near her elbows, Canada Lilies on her forearms, and then a weaving vine with little blue Forget Me Nots connecting it all together.

It’s colourful and unique and vibrant, and she loves every piece of it - loves wearing colours at every opportunity, being that pop of sunshine in the middle of a gloomy day, loves laughing and making others laugh.

She muses, once they’ve been accepted into N School, that she’s turned out to be the opposite of her parents - she loves the beach and swimming, loves people and exploring, likes making others happy.

And when they make it through N School - come out on top, cream of the crop in their specialised fields, Rose a glowing star despite the filth their parents had always spewed - she’s never been prouder.

“We did it, Rosie! Smile, woman!”

“I can’t believe we did it.” Rose breathes, staring at her Medal in awe, “No more training, or hoping.”

“We passed the tests - we’re done!” Lily’s laughing, throwing an arm around her twins shoulders, cheeks flushed in excitement, “Bad ass N7′s, Elite Soldiers, free of the training camps and terrible food of the lower barracks-”

“-free of mother and father.” Rose mumbles, shooting her a quick look.

Lily only squeezes her tighter, giving her medal a triumphant shake. “Free of those racist assholes.” she agrees, loudly, and watches with glee as a grin finally splits Rose’s face.

Their first assignment as N7’s is a trip to Palaven with a small squad of other Alliance soldiers, meant to stabilize relations with the Primarch and allow them the opportunity to integrate certain systems.

Rose is a nervous wreck, though she does her best to hide it. Lily is a ball of energy, excited and curious - excited that Rose could find her Mate, but also something else.

Something’s going to happen. She thinks, packing her allotted foot locker, buzzing excitedly, I can’t wait.

 Tiberius Ramas is born in Cipritine, a Soul Mark on his tiny waist and a faint buzz of biotic energy. A Mark that Fades by the time he turns ten.

The stigma of being biotic leads to a shy, quiet nature as he grows, close to his mother and less so to his father, drafted into a Cabal for proper training once he’s hit fifteen.

But Tiberius is smart, and he cares about people despite the suspicion thrown his way - he proves himself a valuable member of the Cabal when he’s stationed aboard The Steadfast, becoming good friends with his Kabalim, Tassius Malolin.

His mother passes away when he’s twenty five, and he says a quiet prayer to the Spirits for her every morning, diligent in his practice and control of his biotics.

He’s a gamer - logging countless hours in Galaxy of Fantasy, enjoying helping new members and even raising a good chunk of funds for a charity through it - and he makes friends, has several casual lovers, despite his shyness.

There’s a pocket of time following Tassius and Gwen’s - the Kabalim’s human Amicae - wedding where he feels slightly adrift, an accomplished member of the Cabal but needing a change of pace.

Which is when the offer comes in from Primarch Fedorian, a simple message relayed via the Captain:

I could use a trustworthy soldier on my Central Defense. If you’re interested, the position is yours.

There’s a brief hesitation, a question of why me?, before Tiberius accepts - moving from his station aboard The Steadfast into the Spire of Talos in Cipritine, joining what he’s surprised to find is a tiny unit - himself and one other man, a sniper with an attitude.

Rainer Vakarian is intimidating, at first, but his gruff demeanor quickly gives way to the softer Rainer beneath; a keen eye, a care for those around him, and now, a good friend.

It’s been seven years since his mother’s death when, just as he’s finally settled into his new position, something feels… different.

Almost like a charge in the air, curious and new.

Something’s coming. He thinks, wary of what it means.

#Lily Anne Evans #Rose Evans #Tiberius Ramas #Rainer Vakarian #Broken Souls #turian/human relationship #mass effect ocs #turian ocs #wafflesrock16 #savbakk #mass effect fanfiction #intros #soulmate au #enjoy! ♥